Enough is Enough

One last joke

Weird Week

This has been a weird week. My daughter STILL doesn't have school, it's going to be Monday at least--a bunch of huge trees came down near her school, knocking down poles and power lines. Supposedly the county and city are arguing over who has to repair them @@ She's bored to death, has studied everything ad nauseum, but at least she's getting some extra reading done.

The city looks like a war zone. Trees down everywhere, in streets, in yards, on houses. There's a funky kind of vegetation smell in the air. Traffic lights were knocked down, most have power back finally, navigating intersections was interesting on Monday. Store signs were blown out, billboards are either stripped or lay twisted on the ground. Church steeples crashed down. Screened-in pools are now a twisted heap of aluminum. I think it would be hard pressed to find *anyone* who was not affected in some way.

And it's not over for some. With every gust of wind, or rainshower, trees that were weakened continue to come down. My inlaws are again without power.

We have some kind of line down in the backyard so we can't go out there until someone comes to check it out. Whenever that will be. I can't complain too much, seeing as how we HAVE power and some don't, and won't anytime soon....some people have been told *three weeks*. Ditto for the roof. We're waiting for someone to come check it out, but the leaks haven't gotten worse, and we still have a roof. The house may smell a bit funny, but we are blessed.

When we were out, we pulled up alongside a power truck--I yelled out the window "We have power--thank you, we love you guys!" The guys in the truck grinned and laughed.

Everyone is walking around slightly shell-shocked. Seeing your city like this is so disheartening. I'm still dreaming about storms and trying to outrun them.

The grocery stores are only half-stocked. I was lucky to get a carton of juice and some lunchmeat yesterday. Refrigerated and frozen cases are just empty, and some fruits & veggies are gone too. But there was bread and milk, unlike on Monday.

There are still 61 days in hurricane season. We're all twitchy when the tropical update comes on the Weather Channel. Here's hoping my blog will NOT be updated for the remainder of it.

Photos from Jeanne's Visit

Poor Loquat Tree

Backyard Debris

Say goodbye to the fence!

A neighbor's porch roof blew across the street

Sigh of relief & crossing fingers

We lost power about 9 a.m. and got power back about 1pm (I shouted Hallelujia!!! lol). I apologize for not updating sooner, I crashed and was just exhausted, between the 3 hrs of sleep I got and the stress of the storm.

It does appear the worst of Jeanne is gone. We're getting wind & rain still, but nowhere near the intensity of this morning.

I consider ourselves incredibly blessed. We do have roof damage, best guess is loose shingles, because we're getting water spots on the ceiling in the family room. But it doesn't appear to be anywhere else. The loquat tree may be a total loss, our small tebebuia tree is leaning dreadfully, and I'm sure the fence is just wiped out in one section. But we have power. We have water. Heck, we have cable!!

During the eye, neighbors came out to check out damage. Someone down the street has a tree in their house now, and a snapped water main to their house :( Someone else lost a roof, and someone was having a roof replaced and it didn't get done before the storm. The aluminum roof I saw across the street belongs to a neighbor 2 houses down--it's their back porch roof. All of those so easily could be us.

So I'm grateful. I think if I see a person who works for the power company, I may kiss them lol. But if a hurricane ever approaches our area again I think I will throw up. I'm ready to move to Vermont.

I'm thankful for all my friends out here who have been praying for us. You all rock :) (((((((Hugs))))))))

Getting Worse

We've lost part of our loquat tree

HOLY CRAP we just had a transformer blow in the back yard. Like someone set off fireworks. Loud and bright--happening all over the neighborhood. Miracle we still have power/cable

neighbor a few houses down lost their aluminum (porch?) roof

This is pretty scary stuff. I don't recommend it.

We're getting winds over 75mph up to 90mph with higher gusts.

Dear God

It feels like this storm is not going to end. Ever. It's almost 9 a.m. and the eye is coming ever closer to us. Transformers, power lines, whatever, are popping like firecrackers every 30 mins or so. Power keeps flickering, I wonder if I'll be able to send this.

Frances is a Cat2 with winds of about 100mph. We just had the wind gust so hard and so loud I held my breath. Sounds like pebbles hitting the windows, horizontal rain and all that.

