Michigan’s Storms

EJ’s shift changed a couple weeks ago from 2nd shift to 1st. We are adjusting well enough. First shift isn’t as physically difficult for EJ as working nights was. The hardest change has not been the change in hours but the change in days. Previously, he worked 10 hour shifts Monday through Thursday with Friday through Sunday off. Now he works Friday through Monday with Tuesday through Thursday off. That means that Friday is his Monday, Monday is his Friday, and our weekend is now mid-week. It’s very difficult to remember what day it actually is.

EJ now wakes up at 4 a.m. and leaves at 5 a.m. I had not intended to get up with him, but his alarm wakes me as well as him so I spend the early mornings with him and then go back to bed for more sleep. I like EJ being home at night.

Meal preparation is easy for me. EJ fixes himself a big breakfast; he can cook well and he really doesn’t want me to fix it for him when I’m only half awake. He wants only a light supper so I just make oatmeal, pancakes, etc. With EJ at work until late afternoon, I can get all my household chores done without interruption and without worrying about waking him with noisy tasks. So that’s good. So is being able to spend mornings with him on his mid-weekends.

Last week our weather was rather wonky, with sunshine, heavy rain, sleet, snow, and high wind–once all within 24 hours. However, we are thankful that we didn’t get the huge ice storm that hit northern Michigan. It barely skipped us and devastated areas to the east. I’ve heard that it’s being called one of the most severe weather events in the region in more than a century. There are many downed trees and thousands of people are still without power. We drove to town yesterday to run some errands and saw more than 30 utility trucks headed into the devastated areas. Many people shared photos and videos of the storm damage on X. Click on the link below to see a video of the ice snapping trees.

Michigan’s Ice Storm: Snapping Trees

While northern Michigan was getting ice storms, apparently southern Michigan was getting severe thunderstorms with (I think) a few tornadoes.

I’ve praying for the victims of these storms.