If I were facing a potential weather-related emergency, I don’t think I would go to the grocery store, because that’s always an anthill of crazy, and because I think I could scrape together enough food for temporary survival out of my stockpiles of cans of foods we used to eat all the time and now never do but still have giant stashes of. I think instead I would do laundry. We can eat cans of pineapple tidbits and fill the bathtub with water to drink, but if the power were out for awhile it would be challenging to re-wear the clothes that have been in the laundry basket under some wet washcloths for a few days in hot weather.
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Speaking of kind of gross, I had to fish a sock out of the toilet yesterday. Don’t ask me how it got in there, because I pursued that line of questioning fruitlessly with the children for awhile, and even if I’d gotten an answer it wouldn’t have changed the fact that the sock was in the toilet. Luckily, I’d recently read that snippet of trying-to-make-you-feel-bad that’s going around Facebook, the one about how the water in U.S. toilets is cleaner than the drinking water available to 95% of the world. I have no idea if that’s true (nor, I suspect, do most of the people who repost it), but it made it easier to put my hand into the water and get the sock. I did it quick, like pulling off a bank robbery.
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Do you know where Paul is right now? Washington D.C., that’s where. Do you know what day he’s scheduled to return? Sunday, that’s when. So. He and I have been reading up on Hurricane Irene, trying to figure out her secret plan and whether it involves us. The problem is, meteorologists get so! extremely! excited! about everything that isn’t normal boring weather, it’s very difficult to tell the difference between something that is actually a problem and something that is just really fun to talk about for a change. Sure, AFTER the fact we can beat ourselves up about how we Didn’t Listen, but I think there have been a dozen Huge Important Weather Catastrophes already this year, none of which were ANYTHING AT ALL. If we all evacuated every time a meteorologist peed down his leg, we’d just live permanently in the bomb shelter. But of course if we DON’T Take Measures, we’ll feel like idiots if it turns out we should have. WHY OH WHY DIDN’T WE JUST FLEE FOR THE HILLS?? It would have been SO EASY!! Lose-lose.
And I don’t even want to give Paul my opinion, because what if I say, “No, don’t spend a million dollars and change all your plans and come home a day early, assuming you can even FIND a way home that isn’t completely booked,” and then he DIES IN A HURRICANE? Wouldn’t I feel bad THEN? Or what if I say, “Yes, spend a million dollars and change all your plans and come home a day early,” and then there is some rain and some wind? Wouldn’t I feel bad THEN? Lose-lose.
[Update: Paul’s Sunday transportation has been canceled. This is kind of annoying, since THIS VERY MORNING he called them to reschedule for Saturday, and they told him there was absolutely no need to do that because they were absolutely not going to cancel Sunday plans.] [I am pretty crabby about this.]
[Update on the update: Fortunately my dad found out it had been canceled before even THE TRANSPORTATION ITSELF knew, so when Paul called, the agent he talked to was seeing the cancellations happen right in front of her eyes, and it was early enough to get him in on Saturday morning instead.]
I live in NYC and laundry is exactly what I’m doing! I was behind anyway. I did make a trip to the grocery store too because I had almost no food in my apartment.
Being a privileged American with pristine toilet water, I also have lots of clothes. It would have to be white a long disaster for me to run out, even if it stuck on laundry day. Nevertheless, I like your laundry plan.
*quite* a long disaster. Not white.
I also did laundry. Plus tracked down all the batteries we had scattered around the house (which ended up being quite a lot of batteries), gathered flashlights, and bought bottled water to freeze so we have cold water and/or ice packs to keep the toddler’s milk cold.
My husband was laughing RIGHT IN MY FACE as I was fluttering about flapping my hands and acting nervous…until he had a briefing at work about the hurricane and realized maybe I wasn’t being totally unreasonable in planning ahead. I mean, the Navy just sent all the submarines out to sea to ride out the storm in the depths of the Atlantic – putting all the patio furniture in the garage might not be a bad idea, you know?
I hope Paul gets home early, if only because it will be more reassuring for you to have him there during the Scary High Winds Power Flicker that is sure to happen.
When I lived in Florida and there were hurricanes, everyone would buy all the bread and milk and peanut butter, which made sense to me, but they would also buy all the boxed macaroni and cheese. And I would wonder why they thought they could cook macaroni and cheese but not any other food?
I have my hand in the toilet all the time. Not for fun or anything, but it just seems to happen with a toddler in the house. Particularly with a potty training toddler.
I just wrote about my trip to Target for supplies. It was like the Thunderdome. I came home with the only things left on the shelves: Legos, toilet paper and goldfish.
I did all our laundry today, and will pop the bedsheets in first thing tomorrow morning.
My sense is that you live somewhere in the midwest–I live in Jersey, and they are making this out to be Quite A Big Deal, so I think even if Paul wants to come home tomorrow, supposedly by tomorrow noonish DC will be impossible to get out of anyways. However, Monday is supposed to be sunny up and down the coast, so perhaps he should just book another night in a hotel and stay till Monday? His travel plans for Sunday are sure to be canceled.
Oh no! I hope Paul is able to figure out how to get home without causing YOU too much stress!! That is NOT FAIR to have the end of one-parent-in-the-house-time IN SIGHT and then have it changed!!
