Hurricane tip #2 - Watch your man! or Exhibit 1

2005 - Hurricane Katrina

We had everything we needed. When the storm was over we didn't have power so prepared to barbecue. We had everything we needed....except....the barbecue pit which my father-in-law had put out of harms way in the shed.....

The shed that only opens with electricity!



2008- Hurricane Gustav

We had everything we needed. When the storm was over, of course,no power so we prepared to start up the generator. We had everything we needed....except......the 10 gallons of gasoline that my father, despite multiple warnings, including the previous cautionary tale of Katrina debacle, given to him by three women, had put out of harms way in the shed.....The shed that we had sent him to disconnect from the electricity so it that such a thing could not happen.

Oh yes - the same shed.

The one that STILL only opens with electricity.


As we, the women, stood stunned, staring at the wall trying to will the gas cans from the other side, my mom comes up with the idea that we should break through the wall. I think she wanted to use my dad. Except for the cost to repair the wall, I'm not sure I would have been opposed.

Why Hurircanes were named for women

Meteorologists have been giving women's names to tropical storms and hurricanes since the end of the 19th century. In 1978 the practice was abandoned and both male and female names were used. Personally, I think it was just a titty-baby catch back over Women's Lib. I'm not sure what the original reason was for hurricanes being named in the feminine but I can certainly see why is would make sense. Don't get me wrong, there have been some bad boy hurricane - Danny, Hugo Andrew, Charlie, etc - but they musta been queens.

Here's my thinking...when men rage they are more likely to make direct contact,( i.e. punch, kick, slap, break) whereas women (like hurricanes and queens) are prone to more passive destruction (i. e., a well placed piece of gossip, well timed quip. snip sarcasm, backhanded compliment, or worse - the dreaded silence or calm before the storm).

Hurricanes are just wind and rain, like breath and tears. Hurricanes like women confuse the hell out of men. Neither follows a logic they understand. Fellas map and plan, plot strategies and courses but it's not until they barely escape or get smacked down by a piece of flying debris or china that they realize that there has been a major miscalculation.

Proof to follow....

My mother says...or important things to know in a Hurricane

The morning Hurricane Gustav arrived, I got up cleaned up and got dressed at 5:30 am in black tights, and a blue beach dress, with full underwear and socks. Reason?...My mother says, when there is a storm coming you need to sleep "ready road(Sp?)". That means sleep in your clothes. AND! Wear two sets of clothes because the storm will snatch the first ones off you and you don't want to be running around naked when it's over.

A's response "We'll that just means I'll get help first" My mother laughed really hard....and then went to bed - fully clothed.

What I got for my birthday

We'll here I am, finally 50. For my birthday I got to watch folks clean up from Hurricaine Gustav and then sit in line at the gas station for two hours and then go back to a home in which the only things working were my refrigerator, freezer and fan which were powered by a very loud generator. Later in the evening we unplugged the freezer so we could watch a movie on the 13 in color TV.

Now ok, I'll admit I felt a little sorry for myself - still am sorta. Trying to keep my whine to a minimum. I know how very fortunate I am. My house suffered only a few missing shingles and my entire family and there homes were spared any further devastation and we are all healthy. I have an incredibly strong, well built, and efficient and well stocked house and a patient, helpful, kind, efficient, entertaining, personable and loving partner (more on that later) without who I would have LOST MY MIND!!!...But, I'm hot, tired, uncomfortable, sweaty, cranky, my best friend's being a jerk to me,,,,, and it's MY birthday dammit!!

There was a party planned and friends were coming in to surprise me. I had a new blouse that was gonna make me look svelt in my birthday pics. My babies were going to travel all the way from Houston just to take me to breakfast! My sweetheart was going to get me cake and ice cream and make the whole day all about me. I wasn't going to do a thing for anybody else and she would pamper me and we would do the things I love. I was looking forward to it. I was gonna have a tiaraaaaa :-( Waaaaaaaa

Now most of my friends have damaged homes - one pretty much doesn't have a home. A tree squashed half his house missing his family by six feet!

Okay, I'd done with this whine.... more whining another day.