Dude, We Have a Crisis... We're Out of Beer

So when I last posted, I was just settling in for a nice, cozy evening with wine, a good movie and some knitting. There was a certain thrill in the air as the city got its first dose of winter. I went to bed Thursday evening, chilly but generally content.

I woke up Friday morning to this...

2 feet of snow... in October.

Oh yeah, and no power...

Little did I know that I wouldn't have power for three and a half days.

And at that point, I'd be one of the lucky ones since there are people who are still shivering in the dark and may have to for another week. Yes, that would be ten days without power. Buffalonians are tough, but it could get a little crusty around here if people are without heat for ten days.

Sorta gives a new meaning to advertising Buffalo neighborhoods as being full of tree-lined streets. On Friday, most streets were unpassable with more trees in the road than ones standing. The last report I heard stated that the debris is the equivalent of 200,000 trees. The clean-up process could take up to six months. We hadn't even hit our peak color yet. Most of those branches being turned into mulch are covered with green leaves.

Rioting was barely averted when the beer trucks were able to get into the city. On Friday night, when 340,000 people were without power, the city ran out of suds. This, in a city whose philosophy is that the best way to beat a blizzard is to get a six-pack and stay home. It was a frightening hour for all involved.

Remember the snow I found inside my apartment on Thursday night? Well, I decided to add my own indoor ice skating rink on Sunday when my toilet began spewing water from the tank. Imagine yours truly in the dark in a very cold apartment, holding a flashlight and a cell phone in one hand with the other arm in the back of the tank, wet to the shoulder, trying to jiggle all the parts described by my brother and father in Missouri, who were warm and content after a homemade meal. Yep, I know how to party. Want to come for a visit?

At least I was one of the lucky ones with generous friends who had electricity, warm food, hot water and an extra bed. Oh, and lots of alcohol. It's great to have friends with power... especially the AC/DC kind.

Now if the Great October Surprise isn't a reason to knit a mitten, I don't know what is.

Super Mittens from Weekend Knitting, made with Brown Sheep Burlyspun

Hopefully I get the second one finished before our next snow. We should be flake-free for a few days, though heavy rains are supposed to start tonight, flooding the entire area, especially streets where debris is blocking storm drains. You know, like every street in Buffalo. I'm going to start building my ark now. At least I won't have to cut down any branches for timber.