As someone who’s survived several hurricanes, I’d also suggest that you check your stock of paper plates/bowls and plastic cups/utensils. I always feel like I’m destroying the environment when I use them, but no electricity and sometimes no water since pumps need electricity make for a huge pile of sticky, stinky dishes and utensils after a few days. Also, vacuum. Sounds weird, but like laundry, you never know when you’ll get to do it again. And make everyone in the house take a shower/bath right before it’s supposed to hit (and then fill your tub with future toilet flushing water). You never know when you’ll get to shower again, either.
I’m in northern Virginia and just watched the DC news – they say the worst of it will be 6pm tomorrow until 9am Sunday, with the possibility of even seeing sun at some point Sunday afternoon!
Like pulling off a bank robbery– ha ha!!
For tracking weather in the DC area, I highly recommend the Capital Weather Gang http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang
Non-alarmist but great information and they have all the details if you’re a weather nerd like I am.
A couple things: I think what everyone’s saying about travel is probably right. Unless Paul wants to come home…NOW…he should probably dig in & batten down & hope for the best. That said: in 1989, I was a kid in upstate SC, where Hugo tore us a new hurricane-hole; then, in 2005, I lived in North MS, where Katrina dumped a tree on my car after moving nearly 300+ miles inland, after destroying New Orleans & the MS coast. This is not to be alarmist; this is only to say: never underestimate a hurricane. Just be prepared and smart and hope for the best. If Paul has to stay in D.C., I hope he takes all precautions.
Also, peace be with you home with 5 kids alone!?! I hope YOU take all precautions too.
I second the Capital Weather Gang. They are nerdy scientists that know alot about the weather.
Ugh I feel so awful for everyone affected by hurricane irene right now. I’m happy I’m smack in the middle of the US for once. This is one time my dream of living on the beach fizzles.
My first thing to do in a State of Disaster would have to be let all the animlas loose and then make sure I shower and shave really well.
You are ever so timely. As I read the opening words of your post, I was reminded that I had meant to do laundry pre-hurricane (I’m in DC) and scrambled down to the laundry room in my building only to get to the very last machine just seconds before another tenant walked in. Score! And thank you!
I love the part about the sock! And good tips about the laundry and showering right before. I am in MA and it is not supposed to be as bad up here, but we may still lose power! One plsu for me is I have a rain barrel so I will have plenty of water for flushing toilets! I suppose we could even use it to bathe….but I wouldn’t drink it since it comes from the roof and who knows how much bird poop is up there!
I am totally doing laundry and vacuuming tomorrow!! AND I will shower and bathe the kids right as the storm hits some time Sunday…I am not even really sure when it is supposed to get here? Sunday afternoon?
They were rushing to pull down a few quake damaged buildings in our town today before the hurricane comes.
You know, so the hurricane doesn’t damage them more…
I’m having a hard time getting worked up about the hurricane. I think the earthquake used up the last of my ‘act of God’ interest for awhile. Possibly I will feel different when I am without internet Sunday due to high winds taking out the towers
“every time a meteorologist pees down his leg” Oh I haven’t laughed that hard in a WHILE. Thanks for that.
This (might) make you feel better about the sock. I am a huge germophobe. I had lots of trouble getting pregnant. One Sunday evening, I was about to take my 5th of 5 days of Clomid when I DROPPED IT IN THE TOILET. Life flashing before eyes. Could I get a new one that night? Within a second, I scooped it out, rubbed it off, and swallowed its melty self. Then drank a lot of water. And that was the cycle that finally worked and brought me my twins. So yes, one day I can actually tell my children that I ate something out of the toilet for them. I forgive you if you gag a little.
I am in PA…and was super busy today with various things but laundry is first on my list tomorrow, in anticipation of a power outage. I am glad Paul is getting home early because I think it’s better to be safe than sorry. All the reports have me completely freaked out and ready to call my doctor to prescribe an anti-anxiety med. We get water in our basement but have pumps to help with that…but if the power is out, then we have NO PUMPS…UGh! This is most “preparation” I’ve ever seen this area do…we’ll see if it was much ado about nothing.
I’m glad he’ll be able to get home early. Better safe than sorry!
But, yes, the weather people – ugh – sometimes they are just so ridiculous.
My husband is driving me NUTS today. We live right outside DC, and he decided that the MOST important thing for him to do today was….to go get a haircut. So I am left home with the toddler (and mono), scrubbing bathtubs so we can stockpile water. I’m also doing laundry like a fool.
I’m kinda surprised at hubby, to be honest. He is usually sooooo level-headed and practical. What the heck is he thinking today? Beats me.
@Sharon, hilarious! What a great indicator of your desire for a child! TBH, I think I’d have done the same.
i was in the “after the earthquake that has literally resulted in the walls of my house being removed so i am finding it hard to get worked up about the hurricane” camp. i made no preparations, bought no food, stockpiled no water.
(turned out dc/nova was pretty fine. it… rained. that was about it.)
It is always a guessing game with hurricanes. That’s why I get so upset with the folks who are scornful about people not leaving for Katrina. It is such a crapshoot. Add in dear family pets, a lack of financial resources, and no CAR…
Lose/lose.
Once when I was substitute teaching I had to fish someone’s Tooth Fairy quarter out of a school toilet. Shudder.
Oh g*d, how I love the “every time a meteorologist peed down his leg” comment! Will stick in my memory and become an often used comment around these parts.