Grumble, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

We finally got our phones and internet/email back today. What a crazy week! Some of my coworkers still don't have power. The attorney general is looking into the response by the utilities. We kept getting robocalls at the office from the police and town offices about safety and where to get info. Which, if you don't have power, you won't get. Duh.

I did remember to take Daphne in to work, and since we didn't need her, I updated a few things on her. She now has the latest versions of Firefox and iTunes. Now I just have to figure out how to disconnect iTunes from my cousin, whose computer Daphne used to be. Oops.

It felt like the longest week ever. Hopefully things will be mostly back to normal by Monday. I feel badly for the folks who are still in the dark (and cold).

I hope everyone's weekend is just fabulous!

where I usually park, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

Silly me. I assumed (never assume, I should know this) that since I hadn't heard anything, I should go into work. Just like the day after the tornado.

OMG, it's just awful out there. Trees, limbs, and branches down *everywhere*, including right in the road. Power lines in the road, too. No power anywhere in East Longmeadow, or half the places I passed through. The one open gas station I passed here in town had a line that reminded me of the early 70's; at least a dozen cars in the street waiting to get in. No power also meant no stoplights, so each intersection was tricky to get through. Most people treated them like four-way stop signs, which is good, but some people had no patience and barreled through.

Half (at least) of the roads I traveled were down to one lane in places due to bits of tree blocking the way. All the melting yesterday produced some wicked icy patches. It was harrowing.

After finding nothing open in the vicinity, I headed for home. I had to take at least one detour due to a closed section of road. Police cars were blocking several other roads.

I still have no TV, but I am very grateful that I have power and internet. Hundreds of thousands aren't so lucky.

In some ways, this is worse than the tornado because it's so widespread. Not as damaging in each instance, but over more area. Huge areas. Much of Massachusetts and Connecticut are just closed today.

It was just heartbreaking to see so many damaged trees. All those huge old oaks in Longmeadow, in pieces on the ground. Birches bent right over, some of them snapped off. That gorgeous willow by the funeral home, broken off at the top.

I might venture out later, after it warms up a bit. There's no answer at the library, so I have no idea if they're open, or just busy.

I feel badly for all the kids, whose Halloween has been spoiled. There's talk of having trick-or-treat later in the week, but somehow it doesn't seem the same if it's on a different day.

This has been the weirdest year ever!

in front of our complex, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

We ended up getting around 8" of snow here, but up in the hills they got much more (over 2 feet in one town). This was the scene this morning when I ventured out: branches, limbs, and trees down everywhere. My cable TV went out last night, and still isn't back. Our power went out around 11 this morning, and just came back on. I'm incredibly lucky; some folks lost it yesterday, and might not get it back for days. I just hope ours stays on.

I could have waited half an hour to take my shower with the lights on, but I had no idea when it would be back and I wanted to make sure the sun was out while I had wet hair, just in case. So I took a shower by the light of an oil lamp. *g*

We had one flash of lightning and one very loud clap of thunder during the storm yesterday. That was exciting.

I'm giving thanks that things weren't worse, and hoping the rest of my neighbors in the area get their power back soon.

This has to be officially the weirdest weather year ever.