Every couple of weeks or so, after getting off work on a Friday night, I splurge and rent some movies and go shopping for groceries and supplies, so that those chores are out of the way for the weekend. This happened to be one of those Friday nights. But my Friday night shopping experience was anything but usual tonight. It started at the video store, where the crowd at the video store was outrageous...it’s a wonder there were any movies left to rent.

Snow, sleet and/or ice are not very common in South Carolina winters, and when we do get some, it’s usually not very much and it doesn’t stay very long. Nonetheless, folks in this neck of the woods go haywire at the slightest mention of winter precipitation. You can forget any hopes of finding a loaf of bread or a bottle of milk ANYwhere within 12 hours of when the precipitation is predicted to begin. I’ve never figured out why it’s mostly milk and bread that fly off the shelves at the speed of light...there must be some kind of peculiar southern logic to it somewhere (I’m not originally from the south -- which may explain why this mystery continues to elude me).

Due to the fact that cold, wet weather has been predicted for tomorrow (er, rather, TODAY), I stopped by the house after carousing the video store to blanket the horses, cover the hay and put up the last 2 bags of feed that were delivered Thurs. I filled the rabbit’s cage with extra hay so he could snuggle up & stay warm...then was off to Walmart. (Sorry for all those whose social conscience would berate me for this offense, but when you NEED things and your schedule has not allowed you to go shopping until 9pm on a Friday night -- the local 24-hour Walmart is all the choice that’s left, as in small southern towns, the streets roll up at 9-10pm...even on Fridays.)

Anyway, as if I weren’t tired enough as I confronted the task before me, the pooh-heads at Walmart evidently decided to rearrange the entire store, on this, of all nights. Thus, what was intended to be a ‘get-in, get-what-we-need and get-out fly through Walmart turned out to be an exhausting 3.5 hr. nightmare of fighting our way through elbow-to-elbow frantic neighbors with buggies full of batteries, camping supplies, etc. (the bread and milk was long gone by then)...and NONE of us could FIND anything we’d come there for, since everything was either already moved or in the process of being moved. A good looking construction foreman started chatting and flirting with me as he assisted me in moving some construction material that was blocking me from grabbing my much needed gel insoles. (I am not accosted by good looking strangers everyday...I may have to go back to Walmart and find that dude when I feel a little more up to flirting.)

This winter weather warning scheduled to cover the area tomorrow is only predicted to last throughout the day tomorrow, and at most, through tomorrow night. The temp is predicted to be in the mid to upper 40s by Sunday afternoon. In spite of what is predicted to be a short-lived event, an unenlightened Walmart shopper tonight might have supposed that the general population in this area was preparing for Armaggeddon. At any rate, at least I know that me and MY household are fully prepared now. Full tanks of gas, batteries, bread, milk, hay, pet food and DVDs...hell, I even vacumned the floor in preparation for the big event.

Even though this USAF brat transplant may not fully understand the logic behind this mass hysteria, it’s hard not to get caught up in the excitement when you live in the midst of it. Hence, I’m wide awake at 2:30 am watching movies. ‘What could be finer than to be in Carolinar when it’s snowing?’