The Storms of Summer

Until you have experienced the wholesale destruction of a hurricane, you cannot appreciate how hellish things are after one has come and gone after making landfall. The Northeastern states that make up the coastline and just inland, have been handed a nightmare that those of us in Florida have experienced before, and will experience again. The situation, in a word, sucks. Yes, the Northeast gets it's fair share of Nor'easter's and Nor'wester's that come and visit during the winter months, bringing plenty of rain and/or ice and snow. But those "blows" are not the same size and power as a rotating mass of energy that swirls along, getting stronger as it sucks up fuel from the bathtub-warm waters of the Gulf, the Caribbean Sea and southern Atlantic Ocean. Florida has dodged a bullet this last week, watching Hurricane Irene pass by as a Cat 3 storm and pushing up towards the north, towards many of our families and friends, who don't need or want the storms of summer to ruin theirs. Florida, who had so many people from so many states come to our aid after the twin hurricanes of 2004, sent crews of electrical workers from Florida Power and Light to help with the restoration of power in the several states. It was the least we could do.

We still have 2 1/2 months of "hurricane season" left to endure, and we are way down on the list of names. Right now, Hurricane Katia is headed into the far north Atlantic, away from everyone, while Tropical Storm Maria heads towards us, albeit messily, and may give us aggravation by next week. In the Gulf, another depression formed and created Tropical Storm Nate, who is building strength in the Yucatan Peninsula, and is forecast to become a hurricane, possibly a Cat 2 which is headed toward Brownsville, Texas. The remaining Gulf coast states just endured a visit from Tropical Storm Lee, who also headed north after dumping loads of rain in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and even part of the Florida Panhandle.

I have been slowly freezing my bottled waters, which I started to do when Irene was first on the move towards us. I will keep freezing them, in batches, stacking them up in our mini freezer. I have candles, matches, flashlights, but need more batteries, weather radio (on all the time), two good-sized coolers, a gas generator in the shed, gas chainsaw (next to the electric one - ha ha) and a machete. I don't have the supply of canned food I should, or extra gas in my six gas cans, but the price of that has kept us from being able to stash a good supply of it. My biggest and best hurricane supply is my husband. He lived in the Virgin Islands when he was younger, then in Miami. He has been through all five categories, including the deadly monster Andrew. He has skills. His Irish/German and Russian roots give him the strength and stamina necessary to deal with the prep before and messy after of the storms. His knowledge of the combustion engine is vital to maintaining a power source until the electricity comes back on. He knows how to fix almost everything, and his barbecuing skills are excellent. We even cooked a pizza on our gas grill during the 2004 storms. It can be done. We are as ready as we can be for the storms of summer. I just hope they don't come.

Life really can be a bowl of cherries...

The economy sucks for everyone. It doesn't matter who you are, or how much money you have, we are all affected by this horrific turn of events. Those of us unemployed, or under-employed, must find legitimate ways to survive until the world as we know it improves. Some sources of survival are embarrassing, such as having to visit food banks, or use food stamps, or borrow money from family and/or friends, never knowing just how long it will be before you can pay them back. Some of us are working jobs that we never thought we would be doing, but hey, it's a paycheck, however small.

So here I was, returning from my part-time job, one I campaigned for and got, a physically-demanding job that while it brings me satisfaction to do it, and do it well, it also translates into hours of pain from aggravating my car accident injuries. Dare I say it - we need the money. I immediately go into feel-better mode: a glass of ice water with lemon, a cool shower and a snack. Just what kind of snack, you might ask? I root around in my freezer and find - wait for it - frozen Rainier cherries purchased last season and just waiting for me to remember them.

So into a shallow cereal bowl they go, waiting for me to organize my beverage, my book, aspirins, and to clothe myself in pajamas (at 3 o'clock in the afternoon),TV on and tuned in to a re-run of an episode of "Bones" - more for white noise than for any other reason - and into bed the cherries and I go to lounge. They are cold, and slightly sweet, and collecting the stems and stones in my bowl, alongside the whole fruit remaining, reminds me of how lucky one can be sometimes, in the worst of times.

A bowl of cherries = hope.

Time Flies?

Where have I been? "Life is what happens when you have made other plans" (John Lennon). I think that I lost myself somewhere in the big quagmire of life, and like the phoenix rising, I am trying to be re-born through my thoughts, words, deeds and desires. How much time do any of us have, really? How about that "bucket list" people?


Those of us who are members of the Baby Boomer Club are acutely aware of how much time is left. I have always had the same "list" since I was a teenager: Ride an elephant, ride a camel, ride in a Bell helicopter (I may re-think this one). I think I would like to add visit Mount Palomar, or the crash site at Roswell (I have been to the museum, but did not have time for the field trip - my bad). I would like to visit the city of Vancouver - I really enjoyed watching the cable TV series "Dante's Inquest" - it made me want to see a place that appears to be quite culturally diverse. But you know TV - it lets us see what it wants us to see. Have to find out for ourselves...


Maybe I should just figure out how to explore my own giant backyard, so to speak, in the time remaining. Florida has so much history, so many things that are wonderous (i.e. The Coral Castle) it could easily take a lifetime to see them all.

My Dogs Are Cold!

I don't just mean my feet, either. My little doggies are here in Virginia with me (yes, I am back up here again - long story) and they are quite shocked at having to do their "business" as it were, on top of snow and ice. These are Florida, sunshine havin', warm weather canines. I can tell they think we have landed on Mars or something. My husband bought Boomer (my Chihuahua) a sweatshirt to wear to help keep him warm. He absolutely hates it. Twenty-two dollars down the hole. Trust me everyone, dogs HATE wearing stuff, but I do like seeing Labs in bandannas. I don't know why. I guess it's the cute factor. PS - both my dogs were "homeless." I have had both of them a long time now. Boomer came from the Humane Society (now there's an oxymoron) and Pinky was abandoned. Just as I have to get them through this unplanned winter visit, I also have help them through the winter of their lives. But I will never regret giving either of them a home or my love, no matter how tough things get.

Revenge of Phil

I think Punxsutawney Phil has had enough. Despite the fact that he DID NOT see his shadow this past February 2nd (which supposedly predicts an early Spring) he said nothing about the weather conditions for rest of our winter being hunky-dory. I think that after years of being ripped out of a warm burrow at the crack of dawn, Phil has apparently had enough. The freakishly cold weather being suffered in the Northeast is Phil's Gotcha! Or perhaps, it is Mother Earth trying to hang on to her hat a little bit longer before global warming finally creates Hell on Earth. Stay warm everyone, and please remember to "Love Your Mother."