The quiet before the storm...

It is quiet here this morning, perhaps not as hot, or humid, and there is a very slight breeze. Frances seems to have slowed down a bit, which makes the waiting even longer.

If you look at this chart, and it is 09/3/2004 at 11:32 AM EDT, the 8 A.M. Sunday location is right about over our town. The path has changed pretty often, and the timing of the storm has changed because for reasons that the weather guys understand where

The streets are empty, stores are boarded up, many gas stations are without gas, having sold out yesterday. Most business are closed including all of the banks.

I had misplaced my ATM card a week or so ago, and so today awoke to find out that the idea of cashing a check isn't going to work. The good news is that some friends had some extra cash so I have that part covered.

But now we wait.

I told a friend early this morning that I am reminded of the early days of the telephone. If you had one and no one else did they weren't very useful.

Thinking about working is a non-starter. You know that if you call, or E-Mail or fax that there is no one at the other end so why bother. We also discussed today why the constant hyperbole on the media about the storm. My conclusion is that they don't want to be accused of not warning people. My take is that people are sufficiently warned, and that the constant chatter creates such a sense of fear and panic that people don't know what to do.

A Doctor friend of mine at the University of Florida medical center drove back to Winter Park, FL 32789  last night down the old Orange Blossom Trail. She had heard that the Sunshine State Parkway and the Interstate had traffic redirected so that all lanes were headed north. Turns out her 2 hour drive became 4, while the southbound lanes were mostly empty.

I heard friends today sharing tips about where to get battery powered radios, then where to get batteries, and where to get water.

It's almost as if people are preparing for the end times.

I got a nice note from one of my readers earlier today who said he loved ActiveWords, didn't like my politics, but was praying for me.

I wrote back that I appreciated the first, understood the second and was grateful for the third.

So, stay tuned, my ThinkPad batteries are charged, and as long as we have power, I have WiFi!

 

 

Comments

[Marc Orchant]

Buzz:

Hang in there buddy. Keep us posted as long as you can and know you are in our hearts and our thoughts.

--Marc

[Eric Mack]

Buzz,

My heart goes out to you and your neighbors.

Living in the middle of a National Forest that has seen little water in 7 years, concern rises each time there is a fire or we see the water tankers fly over. I find that all of this is changing my perspective about what's important and what's not. It has changed my preparedness level and the way that I look at work and family.

I wonder if in a future post you might share a little more about changing perspectives.

Best regards,

Eric

[kip]

Up here in Seattle, we have earthquakes. After the last one, the "Nisqually Quake" in Feb 2001, there was a great piece replayed on NPR where a guy bemoaned that it just hadn't quite lived up to all the hype. He envisioned a really big one, where "the homeless people would act as consultants, teaching us how to live outdoors." I loved that.

Hope all continues to be well for you, and hang on to your hat!!!

kip

[Alan A. Reiter]

As the British says, "Keep your pecker up!" Not that we say that very much here in Washington, D.C. We don't get many hurricanes up here, but we do get huge clouds of noxious gas from the various politicians.

With a fully charged laptop, WiFi, your Treo 600, an MP3 player, good books and junk food that doesn't require refrigeration you should be fine! And if the lights go out, the Treo can be your eBook and flashlight.

So, what's to worry about?

[aldahlia]

I'll be thinking about you today. I found you through the SP times website--so all else fails, at least Frances brought you some new readers ;)