And when all this is past, we get the threat of tornadoes tonight.

I can see shingles fluttering on a roof across the street. It would be literally a miracle if our roof was fine. And I have a horrible sinking feeling it's not.

Well, just to say we're still here and we are physically fine, just scared.

Can't sleep

After about 3 hrs of sleep, I'm back. The storm is just so intense outside, we all can't sleep. Doors are rattling, lights are blinking a bit. We were watching outside the front door and saw a transformer go a few streets away. It was like blue fireworks. Creepy and cool at the same time.

The path has changed so the eye is supposed to pass below us but that puts us on the worst side of the storm. And the worst hasn't even hit us yet. It also didn't weaken like they thought. It was supposed to be a Cat1, but it's still a Cat2. Maximum sustained winds are 110 mph. Gusts are approaching 130 mph. I've never been through anything like this before, in my 34 yrs of living here. I don't know what our winds are right now. This is going to continue for at least 4? 6? hrs.

We're getting our butts kicked here. I've heard a few weird things on the roof, so I'm sure we're looking at some repairs there.

Going to send before we lose power.

Hunkering Down

Jeanne officially made landfall as a Cat3 hurricane, with winds of 120mph. We're getting steady rain, it's starting to get heavy, and the wind and gusts are picking up for us, at least 36 mph (inland). The worst is expected to start around 5 a.m. for us. Oh joy @@

:::::::Waving to all my friends out there::::::::::

Blah, blah, blah....

The path now has the eye passing right near us, so we're pretty much going to get hurricane force winds for about 6-8 hrs. There have been wind gusts of about 32 mph. It's breezy and raining off and on. Earlier tonight, it looked downright creepy, with the fading sunllight and the dark clouds zooming by.

My poor cats. They have been basket cases since Charley. 11 1/2 yr old Allegro has lost weight and fur. 7 yr old Cassie wants to be around people so much she'll let our 2 yr old son squeeze her. Both of them are just neurotic furballs. The dog, 11 1/2 yr old Max, is blissfully unaware. There's no lightning or thunder, he's just annoyed he can't run around in the rain.

School has been cancelled, of course, for Monday. My daughter is just rolling her eyes about this. Yep, this is how storm-weary we all are, when the kids are tired of school being cancelled.

I'd go watch the rain but I think I'd be eaten alive by the mosquitos lol.

I'm burning a Pineapple Yankee Tart, so naturally I'm hungry now. Be back later!

There's a Storm Front Comin'.....

Quick, name the album and artist my Subject Title comes from! And yes, the TV is always on here. Keeps my own 2 yr old hurricane busy while he's pretending he's Steve Irwin.

I'm on my first Hurricane (beverage). Hurricane Jeanne, despite my last blog, has become a big whoop. The projected track has edged ever closer to our city, so there's more than just a good chance of hurricane force winds, at least 85+ sustained, gusts over 100mph.

So what does one do before a hurricane? Buy fabric of course! I am doing a quilt for my daughter's school auction, and I figured as long as the fabric was washed, dried and ironed, I can cut fabric if we have no power. I haven't updated this blog in quite some time, but in case you're interested: Quilt-A-Palooza! I love trying to coordinate 10+ fabrics! But even the looming hurricane managed to take some of the fun out of it. Everyone here has "hurricane fatigue" and it really stinks.

Note to self--half-strength alcoholic beverages don't do diddly for hurricane fatigue :P
I'm thinking we will probably lose power in this one. I'll have someone post in the comment section if that happens.

More later if I haven't completely lost my mind or had enough drinks LOL (Before anyone worries, I really talk big about drinking but one glass of wine is enough to make me sleepy. I'd fall asleep before I could ever get drunk).

Jeanne

I wish I could say that the only thing troubling my mind was this stupid hurricane but it's not.

My Mother-In-Law has cancer again. She had surgery back in May and was given the all-clear, but they've found more. She will have surgery next Friday followed by radiation. If any of you out there are the praying type, I'd really appreciate it.

Yes, Jeanne is still coming. Right now our area is supposed to get tropical storm force winds. Honestly? Big whoop. Hate to be cavalier and all, but been there, done that, got the tshirt.

