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Did you hear that the breadth of Hurricane Irene is supposed to be larger than all of Europe?
I didn’t get to St Louis yesterday due to “weather.” Today I spent the day preparing for the hurricane that’s supposed to hit us ‘round about Sunday. First, I went food shopping. Our local Shoprite food store was the typical zoo I anticipated, but instead of being out of milk and bread, like it usually is prior to a snowstorm, it was completely out of cases of water. Snow = bread and milk? Hurricane = water? Me? I bought fresh veggies, chicken cutlets and challah bread. Since we have a gas stove I should be able to cook even if we lose power. Have you ever had French toast made with challah bread? Yum! I also bought two bags of ice for our coolers in case we lose power and have to resort to “camping” mode. I also stocked up on pinot grigio. I’d hate to come up short on that.
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Perhaps the wine will have a calming effect on me?
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If our HUGE copper beech topples we won't be driving anywhere. We won't be able to get out of our driveway!
Second, I filled my car with gas. I drove to three different local gas stations before I found one that offered less-expensive gas for cash and didn’t have 8 other cars in line ahead of me. As I waited my turn at the pump my phone rang. It was my daughter Tory who had pulled into the same station and was 3 cars behind me! The rest of our family filled their cars with gas too. I don’t really know why we do it, except that’s what my parents did just before big storms were expected.
Third, Tory’s boyfriend Mike helped me drag our front porch furniture into our front parlor. Then Mike and I carried potted plants and yard accessories into the greenhouse, hopefully out of harm’s way. By the time we finished I was sweating like I’d run a 5K; Mike hadn’t broken a sweat! I left the heavy metal furniture for my husband Mike to wrangle tomorrow, after he mows the grass.
My son Max stopped at the hardware store and stocked up on duct tape and oil for our chainsaw. Both of us are hoping we don’t have to use it, but we’re putting it in the basement just in case. It’s sitting next to the plastic and drop cloths.
We have candles and flashlights and headlamps and books. We have litter and cat food and allergy medicines. We hope that we’ve been preparing for a hurricane that ends up much less dangerous and powerful than it’s predicted to be. I’m hoping it in no way resembles the ‘microburst’ that hit Montclair a number of years ago; I’m praying it’s much, much less damaging.
What have you done to prepare? Ready or not, here it comes.
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