“Tropical Activity Not Expected the Next Seven Days” …
… the update on the National Hurricane Center’s website, October 16th.
What happened to hurricane season? Only 43 days remain, and no ‘canes making landfall – yet.
Was ‘climate change’ put on hold during the government shutdown? Or maybe the entire hurricane center is on leave – if there’s no one on duty to hear it, can a hurricane happen?
I was prepared: I’ve been building a sea wall since April, I’ve got food that will survive a nuclear attack, and have almost perfected a device to desalinate ocean water.
While I’m not advocating hurricanes, I am a little bummed – hurricane anticipation a primary part of my social life this time of year. Just not the same in March…
And aren’t the most fun things the most destructive?
But struck by the thought that hurricane prep a lot like getting ready for a wedding and honeymoon:
Preparedness – ‘Know your zone’ – a major part of the ‘getting ready’ drill. With only 8 houses on our street, we’re Zone 1, and we have matching t-shirts with ‘Zone One Captains’ – since no one else lives here full time. Kind of like sending save the dates and renting tuxedos for the big day, with #1 Groom stitched on the back.
Weather Monitoring – on-line with the National Hurricane Center, checking their every 3-hour updates, the alarm set for 2A and 5A. Same thing for a wedding: but since forecasts can change without warning, sleeping with eyes open.
Ready to evacuate – Car gassed up at all times, blankets in the back, ready to leave instantly. Same thing for a wedding, in the event one wants to elope – or bolt the church.
Hiding Places Selected – Kidding about the evacuation thing, we ain’t ever leaving again. In a ‘mandatory’ evacuation, we cover the car in brush, turn out the lights, and sleep in the closet, avoiding detection. Which is what I did leading up to our wedding, avoiding the wedding planner. She kind enough though, to clean the brush off me.
Making sure there’s plenty of ice – In the event the power goes out, cold beer a must. Same thing at the wedding reception.
Hot and sweaty nights – Like sleeping without power, or the honeymoon.
Name generation – My Captor and I took great care naming our children, and hurricane names equally well thought out. While some of our kid’s names are in alphabetic order, all hurricane names are. But that might change…
The name database modernized and assigned randomly, to match current kid names: Zephyr, Calyx, Bodi, and Hurricane leading contenders. In 2027, all names will be the letter B: B1, B2, B3 – the logic being storms develop in response to becoming ‘cool names’, and this will deter that.
Dress Code – The easiest part of a wedding, a bolo tie even appropriate at a Black Tie event. Hurricanes trickier: What do you wear for storm surge? After Labor Day? Or your porch being blown away?
Looking back, many of our best memories hurricane related: our most vivid memories born in chaos, not peaceful times. Do you remember sitting on the beach sunning, or running off when a storm suddenly hits?
We definitely remember our anniversary spent evacuated, though My Captor passed on dinner at Waffle House, which would have been scattered, smashed and covered! Sort of like the local neighborhood…
But it appears we won’t have a hurricane this year, so no new memories ahead.
Fortunately, memories can be retrieved in the midst of chaos or calm – or a bomb going off in the family – allowing us to remember our loved ones… the best memories of all.
ENHANCE YOUR ENJOYMENT OF THIS POST, PAIR WITH THE FOLLOWING ‘AGING HIPSTER MUSIC’:
Cass McCombs has released a new album “Interior Live Oak”, which is great, much added to the BATN Playlist.
And I have a new book out:
QUEENIE AND PA: ADVENTURES IN GRANDPARENTING… And Other Topics
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