Sunday, August 31, 2008

Waiting for Gustav


I suppose everyone along the Gulf coast has their own list of hurricane preparations. We all know the drill - move the patio furniture inside, stock up on the four "b"s (see if earlier post if you don't know what I'm talking about), board up the windows and obssesively watch the Weather Channel and John Nodar on WKRG channel 5. Since this is my first hurricane to have to make all the preps on my own, I have added cleaning the house to my list of things to do. Now I'm sure there are those of you who will think this odd but hear me out. Chances are good that the power will go out at some point and it will get rather stuffy iin here until the rain and wind slack up a tad and I can crank out the awning windows. Since I share my digs with 3 cats and a dog who is currently in love with rolling in the dirt piles left behind by passing armadillos, it most probably will get somewhat aromatic after a few hours with no AC - not to mention humid. Ergo, my cleaning frenzy. I would much rather smell the intoxicating aroma of Fabuloso cleaner and lemon furniture polish than Eau de (Wo)Man's Best Friend and Evening in Litterbox.

As to my flying solo for this storm, the Taller Half is somewhere in the Gulf on a crew boat - hopefully safe in harbor somewhere other than Louisiana. On the news I heard that all the rigs in the Gulf - I think there are nearly 4000 - have been evacuated so surely the company has seen fit to get the supply boats out of Gustav's way. Now my car is another story. The last I heard it was parked at a dock in New Iberia. Oh crap. I've been driving the Big Green Mo-chine because we figured it made more sense to put the 12-year-old Silver Bullet in potential danger than the not-paid-off-yet truck. Now, apparently, the potential danger has shifted into the realm of reality. Oh double crap.

The clouds have been thickening all morning and the humidity is becoming more unbearable than usual. I have one more load of clothes to wash, some surface wiping down and dusting to do; then I'm taking a shower and putting on comfy storm clothes. There some ground round in the refridg-a-deezer (a George Carlinsim, God bless him) along with some fresh asparagus so I think a lovely hamburger steak with plenty of onions and gravy sounds like just the ticket for this Sunday's repast. Maybe I'll even really splurge and make Hollandaise to go on the asparagus. You know, of course, that there is no cholesterol or heavy caloric content in pre-storm meals. After dinner it's back to the TV - a movie with only occasional peeks at Jim Cantore. Hope the little red dog doesn't need to out late tonight.

To my cousins in south Louisiana and Beaumont - you win the Which Cousin Gets the 1st Hurricane contest for this year and, oh yeah LEAVE! For everyone else in Gustav's path, I wish you good luck and sufficient cold beer. Now get out the Fabuloso and clean something!




2 comments:

Anonymous said...

oh man....hold on tight! be safe!

Julie said...

thanks carol - we seem to have missed the really rough stuff but it's still been pretty windy - at about 2 o'clock this morning there were white caps on the waves blowing across my driveway - my middle of the night Spam sandwich was good and comforting ;D