I Survived Icemageddon

Happy Monday!  This may be the last time I say this, but I am thrilled this weekend is over.  And it was a long one.  It started Thursday with the weather reports telling us to expect the worst and for once, the meteorologists were right.  I made sure to get my errands out of the way (bank, gym, grocery store) so I could be home before the ice rain started.  No pretty fluffy snow flakes, just sleet and icy rain.  Thursday night was spent at home with the bf.  We were both looking forward to staying in and catching up on Netflix, and I had just bought a load of ingredients for some new recipes I've been dying to try.  Doesn't that sound delightful?  School closings for Friday had already been announced, so we looked forward to sleeping in a little and working from home together the next day.

We awoke around 7:30am on Friday morning to the sound of tree branches creaking and snapping.  Otherwise, the world was silent.  I got up to make tea and turn on the news for a weather update.  Roads around the city were completely iced over.  We weren't going anywhere.  I started to get a weary feeling in my stomach that this wasn't going to be good.  There were already reports of power outages.  By 8:30am, ours went out.  When this happens, you know a tree fell down and took some critical power lines with it.  It's not a simple fix- the outage has to be reported, and then you wait for the trucks to roll in and the heroes to get things up and running again. 

I know people in other parts of the country make fun of Texas for shutting down in winter weather, but this is what happens to us here!  This happened a few miles from our house.

I decided to continue doing my thing.  I made tea, made breakfast, and by 9:30am made a hotel reservation.  As I packed my bags for the weekend, the bf ventured into the backyard to inspect our power lines.  Icy branches flirted with the lines connecting to our house, so he decided to take preventative measure and cut them back, which lead us to learn that without power, we can't open our (detached) garage.  Off to Home Depot we went to purchase branch trimmers (which we will be returning as long as I can find the receipt...).  When the trees were trimmed as much as they could be, we were freezing and checked into our room at the DoubleTree where we were greeted with their famous warm chocolate chip cookies.  Perfect timing, because I was ready to eat my frustration.

We spent the day working from the hotel room.  This is where I'll go ahead and complain about $10 for wi-fi per day, per device.  REALLY?  I probably can't expense that...  Our spirits were high and it was kind of cute to be forced into a little staycation.  We watched a couple of movies on TV and had dinner across the street at Blue Mesa, one of my favorite restos.  Adobe pie is the ultimate Mexican comfort food.

Saturday we got a late checkout (2:00pm) so we basked in the warmth of the DoubleTree as long as we could.  Then we ventured to the house to check on things.  Still no power.  We turned off the water main and poured RV antifreeze into anything with a drain and left.  My company holiday party was Saturday night and there was a special rate at the Marriott downtown where the party was held, so we quickly made a reservation and checked in. 

 

Saturday is when I really started to eat (and drink) my feelings.  Before we went to the new hotel, we had lunch at East Hampton Sandwich Co.  (Get the fried chicken sandwich.) And a couple of beers. 

After we checked into the hotel, we walked half a mile (in 20 degrees- I needed some exercise) to Savor, a fancy new joint at Klyde Warren Park, for hot toddies. 

At the company holiday party, there were plenty of carbs to be had, and I loaded up.  I'm so glad our party wasn't cancelled, but it was a pretty small turnout due to people in other parts of town literally being stuck in their driveways.  Here are some shots from the photo booth...

Sunday we checked out of the Mariott and had brunch at Oddfellows, which we've attempted to go in the past but the wait for brunch is usually ridiculous, so I thought with the weather being so bad it would be a good day to try.  We only had to wait 15 minutes before we were seated.  No complaints there!

After brunch we went home.  Still no power.  We were really getting antsy.  We tried napping on the couch but it was just toooo cold.  So we left and went to Start for coffee and wi-fi.  Then we went to Good Records where the bf bought a couple of obscure CDs.  Why not?  My last ditch effort to stay out of the cold was to see a movie.  I met a few friends at the Angelika in Mockingbird Station to watch Dallas Buyers Club.  (Matthew McConaughey was riveting.)  The bf was feeling grumpy so he bowed out in favor of driving around our neighborhood stalking the work trucks.  By the time the movie ended, the power was back!  To celebrate, the bf and I had dinner at a new neighborhood restaurant called Genaro's.  When we got back to the house it was over fifty degrees!  Which is still too cold for me, so I bundled up in a blanket while I caught up on the Real Housewives of Atlanta.

I just love how the power went out right at the beginning of the weekend, just to come back at the very end of it.  Staycations are very expensive, I might add.  I put my groceries in a cooler outside so they stayed preserved (frozen).  While I work on thawing them out for dinner tonight, I'm going to start my research on solar panels for our house.  I think the cost could be recouped easily if it helps us avoid another pricey staycation.  Stay warm my friends!