the ice storm

It's magnificent. It's monstrous. It's dramatic and, yes, it has been deadly. Ice storm 2007.

On Saturday S. and I were at the grocery store and he was gonna pick up a couple more jugs of ice melt, but they were kinda pricey, so we decided to wait. Big mistake. This morning he got up early early and went to a couple stores before work. None. A rumor that one of the other grocery stores has some left. I go on my way into school. There are literally nine 10-pound bags left in the store--left in the two cities, that is. I bought two and felt like a selfish pig.

At about 4:45 this afternoon, while in my office collecting final papers, I happen to be online looking at the local newspaper's site and I see that the town of Normal has donated 6 tons of salt. They've dropped it at the Home Depot and people can bring their buckets and load up. I call S., who's already home from work.

Me: What're you doing?

He: Nothing. Having some alone time.

Me: There's free salt at the Home Depot. You just gotta bring your own bucket.

He: Can't you go on the way home?

Me: I don't have a bucket.

He whines.

Me: You've been home for an hour. That's plenty of alone time. Plus I don't have a bucket.

He whines some more.

Me: I've got to stop at Target on the way home to get tampons, so I'll be a while.

He: You could buy a bucket at Target.

I only wish I had said this, but I didn't think of it until after, but this is my blog, so I'll write it anyway: Buy a bucket to get the free salt?

He finally agrees to go. I stay at school till a little after 5, make my way to Target, pick out a few things in addition to the tampons, and am standing in line when I hear people talking about how all the salt at the Home Depot is already gone. 6 tons is already gone.

I call him once I get in the car. He's home already. His alone time was interrupted so that he could grab a bucket and go circle the Home Depot parking lot like an idiot.

Good thing I didn't buy a bucket. I'm just sayin'.