By Honah Liles
BU News Service

Whole Foods’ shelves are bare, Governor Patrick has ordered everyone off the roads, even the T is shut down (intentionally, for once). Bostonians are braced for the storm of the decade.

Those of us that grew up in the Northeast—or who were here in Boston two winters ago, when two feet of snow dumped on this city every Wednesday for the entire month of January—are no stranger to blizzards.

As Nora Kelley, a Syracuse, N.Y. native who came to Boston for grad school, puts it: “Storms like this we call ‘Wednesday afternoon’ in Syracuse.”

So, forget the milk, eggs, and batteries. Two-thirds of that list won’t last 24 hours if the power goes out. And forget the water, too—it’s a blizzard, if you need water, just go outside and stick out your tongue! Here’s a real 20-something Northeasterner’s list of blizzard essentials, or, if you will, Nemo Needs:

1. Drinks. Pick your poison—every New Englander has a tradition: Bailey’s for coffee, a bottle of wine, a six pack of beer. In my very scientific poll of people not yet in total hibernation mode, some form of alcohol was named in everyone’s top three Nemo Needs.

2. Chocolate. Eggs go bad, chocolate doesn’t. Eggs have to be cooked, chocolate doesn’t. Eggs clog your arteries, chocolate doesn’t. So cross eggs off that grocery list and stockpile the Hershey’s. No brainer.

3. Coffee. What could be worse than shoveling out of the house in the cold with a caffeine headache? Get enough to last a few days—stores might reopen tomorrow, but the shelves won’t necessarily be fully restocked.

4. Boots. Dry, warm toes are the key to enjoying the snow. In a pinch, double up on socks, throw some plastic grocery bags around your sneakers and you’re good to go.

5. Kindle. Charge it up in case the power goes out, then settle in and enjoy the snow day by reading something for fun. (Leave that Microeconomics text book for tomorrow, today is a freebie.)

6. TV/Movies/Video games. Stuck inside the house? Cut off from the outside world? What better time for a Walking Dead marathon or a Call of Duty tournament?

7. A Sled. C’mon, let your inner sixth-grader out. You know you want to go sled down Comm. Ave. Governor Patrick has closed the roads and there is now a nice layer of untouched snow covering them (but to be safe, stay on the sidewalks). No sled? No problem: grab a cafeteria tray, a snow tube, a water tube, or if you’re really desperate, a garbage bag with a pillow in it.

8. Card/Board games. If the power goes out, light the candles, grab the wine and hunker down for a good old fashioned game of Monopoly. Chances are the blizzard will end before the game does.

9. A cuddle buddy. Friend, neighbor, significant other, four-legged companion— all the essentials are better when shared with a cuddle buddy. Insider tip: Cuddle buddies make great snowball targets once you’re ready to venture out into the storm.

10. A good view. Get cozy by the window and watch the snow pile up, the neighbors trudge by, the pets go nuts. There’s something about that fresh, clean, sparkly-white snow that makes Boston look majestic…and it’s really the only thing differentiates a snow day and from every other lazy winter Saturday when this city refuses to brave the cold and get out of bed.

Honorable Mentions:

• A shovel. Didn’t make the list because a dustpan duct taped to a broom works almost as well.
• A tauntaun. Didn’t make the list because even Google couldn’t figure out where to get one.
• A fire in a fireplace. Lucky suburbanites!