With all the buzz about Hurricane Irene coming up the coast and SLAMMING us on Sunday, I've decided to get a jump start on preparing for it. The news reports this morning are predicting we could be out of power for days. (Wait...could this be the Apocalypse in the Suburbs I mentioned in a recent post?)
The National Hurricane Center says I should have certain items in my Disaster Supply Kit.
OK, so the real fear is that this thing will fly up, up & away...
The National Hurricane Center says I should have certain items in my Disaster Supply Kit.
I'm making a modified list, including a refresher on how to manually work the oxygen tanks for Gram. Other modifications/additions Candles & matches or lanterns. Cocktails ingredients. I was only mildly kidding when I announced on Facebook that I would wait out the storm in the wine cellar. It's full of cobwebs and scares me. It's also where we hide the girl scout cookies. Oh, see, we ARE prepared to survive in style - we have Samoas!!! Samoas & wine! So there's no need to make a trip to the grocery store or the fruit orchards after all. (Just kidding.) I am lucky to have 2 pantries in my kitchen- they're both in need of reorganizing. Here's a peek at one of them:  Do you see what's conspicuously missing here besides the pasta & cereals? (They're in the other pantry.) Good chocolate. Tuna fish in olive oil. Juice. Nutella. I have a gallon of water or 2, but I'll pick up another few. The good news is that I have a gas stove & and outdoor grill, so in the event that we do lose power, we can still cook. If we find ourselves in that scenario, I have nearby family (& friends) who will probably be coming over to eat, and so the cocktails may be important after all! Add pineapple juice, fresh limes, and cranberry juice to the list! Other Preparations If, like me, you're on well water, you'll want to fill up your tubs on Sunday for water to flush the toilets. Trust me, you'll be glad you did. Check propane tanks to see if they need to be filled. (This would be super important in cooler weather as we have a propane furnace-rated fireplace that heats our family room. During the last big winter power outage I had to sleep in front of it with 2 babies!) Seeing as how they're bent on scaring us on the news with the threat of power outages, it may be time to eat some of the frozen things from the freezer. I'm particularly excited about this since my freezer is full of ice cream, croissants, Indian food, and things like peas & waffles. Again, since we'll be able to cook, I can hold off on some of these, but I may be baking the croissants.... and the ice cream....well we'll just address that potential issue today :) Just had a brilliant idea. Know what would be a perfect way to enjoy finishing off 5 ice cream containers? (I call the chocolate gelato, btw. My friend Victoria can have the soy mocha swirl.) ...eat them while watching the hurricane episode from Dawson's Creek! Ha!  Then back to preparations. It's also time to check on the garden and see if there is anything that can be harvested. You don't want all that good food falling on the ground in your muddy garden come Monday after being whipped around at 80+ mph. My raspberry bushes are just starting to ripen so we'll be picking those again on Sunday too. I'll have tomatoes, beans, squash, cukes, grapes, and other random things to pick from my wild garden. Take down any bird feeders or bird baths that might be in danger of hitting your house in a high wind, etc. Pick up any debris or toys in the yard that might fly away. That's on my list for today and we have a ton of toys outside. Flower pots too. They're going into the basement. (Someone's grill cover has been in my backyard since the big storm we had this past winter and we can't figure out who it belongs to!) It's going to rain at some point today too, so better we get started this morning. Maybe I'll cover some of the firewood for our fire pit - or bring some into the basement in case we decide to have a campfire. I'll ask the hubby if that's necessary. I heard they're predicting a foot of rain here. A foot. My yard may be too wet - and muddy. If you have a sump pump (we have 2) check to make sure they're plugged in so that while there is power we can deal with the water that may flood into basements. |  |  |
WaterOK, so the real fear is that this thing will fly up, up & away...
...and land someplace else and squash a bad witch. (FYI - Wicked is playing at the Bushnell in Hartford!)
Hopefully they will do a good job of shoring it up as it doesn't look like we'll race to get a roof on it. I think it's better if the wind just goes right through it, right? I just kind of wish we could cover the entire thing in a giant tarp.
I'm all set for reading materials (I have my next 2 books lined up on my nightstand) and we have a good collection of games to keep the kids busy. Anyone want to stop by for a game of Disney Cranium?
So what other preparations are you planning? What is on your grocery list?
On a serious note, I hope all of my friends from the Caribbean to Florida to the Carolinas and all points north are safe during this storm. I know it can be scary, especially for the little ones - mine keep asking if it will be the same as when we were caught in a tornado. Keep us all informed that you're ok via Facebook, Twitter, or drop a comment here.
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