posted August 29, 2004 05:05 PM              

If you live in SOUTH Florida, you should already be preparing. Trust me. Go buy bottled water, fill your tank with gas, get lots of snacks that won't go bad that you can eat without power, etc. Do it before people go hysterical.

posted August 29, 2004 06:08 PM              

In the central Atlantic, dangerous Hurricane Frances continues to buzzsaw its way westward. With the hurricane expected to pass just north of the Lesser Antilles over the next couple of days, tropical storm watches have been posted for the islands of St. Maarten, Anguilla, Barbuda and Antigua in the northern Lesser Antilles. Frances, already a category 4 storm, could yet strengthen to a category 5 storm along its projected path toward the Southeast U.S. Thus, all residents along the coast there should monitor the progress of Frances closely.

posted August 29, 2004 08:29 PM              

*whistles from the gallery as she walks off the set*

posted August 31, 2004 05:48 PM              

Anyways folks... it ain't funny anymore, as far as this hurricane. I don't know if you can imagine many many square miles of 10-20 foot high piles of downed trees down every single street.

Or if you can imagine a hurricane which is wider than the state of Florida.

One of my gas stations already out of gas. My grocery store already out of bottled water, I found some at a little store though.

Many businesses or houses still with tarps instead of roofs. Oh my God. And there is less land mass between the east coast and Orlando, than the west to Orlando. So that means the hurricane will be stronger when it gets to us this time.

I'm not going to lie. I'm ... nearly terrified ... it's coming from the other side, so the winds will be hitting us in the reverse direction this time. Plus my dog's health is extremely weak right now, I haven't been talking about it, but he had another incidence of heart failure. The last hurricane made it worse, and now this. I've been busy literally 24 hours a day helping him get stronger.

This is unbelievable...

Although it's a 140 mph Category 4, it's already got wind gusts of 165 mph, and expected to turn into a Category 5.

posted August 31, 2004 05:51 PM              

If not, we're about 2 hours away from Panama City (depending on how you drive) - a bit further north and further inland - and have a guest room. It may be a hike, but if the storm path looks like it's going to hit you but miss us, you're welcome here. We have a guest room and a bit of space. All you'll need are a valid ID and current registration and insurance for your car to get on Post.

posted August 31, 2004 07:04 PM              

Hey, that is so cool of you. I've been contemplating leaving for a few days now, at the same time, he's been getting progressively (though EXTREMELY slowly) better at the same time. You know, like, ok, here's dog psychology right? He's an Aquarius (shhhhh)... ok ... so ... he's very sensitive to just a regular thunder storm, but just as sensitive to the lightening before the thunder sounds.

In the heart there is what's called the Atrial Node, which is the heart's natural pacemaker, literally keeping our heart at a constant pace through pure electricity. So besides that blog, he's also one of those REGIMENTED Aquarius'. Very into routine, and do you know what time it is? And he's reminding ME... you know?

So considering the physical, the psychological, and the spiritual or soul... the #1 priority above all (shhhhhhh) is to let him think he can fight this.

posted September 01, 2004 08:51 AM              

If you think he could bear the ride better than the storm, c'mon up.
It looks like you'd be able to take I-75N to 84W straight to where we live.
Right now weather.com's saying that the path is up in the air - it could hit anywhere from South FL to the Carolinas anytime from late Thursday to early Sunday.
Heck, it could even tear through FL right to us; looking at its monstrous size, it's pretty likely that we'll taste its tendrils at the least.

posted September 01, 2004 10:25 AM              

Well, please know that my thoughts and prayers are with ya, and well, I think you should go visit Prox, she has a lovely family ya know and seems to be such a peach herself.

posted September 01, 2004 01:25 PM              

I so much appreciate the offer, very nice of you. Capt'n Spunky would get along perfect with your hubby - hee hee. Yeah, you guys need to prepare too!

posted September 01, 2004 03:03 PM              

Florida Calls for Hurricane Evacuations
Sep 1, 2:44 PM (ET)

By JOHN PAIN

MIAMI (AP) - Hundreds of thousands of people were told Wednesday to get ready to evacuate as powerful Hurricane Frances crept closer to Florida just weeks after Hurricane Charley's rampage. It would be the worst double hurricane strike on one state in at least a century.

Generators were hefted off store shelves, along with water, canned goods and other emergency supplies as forecasters warned the core of the Category 4 storm with 140-mph top sustained winds was due along Florida's Atlantic coast late Friday or early Saturday. Charley left billions of dollars in damage and 27 people dead when it swept across the peninsula Aug. 13.

"I can't emphasize enough how powerful this is. If there's something out there that's going to weaken it, we haven't seen it," National Hurricane Center director Max Mayfield said.

About 300,000 residents in coastal areas of Palm Beach County were told to evacuate starting 2 p.m. Thursday.

posted September 01, 2004 05:22 PM              

Well, like last time, if starting around Friday night I'm not online, don't freak. If I have regular land line phone service, I'll hook up to you with my phone modem. But I might be busy shooting flying monkeys first.

This Hurricane is TWICE AS BIG as the other. That means the HURRICANE force winds will extend out twice as far from the center, and combine that with less land mass to slow it down this time...

At around 3:30pm, I drove a few blocks down to the store, and everything is bumper bumper already. People in Central Florida are SUPER DUPER STRESSED OUT. Can you imagine the Virgo's around here right now?

Yeah, so - I'm staying away from that road rage rudeness vibe going on out there. If I have to go to the store, I'll go to the 24-hour at like three in the morning.

I'll stay home with my stash, take care of Capt'n Spunky, he's getting progressively better which is good. We'll both be meditating our way through this hurricane.

Yeah, with the other hurricane, the road rage, accidents, traffic, etc, was just PURE MADNESS. I think overall, Capt'n Spunky will fare better if he stay here. If I had a helicopter I'd lift him out of here, but the flying cars they promised us haven't arrived yet. (Damnn Jetsons!)

posted September 01, 2004 06:59 PM              

Anyway, people are started to get antsy- the gas station near my house is packed, and though grocery stores aren't being terrorized yet, we stopped there today and there was quite a few people.

Actually, scrath that- the grocery store I went to is across the street from my house and pretty secluded for a Winn-Dixie. News just showed a bunch of grocery stores in Miami that are INSANELY packed! Said that a truck came to one store to deliver water and that it was all gone within 45 minutes. This is so exciting! I live right on the beach so I'll be able to see tons of great waves before I leave to go with my relatives that live a little further inland.

It's been a pretty calm weather day, although it's significantly windier here than usual.

So they're saying that we still can't be sure of where this hurricane's headed. Could hit as north as southern Georgia, but our newscaster just explained that if the trough digs in, it could hit us in South Florida directly.

Hey, either way, I'm still gonna get to see some awesome waves!