The Battle of Atlanta; The Siege of Dacula-burg

Civil War history lesson: The Confederate Army had a bad week in early July, 1863. They gambled and lost in the "Battle of Gettysburg"; and they yielded their last Mississippi River stronghold in the "Siege of Vicksburg". Both simultaneous events all but sealed the fate of the Confederate cause. You can read all about those pivotal moments on Wikipedia if you like, I won't bore you with the geeky details, but there's one thing I've always wondered... what's the difference between a "Battle" and a "Siege"? Well, last month here in the south, Atlanta witnessed a menacing attack from the north reminiscent of Sherman's March to the Sea. And for one full week I discovered firsthand the answer to my question.

Snowstorms in Atlanta are prefaced by a week's worth of pregame hype, comparable to Super Bowls and Election Night. It's comical for my northern-bred wife and I to watch the buildup for a storm that wouldn't even register as a blip on local news in our native Buffalo, New York. We got caught up in the hype this time and on the Sunday morning before the storm was scheduled to arrive, we desperately ran out to find a sled. I was embarrassed to stoop to that level of desperation, but truthfully I was even more embarrassed that a family with Buffalo blood didn't have a legitimate sled somewhere in their attic. I refuse to allow my kids to even attempt sledding in a laundry basket or on top of a lid to some plastic tub. I have some pride.

Well, my pride went out the window when the clerk at the hardware store laughed and told me sleds have been sold out in the metro area since Wednesday. So we went home, emptied the laundry baskets, and waited for the snow to arrive...which it did, almost on cue with what the weatherman told us all week. The weathermen, by the way, have taken all the fun out of weather. I miss being surprised. Would it be so bad to be surprised by the weather?

Anyway, it started snowing around 10PM on Sunday, and by 11PM school's were closed. The kids ran outside in euphoria and played till after midnight. They awoke the next morning and played some more, but then realized playing in the snow when it's really cold, without proper winter clothing, is really not that much fun afterall. And with that realization, the Siege at home began.

This winter storm was legitimate, even by Buffalo standards. Many roads were treacherous and impassable. I weathered the Siege at home for two days. The purpose of a Siege is to surround a fortified place and isolate it from reinforcement. At one point, out of pure boredom, my son Adam and I contemplated walking a couple of miles to get food...even though we had plenty of food at home, and most likely the places we wanted to get food weren't open anyway. But that's what a Siege can do to you, those are the tricks a Siege will play with your mind!

By Wednesday I had had enough, and decided to flee the Siege at home and join the Battle on the streets of Atlanta. After two days of wathching the Battle unfold on all the local news channels, I just had to go out to see for myself how bad it was. My wife Laurie kissed me goodbye as I headed out to the Battlefield. And truth be told, it was bad. Cars driven by inexperienced drivers, on icy roads untouched by plows, contributed to an overall sense of chaos and lawlessness. Spinning tires from cars trying to climb uphill, skidding cars with wheels turned and locked in desperation going downhill. I drove to work with a full awareness of every car around me, fully expecting to get hit at any moment. That's what a Battle is all about.

As the week wore on, more and more soldiers joined the Battle, which of course only contributed to the mayhem. The new soldiers were like new recruits joining the frontlines with zero Battle experience. Driving on icy roads is an artform, but it became clear by Thursday and Friday that not all Atlanta drivers are art lovers. Meanwhile, the Siege at home was taking its toll. School was closed for the entire week, and the kids had lost all interest in the white stuff outside on the ground. They became bored with video games, and then they turned on eachother, becoming abusive and ill-tempered. Meals were becoming a daily challenge as we dipped into the canned soups that had been sitting in our pantry since 2006. The snow was winning, there was no doubt about it.

But then, just before waving the white flag, the sun came out and temperature's warmed. The Battle ended, the Siege lifted. And I finally figured out the difference between the two...and decided they're equally unpleasant.