Earning the Tee-Shirt

We can now officially wear the "I survived Hurricane Irene" tee-shirt.

After 7 long days and even longer nights, our power was restored, and my life got better. I told you in my last post that I would be back as soon as the temperature inside my house was cooler than outside my house, and by Saturday morning, that was the case. It was then on to tackling the mountain of laundry that had been building all week, and now it is Sunday evening, and all the laundry is done!

The first few days after Irene stopped in for a visit were sort of an adventure. By day four, we were all cranky, hot and ready for life to get back to that which we call normal.

I know we did not have it anywhere near as rough as others. In fact, there are still about 10,000 people in my area who still at the end of day 9 do not have power. And then there is the tragedy of North Carolina's Outer Banks. They weren't wiped off the face of the map, but it was close.

I am very thankful for the generator that we have, even though it did die on day 6. Thankfully the generator repair folks were Johnny on the spot and got it fixed in a couple of hours. And, I am thankful that I had an air-conditioned office to go to each day. It was 8 hours of respite from the heat.

Now, Hurricane Katya is headed our way, but the hopes are that it will turn before it hits the East Coast. I sure hope the forecasters are correct because otherwise, I am packing up and heading far, far away...

Now on to the next challenge of our life - the start of school!!!

Rain, Rain Go Away - At Least for 15 Minutes

Okay, we've had enough rain now. It needs to stop.

Mother Nature, do you understand how difficult it is for kids with canes and kids with wheelchairs to get around in the rain? There's no such thing as making a mad dash for the school bus in the morning.

Ronnie's wheelchair wheels throw water up on his arms and even with an umbrella being held over him, his legs still get soaking wet.

Ashley can only go so fast with her cane and holding on to my arm. Running frightens her, and she can't see the puddles that she splashes in. She starts the school day with wet shoes and socks.

I know we need the rain, but couldn't it just stop from 7:45 am until 8:00 am? Then the kids could get on the bus dry, and alight under the cover at school, staying dry and comfortable.

My lawn thanks you, Mother Nature. My newly planted garden thanks you. But, my kids don't.

Dang you, Mother Nature

The clothes were folded and stacked just waiting to go into the suitcases.



The travel size toiletries were bought and awaiting packing also.



Movies were stored in a binder to save space in our vehicle.



My gas-hog van was filled to the brim at only 6 cents per gallon thanks to my grocery store fuel perks card! $1.18 for 20 gallons a gas - not bad :)



The Christmas decorations were stored away so when we returned from vacation we wouldn't be facing that task. We were all excited about the prospect of a huge, handicapped accessible house on the beach in North Carolina, and then.....

Mother Nature struck with a fury. A huge snowstorm - epic was the word used by the newscasters - struck in an area that more often than not never sees snow and all roads leading to the beach were, and still are, unpassible.



(Photo courtesy of Carl Anderson, Hampton Roads Photography)

Thank goodness I had trip insurance. I won't lose any money, but I will lose a week away from work and the other stressors of our life. The vacation we couldn't take last summer due to Ronnie's surgery was not to be during Christmas vacation either.

Mother Nature can be a real b*tch sometimes...