As I wrote earlier and in anticipation of heading to DemoMobile, I had carefully calculated that if I left Orlando a day earlier I could beat Frances to the punch. I would be on a Delta flight winging West listening to great tunes on my iPod and perhaps drinking an adult beverage. And hadn't the Governor suggested to 2.5 million of my closest friends that getting away from the storm was part of our civic duty.
About 11 A.M. this morning I got a call from a friend who said I needed to double check as he had heard that Orlando International Airport was closing Friday at noon, and hadn't I said my flight was at 5?
In a nanosecond I was on the case. Alas, I was screwed, plans foiled. I frantically called Delta, asked about alternates, Orange County, LAX, even Las Vegas.
Delta's response, nothing! nada, zip, zero! You should have called earlier. My response like when? I quickly calculated that that I probably had about 30 minutes between the time the decision was made to close the airport, and when I made the call.
Over time, I have become a reformed man. I used to get to the gate as they were closing the door, now I am there at least an hour early, but this time, it's not about being late to the gate, it's about no gate at all.
Hence, I bought some water, checked my batteries, got everything charged, kept an eye on the storm track and then ended up being interviewed by Dave Gussow of the St. Pete Times about blogging the storm.
Dave was great, we had an excellent conversation. I wanted to tell him, but forgot that that great blogging requires certain aggregated technology components;
The desire to write, a ThinkPad, Typepad, a flashlight, and WiFi at Kinko's, and oh, and a hurricane!
p.s. for those geographically challenged, Winter Park, FL 32789 is about exactly between 2 P.M. Saturday and 2 P.M. Sunday on this chart!
So, assuming the storm is moving at 10 MPH WNW, about 6 P.M. on Saturday, when Garrison Keillor starts talking about Lake Wobegon, I will be thinking more about yours truly trying not to be Dorothy heading to OZ.
Be safe, good friend. Then move to California. It's almost earthquake season.
Posted by: shel israel | September 03, 2004 at 07:12 PM