Here We Go Again

The movie Cloverfield comes out today. I've been looking forward to this movie since I saw the first preview and now it's finally here. If you've seen the previews then you are familiar with the concept - it's sort of a Godzilla type movie. Panic in the streets, that kind of thing. Which is especially appropriate the weekend.

It's winter here in Rocket City, and that means the same thing every year - frequent hysteria and mass panic. All it takes is the mention of one little word on the newscasts and the whole area becomes bedlam. What word? Well if you are from the South you already know, but for those of you still wondering I'll tell you. Snow. I know, the horror that word inspires is almost unimaginable, isn't it?

You might think I'm joking or exagerating, but I assure you that I am not. I grew up in Tennessee where snow was a fact of life. Yes, the schools did close and people did stay home if there was snow on the ground but they didn't get hysterical about it. I spent a couple of years in Arizona and actually even got snow there. People there seemed surprised by it but also didn't freak out.

Then we moved to Alabama. The winter after we moved here the forcasts started calling for snow and ice. I've never seen anything like it - the night before, when nothing had even started falling, everything in the city announced it would close the next day. Everything. No school, no daycare. Almost everything in Rocket City was to be closed. And forget about getting groceries - it was like locusts had swept through the stores. There was nothing edible left on the shelves. Literally all the bread and milk were gone, and people had bought most of everything else.

The next day? Nothing. No snow, no ice. Not a single flake. Everything was still cosed, though.

The few times we have actually gotten snow or ice the whole city is paralized. And that probably is good, since no one here can drive if there's a single snowflake on the road.

They are saying we might get a few inches of accumulation this weekend, so you can imagine what the city is like right now. People are acting like they expect to be snowed in for weeks. Sadly, I have to shop for groceries today. That should be a wonderful experience. If you've seen Resident Evil 2, picture the scene right before they quarantine the city, as everyone is trying to cram through the gate. Now imagine the same scene at Target by the checkout counters and you know what I'll be dealing with today. Wish me luck!