So as I sit here, staring into the backyard and wondering how I'm going to clean up all the random debris that have covered my yard; I think about the hurricane and what I learned.......
Take my following observations and randomness as you will - but remember that I mean no disrespect. I am viewing this situation through the eyes of someone who tries to find the humor in all things; sometimes the glass is half full.
Hurricanes
What a force to be reckoned with. I am a West Coast girl. I am familiar with earthquakes, snow storms and wild fires. My hometown has had it share of mother nature's wrath as well as Earth's unsettling (pardon the pun) movement. My hometown is no stranger to the raging fires that blanket the ground with ash and clog the sky with smoke.
But Hurricanes are a relatively new phenomenon....FOR ME.
You can see a fire. You can see the ground move in an earthquake. But an hurricane is a visual conundrum - the trees sway and move to an unseen force; the ground is saturated by rain you can't see soaking in because of the leaves and debris blanketing the ground; the power goes out and you are in the dark....listening to creaking, cracking and moaning from an unseen force. It's just creepy.
You know what's happening. You know it's 'hurricane-force' wind and rain. But you don't really SEE it coming. The trees start to move.....but you don't SEE the wind. Creepy, stealthy bastard.
East Coast....you can keep your hurricanes, tropical storms and random super storms.
(Yes, yes.....I know the Pacific can see cyclones and tropical storms too....but not in my part of Cali)
Dane, dogs and Storms
I know that it isn't just my dog that reacts in this way.....but Danes have a particularly STRONG aversion to wet, windy weather. I understand that pushing a 115lb dog (or any dog), out into a storm is not a great idea, nor does the dog appreciate being blown away in a hurricane while trying to pee....but it is necessary. There just isn't a puppy pad big enough.
Shadow - The Great Blue, Great Dane (International Man of Mystery) - HATES, I mean H.A.T.E.S, rain. He would stare at us, with the those big brown eyes as if to say....' Fuck you. YOU pee outside and see how you like it?!' I hear ya buddy.....but you gotta. They don't make Dane-sized kitty litter trays or puppy training pads big enough to hold your.....business.
I am convinced that dogs have a sense that tells them, " It's coming...a storm is a'comin, and I ain't going out there. You, hoomans, are crazy. Go inside and stay there until I decide its safe to pee out there then you can come outside too." Maybe I give him too much credit......but seriously, he thought we were NUTS for sending him out there. Poor guy.
Cabin Fever
Trapped in a house for a few days can be very, very boring after awhile. Maybe boring is the wrong word......frustrating, yes, that's the word for it. My husband and I aren't big T.V. watchers....we prefer the freedom of going for walks, hikes or watching the occasional movie, or reading a book. BUT, it seems that once you realize you can't go outside - you stay in our pajamas and its a downward slide from there.......
LAZY. You sit in front of the TV, staring mindlessly at the continuous (media-induced panic frenzy) updates of the hurricane and never leave the couch. It isn't something we are particularly proud of.....but it happens. However, this will only last so long before you begin to get a little ' on edge' and begin to contemplate leaving.....out in the storm. Never a great idea.
We did that yesterday. After we stopped watching the news....and were unaware of the SECOND storm wave.....we ventured out. Yeahhhhhh......that's what happens when you watch too much TV....your decision-making skills deteriorate.
Stay inside! Read a book. Play a game. SOMETHING. But don't go out. Seriously. EMS are already overburdened and don't need your dumb ass caught in a storm drain because you couldn't handle another episode of Family Feud.
Other mindless stupid
1. Stock up. It might be nothing. But it might be something. Don't forget the Coffee Mate.
2. Rain boots. They serve a purpose. And a rain slicker. This isn't a fashion show, people!
3. Charge your shit. No power = BOREDOM. Catch up on your reading list. iBooks saved me.
4. BBQ in your garage in a hurricane is kinda fun. Be silly but not stupid.
5. Call your loved ones before the storm. Remind them that cell phones lose battery....don't expect long calls and conversations. Don't forget to give a parent a crash course in texting. Honestly, mom!
6. Parents on FB is sometimes a good thing. Unless, you, as a the child, are in a hurricane zone. MOM! lol.
7. Keep a flashlight, or lantern or some kind of light source that is NOT reliant on electricity in the BATHROOM. No storm cares you are taking a bath....or.....using the loo. I'm just sayin'.
Stay safe friends in the North! We are thinking of you and wish you all the best as Sandy heads your way. Stay warm and read a book. <3
