The end of summer 2011 is tied up with a big bow of anticipating Hurricane Irene within the next 24-hours or so. The emergency evacuations have been called, and people are scrambling…. big time.
Nope, not a joke. (Thanks Albert, for letting me borrow this picture)
Driving around New Jersey this morning with E, this was a pretty common scenario in the local grocery stores (although when we hit up Whole Foods, surprisingly the water was all still there and apparently is a last-resort for most). Shelves are EMPTY, lines are long, and people are kind of piling in gradually, waiting to see what will happen next.
Needless to say, all plans were dropped quickly this weekend and looks like everyone who planned to travel this weekend somehow managed to get out of the airports this morning (getting back, however, might be another scenario entirely). Luckily, we’ve held onto our college flashlights and Costco batteries, and although we didn’t go looking for bottled water we’re going to make due with the bottles of green tea we have stocked in the pantry at the moment and fill our pitcher and water bottles tonight for good measure. Hoping for no power outtages, we’re armed with plenty of snacks and have the entire 2nd Season of ‘Modern Family’ on hold, pending hours of indoor stir-craziness. Coming or not, we’re ready whether or not Ireeny-beans she decides to pop by for afternoon tea or an extended stay through the weekend.
Though however, there are the 50/50 feelings in me that remain there until Irene gets this party started. One half of you hopes that everything won’t be as bad as it seems (and by that, I’m referring to the repeated warnings and colorful radar maps drawn up every 5 minutes on TV) and this will be one last giant storm Summer rages until she writes the sad poem in her diary and moves on. The other half is the one that you hope is the wrong one, but can’t help but think about. And that is, the “What If” side. What if these guys are right, and all that’s being said of the worst that can happen WILL happen? Being as the city will be pretty much shut down tomorrow after 12 noon (Bloomberg is shutting down public transportation at that point) I’m rooting for the first half.
As trees, rain, and wind don’t discriminate, people, be careful out there.
And now, we wait …
caroslittletreats 