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Re: [RC] The Eye of the Storm - Suzi Maiorisi

I lived in Hawaii during Hurricane Iwa - early 80's - had a newborn son, a 16 month old daughter and had always sworn when were stationed in Florida that I'd head for the hills if one was coming.  Well, you have one on an island and you can get in your car, but if you do you're back on your doorstep in 3 hours anyway, so why bother : )   Hubby was a Naval Officer and they go down with the ship while the moms hunker down and handle everything else.  We did - house was framed out with 1/2" plywood for walls, one layer on the outside! (yes, like put a picture up inside somewhere and you can also hang something outside the house, too because it poked through, LOL) 
 
I feel for everyone in Florida right now...two is just a little too much this close together.  I'm in Texas and so it's a little out of range for evacuees, unless it's a permanent evacuation because enough is enough. 
Suzi and Holly who would gladly share her pasture but not her food!
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, September 02, 2004 10:53 AM
Subject: [RC] The Eye of the Storm




Ah, living in Florida.  Is there any more exciting place, in the universe,
to live, this time of year?  I think not.  If not for beer, I think I would
have dropped 30 lbs over the last few weeks.  Charley, with me being the
exit point, and, now, devestating Frances, thinking of entering nearby.  You
know, the one they're comparing to Andrew, except, expecting even more
devastation because Frances appears to be planning a Kobe Bryant attack on
Florida, within the next 36 hours.  The point of entry, where the eye hits
Florida first, is what is on everybody's mind down here, today, and,
tomorrow.

I was gonna run to Truman's.  I was going to make two trips (because of
having 6 horses and one 3 horse trailer) and have a party with my favorite
buddy in the whole world.  And, Kathy, and, maybe, even Carlos, if he showed
up too.  Heck, maybe, we'd even get a ride in; Truman keeps telling me of
all those Florida moutains he has at his place.  I'd like to take a
look-see.

But, being glued to the local stations, the ones brave enough to tell you
where they think it's going to hit, things, right now, and, they are subject
to change, are pointing to more of a south Florida hit, near Stewart, which
is between Vero Beach and Palm Beach.  We got lots of beaches down here.

The projected track takes it southwest of Kissimee (oh, come on, kiss me),
which is the home of Disney, and has it exiting close to the panhandle. 
This is quite a lot of real estate.  The excitement, the anticipation, man,
can you just feel it?

Well, if you can't, let me say, I'm feeling it for the rest of you.  This
truly sucks.  But, we've made the decision, for now, to, maybe stay here,
since we are out of that forecasted cone.  Of course, as the folks in Port
Charlotte found out a few weeks ago, sometimes those forecasts can be off. 
This is why you stay glued to your set and watch everything!  All my
vehicles are gassed up and ready to go if things change.  I will only do
this if the world looks like it's ending, in my neck of the woods, because,
that would mean leaving with only 3 horses, and 3 staying home.  How'd you
like to make that decision?

My family and I ran 5 years ago when they told us Floyd was going to be a
direct hit at my house.  Yes, they actually said it.  Howard's gonna die if
he don't get the heck out of there.  So, we did.  And, after it all went
down, after the nightmare of being part of an evacuation which turned out to
be one of the world's biggest evacuation in history, when I got back home, I
said, never again.

You either leave early or you leave last minute or you don't leave at all. 
Right now, I'm planning on the last two; we've missed the boat on the first
one.

Panic, super markets out of food, gas stations out of gas, people, after the
hurricane, fighting over ice because they have no power and all that food
they purchased to suvive, from the super market, is gonna go bad, without
the ice.  Man's inhumanity to man.  I saw it during Charley and I fully
expect it to happen all over again.  I wish I could say there were more acts
of kindness, and, maybe, there are, but, some of the bad shit that happens
after a hurricane, is, well, let me just compare it to a lunch with Dick
Cheney.  It can turn your stomach.

God bless my fellow Floridians.  Yes, it's true, I will one day leave you
for the mounatins of Tennessee, but, until I do, I'm with you.  Each and
every wind gust that Frances blows our way.

cya,
Howard (I hope)

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Replies
[RC] The Eye of the Storm, Howard Bramhall