Rain, Wind, and Floods, Oh My!

Tropical Storm Fay dumped over 20 inches of rain at my house and we were stuck inside for two days. The roads near our house were crowned with four to six inches of water. We could get out by our Toyota Tundra, but my Honda Accord would have floated away. The wind gusts were about 50 mph and blew some tree branches down. We were fortunate that we only lost power for a half hour. I took pictures of the yard and the neighborhood. The horses across the street were wading in knee-high water while ducks discovered a new pond.

Now, we’re eyeing Gustav and Hanna. Hurricane Gustav, now a Tropical Storm, is expected to turn into a category 2 or 3 hurricane. He’s heading straight for Louisiana which is where my sister lives. So, if I pray that he goes somewhere else, then other families are affected. I can only pray that he get disorganized or downgraded or for some kind of miracle.
I’m also watching Tropical Storm Hanna who is lurking in the Atlantic and expected to go towards the Bahamas. One of the computer models have her making a loop like Jeanne did in 2004. At this point, it’s too early to tell where she’ll head.
I just know, living in Florida, being prepared for a hurricane is a fact of life.

If We’re Not a 10, Let Us Know

That's the sign I saw at the front desk when I checked in. I don’t think I needed to tell them that they were not a “10” after this experience: I booked a room at a La Quinta because it was across the street from the Ford Amplitheatre where a friend and I were going to a Rascal Flatts and Taylor Swift concert. The concept of not having to park in a large lot and then wait in line to leave was a major convenience. We checked in at 3:30 pm and got a what we thought would be a great room at the end of the hallway--not near the elevator. But when we stepped into the room, it was dirty… trash left around and beds not made. So, we took the elevator back downstairs to get a new room. This time, we were given a room on the third floor. Upon opening the door, we were knocked over by the stench of a “smoking room”. We went back downstairs and explained that we are allergic to smoke and had reserved a non-smoking room. So, the front desk clerk, while non-chalent about the whole situation, gave us another room, number 220. Upon trying both of our card keys, the door did not open. So, we went back down the elevator to get them fixed. The front desk clerk told us he would call the maintenance man and he would meet us back at the room. Finally, at 4 pm, we were checked into a clean, non-smoking room, but right next to the elevator.

Getting Lost

I found myself looking down at wet, grey-painted sidewalks wondering where room E-100 was. I felt like I was stuck in a maze and couldn’t get out until I found the next room on the list. Then, I woke up from this nightmare of subconscious imagery from earlier in the day. My son and I had walked the route of his new high school classrooms to make sure he knew where they were and could get to them in the allotted seven minutes between classes. He’s going to a spread-out campus of different sized buildings. At least, he has a better sense of direction than I do. Here’s where a GPS could come in handy. We also spent some time trying to open the combination lock on his assigned locker. It’s ironic because as a student, I usually had trouble getting my locker open. I told him just ask someone for help if you can’t get it open. That’s what I did. Same goes for if you get lost.