So… there’s a blizzard coming.  And because I will be stuck in my house for the foreseeable future, I thought I would try liveblogging the storm.  I’m not sure anyone will find this interesting except my mom, but I thought it might be a fun record to have.

Besides, it’s my blog.  I can do what I want.  So here we go.

Friday

7:00am – My boss is amazing and told us yesterday that we could telework today.  So I just got out of bed.  I’m exasperated, but not surprised that the federal government opted to open today.  Basically, the offices are open and employees can telework (if eligible), take a vacation day, or they can go in and then leave 4 hours early, but no later than noon.  They’re calling this a staggered departure to prevent everyone from being on the road at once, but I can think of one person in my office who might leave before 4 pm on a normal day.  The snow is supposed to start between 12 and 2.   This is a terrible idea.

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The sunrise was really pretty today. The calm before the storm? Only time will tell.

8:00am – This quote from the local forecasters is interesting:

The way in which the system is presently developing also argues for the unbelievably-high totals to occur somewhere in this event. That somewhere could be here or very close by.

Yay snow?

8:50am – Pippin is hunkered down, ready for the snow.  Yes, I put a blanket in front of the heating vent for him.  Don’t judge me.

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9:40amKim begins bragging about how she now lives in Florida.

10:30am – I have now received robocalls from both the power company and my insurance company offering tips on how to stay safe.  I interpret the one from the insurance company as “Don’t burn down your house, fool.  We don’t want to pay for it.”

11:00am – I just realized that I live on the border between the 16-24″ range and the 18-30″ range.  I’m short!  30 inches of snow is almost half my height!

11:45am – The storm is officially named “Snowzilla.”  Apparently, the winning name was really “Make Winter Great Again,” but it’s just not as catchy.  Oh, DC humor.

12:50pm – IT BEGINS.

1:25pm – The flakes are small, but steady.

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2:35pm – The snow has picked up.  It’s still relatively light and really pretty.  But this is only the beginning.  It’s sticking to the roads pretty significantly.

2:45pm – The flakes are much more significant now, but it’s still not very windy.  Yet.

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That long metal thing is the stand for my hammock. Which I clearly do not need right now.

3:20pm – Total crafts completed: 1

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4:30pm – The snow falling outside is so peaceful and beautiful. Sadly, I don’t think a blizzard is going to be very peaceful.  But for now, it’s pretty gorgeous.

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5:20pm – First round of snow shoveling complete.  2 inches so far, according to my trusty yardstick.  Cleared off my sidewalks and my car.  By the time I finished the car, the sidewalk had a nice coating of white again.

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6:30pm – It would be wrong to put vodka into my smoothie, right?  Eh, who cares.

7:45pm – Just finished round two of shoveling.  My yardstick indicates that we’ve got somewhere between 3.5 and 4 inches.  I think we’re supposed to wake up to a lot of snow in the morning.

9:30pm – It is dark and windy outside.  Snow is clearly coming down pretty fast.  And taking pictures through windows at night is hard.

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What happens next?  Check out part two.

By Megan

10 thoughts on “Liveblogging the Blizzard of 2016”
  1. Love that you put a blanket out for your cat. We live in an older home and all week, I’ve been worried that the dog is cold during the day. I tend to keep it kind of cold and throw on slippers, a hoodie, and wrap myself in a blanket. I resorted to putting her in her Christmas sweater and leaving her dog blankets anywhere she lays on the bare floor. Probably a little bit overkill but whatever. Stay warm and safe! Glad you can telework and stay off the roads.
    Christine @ Two Runners Travel recently posted…5 Reasons to run the Great Wall MarathonMy Profile

  2. Christine, I can’t let the poor baby get cold! Please share many pictures of the dog in the Christmas sweater. I do not think the cat would approve of any sort of clothing, tragically.

  3. Our cats just sit on the vents!
    Have fun and stay safe out there, I’m one of the few who are actually jealous you are getting all that snow! We only received maybe 2″ the other day.

  4. I swam this morning and it was packed, as the REC centers were closed at noon.
    My dog has not come out from under the covers. Our vents are on the ceiling, so she doesn’t get to have a cozy spot like Pippin. She’s jealous!
    I’m not excited about having to use the dreaded stationary bicycle this evening (no trainer) but am quite pumped for a snowy run once the first round of plows come through.
    Keep up the liveblogging….you’re certainly more fun to follow than the local news coverage and their pathetic jokes.
    <3

  5. Brian, I’m actually pretty excited about the snow. I just want to keep power, but I LOVE the snow.

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