h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Ordinarily I would be posting Chapter 28 of "The Lost Isle of Arborvilla," but I've just got back from a harrowing three-day trip that should have only taken one day.

A nasty storm swept though the Northeast on Wednesday, with mostly rain near the East coast [in Boston, for instance, where I live] and progressively heavier snowfall as you went West.

My brother lives 100 miles to the west, where the snowfall would be the heaviest.

Did I mention that the storm was due on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving traditionally the heaviest travel day of the year?

I got all sorts of advice: come in the morning Wednesday, before the storm gets bad. Come on Thursday, after the snow has been cleared away. My father, who lives in the middle of the state, was not likely to get much snow, so I compromised. I drove out to his place early in the day and stayed over at his place. Thursday morning, I drove him
to my sister's place [she lives near my brother], which was looking like a better bet because my brother had lost power in the storm.

My brother kept waiting for the electric company to come in and restore his power. You can't host Thanksgiving dinner for eleven people if your house is freezing and you have no power, right? The decision was made to postpone Thanksgiving dinner a day and have it on Friday. Surely my brother would have power by then, right?

Wrong! Around *;00 on Friday morning, my brother-in-law was asked to drive over to my brother's place and bring the turkey to my sister's place, where she roasted it. My brother's wife had prepared six side dishes and two desserts Wednesday afternoon before the power went out. She brought those items to my sister around noon. My brother and his son arrived about half an hour later, grumbling about the power loss.

So, the meal that was supposed to be on Thursday at my brother's house was held instead on Friday at my sister's house, and was very pleasant. It went without incident, and afterward I drove my father back to his house, and continued safely back to Boston with leftovers and suitcase and the books I had brought along to while away the time waiting for things to happen.

I am glad to see you made it back home safely. Even in the 21st century we are still under the whims of Mother Nature.

Although I am anxiously waiting to read the next chapter of Arborvilla I do not mind waiting under the circumstances.



F S

[Amy P]

Pleased that you all had safe journeys

glad it finally sorted itself out !

What others have said before me

I'm glad to hear you got to see your folks and had the meal together.

I hope your brother's power is restored soon.

By the way, I have been in a similar situation: Locked up with the whole family at my brother's on christmas eve with a ginormous turkey and no power. As you may have guessed we also survived

Glad you made it back okay.

Thanks, everybody!

It's pretty close to freezing today, but the sun is shining. I'm back in my home, sorting out all the things I want to catch up on after that trip. You know laundry, cooking, returning books to the library, maybe some browsing at a mall. I hope the other shoppers are exhausted from Black Friday .

Most of the things I will buy for Christmas will be purchased online. That means I should probably start ordering them soon, before other storms disrupt my life .

Glad it all worked out in the end.

Deb

It must have been a very stressful time for you and your family. I hope that will be the last time you see of the stormy weather.

I remember a Christmas gathering when a storm dumped heavy snow on us, and we were snowed in for days.