Waiting for Florence

A hurricane is aiming for the Carolinas and Virginia. It’s a big one and its predicted course, especially after it comes ashore, is not certain. Still, I have a feeling this might be one of those storms that people remember for a long time.

I know how the universe works. If I prepare for the coming storm, it will miss me. If I don’t prepare, it will hit.

So I’m preparing.  If electricity fails, I’ll be unable to cook or keep food refrigerated. So I need non-perishable foods that don’t require cooking, and I need flashlight batteries, and I need—oh heck, I made a list and went shopping.

First, food. I bought two boxes of candy bars: chocolate chip cookie dough bars and lemon bars. I bought a jar of trail mix. I bought canned beans and franks. I have two sweet potatoes that I’ll cook before the storm arrives. All in all, it feels like a reasonable food supply.

Batteries. I need D cells for my flashlights and my radio. Walmart is sold out. So is Food Lion. So is Home Depot. I decided I don’t need batteries. I have a small radio that runs on AA cells but I don’t know where it is. It’s in the house somewhere. I just have to look for it. Plenty of time, I tell myself.

Water. This one is kind of important so bought a case of bottled water. I also have a few large bottles that I’ll fill with water. I’ll fill the bathtub with water and keep a bucket handy for flushing the toilet.

Car. I filled the gas tank and added a half quart of motor oil. Then, the power steering high pressure hose failed and I had to take it to a garage for repairs. One thing led to another, and that entire incident deserves its own blog post. Suffice to say, $860 later it’s ready to roll again.

After all my preparation, I have a good feeling that Florence is not going to come near my central Virginia city. That is the reason for preparation: it’s a ritual to keep away the storm. The more money you spend, the less likely you’ll get hit by the storm. It’s the way the universe works. The Aztecs and Mayans sacrificed humans. Now it’s modern times and I have only to sacrifice dollars to keep the badness away.

Now I’m waiting, as are millions of others.