Day 5

Seriously?! Still no power? They had all of yesterday to get this up and running, I know it's a big city and all but come on guys. I looked outside and it's still freezing cold out. My batteries are still in good shape in the radio though as I've not used it much. All they want to talk about is the attack and flu outbreak.

Even if I were interested I'd have a hard time getting good information now, well the entire tri-city area would have a hard time because we don't have any electricity! I'm going to have to venture out and get groceries soon though.

Hey! That's something I can do easily! I should be able to travel at will while many of my fellow citizens are not capable! The bigger grocery chains likely have generators coming in to power some lights and the frozen stuff. Back in a bit.

He got dressed, grabbed his keys and headed out the door. His '93 Accord started easily and he pulled out onto the icy street. A thick layer of ice coated everything and tree limbs bent to the will of the ice. Many broken off in a war torn eerie silence.

It was a few minutes before he realized that his radio volume was turned down. He hesitated to turn it up as he knew it would still be news reports but at this point it might not be a bad idea to listen and see what is going on, hopefully they'll do some local news and list some powered grocery stores.

Chaos was at his neighborhood store, a line of people formed out of the double glass doors and into the empty parking lot. "I'm not stopping here," he thought to himself and drove on. There was another store close by but it would be in the same condition. Due to some forethought he had gassed up before going back home the other day and had a full tank. It was time to hit the area towns.

The roads were actually pretty clear of traffic due to the ice so a quick trip out to one of the suburbs that still had electricity wouldn't take long at all. He decided to make the fifteen mile trip to Cedar Dale. To check to see if they had power he turned his radio over to a station from that town and see if it was on the air. It was. The on air talent was talking about merchants that had open stores, jackpot!

Driving slow enough to get there in one piece he made the trip in just over a half hour on ice covered highways. No road crews were in sight. That worked to his advantage right now keeping many people at home to live on the food they already had or to wait in long lines for picked over cans of hominy.

He went to the largest store in town, a half full parking lot was a good sign but not as good as the fluorescent glow of electricity coming from the inside and spilling out onto the parking lot. A supply truck was parked on the side of the store in the alleyway. "Bingo!", went off in his head over and over again as if winning a large sum in the lottery!

He almost skipped into the store thrilled at his luck! He went over a mental list of staples to get, lunch meats, cheeses, bread. Things that didn't require cooking. A couple of cases of bottled water. Chips, salsa, sweet tooth food. "I'll be the envy of the apartment complex! I could make a few extra bucks driving people out here to shop!"

He gleefully loaded up his grocery cart full of food and supplies such as candles and batteries. Three hundred dollars later he had a full two weeks of supplies loaded up in his car for the return trip.