The Great Winter Event of 2011!

Coming from Ohio, I never thought I'd experience a week like this past week. Beginning on Sunday evening, the Atlanta area was hit with a combination of snow and ice. In fact, we received around 4 inches of fluffy snow here in Duluth with a layer of ice on top of the snow. Back in Southwest Ohio, the schools would close for a day (maybe two) for such an event. Most businesses would still be open and require employees to report to work. Such is not the case for the winter storm of 2011 in the ATL!

Many businesses were still closed today on the third day, and Reese's school has already cancelled for tomorrow. Not that I'm surprised after venturing out to Kroger today to buy some milk, eggs and hot chocolate mix. After all, the roads are still a mess--even the main ones! I guess Atlanta is used to Mother Nature melting the snow and ice in this area during the very few times that something actually sticks to the ground. The problem this time is that a significant amount of snow and ice fell before the temperatures followed suit.

It's impossible not to learn a lesson or two from such an event that I plan to apply to any future Georgia winter storms.

1. Always grab an extra gallon of milk (or two). Our Kroger was out of 2% and the 1% was more than half gone when I grabbed two gallons today. Related to this...
2. Always grab an extra carton of eggs. Unfortunately, the eggs were completely wiped out by time I got to Kroger today.
3. Purchase a sled before the storm hits. We improvised and used a laundry basket, but a sled would've been nice. (And actually, I prefer using oversized inner tubes, because they bounce.)
4. Have an activity plan ready for the troops. If the boys are occupied with something, they're not occupied (and messing) with each other.
5. Buy extra marshmallows. Because you're likely to go through a lot of hot chocolate before those roads will be safe for traveling again.

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If you're ever stuck in a snowstorm and need a good book to read, why not check out this list of timeless novels:

• Dubliners, by James Joyce. Easily the most accessible of Joyce's books, and it even has a sort of wintery feel to it. I mean, he was Irish and all.
• The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger. Not only does this novel feature one of the best narrators ever, but it's also set in New York in the winter.
• The Ice Storm, by Rick Moody. Umm...it's probably obvious why this novel fits the weather, but it's also a great contemporary novel. I liked it better than the movie.
• The Air We Breathe, by Andrea Barrett. Maybe my favorite novel of the past few years, this novel hits all the right notes with an interesting "we" narrator.
• Bridget Jones's Diary, by Helen Fielding. It's not really that literary, but it is a lot of fun. Plus, it begins and ends in the winter. I liked the movie too!