I still have fond childhood memories of the blizzard of '78.

Photo courtesy of Jill Tewsley.

Step one in my blizzard preparedness routine came via this blog post from Ann Arbor coffee guru John Roos this morning: "Pre grind alert for all of southern Michigan and rustbelt coffee drinkers!" That's right — if heavy snow and wind take down power lines, you'll find it difficult to grind your coffee beans. I ground enough for a few days worth of coffee this morning.

Of course, grinding your coffee beans in advance doesn't help much if you depend on an electric coffee maker to brew your joe. Which I do. So my next stop was Plum Market, where I finally picked up a replacement Chemex coffee carafe after years of procrastination. So now, as long as I have matches to light my gas stove and water to boil, I will not be lacking in the coffee department. Phew!

My friends and I have all been laughing about the random run on bananas at local supermarkets, but the truth is that my frenzied blizzard-inspired shopping trip resulted in items that could be considered equally unnecessary. Like everyone else, I stocked up on bread and milk. But I inexplicably also ended up with a fridge full of lunch meats. I never buy lunch meats. Somehow though, with a storm front rushing toward us and weather channel anchors rubbing their hands together with gleeful anticipation, thinly-sliced turkey, ham and salami seemed crucial to my survival.

But I didn't stop there. In the grips of blizzard fever, I tore through the grocery store and REI, grabbing snow day "essentials." I've now also got enough organic raspberries to last a week, several six packs of Michigan microbrews, a pound of nine-month Boerenkaas, a half pound of Callebaut dark chocolate, light bulbs (light bulbs?) and a brand new rechargeable Coleman camping lantern. Ok, that last item could prove to be necessary, but while I was picking it up it took every ounce of my willpower not to buy a pack of 10 hand warmers and a four-person tent (it was on clearance!).

All kidding and self-deprecation aside, do be careful out there. Jen Eyer has tips on staying safe through the blizzard, and you can find more information on how to prepare for it here. Charge up your cell phone, gather some firewood and let it snow!

Jessica Webster leads the Food & Drink section for AnnArbor.com. She grew up near Syracuse, NY and isn't afraid of a little - or even a lot of - snow. You can reach her at JessicaWebster@AnnArbor.com.