on our collapsing city.

while checking out at home depot:

husband: "have you guys been having issues with your roof?"

check-out girl: "yeah. i think so."

me: "oh, really? pretty bad?" (kind of afraid to ask as i am standing under the looming mass of metal with two small children and dear husband)

check-out girl: "oh i'm not sure. i don't ask questions. i just show up to work when they tell me."

peeeerfect.

husband: "have they sent crews up there to shovel?"

check-out girl: clearly not knowing much and losing my confidence quickly, "i think so. i'm not really sure. i think they send some up a couple of times a day."

after our bag is handed to us, i sheepishly smile, turn to the hubby and say, "i think this is our cue to quickly get out of here." the place was obnoxiously quiet, mind you. to top it off, as we were leaving out the door, two employees were discussing the bowing of a large metal pipe that was running from floor to ceiling. as i approach the vicinity of their conversation, i receive an abrupt, "oh, hi. have a great day!" in the happiest-nothing-is-wrong-what-do-you-mean-we're-talking-about-the-roof-collapsing tone of voice. i just laughed. and sure enough, their piping was curving like a 'c'.

this morning, we started with our list of places to go. half of our destinations were closed. the place we were going to make a drop off of baby items was imploded upon by their own roof. windows were shattered and the building was inside of itself. we quickly guesstimated that they were closed. the gym was closed because the roof fell into the pool. super-walmart was closed because they had crews shoveling their ginormous roof. everywhere we turned, there were collapsed roofs or small armies clearing snow on rooftops. i've never seen anything like it.

it makes me think twice about walking into a flat-roof building just to get a few things.