The Chronicles Of Nay

Hello there friends, family and readers. I hope that you are all staying safe and warm. 

Those of you who are not in Texas let me fill you in a little. So last Wednesday it rained ice. Yes you are reading that correctly, it rained ice. School was a virtual only day on Thursday. Luckily the weather cleared and we went to work on Friday but the threat of more weather was on the horizon. Monday was a holiday for the students and the teachers. Some of the administrators had to work still.  My district made the call since last week for the people that were supposed to be working to work from home Monday in preparation for the weather. They also said that we would teach virtually Tuesday and Wednesday. At that time I could not have imagined what we would be dealing with on those days. 

Let me start by saying I know snow. I know cold. I grew up in northern New Mexico. I know that people are living in places that get snow and freezing rain and below zero temperatures for days at a time. However, please keep in mind that Texas is in the south. That Texas normally has winters that get down to 30 degrees maybe. That Texas has houses here aren’t built for freezing temperatures. Texas doesn’t have machinery to help with the icy road conditions. The people in Texas don’t see snow enough to practice or learn how to drive in it. There are a lot of factors that contributed to the crazy week we had.

So here is what happened, Saturday the temperatures dropped into the 20s. People all over started stocking up. They were at the grocery stores buying all the ramen and lunchmeat and really all of the food. It was like pandemic shopping all over again. I went to Walgreens and bought creamer, cotton balls, Ice cream and candy in the movie theater boxes. You know, the necessities. Well Sunday it snowed. The temperatures were getting colder and we were getting snow. This is where life got, let’s say exciting. We were being threatened with rolling blackouts so that “everyone would have electricity” as temperatures started dipping lower some people started losing electricity that night. I was fortunate not to lose power until Monday morning. I woke up to no power. I woke up at 7 am and it wasn’t freezing in my house but I really couldn’t tell you how long the power had been out. So let’s say it just went out. I napped off and on all day because it is easier to stay warm when you are wrapped in a blanket. What better way to stay wrapped in a blanket than to lay down! Haha When I woke up from my nape at about 2 my heater was running. So let’s say I was without electricity for about 7 hours Monday. The power came back on and warmed my house. I started charging my electronics  so that If it happened again I would be ready, then at 7 pm boom. No power again! I hoped it would come back on since it was dark outside and I knew temperatures were gonna get down in the single digits that night. I went to bed with my faucets dripping, wearing extra layers and a few extra blankets on the bed. It didn’t get super cold in the house until just before dawn. I woke up and added another layer of clothes. When I got up I made coffee camp style on the stove. I have a gas stove. As the day went on and I still didn’t have power I was starting to worry I was going to be cold forever! I found a willing friend that took in my and my dog. I packed a small bag and bailed on my cold home. Apparently the power came on less than an hour after I left for Kim’s. But that was not a gamble I was willing to take! 

There are a lot of factors that were beyond my control, understanding and pay grade that happened to cause the situation that we are in. However what I know is that in Texas it got so cold that the electricity froze. Leaving so many people without electricity. The problem here is that most of the houses run on electricity and not gas. I was lucky that I have a gas stove and water heater. Some of my friends were able to use their fireplaces to stay warm.  One of the hardest parts about all of this was that there was nothing I could do to prevent the situation. We all know how much I like to be in control and I had none this past week. There was nothing I could do to fix it. 

So I hope you remember that one of my goals for 2021 was to find the sunshine. You are thinking “Naomi, what sunshine can you find in this?” Well let me tell you. I was overwhelmed by the amount of people that offered a warm place to stay when I didn’t have power. So many of the people I know offered me and gabbana a warm place to wait out the storm, and they offered with no hesitation! I was also very impressed with all of the help people were offering on social media. There were people on NextDoor (Like facebook for your neighborhood!) asking how they could help, there were people asking for help and people were just filling the needs as they were able. It is so nice to see how even though we are all struggling we are struggling together. 

This was a crazy week! However I was talking to my cousin this afternoon and like I told her, God is so good! I got away with just a few hours of discomfort. My pipes didn’t freeze, I didn’t freeze, Gabbana and I didn’t go without food. It was unnerving, frustrating, cold, upsetting but in the end I got to spend so much time with friends just hanging out, laughing, eating and being together. Overall… I feel pretty blessed! 

A quick note before I leave you for now. I think I figured out a way to share my picture a day with everyone. I have actually been keeping up with it pretty well. Here is a link to a google sheet that has them set up in a calendar. Down at the bottom you should be able to switch through the months! If it isn’t working let me know in the comments and I will mess with some settings! Haha I hope that everyone is staying safe, healthy and warm! https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FRK3gOP6wj8ZyKFF1AjeMCf-ekeP2IdCbMV2G9JCsCY/edit?usp=sharing