Our current plight as a result of the recent blizzard has me wondering what others’ experiences have been in terms of being “stuck” on your property. For the purposes of this thread, I’m going to allow for a very broad definition of “stuck.” My question is, what’s the longest period of time you’ve spent where you did not leave your home’s property because it would have been too difficult to do so?
“Property” here means either your house’s property line or the boundaries of your apartment/condo/townhome’s lot. You can have been stuck due to weather, illness, home detention, or perhaps an angry deer peering at you through the window and making throat-slitting gestures. But the situation has to be such that you WANTED to go off your property, but you just couldn’t reasonably do so. Stepping outside is OK, but you have to have been prevented from leaving altogether.
For me, based on estimates I’m hearing about when I’ll actually see a plow down our residential street, it’s going to hit 72 hours. Even when I’ve had a bad flu, I’ve left the house for a few minutes to get medicine or something. But I’m guessing others here have spent far longer stuck for various reasons. So let’s hear your stories.
Knee replacement last February, I didn’t leave my apartment building for four weeks. First two were fine, I felt awful so no problem. Second two weeks I started to slip a cog.
1999 when Toronto had to call in the military to help with snow removal.
We had people over for the NYE weekend to play video games and drink and generally relax. The snowstorm started on Jan 2nd and by the 3rd our guests could not leave. The 4 of us shovelled and played games for a couple of days while we waited for the snowplows to reach our little neighbourhood. I think it was the Wednesday of that week when we finally mounted a major expedition to walk across the street to a cleared neighbourhood to get some supplies. It was Friday by the time we could get the cars out of the driveway, and it continued snowing for the next 2 weeks until the Mayor resorted to calling in the army to help provide emergency services to areas that ambulances could not get to and made Toronto the laughing stock for years.
Those friends are the same ones who are now our neighbours - apparently being snowed in together for a week without killing each other cemented our friendship
I’ve been on three different train trips in Africa of over 40 hours duration, on which there was no possibility of reclining or stretching out on the third-class bench seats. Four, if you count the return trip on one of them.
Last summer, on a flight from Tbilisi to Houston and then to my house, with two layovers and change to bus, I spent about 100 hours elapsed time without taking my shoes off, continuously either in airports or on planes or ground transportation.
As part of my ongoing hip/spine problem, there was a period of about 8 weeks, during July and August, when I literally didn’t leave the house. It was painful enough just to walk to the bathroom or the kitchen. Since even lying down was painful, I was stuck sitting - and sleeping - in front of the computer or the tv. It’s marginally better now, but I’ve basically lost 8 months of my life. So far.
WRT weather, I’ve always found a workaround. In the blizzard of 2010(?) I had a unique opportunity to attend a Super Bowl party with several former NFL stars/hall of famers. It was the chance of a lifetime.
A friend had a monster SUV and offered to pick me up on the main road, but I was on my own getting down our tenth of a mile or so lane. Snow was up to my chest. It took me about an hour and I was sweat-soaked and exhausted by the time I reached the side-road. I then had to traverse another block to the main road, where my buddy eventually picked me up.
I had a “friend” who was ankle-braceleted and had severe cabin-fever years ago. She lived about an hour and a half drive away, but I drove down to visit after work one night.
It was a very unpleasant visit. She was subject to random urine testing and it was driving her crazy. All she talked about was ways to beat the test and how horrible our criminal justice system was. Meanwhile, her conviction involved hitting a cop over the head with a golf club.
When I had about all I could take, I said goodbye (it was a work night). She became very angry about me not staying longer, to the point where I was actually afraid she might hurt me. About an hour later I was able to leave. Haven’t seen her since, and blocked her number that night, so I haven’t heard from her either.
I can only do two days before going crazy. After being locked in Friday and Saturday, I couldn’t ignore yesterday’s bright sunshine. Plus, my provisions were running low. So I strapped on my backpack and went on a hike to the Kroger’s. It took me almost an hour to walk 2.5 miles, and even longer to get back with all the groceries on my back. But it was so worth it. Snow hiking provides a really good work-out. I slept well last night.
I was snowed in once when I was a kid for 9 days; for the first 2 or 3 we really couldn’t leave the house (except to shovel off the roof) and for the balance we couldn’t really get from our property to anything else. I don’t remember it as terrible although my parents surely had another opinion.
After my initial cardiac issues I was basically home-bound for 6 days that seemed FOREVER. I had cable, books, and other things to distract me but by the third day I hated the very existence of the walls around me. Making it worse I was basically alone for most of the time.
I gave up and hiked out of the neighborhood to the main road. Took me 30 minutes each way to go 0.3 miles. Caught an Uber from the main road to get to the supermarket and back. I was grateful they weren’t doing any sort of absurd fare hike.
I do not recall asking to supersize my snowfall. Good day to you! I say good day!
About a week when I hurt my back about 30 years ago. My wife had to help me get to the bathroom, and there was no chance I was going to navigate the stairs to the ground floor.
I’ve had the other type of cabin fever, also: that of being stuck on an island for months on end with no change of scenery. To this day, I will never willingly live on an island.
About six days after an ice storm. Just me and my mother at her house with no cable. My car was literally frozen to the ground and it took me a good while to chip it free. The worst part was thinking about my 2 kitties alone in my apartment ninety miles away with no food. They were fine but I don’t want to go through that again.