Speaking of tshirts, I will be making up some tshirts for sale, part of the proceeds will be going to a friend who lost everything in Charley, the house got hit again by Frances, and will more than likely be battered by Jeanne. She's got 4 precious kids, and one of them is very ill. Part of the proceeds will also go to the American Red Cross for FL Hurricane Relief. More info coming soon.

At least I have my Godiva. This has been a very bizarre two months. You can't help but mention the hurricane and have someone chuckle. Everyone is at the "laugh or you'll cry" stage. Even my daughter is bemoaning the idea of missing another day of school (possibly Monday).

More of an update tomorrow. The very resigned hurricane watcher, signing out.

I hate to say I told you so......

See? That's why I didn't delete this blog. I had a gut feeling about another storm paying us a visit. Ahhhh the hustle and bustle of hurricane preparation is once more upon us--Ladies & Gentlemen, here comes Hurricane Jeanne.

My hubby and I celebrated our anniversary 2 weeks late, courtesy of Hurricane Frances. We almost postponed it again since my Dad maybe had to work (we were dropping the kids off) but my mom wisely said "No, come, there may be another hurricane next weekend". Mother knows best eh?

So Jeanne has been sitting out there, going a bit loopy in her track, sticking to the westerly side of the projection path. The devestation she's caused out there is almost unimaginable--Haiti has been dealt such a horrifying blow by this storm.

Speaking of loopy storms, how 'bout that Ivan? Ivan's remnants passed back over the state of FL in his quest to reform. My sis in Texas may be saying hello to him this weekend.

I think the storm forecasters are both giddy and befuddled by this storm season. Though Jeanne's not the first storm to mimic an amusement park ride--some storm in the 60's I think looped 3 times before moving on. But I don't know they've seen anything like Ivan.

Right now, I think the effects of the storm will be minimal. I hate feeling so casual about a hurricane, but I'm just weary of these storms. I daresay the hurricane forecasters are too. They all need a well-deserved vacation.

Though I have to say, this season has reignited my interest in hurricanes, tracks, forecasts, etc. Heck I even think it might be kindof neat to ride in the hurricane hunter plane.

I must go pull in the welcome mat now....the hurricanes are taking it too literally @@

In the Clear???

Unless Ivan does something wonky, I think we're actually in the clear. Sure we're going to get a little rain & wind from the edges of the rain bands, and there is an increased risk of tornadoes, but Ivan won't be so terrible for us after all.

It's weird, the adrenaline let-down. We got all prepared, hey I even got my Godiva Liqueur LOL. Not that I want a Category ANYTHING hurricane hitting us (hey, the odds were against us to escape a 3rd time!). But all that energy just went fttttt.

My daughter had today off from school, but is going back tomorrow. I think they realized they jumped the gun by cancelling so far ahead of time. Ah well, she had a nice 3 day weekend ;)

For now, I'll just report if something odd happens to Ivan's track (towards us) or we get some interesting squalls. Hurricane season doesn't end until Nov 30, I have a feeling this won't be the last time I use this blog this year.

My thoughts and prayers are with my friends in the Panhandle and Alabama!

Still Watching Ivan the Terrible

Not too much to report for us, but I figured I should post anyway ;)

My daughter has no school on Monday. I daresay she won't have school on Tuesday either, possibly Wednesday as well? She's missed 3 days so far due to hurricanes.

My husband went to look at plywood for the windows.....if nothing else, so we could board up a window should one break. FOURTY FIVE BUCKS a sheet ::::thunk:::::::: Uh, no, we'll use a closet door instead @@

Jamaica is getting slammed right now, my thoughts and prayers are with them. It's a Cat5, 155mph, with gusts of about 200mph. Ivan the Terrible, indeed. :(

As for us, the track is staying off the coast of FL, though we will at least get Tropical Storm-force winds (up to 75 mph). Possible we could get a bit of Hurricane Force winds. But until Ivan crosses Cuba, where he will go is anyone's guess.

On a totally different note, RUN, don't walk, and rent Bill Engvall's comedy DVD "Here's Your Sign". I just got done watching that, and the stress from the upcoming storm was relieved for awhile. I laughed myself hoarse ;)

Tomorrow I must go buy alcohol for consumption LOL

My freak-out meter will probably start going up in the next day or so, but for now I'm just sortof resolved to the idea of another hurricane.

