10 years ago this week, I was bouncing around, first in my cold and dark apartment, then my parent's fireplace-heated basement and finally, my uncle up north on the lake, who thankfully, had a gas-heated house.
We were in the middle of the Ice Storm. Wiki if you don't know what I'm talking about. It wasn't of Katrina-proportions, but for people around here, it was the worst natural disaster. I personally had no power for 8 days. I think my parent's had no power for almost 2 weeks. Some people were in the dark for a month.
It was actually one of the worst time in my life, but not because of the storm. The first morning that it started raining on the 2nd of January, I was actually trying to make my way to the unemployment office to make a claim for the first time in my life. I had been downsized in late November but my severance package had carried me into the new year. I needed to fill out the paper work, so I shuffled my way on the sidewalk for blocks, and finally made it, soaked, to the unemployment office, only to find in shut because they had no power. By the time I shuffled back home hours later, my own apartment was dark too. I had a night-school friend who had a warm basement apartment, so I camped at her place the first night. The next morning, I had to pay a guy with a big truck to tow me out of the ice-bank my car was stuck in. I had little money, but it seemed like the right thing to do. It turned out to be the best move ever, otherwise, my car would have been stuck there for weeks, as the city came to a screeching halt. The water plant shut down, people lived in shelters.... it was mayhem.
The interesting thing to me now is how little I actually remember about the day to day. I remember not knowing where to go because I had two cats and shelters wouldn't allow them and people offering me a place to stay were allergic. I remember sleeping on a cot in front of my parent's fireplace, trying to figure out what we would eat. And I remember playing boardgames with my cousins once we were safe and warm at my uncle's house. All my cousins were there, a first since we were little kids.
But there was no blogging back then. And even if there had been, there was no power! But it's amazing to me how much I rely on the blogging now, to document, to remember. Things that happened pre-blog are Polaroid snapshots. But my life since blogging is a searchable-archive......
I'm reading this post with over a foot of -- not going to get shoveled anytime soon -- snow of the ground. Moments like those tend to stick with you, no matter where life takes you. Aside from this past 15 months, ten years ago was probably one of my low points as well. Good thing blogs did not exist back then, or I would cringe at what my younger self might have written. More so than I already cringe over what I currently write.
Posted by: Herb | January 09, 2008 at 05:44 PM
I have trouble remembering 10 days ago, let along 10 years.
Posted by: Harry | January 09, 2008 at 06:35 PM
I remember that storm. DH was even given a t-shirt with "I survived the ice storm of 1998" on it which he still occasionally wears to bed!lol And 10 years ago in January, I found out I was pregnant with my now 9 year old son and we bought a house. Your life sure has changed in 10 years hasn't it!
Julie
Posted by: Julie | January 09, 2008 at 07:24 PM
heh. life since blogging as a searchable archive! i just searched mine for when to start progesterone suppositories... much easier than calling the doctor!
Posted by: cat, galloping | January 09, 2008 at 08:05 PM
I remember that storm, we have lots of family in Montreal and we got one phone call (when they still had phone service!) telling us about watching the transformers blow all the way up Decarie. I also remember that we were getting married shortly and we ordered our wedding rings from a jeweler in Montreal and they almost didn't make it on time!
Posted by: Erin | January 09, 2008 at 09:17 PM
I depend on my blog now for all things twins. I have no record anywhere else, how ridiculous is that. I thought, I have no idea what their 15 month stats were and then remembered, oh yeah, the blog.
we had a storm here in NC the first winter here and we had 20 inches of snow and were snowed in for 4 days! I don't recall much either, no blogs yet.
Posted by: Jenny | January 09, 2008 at 09:51 PM
ahh I still hear the horror stories of how people survived, I was still on the westcoast - I am good at just missing major weather events! Perhaps it's a gift
Posted by: Justine | January 10, 2008 at 08:35 AM