We had company on Sunday and seeing that company usually expects things like drinks and snacks I decided to go to the grocery store. The grocery store down the road is one of those mega stores that stretches out for blocks and yet amazingly you still can’t always find what you need… especially yesterday. See, we’re under a “winter storm advisory” which means it’s going to dip briefly below freezing for a day or two and its been raining, which means ice. We don’t drive on ice and trust me that while you may be the best little ice/snow driver on your side of the country, you do not want us driving on it. Since we had a heads up on Ice Storm 2007, everyone freaked out and raided the grocery store on Saturday. We need provisions! Why, people could STARVE in two days!

So, up and down the aisles I go making note that there’s a sharp decline in lettuce, potatoes, meat, Dr. Pepper (the table wine of the South) and weird things like four cheese pasta sauce, because when you’re going to have to rough it out inside, tomato and basil won’t do. There were big holes in all the shelves and I’m sad to say I didn’t need bread, but I suspect the bread was gone as well. As I was loading up my cart with what was left in the store – stick of butter, croutons, off brand soda (ok, ok, not really but still…) the store manager comes up to me and in a very embarrassed way apologizes. She invites me to wait just a little longer because finally the meat truck has arrived and explains that they’re still waiting on the other trucks to make it. Meat? My guests aren’t getting meat, they’re getting off brand sodas and a butter stick and they’re going to smile.

As we were watching the weather last night, a very stressed out weather man explained our situation. Yes, there might be ice on Monday and Monday afternoon the weather was going to take a turn for the worst. Bring in the plants and pets, wrap the pipes and please go to the store to stock up on food and medicine. Medicine I get. If you take something daily and it’s going to run out in the next two days, go get your refill, but honestly food? We’re talking TWO DAYS. It reminds me of the hurricane – Rita, not Katrina – when everyone in central Texas freaked out again and bought out the grocery store. We’re in CENTRAL TEXAS – no where NEAR a coastline. At best we were going to get some nice rain.

I love Texas, and I love my little part of Texas, but sometimes I swear I don’t know where the other citizens think we’re living. I’m sure they’ll have the last laugh come Wednesday when I’m down to just my cat food.