Hokay


Hatches battened, decks cleared, everything tied down, stowed away or stashed.

The wind has picked up, but I’m not sure I would have noticed it if I hadn’t been looking for signs of the storm. Which has not changed it course and is headed straight for us. Well, straight for the coast. Inland, it will be here about afternoonish. The TV showed big waves crashing in and folks out playing in them. Then they talked about curfews and the all ready declared state of , forced evacuation, emergency and the location of shelters…

I went at lunch and got myself some cupboard food so I won’t starve when the power goes. It’s a given, the power failing at some point for an extended time. I won’t starve but I might go into sugar shock.

The Storm is the topic of conversation. Are you ready? Are you going to come in to work? How long are you going to stay? Will they send us home ( answer, an emphatic No). In the store, in the post office, at the McDonalds. No chaos though, very orderly. No limits at the store, no stripped shelves. No panic. “D” batteries are had to find though.

I had to call our federal over seers to let them know that the request they sent in this afternoon may not be able to get to them as quickly as they wanted. She asked me where I was, so I told her “Right in the path of Isabel”. “Oh” she said “let me know”. I’m thinking “watch the news”.

We’re in no real danger here. Too far in land and there is no water near me. The rain is going to be the problem, my basement is going to flood, a lot. Not as much as it would though, thanks to Brosky and Alphagals’ shop vac. The drain at the foot of the stairs is actually not just a dirt hole, there is a pipe! Huzzah! Those stairs are now all clear and ready for the deluge.

I need to remember the bring in Doggers toys and bowl, to grab the bug sprays from the kitchen window ledge and to bring the recycling in to the entry way. And to take a shower, and empty the dishwasher.

The wind is projected to be between 35-40 miles an hour, in gusts. We had 35 miles an hour gusts in Dallas and it wasn’t any kind of a deal, big or other wise. It wasn’t raining then though, and I just had a thought, what about my Dish? It’s on the roof, I hope it is on there good and tight. It’s kind of hidden, so maybe it will be okay. I hope.

I saw Spot when I was bringing Dog in from our walk. He looked all right. I think he may live with or around the house of the retired vet who lives across the way. So, good. I’d still take him, and now I know he’ll be safe.

I’m going to do a diary of the storm and now I have a camera, also Brosky and Alphagals, so I’ll have something to do, or not do if a tree falls on my house. I did call my home owners insurance and got my policy number – because I couldn’t find it in my files to save my life. I found a letter from a doctor in Dallas dated 1995, letting me know she was moving to San Antonio, I found a bunch of health insurance explanations from my former employer, renters insurance for my first apartment, a bunch of stuff from an X-Files Fan Convention ( one, I went to one!) but no home owners insurance. With a hurricane on the way. Greeeeaaaaaaat.

Problem solved, called my mortgage company, they gave the phone number, I called them this morning, they faxed me in the info, I felt much better and now I’m going to go finish up my pre-storm and wait for the rain to start.

Talk to you soon.

Edit to add

6:00 AM - light rain, some wind, some light gustyness.