So I went outside this morning to start clearing fallen branches. “It’s cold,” I idly thought, deciding  it was about 20 degrees. Got in the car to head out to Target, a bagel and Internet, and saw that, now it was more like 0. Huh. It was 65 degrees in Bham when I left yesterday morning.
There are still about 40,000 households without power here. I was very relieved that my house was one of the lucky ones, and even more so when, just as I was driving out last night to go to Panera, almost the entire block went out…except our house and about 5 more houses on the street.  Usually, it is the other way around – everyone around us is light, and we’re in the dark.
Driving back last night, our part of town was almost totally in the dark. A tense moment – passing two police cruisers parked on the side of the road (Rudisill, for anyone who knows or cares), lights flashing, police exiting cars with dogs and guns visible. Keep going. Fast.
It is bitter here and in many other places.  Pray for those suffering, pray that those in a position to help are doing so.
The rest of the day? Head to the library, which I’m trusting is open, handy laptop in hand, to work on the book that’s due soon.  Back to the house to study the situation, figure out what I’m taking back (there’s a basement full of stuff. We are thinking of relisting the house with the addition, “Excellent Catholic theological library included.” Do you think that would help?) and haul some more branches to the curb.