Getting Ready

Here we are... getting ready for the big snow storm coming into OKC. People have been telling me that snow is coming so all I can think is, how will the dogs go out to pee?

Little dog does not love his snow booties... and they kept falling off. So, mission aborted- he can just pee inside (on the pad).

Then, I was warned about "freezing rain" that could cause powerage. Again, what the heck is "freezing" rain? So many new words to learn! They say it's not rain, not sleet, not snow- but it's rain that freezes BEFORE it gets close to the ground.... I guess.... very high risk of electrical line damage. Ohhh nooo.

So, one of the many super nice OK folks gave me list of things to pick up from Lowe's and Target from my way home from work last night-

• "rock salt" (another new OK word- stuff that melts the ice on your driveway)
• flashlight and batteries
• water
• food
• candles
• lighter/ matches

Now, I am ready! (I left the rest of the water and rock salt in the car- too heavy.)

Like a good neighbor...

Found this note taped to me door when I came home from work last week.

"Bitter cold weather. Let your water faucets drip inside the house to prevent pipe freeze. Neighbor, H."

Initial reaction (in my head): Soooo nice, thank you so much! I will do that right now. I should bake him a cake or something??? I don't bake- it will taste like mold, likely. I will buy him baked goods? What do people like here? I already gave him cookies at Christmas- for always bringing in my trash bins for me.

Subsequent reaction (out loud to big and little dogs): Pipes freezes?!? What the...? How cold is it going to get? Sweet sally- I start turning on all the faucets and shower heads (wanna be on the safe side) in the house.

What else needs to be done- gather nuts for the winter? Dog food- check.... but I've got no food in the fridge except coffee- not good. Keep emergency water supplies? Will send dog walker to Target for emergency supplies (water) and order 6 boxes of KIND bars... I could probably survive on that for while. "Get some rock salt..... or bag of cat litter.... to melt the ice on your driveway, and just keep it in your car so that it stays weighed down." Wha?? Don't cars weigh, like... a lot??

For all the planning- it was 75 degrees this weekend. Oh, wait- will snow tomorrow. This place sure keeps you on your toes.

Mom's favorite thing

This is my mom's favorite thing about Oklahoma.... the toilets in the Will Rogers World Airport have these seats covered in plastic wrap.

"Before each use, wave a hand over the green button...."

and a new sleeve of plastic rolls out. Very high tech, very Japanese-like... Only bummer is- no toilet seat covers for me to use as blotting sheets. Hygienic butt, shiny face. Life is all about compromise.

Magic Button!

The great thing about this car is that it is like an iPod- streamlined with simple symbols so that everything looks nice and clean, simple. However, then, it makes it tricky to figure out what those buttons do. Since the car is from England, and they speak English there, you'd think that the symbols would kinda be easy to figure out. Oh noooo. But I did find a Magic Button on the bottom to the left- my new favorite thing! It heats up the steering wheel- love love looooove it. Still don't know what the other buttons on top do. Cruise control? Temp control?

16 degrees F

It was so cold this week that my tires deflated! What in the world!?!? We are back up to the 30's now... whew.

Getting ready for the chill

The other day my beeped at me- "Extreme Temperatures: 39 degrees F." Uh oh. They say that it's not even really that cold right now. That it's just gonna get worse. Hmmm...

Yesterday was Saturday, October 30, 2010....

... right? So, why the trick-or-treating last night?? Today is Halloween, October 31, right?? So, I was on call last night and the doc I was getting sign-out from says she has to rush home to take her kids trick-or-treating ... she says that it only happens from 6pm to 8pm- so, we hurry... no problem... Then I think, huh? Isn't Halloween tomorrow night? And why do the kids have only 2 hours?

So I finally ask someone this...."This is the Bible Belt," the nurse says. So I have to ask, " What about tomorrow night, Halloween? And how do people know about this schedule change- was there some sort of announcement?" "They annouce it on the news. They change to Saturday night whenever Halloween lands on Sunday...." she says. Uhhh... ok. This state is nutso. They just make up their own rules- what about people like me who don't watch the news? Frantic text to dog sitter- "Candy for treaters is above microwave in basket. Beware of ding dong of door bell- big dog will freak and little dog will dart."