Amazing saga, you guys!!
I'm so glad you are all right...the generator was a blessing!
I imagine it's a very satisfying feeling to know that in a time of disaster, you can at least hold your own, including pets and even take care of your neighbor! I'm impressed!
Wow.
This is definitely the biggest storm I can remember. Especially in terms of impact. We've had worse winds and more impressive weather, but the effects of this one basically taking out the whole infrastructure... roads closed to downed trees, the thousands of breaks in the power grid, no stores, no *gas*, phones, cable, Internet access... this is the biggest mess Washington has had in my memory.
Rosie-- you said something about forgetting to take enough cash and the card readers didn't work... that's something I'm taking away from this experience too. I don't tend to carry much cash. I do almost everything just with a debit card.
But even so, I keep a hundred folded up in my wallet for an emergency. I learned a hundred dollar bill may as well be monopoly money if you try to use it at the *one* convenience store that's open. The clerk will just blink at you and insist on not depleting their till of smaller bills making change. Understandable.
So... lesson is to keep a cash reserve in a box at home that includes enough small bills to actually be useful.
"Do we just have a menorah for decorative purposes?"
His social studies class has done "holidays around the world." So far I know they've done St. Nicholas Day, St. Lucia Day, Hannukah...
And, the school is definitely not afraid to say "Christmas."
So, there's that.