Shaddup Already!
2004-09-07
I didn't forget Diaryland
I thought about y'all while I was without power. Which, technically, I'm still without power, but I do have one stinky, loud generator to operate the important stuff, like my fridge, computer and TV. Anyway, I kept a paper journal while I was waiting and waiting for Frances to hit. Then it was while I was waiting and waiting for power. Which I still am. Blech!9/4/04 7:15pm
My house has erupted into yet another wave of chaos as the cats provoke the dog to chase them. I just put Cami in her kennel--again. I just need a moment of peace.
We've just gotten a few lines of storms so far. Supposedly it won't be bad until sometime overnight. It's difficult to wait. It almost makes it seem as all is well with the world. It feels unreal that we are just waiting to be hit with more than 6 hours of (at least) tropical storm force winds. The what-ifs are alive and well.
8:52pm
Well, we had a bit more wind, not much rain. The wind is pretty steady now, but not too bad. I still have power *knock on wood* (editor's note: lots of help that was) and I still feel like crap. What a time to get a head cold with coughing.
I'm about to go to bed because I just feel crappy. I guess I'll move Charlie into the bathroom.
The news reports are very frightening. I only watch every so often to find out where Lady Frances is. I just want this over with. NOW!
It looks like it's very close. I must admit, part of me is excited and would love to go outside and experience nature at her worst, or finest (however you think of it). Since I believe Go (for lack of a better word) is contained in everything natural, this is a very spiritual experience for me.
This is all part of nature's cycle. I know I'm meant to accept that, even if I don't understand it. This in and awesome display of energy. It's all been congregated by different parts of natural energy.
They just covered Seminole County on the news. The winds I hear are between 30and 40 mph. 11,000 residents don't have power. I just turned down my ac to cool the house in case of power loss (editor's note: that is only effective for the first 24ish hours without power). My big concern about losing power is baby Charlie. I have to warm his food and keep his temperature regulated.
I want to move, but not tonight, by way of Frances.
I think I'm going to have my students write thank-you notes.
Sherriff's Dept.
Red Cross
power companies
ice companies
gas companies
fire/rescue
FEMA
Okay, my throat is killing me and I'm tired. I just want to wake up to clear skies and no wind.
2:26am
It's still not bad here. I've slept since about 11pm. I woke up a couple of times to some heavy rain and wind.
I have the news on and just found out we're 7-8 hours away from the worst of it. That's tomorrow morning.
It's very easy to become complacent. When you hear that the big bad wolf is coming and all that shows up on your doorstep for days is a little poodle, you start to wonder what happened.
I can look at the radar and see it coming, but I'm now being lulled into a false sense of security.
Okay, I'm going to take more Benadryl and go back to sleep.
8:24am
This damned thing keeps slowing down. I went to bed last night thinking the worst would come before morning. So when I woke up this morning, it was with an air of relief.
There was no visible damage from inside my house and I still had electricity. I called my mom because she had just called me and I didn't answer. My parents don't have power about a mile away from me.
Then I turned on the news to a good news/bad news situation. They're expecting lower winds for my area, but not until 2:00pm! I'm sure that will change too.
I feel sicker now-sore throat, coughing, stuffy nose. I have every intention of staying pleasantly drowsy on Benadryl and sleeping through this.
4:15 pm
We are in the middle of a lull. I was just outside. My lemon tree is leaning, my crape myrtle lost all its flowers and is leaning. Other than that, I look good.
I have no power. I thought I wrote that earlier, but I see I didn't. I lose it at about 10:00 in the morning (on Saturday--you can do the math). I hope I'll get it back fairly soon, like last time.
My house smells like wet dog, wet towels and puppy formula.
This is such a strange experience. There is a surreal feeling, we hear the news, but usually during a calm moment. It's like i"m unable to take it all in. I was listening to a radio station earlier thate went back to musci during this 3 hour lull. I wokd up from my nap listening to music and I believed for a moment everything was okay. I also dreamt my power was turned back on. What a shock to realize it was all a fantasy and a dream.
Then I went outside and the neighbor who never smiles or looks at me, called out to me. Hurricanes are crazy, crazy things.
9/6/04 10:55am
I cannot believe I have not left my house since Firday. I also have no power. If I had power, being inside wouldn't be so bad.
I thought the power was trying to come back on, but it was a false alarm. I hope it means that they're working on my power grid, though. I just want power!
6:55pm
Here is sit on this island without power (editor's note: everyone around this half of my subdivision has power). I know the world around m has electricity, but I do not.
I greet the news of another neighborhood being turned back on with a giddy, optimistic excitement that is only rivaled by the feeling a 6 year old has waking on Christmas morning.
I reason, make assumptions and guess when my power will come back on. I fall prey to superstitions, believe that if I take a nap, the power will return while I sleep. Or if I read a book cover to cover, the ac will kick on and I won't even notice. All the while, the overheated, lonely part of my brain is planning exactly how I will celebrate the power's return.
My neighbors on both sides have generators, which just amplifies how laone I am. I'm cursed to listening to an 80's and 90's pop music marathon that was, no doubt, cleverly conceived before Frances was even a blip on the radar.
I'm fed snippets of news on a regular, though not often, basis by people who undoubtedly have access to continuous coverage of what's going on past my fence. Then the news is a repeat, telling me I won't have school tomorrow and the worst is over. I think the worst has just begun.
Have I mentioned that I want my power back?
9:00pm
In an almost manic bout of behavior, I left and went out to dinner. I hoped that upon my return, I would have power.
I didn't.
BAH!
Half of my neighborhood has power, but not my half. My neighbors offered to let me plug into their borrowed generator, but I put that off until tomorrow. If there is no power tomorrow, I will probably take them up on it.
Now, since there seems to be little else to do, I'm going to bed. G'night. May all your dreams be filled with electricity and ac. I'm pretty sure mine will be.
