Written in the morning:

So as Bev already mentioned here, the STORM OF THE CENTURY WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE is coming tonight and is guaranteed to cause blackouts and power outages for days and days. Since Richard and Jennifer live about a half hour from us, you'll probably hear about it from them too. And if Holidailies goes down within the next few days, that's probably why.

I HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE WINTER, JUST SAYING.

While I fortunately don't have anything scheduled to do on Thursday (other than sit in the dark freezing, I guess), tonight I have a ticket to see Mike Birbiglia, so I'm going to have to be out in it. Great timing, that. I actually brought my car and am burning a free parking day today because (a) I have my doubts I'll be able to catch the last bus on time to go home tonight, and (b) the nearest branch post office to me has shut down, so I'm going to have to drive out to the far side of town today during lunch to mail Jess's birthday present before the storm hits. Let's hope it shows up by birthday time. If I have any free time I should probably gas up my car, but who knows if I'll make it through the long line in time for that.

As for this weekend: like I said, I am seriously considering bailing on going to Dickens Fair. The current plan is that I'll take the train to the Bay Area Friday night, but yesterday my shrink was all, "Is that even going to be running or are you just going to be trapped on a train for hours?" Good point. The city is flat out saying DON'T TRAVEL UNLESS YOU HAVE TO (and "for once, cycling is not recommended."), like for example, we'll all still have to go to work and school because we do not cancel anything for horrendous weather except a couple of meetings.* I'm seriously debating calling Mom before the blackouts hit to tell her I'm either driving down on Saturday after it stops raining, or I'm bailing altogether. I don't know which and it's gonna lead to arguments, so... However, my landline, which I pretty much only keep now due to possible blackouts, is no longer working or at least I can't get a dialtone on the phone. (It might be the phone, though, since the Internet still works.) So...that's going to lead to bitchy crankypantsness on Mom already if I am out of power and can't call her after the cell keels over. Whee.

* There's one meeting my office used to have with another office every season or so. After an infamous winter meeting in which we all schlepped over in the rain and none of them did even though the meeting was a building away, this meeting hasn't been held in two years. I did not miss it or even notice that we weren't having it any more in the sea of other meetings. Unfortunately other people have decided to bring it back....and yes, they scheduled it for Thursday. It has now been canceled because we know they ain't gonna show up for that :P

I do wonder: what will black out first, town or campus? Several years ago we had a weekend-long blackout in town, but campus was fine and I had no idea until I got home to black darkness and then ended up roaming the black streets trying to find a store with a flashlight that was still open and had flashlights. Sometime later...within the same year, I think? I forget--campus had a blackout because of some random thing, like a ship hit something in Sacramento or something.... I can't recall the explanation for it, but it was freaking bizarre and I guess the campus power source isn't in town. It happened while I was working a Craft Center shift, so we all had to go home early--and our homes were lit, but the poor freshman on shift that quarter might have had issues going back to the dorm. I'll be rooting for it to be out here rather than home, of course, but it's much more likely to be the other way around. (In which case, I might just hide out on campus instead.) There's already a rickety phone pole across the street from me, so well, if this is my last post ever, you know why :P

If we have a blackout here, that probably has its own disasters since they force us all to use key cards and we don't exactly have any lighting. They won't send us home unless a blackout or anything else goes on in mid afternoon and is completely unfixable for hours. We've already been told we HAVE TO be open for everyone wanking about at the last minute, whee. I just got an e-mail asking how well everyone can work from home (my answer: not at all well, thanks, especially if the power goes out) and are you going to use a vacation day to not come in. As one of the few in-town locals, I know I'm going to be forced to come in no matter what anyway, really, so I don't think my answer matters much. So I'll be the only one here stuck answering phones, probably. And wishing for death.

Written after lunch:

Okay, I am back from having Jess's package mailed and getting the car filled up. Both of those went quickly and well and it's still dry outside, thank goodness. I even found time to call Mom and argue with her about how I refuse to make a final decision about going to the Bay Area this weekend until we see just how bad it is outside. "You want me to come pick you up?" she asked. "Not if it's THAT bad out and they're saying nobody should travel unless they absolutely have to!" I said.

It still hasn't started raining yet, and isn't supposed to until I get out of the theater show. I went over there to ask if it was going to be canceled. So far it is not. So far nothing is going to be canceled....

Anyway, it's time to post this before I don't have the ability to post any more. We'll see if I am able to tomorrow. Or not.

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