Ivan Humor

Click to enlarge

Here comes Ivan!

Welcome to the Twilight Zone. Ivan is headed our way.

Ivan the Terrible is a monster right now. A strong Category 5 with winds of 160mph, and gusts around 190mph. Our only saving grace is that he's far enough away from FL and has to cross over Cuba, SO he should weaken, but the latest track has it making landfall as a strong Cat4.

And guess who's house it looks like it's going to cross right now???????

Here's my "Laugh or You'll Cry" humor for today (made on Paint Shop). Feel free to pass it around to your storm-weary friends.

Sick Hurricane Humor

You have to laugh or you'll cry...

Ivan's projected Track

Ivan's Track

Why I'm keeping this Blog active.....

Latest forecast track for Ivan :::::Smacking head against my padded room::::::::::.

What IS it with the weather patterns this year??????????

I'm planning on buying some Godiva Liqueur to get me through this one, if Ivan is indeed paying us a call. Godiva shots, anyone? LOL

Leftover Rain

We're getting alot of rain right now. The eye of Frances has moved into the gulf, so there's more moisture--and it's expected to strengthen. To my friends in the Panhandle and Alabama--BE SAFE!!!!

I'm sitting here in disbelief that we escaped yet another hurricane with no real damage. The picture just can't convey the storm (that's one of the tree branches down from the tree)

Whew we're getting some pounding wind & rain.....nothing like we were getting but still a little unnerving. I think it will be awhile before I will feel comfortable during a "normal" storm again.

Escaped Hurricane #2

After Frances

Happy Anniversary to me :P

Here she comes, Sunday 12:15 pm

The eyewall--where the strongest winds are located--is getting ready to hit us, so this may be my last update. The power has been flickering a bit.

The winds will probably be minimal hurricane force winds (75+) with higher gusts. So far we've only lost one section of fence. Hubby said everything else looked ok so far.

There's been a lone little lizard clinging to our kitchen window for the past 24 hrs. I was tempted to go save him, but maybe he's the forecaster for his clan LOL. I was going to take his picture but he's finally moved. Be well, Bob. (We name everything Bob around here lol).

Well I'm going to eat my anniversary cinnamon roll from Walmart while we still have power. Even in my sleep I couldn't get away from the storm, I dreamed about hurricanes and tornadoes all night. Noah is bouncing off the walls and one of the cats is freaking out a bit. Two year olds and animals know when something is amiss.

(((((Hugs)))))) to all!

Gone with the Wind? NOT!

Well, it appears the worst has past--WOOHOO!!! We may have some minor roof damage, some loose shingles, but probably nothing big. It's not over, but, man, we still have power!

I sat out on the porch for over an hour.....sitting in the house listening to the storm, makes me crazy. Sitting on the porch watching the storm, somehow relaxing LOL.

I am just so grateful that this storm hasn't been worse for us.

Still Here

Still here. That eyewall was moving slower than I thought but it's in the next hour? or so?

Hurricane Ivan is out there too, they are telling people to not take the boards off their windows @@ I don't know I could take one more storm.

I need a drink.

Still no major damage that we know of, section of fence and large tree branch down.

Power still flickering now and then. The thunks now and then are a bit creepy, we can't always tell what is blowing around out there.

We stood on the front porch watching the wind/rain earlier. We just got a report of 90mph gust. :::::::::Shaking::::::::::::

Heading to Bed

This will be the last update until morning....hopefully we'll still have power/cable so I can check in again ;)

We've had some heavy rain and some strong wind......some of the gusts have been pretty scary. The sound reminds me of ocean waves, the sound getting louder and then mercifully, backing off. The back door has been rattling, and with the really strong gusts, the curtains *inside* the house flutter a bit. My ears have been popping a bit with the pressure changes LOL

Tomorrow isn't going to be pretty. I think we're going to lose the fence and have some roof damage. You just can't have 65-80mph winds for 6,7 hrs without some kind of damage.

The kids fell asleep, Miranda around 11 or so, Noah around 1. I have a feeling I won't be sleeping as soundly tonight.

