Monday, October 29, 2012

Hurricane Preparedness Tips

So we're currently experiencing the beginning of Frankenstorm. I'm underwhelmed so far, but am willing to see if the storm lives up to its hype. As a native Gulf-coaster who grew up with hurricanes, I thought I'd help out a bit by posting some hurricane preparedness tips.

Months Before:

  • Amass a collection of camping gear, candles, and food to supply any potential apocalypse. Not out of fear, but because of occasional camping and sale-bingeing habits. 
  • Wonder about how to get a fireplace put in to increase self-sufficiency should a society-altering event actually occur, especially with all of the trees out back. 


Week Before:

  • Watch reports of impending storm. 
  • Note increasing tone of hysteria and hype in media. 
  • Laugh at silliness of New Englanders. 
  • It's a hurricane, not the apocalypse.


Few Days Before:

  • Inventory grocery staples, such as milk and fresh produce. 
  • Wish that the storm was scheduled for after the usual grocery-shopping day.
  • Resign self to joining panicked masses at the grocery stores.
  • Join throngs at the grocery store. 
  • Sigh at the hysteria. 
  • Get in line at the gas station and gas up. The tank is low, regardless of impending doom. 
  • Sigh at the hysteria.


Night Before:

  • Find out that BestestHusband's company is closed due to impending doom.
  • Find out that daycare is closed due to impending doom, so there's no Music Time to lead.
  • Resign self to day spent indoors with kids.
  • Mentally prepare self with list of fun activities to keep kids entertained.


Day Of Doom:

  • Give thanks for wise neighbor who invites you over for outside fun before storm gets too bad and you're stuck inside.
  • Bundle kids up and drag them outdoors for forced fun.
  • Chuckle with native Floridian neighbor about the silliness of New Englanders and storms. 
  • Traipse over to another neighbor's house with a swing set. Milk that outside time a little longer. 
  • Make tentative plans with second neighbor for indoor activities in case the girls' stir-craziness is worse than the weather outside.
  • Keep kids outside playing with friends until they're practically begging to go inside. Give small thanks that they won't ask to go outside for quite some time.
  • Go home and serve them hot chocolate. Yes, hurricanes in New England can actually be cold.
  • Feed them lunch with an extra little treat. All of the crankiness about the forced fun dissipates.
  • Let them argue over who gets which flashlight if the power goes out.
  • Send them to take a hot shower with BestestHusband. Showering is easier with working electricity, and who knows how long you'll have power. 
  • Decide which bath tub to fill with water. It is a hurricane, and it pays to take a few proactive steps to ensure you can flush your toilets, even in the midst of doom.
  • Attempt to leak-proof the leaky bathtub drain. 
  • Pray for the best.
  • Fill the bath tub with water. Just in case the storm really is as bad as the weathermen predict.
  • Follow friends' Facebook feeds around New England to find out who has power and who doesn't.
  • Give thanks for power.
  • Give thanks that you had the big trees trimmed away from the house last year.
  • Get a call from friends. Make dinner plans. Make contingency plans based on availability of electricity.
  • Marvel at your dependency on electricity.
  • Enjoy a day without crazy errand-running and attempted productivity, and pray it doesn't get too bad for everyone else. 



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