I've got the extra water bottles out ready to be filled, did all the laundry, washed my hair, got cash from the bank, bought lots of canned food and crackers, etc. Got batteries and all of our disaster regalia left from the terrible trio of '04. Naively, I hoped not to go through another hurricane for a couple more decades. Thank you, Global warming! What is is, I guess. Tonight we will secure all the patio furniture. Eat up all the cookies. Then, see what tomorrow brings. The bad weatherthreat brings back all sorts of bad memories from '04 as well as the sadness of Belle's sudden death during Katrina on '05. Maybe we'll luck out and Faye will fizzle or veer away from us. Here's to crossed fingers.
On another subject. Some people close to me and dear to my heart are going through a totally unnecessary and very bad time right now due to the hard to understand malicious actions of a third party. I don't know why this unnamed person is trying to hurt them so deeply with lies and threats. Is it pure malice? Hatred? Selfishness? Fear? Ignorance?A control problem? Weird emotional issues? All of the above? I don't know, but I've been thinking about it a lot over the past several days. It appears that none of us is secure from the collateral damage of negative behavior of others. It is shocking. The truth will out and justice will be done. What goes around comes around. I believe that. I am glad that it is not up to me to be the judge or jury on this one, though. I think I'd be more inclined to go all 'Old testament' rather than Christian. Definitely more Jehovah than Jesus. An eye for an eye. Smite thy enemy with a sword and all that stuff rather than turning the other cheek.
Maybe just a really good bitch slap. Here and there. Repeatedly, with feeling and ferver.
Okay, shit happens sometimes. Never a good time for that, especially when it is supposed to be a time of joy and celebration. Speaking of SH...we literally know that first hand from Saturday night when Chili went out to pee at 5:30 am and stepped in it and walked all over the house and jumped on our bed. Danny had to put her in the bathtub and I removed our brown bedspread right away!! Had to do a lot of cleaning on Sunday too!!! Aaaarrrrrgh. At least we got it done in time for a damn hurricane to blow up. Double Aaaarrrrrgh. Ah well, on the upside the Olympics have been wonderful. I am so heartened by the class and committment and positive patriotism exhibited by our young athletes as well as many of the young people from around the world.
A light moment: We were driving down the road yesterday afternoon in Danny's Ford Ranger truck at about 35 mph when he turned to me and said, "Your door is ajar. Open it and close it again." I replied with widened eyes, "I can't. I'll be sucked out!" He looked at me for a moment and mused, "Huuummm...I wonder what would happen if you rolled down the window?" I just looked at him for a beat and he said, "Uuuhhh, we're in a car not an airplane!" That's when I realized I'd had a major blonde moment. I confess, I was not joking. I lost about seventy five IQ points somewhere last weekend. Pre hurricane stress? Concern for those dear to my heart who are suffering? Lack of sleep? I dunno. Gave me a much needed laugh though. Danny too.
Well, time to check on the weather. Here, a poem I wrote back when.
UNWELCOME GUESTS
Until Charley came to town,
we saw no need to worry.
He didn’t stay here very long,
just blew through, in a hurry.
Before he went, he huffed and puffed.
Our oak trees all fell down.
Some roofs blew off, and screens got ripped
debris was all around.
Without a/c or water,
the days seemed awfully warm
and hordes of new mosquitoes
began to bite and swarm.
In rooms aglow with candlelight
we determined, we’d survive.
Without cable and the Internet
cope, ‘till power trucks arrived.
For six long days we suffered.
Then, all was fine again.
We thought we’d seen the last one
when Frances sauntered in.
She came, she saw, she conquered.
We thought she’d never leave!
She finally went, but Ivan formed
which we’d never, have believed.
And then, a strange thing happened.
We got used to hurricanes.
We laughed and shrugged our shoulders
the week-end Jeannie came.
We turned on generators,
whose humming filled the air
and plywood boarded windows
were nailed up everywhere.
We chugged our bottled water.
We gamely carried on.
There wasn’t much that gal could do
to cause us further harm.
Though, the season’s finally over
and we never will forget
the four that aimed at Florida,
we’re undefeated yet!
Nancy Wayman Deutsch
November 2004
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