Root canal. Hurricane. They were both scheduled for this Thursday. Frankly, it was a toss-up as to which I found most unappealing. The hurricane won. And, anyway, shortly after 9:00 this morning, the dentist ‘s assistant called to say that my root canal needed to be rescheduled because of the impending storm. It would be great if you could do that with a hurricane.
By Sunday, everyone in the area where we live was in full hurricane prep mode. Several gas stations had pumps with yellow plastic bags over the nozzles indicating there was no gas. Lines were forming at the open pumps. At Publix there was still plenty of water. We have some left over from Hurricane Ian, but I have the feeling it couldn’t be that good for me after two years of sitting in a plastic bottle. There were no bananas, which made me think of the very old song: Yes, We Have No Bananas. Maybe their usual shipment didn’t arrive. Otherwise, I had to wonder. Why would there be a run on bananas?
There was also plenty of toilet paper, which we didn’t need because my man had stocked up when he thought the longshoreman strike would last several months. I tried to tell him that toilet paper was produced in the U. S. and shipped outside the country. But he remembered the days of Covid-19 and didn’t want to go without. The thought of that one-ply stuff we had to use for months still makes both of us shudder.
Unfortunately, people who live in Florida have become pros at hurricane prep. That’s a good thing. The worst part may be the calls and never-ending texts. I can’t get anything done because of the weather questions from friends and relatives. I finally told my brother to stop giving me updates. Do I need to hear from he who lives in Arizona that it “looks bad” for Sarasota?
“I watch the Weather Channel. I know how bad it looks. If we get storm surge where we live (far from the coastline) we are all in trouble,” I told him.
It wasn’t the surge but the loss of electricity, he said. No problem. Our new little house has a generator. He seemed relieved and I was, too. At least he didn’t start talking about hurricane-produced tornadoes.
I know that callers and well-wishers are just trying to be helpful, but it really doesn’t help. It just adds to the anxiety.
I’ve been through my share of hurricanes since I moved to Florida twelve years ago. I can’t remember all of their names, but Ian was definitely the worst. I’ve also learned that wind is bad but storm surge is a nightmare. Still, I’d rather live in Florida and deal with hurricanes than face another winter in Indiana. That’s how I feel today. Ask my Friday if my opinion has changed.
Stay safe, everybody.