The calm before the storm...

The Calm before Irene

I have lived most of my life right here in Virginia Beach. When Hurricane Katrina plowed over the Gulf coast states it did not take me at all by surprise that there were those that did not evacuate. I approach hurricanes with skepticism, a false sense of security I am sure. This week has been like the seven plagues of the earth with the earth shaking and wind blowing and seas rolling and rising. Hurricane Irene is bearing down on the east coast but all I want to think about is working this weekend. A little extra cash from a catering job would go a long way in bank rolling things for five kids.

These trees are not bent over ,YET!

My better half in all things, Jon, is an avid weather geek. People all over our fair city, country for that matter, call on him to get in the know.He spends lots of time pouring over websites with funny, colorful pictures with moving squiggly lines. I use him as my storm barometer. If he tells me prepare or evacuate (never done this one) stock up on water and batteries I go. Yesterday while hurricane shopping, which is a complex job, I will fill you in on why later, Tad our oldest and I were meandering through our favorite Big box store laughing at the fact that people beat us to the water and batteries. We had gathered ours and I was set to pick up a few household groceries when our cellphones began ringing. First David called  followed by a my neighbor, both wanting to know if I had felt the shaking? Well at Sam's Club there was no shaking going on!! We felt nothing. We missed the East coast earthquake. Amazing that was a plague for sure,right? Everything was abuzz.. Twitter, FB, the TV. I was hoping the earthquake might be an antidote for the hurricane. No such luck. Irene is intensifying as we speak, she is a major hurricane as far as history is concerned. She is creeping past Florida and sucking up as much warm and lovely gulf moisture as she can.

How do you prepare for storm? Well you can do what the weather channel and news stations advise; withdraw enough cash for 5 days (not sure I have that much), enough clean water 3-5 days(x7 for all the humans in our house) , check, batteries for radio (don't have one of those, should I buy one?) batteries for flashlights(got some last storm, what did the kids do with them, buy more?) Do we have candles(too dangerous, if it is dark go to sleep!) No food..this is the one I scratch my head over. Should I just buy what we can eat immediately?  Do I buy anything that is frozen? Do I buy anything that will require an oven or microwave?This is most certainly were I have gotten my skepticism and this is why.This is how I would prepare in more fiscally sound times;Water and tons of it in all shapes and sizes,flashlights, and batteries for anything that needs a battery(Do batteries have an expiration date), case of canned soup (we never use canned soup), Kraft macaroni and cheese ( it would survive a Nuclear winter), candles (even if they are dangerous), a new raincoat and galoshes, maybe some sandbags, lots of Tequila and beer for sure(yes we would have a hurricane party with margaritas).  Now I have made this fantasy shopping trip many times and purchased these things and anticipated the impending storm with the result of a no show. Yep the hurricane made a last minute jig this way and that or a stronger system broke it to pieces, this resulting in a gorgeous day free of stormy weather. Now you are faced with the challenge of what to do with 50 batteries in various sizes, more candles then you will ever burn, enough can soup to feed a NFL football team, oh yeah and galoshes!



 Given my current financial restriction I found myself struggling to commit to this hurricane shopping. I am so bummed that my catering job has been cancelled. I am gaining no endorphins from the buy. I really am going to have to give in to this hurricane. The big guy says this is the one. Next week we will be powerless. Tad has in a harried fashion bought a car for college, arranged the last of his financing and is ready to fly the nest, alone. Alone on Saturday morning with an approaching hurricane.With this next of the seven plagues of the world approaching, that is Hurricane Irene, my first born leaving me again, and no fun from the hurricane shopping I am not ready for the unknown the storm will bring. I hope it is like hurricane Isabelle and I go to sleep and wake up to the clear blue Sky above and the storm has passed. I can do with out the lack of power, phone, and cable or Internet...I will say a little prayer for that one. This post is going to have to be continued with the aftermath???? Or the ahaa we made it??? Check it out early next week.

Margaritavilles battery powered (something useful use them for) Margarita machine, YES!