Your know the hurricane is out there, you know it's name, it's track, you know it's past, it's present and you consider it's future.
The potential and capability of the natural forces
via the winds, storm surge, rainfall, flooding and possible tornadoes, it’s
overwhelming and remarkable all at the same time.
The future 2 days out looms in heart, mind.
I’ve never been in a city or state where a hurricane event
has taken place. I’m nervous, anxious and curious all at the same time. I remember vividly 60 – 70 MPH wind and sand
storms when I lived in Barstow, CA. If you had shelter – you were almost always
OK.
A hurricane is so much more, the mother of all mothers, EL
MAR – with it’s warm waters, the churning seas contributing in nutrient hyper vitamin fashion
to the destiny of this named storm, IRMA.
2 days before Irma gets to north Florida, I continue to be
proactive listening and watching the updates and I continue to try have a sense
of normalcy especially for the benefit of Maddie and Morgan because I can’t
explain to them what’s coming.
It’s now about 5pm in Jacksonville, we’ve had wind and rain
today, not necessarily from Irma. The
winds from Irma will be here late tomorrow evening, the outer bands as they are known. Today it was normal wind and rain for this
time of year in Florida. Certainly the temperature is much cooler outside.
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| by Bill Day |
Some of my activities today:
1_ Morning prayers and morning coffee, always !
2_ 35 minutes on the treadmill at the community fitness
center.
3_ Checked the mail from yesterday, emptied the trash, did 1
load of laundry.
4_ Created a new HURRICANE section in filing cabinet where
I now have anything and everything I need if I had to leave in a hurry. All the documents you can imagine: birth
certificate passport, insurance policies, medical information, documents from my
DAD, titles to property, there are probably 15 or 20 files.
5_ I reached out to the people I know that live on the west
coast of Florida. The storm surge
forecasts worry me the most for the general population at large. If indeed 8
to 10 feet of ocean water surges ashore it is going to be horrific.
6_ I watched a Pedro Almodovar movie, JULIETA, it was in the FREE movie section on Demand.
7_ I walked Maddie and Morgan in the early afternoon when it
was not raining. They also practiced
using the indoor area I created for them in the garage, so when the storm is
here, we don’t have to go outside outside
for them to do their business.
8_ I listened to Earth Wind and Fire most of the morning,
something about their music has always made me feel comfortable and calm.
9_ Tested the battery powered weather radio, it’s working
great.
10_ Called and checked in with my sister, Ana and her
husband, Parker.
11_ Finally officially renamed the chocolate candy bars in
the refrigerator, Hurricane Candy. Before it was always, Earthquake Candy, part
of the preparedness supplies for if and when there was an earthquake when I
lived in CA. That tradition moved east when I lived in Atlanta, even though we
never had earthquakes. Today I decided that from now on, the candy bars in the
refrigerator are now Hurricane Candy, part of the hurricane supplies, my
favorite KIT KATS.
12_ I thought and continue thinking of my DAD. I
know if he were alive, he would be calling everyday to check and make sure that both
Ana and I are OK, that we are prepared and have everything we need. I feel his presence in my heart, I know he is
watching over us.
