Snowmageddon - Look A Squirrel!

We've seen this movie before. This was the Arrivals board at Jet Blue in JFK, almost a year ago to the day (Jan 26):

That's my flight, #124 from LA, one of the three that got into JFK at the positively deathly hour of 4:16 PM during the last Snowmageddon. It was a race against time for me, from getting a seat on the flight to the flight even taking off (JFK stopped all flights in after ours.) But the fun began as we all watched our TV's that carried the local NY news. The city and most of the North East was apoplectic with this "storm." Runs on supplies, "Gotta Get Milk and Bread!" But this was a new level. People were banned from the streets in NYC. No cars and stay inside was deBlasio's command. To enforce that, he just down the subway system.

Think about that. The engine of NYC, its subways, was turned off. All of those people who worked on it and the millions who work by using it - all were sent home. Gov. Cuomo called out the National Guard - before the first snowflake fell. I luckily got one of the last seats on the Airporter bus to Grand Central (cabs were non-existant) and the huge station was sublime in its eerie solitude. Literally, there were maybe ten people and ten more armed soldiers in the almost acre-sized concourse.

Then the last, very last train, north was leaving and that took about 20 of us into Westchester. By the time I got to Putnam County and the last stop, there was still no snow but cars were off the road like they were expecting an asteroid to hit. My good friend, John, picked me up and took me to the A&P for some essentials. The store was just about to close and the shelves were picked cleads as if looters had just ransacked them.

So I made it to the cabin and hunlered down with a large pile of wood for my fire, filled the tub up with water and got the candles out.

For nothing. Oh, maybe 4 inches.

And we keep falling for it. The news shows have those "Breaking News" updates with the special logos and theme music. "Storm Watch 2016!" 

The forecast for the tri-state NY area is 2-8 inches. When did that ever translate into a blizzard? I thought, minimum, a blizzard had to be a foot. No, the entire Northeast is falling for it again, hook, line and sinker. 

Of course the conspiracy theorists say that this is a) to gin up the phony climate debate, b) to keep the public rubes' minds off the big news that is happening (economy, ISIS, Congress pushing through a bill) or c) a martial law muscle flex, to move the troops to see how they fare.

So stock up on your comfort food, download all those Netflix episodes and fill your bathtub. You'll have nothing to do. Not even shovel.

Recorded during the last Snowmagedden, on a Tascam DR1, in my kitchen, waiting fo rthe strom of the century:

Before The Big One Hits 

Flying in to JFK if weather permits, somewhere in the clouds above Kentucky.

Trying to make it in before the Big One hits and hoping that our pilot, he gets lucky.

All the TV stations they’re on highest alert. Don’t change the channel or you might get hurt

They say the snow will be so deep, we might loose civil order

The weatherman said you won’t believe your eyes.

It’s a storm of unprecedented strength and size

Better hide your kids and hoard your supplies.

The whole East Coast seems to be losing its mind

With tales of snowfall that never quits

I just want to make it home….before the Big One hits.

We made Grand Central – not a soul in sight.  And the wind was barely even blowing.

The mayor said “I want you off the street at night.” And it was hardly even snowing.

They’re closing the bridges and the subway too

It’s what every other red-blooded leader would do. Cover your ass and cover your pension

The governor is calling out the National Guard, but telling us “Don’t loose control.”

I think I’ll take my chances with my Saint Bernard and his whiskey.

Everyone on television’s losing their minds with every angle that this story permits

I just want to make it home….before the Big One hits.

I’ll get the last train out heading North somewhere.

I’ll make it home with barely minutes to spare.

Where the drifts will be so high, I might expire

I won’t bother buying milk or bread.

The shelves’ll be picked clean by the mob instead

It’s just me and the dog, and his cask, by the fire.

The weatherman said you won’t believe your eyes.

It’s a storm of unprecedented strength and size

Better hide your kids and hoard your supplies.

The whole East Coast seems to be losing its mind

As we fall for this story  time after time

I just want to make it home….before the Big One hits.

©2016 Cassongs Music