Is The Waiting Over!

Is Irene finally here?!

After days of anticipation & preparation!

Saturday, 3:30ish and the first bans of rain, lightening, thunder rolled into our New England hamlet, and I have one terrified Border Collie clawing at my lap!

Flicks on the Field (an annual community outdoor family movie night) -- cancelled. 
Church -- cancelled. 
Little friend's birthday party -- cancelled.  
It's gonna be a long weekend.

But she's finally here and I breathe a sigh of relief. You see, these storm watches are a major challenge for my already minimal patience!

I can't help but imagine The Weather Channel crew's glee when Mother Nature delivers a ratings-grabbing storm. And when you live in the eye of Mother's Nature's wrath (pun intended, sorry folks), there's the added pleasure of 'round-the-clock, all-encompassing local coverage too.

East coast natives often ask me how I tolerated the earthquakes of my home state, to which I reply "Earthquakes are easy! How can you tolerate the waiting, watching and wondering of nor'easters and blizzards, tropical storms and hurricanes?" This usually elicits a sympathetic head tilt, obviously I left my mind somewhere on Zuma beach, they think to themself.

Whatever the "event", there's a reason they call 'em disasters, and I'm certainly not making light at the expense of other people's loss and suffering at the hands of Mother Nature, but, having grown up with "land surfing" - I do believe I coined this euphemism, and I'm darn proud of it! -  earthquakes are comparatively easy on one's nerves.

There is no build up! Well, there is for those tectonic plates, but not for us unsuspecting humans on the surface. And we've been taught since we could toddle to be prepared (earthquake kit, bin or cupboard is properly stocked) and where to go (hello, doorway!).

 

SHAKE, RATTLE, BUMP, JUMP, CRACK, SHATTER -- then it's done and the clean up begins (hopefully requiring not much more than a broom and garbage can).

Ok, you're right, there are those pesky after-shocks, but again, you don't know when the earth beneath your feet will buck again, so you get on with things.

So here we go folks, you can watch every gruesome moment of Irene's march north, and fret over just how nasty will she be when she arrives at your doorstep OR you can get on with the stuff of your life.

So what's the FH gonna do to pass a now empty weekend? I'm gonna bake some popovers, make enchiladas for dinner and watch the Pro Cycling Challenge on Versus.

How 'bout y'all? 

Is your weekend suddenly a wide open expanse of time with children needing to be entertained? 

What's your family's disaster management plan?

Stay dry, stay safe!