I leave you with a bit of humor, I daresay we'll be living out some of these in the next few days....
http://tinyurl.com/6q9rx

Yikes, there goes the wind again. Seeing as how the power has flickered a bit, better send this. Love to you all, my friends!

I need another drink

Now that the Hurricanes have worn off, I'm starting to feel panicky. It's SO quiet outside, but that's not going to last.

Earlier today, I stood on the front porch, watching the rain and the wind. Piddly wind, around 25 mph. It's almost like fall, the leaves are blowing like crazy, everything is still recovering from Charley. A big branch in our Loquat tree snapped during that hurricane, and it's been hanging up there. It's going to come down, I'm sure.

I noticed some small leafy twigs come down next door, and then was heartbroken to hear the frantic cries of some baby birds coming from a nest way up there.....I know that nature takes care of its own, but animal lover that I am, I wished I could have done something to keep them safe up in the tree.

We're packing things, just in case we'll need to leave after the storm. There are bare nails on the walls where my family photos usually hang--they're being stored in a tote. I don't think I could stand to lose my photos. The kids each have a bag of their favorite things. I never would have thought to pack like this before Charley, but a friend of mine lost everything.....the idea of that scared me back then, and it terrifies me now. I'm trying to be calm for the kids but I feel near tears.

Physically we will be ok--don't worry my dear friends :) Your phone calls today really got my mind off of things and made me smile ;)

I'll continue to post as long as I'm able. Should we lose power or cable (we have a cable modem) I will have someone post in the comments section for me.

Talk to you soon!!

Outer bands

We're starting to get rain from the edges of Frances, but she's just sitting off the coast. There's a high pressure ridge keeping her from moving. Winds are around 25 mph, but it really doesn't look all that bad outside. But you could cut the tension with a knife. All this hurry up and wait is for the birds!

Friday afternoon

Frances appears to have jogged towards the North--current tracks still have us getting Hurricane Force/Tropical Storm Force winds, but NOT the eye! And Frances is losing steam, little by little.....barely a Category 3.

We woke up at 8am to the power shutting off.....what the heck? It was bright and sunny. But the 20 minutes it was out, made me REALLY hope we don't lose power with this storm!

It's slowed down alot, now we're expected to get the storm anytime from early Sunday to early Monday. Part of me wishes it would just come and be done with it. All this waiting isn't much fun :X

Your trusty Hurricane Hunter, over and out ;)

Can't sleep

Well, Frances is weakening for now. It should be a Category 1 Hurricane by the time it reaches us (inland). It's slowing down, so landfall will be around 8pm Saturday, and it will "exit" FL after 8pm Sunday. But we'll be feeling the effects earlier.......some news station superimposed Frances over the state of Texas....and it completely covered it.

For fun, check out what all these categories mean:

http://www.intellicast.com/Help/Weather/2022/

I think my adrenaline has worn out for the evening. It was nice to watch some taped shows (All My Children, Rescue Me) to get my mind off of it for awhile.

To the rest of my friends in FL, be safe!!!! And remember, when the power goes--eat the ice cream *first* LOL

11 pm update

Well, the latest update....Frances has weakend, WHEW! I mean, it's still 125mph sustained winds, gusts of 155mph, but it's down from 140sus. winds. Down to a category 3. I'm relieved to say the least.

My daughter gets to stay home from school, but she still has homework LOL. We're still planning on packing things, but.....whew!

Hurricane Frances

Ok, I figured this would be the easiest way to update everyone. As of right now, the eye is supposed to pass right over us. :::::Gulp:::::: However Frances is supposed to weaken before it makes landfall and then weaken more before it gets to us. Let's hope that is the case!!

We're still supposed to get hurricane force winds. And the course could change, it could strengthen, weaken, who knows. It looks like anytime between 2pm Saturday and 2pm Sunday.

I went to Walmart, it was nuts. I bought some more essentials, and then got some Hurricane Mix and Poptarts LOL. You just have to have your priorities straight ;)

Tonight we're going to pack suitcases--not to evacuate (where would we go???) but in case we have to leave the house after the storm. I have to take down all my photos on the walls and put them in a plastic tote (God bless Rubbermaid).

And it figures, Sunday is my 12th Wedding Anniversary. Ooooh, Ready to Eat Cambell's by candlelight ROFL.