Rantings of a Creole Princess

Getting Ready for Snow!

SIP:  I HATE SNOW!

We got snow coming.  According to Rico's last update, it will start this evening and end tomorrow evening.His snow accumulation guesses are as follows:

West of Loudoun & Frederick counties:   12-18"
Loudoun & frederick counties:  8-12"
Fairfax, Montgomery, Howard & Baltimore counties: 6-10"
PG & AA counties: 4-8"
Charles & Calvert & Fredericksburg area & inside beltways:  1-4"
St. Marys down to the northern neck of Va : 0-1"

According to the hype of the local newscasters we should probably expect about 18 feet with a mixture of fire from the bowels in the pits of HELL!

We are prepared and don't really expect to have to do much.  I need to go out and buy the essential food item we keep on top of our fridge but that's about it.

Yes.  I said essential.

Around October I always buy a few containers of ice melt.  I get the containers and not the bags because it's easier to store the container.  The bag gets all floppy and some of them aren't resealable so yeah...the containers work best in my opinion.  I buy them in October so I always have some.  If I actually waited until there was a storm prediction...I'd be stuck like Chuck.

SIP:  Why is Chuck always stuck?  Does he not have critical thinking skills?

We get the pet kind cuz we kinda don't want out dogs to lick poison off their feet and die.

Go figure.

We have shovels, of course.  One of those really nice ergonomic ones for the real snow shoveler and an adequate one for the person who just really goes out and moves snow around inch by inch cuz they don't want to be out there in the first place.

SIP:  *HARD.STARE*

Each of our vehicles have a snow brush/ice scraper tool, although seriously...everyone knows I AM NOT going out in that mess.  You'll pass by our house and my truck will be right out front with the windshield wipers pulled out.

I'm not going out in that.

We have two flashlights in each main room of our home and we keep our battery stockpile pretty solid.  I'm kinda weird about batteries.  My parents were the type that tried to get you to believe that if you put the batteries in the freezer they'd work again once the batteries ran out in your battery operated toy/radio/etc.  Even though I now know it's cuz they were happy to have some time where the noise producing object didn't work...I still keep lots of batteries on hand cuz I said (in my Hushpuppy voice making muscles) WHEN I GROW UP IMMA ALWAYS HAVE NEW BATTERIES!

Because of this...I buy the super huge container of either Duracel or Equalizer batteries in each size we use.

SIP:  Isn't it crazy how your childhood issues can creep up into anything?  Just NUTS!

We have a phone that "don't take no juice" and a battery operated radio.  We also have a generator and several cans of gas at the ready.

We have candles and I already have our food and water for the week so we're good.  I'll probably cook everything today and have it in the fridge in case the power goes out and we're using the microwave on the generator to reheat.

Once again, I'm out of the one essential food item so yeah...I'll head out and get more of that.

While I'm out, I'll fill up my truck with gas cuz you never know what will happen and people go gas crazy swiftly.

I will probably go down to the basement and get all of our extra blankets and comforters and put them in the guest bedroom in case the power is out at bedtime and we can put extra blankets on our bed.

All in all we're pretty good in the emergency preparedness department so we never need to do much to be comfortable in a storm. KNOCK ON WOOD.  The biggest thing that happened for us in a storm before was this:  Pepco...Montgomery County, MD...Derecho Storm...HOT.AS.HELL!

If you're in the DMV...are you ready?  Do you have much to do in order to GET ready?  Do you panic shop?  What's your ESSENTIAL item you have to have in the house?  LOL!  

Are the rest of you pretty prepared for an emergency in your area?  Do yall panic shop?  Yall got batteries?

In Case of Emergency

Do you keep any canned foods in case of emergency?  Do you have an emergency food supply?  What do you have in it?  Do you check it to see if the food is still good?  

Do you put any weight to the emergency organizations which state you should have enough food and water stored for three days?

2:00 pm EST Today!

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), along with its many federal, state and local partners, is reminding the American public that today, at 2:00 pm eastern, Americans should expect to see or hear the first-ever nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System on their TVs or radios.
 
Today's test will occur simultaneously across the U.S. and its territories and will last approximately 30 seconds, after which regular programming will resume. The test will look and sound very similar to the local tests of the Emergency Alert System that already occur frequently.
This test of the Emergency Alert System will appear on broadcast radio and television stations, cable television systems, satellite radio and television systems, and wireline video service systems. The test will not impact landline or mobile phones, power grids, or Internet connectivity. 
For more information on the test, visit the FCC's website or www.fema.gov/eastest.

Old School Hurricane Prep

So yeah...my mother used to make sure there was no clutter when a hurricane was coming.  Everything in it's place is what she'd say.  In her mind...you didn't need anything in the way if you were trying to get around without electricity and, if the hurricane went SERIOUSLY wrong...you'd know where everything was quickly in order to get to it and get OUT.

I'm my mother's daughter so yeah...I'm about to put some stuff away.

We've checked the jump bag and made a list of all the batteries we're out of so I'm going out in a few minutes to get some water and whatnot and instant coffee.  (BLECH!)  We both hate instant coffee but not as much as we hate NO coffee.  LOL!  Apparently the LAST time we were outta 'lectricity...we drank a lot of instant coffee.

SIP:  There was prolly a lot of cussing too.

N E WAY!

So yeah...just basic prep stuff.

Oh...and we gotta gas up both vehicles too.

Just in case man.

Oh...and nasty low sodium canned soup.  BLECH! 

The Louisiana in me kicks into overdrive when I hear the word hurricane.  You don't need to do a lot to get ready if you have the basics already together.  Just check whatcha got to make sure it works properly and replenish as needed.

Hurricane Irene is coming.  Hopefully all we'll get is rain.

Tornado Warnings

Saturday night we were under a SEVERE tornado warning.  Both of our phones went off at the same time with text messages that said:

Alert Montgomery:  NWS:  TORNADO WARNING for MC effective immediately.  THIS IS A DANGEROUS AND POSSIBLY LIFE THREATENING SITUATION!!  FOR NW MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

Just like that.  Two exclamation points, all caps, etc.

HOLY CRAPADOODLE!

My nerves got way bad because we'd watched the devastation to several cities on the news earlier that day.  My nerves got way, way, way bad quickly.

I contacted my film partners in crime and issued directives should we not make it.  You think I'm joking but I am soooooo not.  Hell...just because I'm not here doesn't mean the show shouldn't go on ya know?  This was no joking matter.  Alert Montgomery had TWO EXCLAMATION POINTS IN A TEXT MESSAGE TO US!

Needless to say...we articulated our plan out loud and keep a close eye on the woods behind our house.  We turned the television down low enough to hear the slightest rumble and tried to figure out what would be best for us to go to...the basement bathroom (not underground) or the basement storage area (which is completely underground).

Robby said the basement bathroom so that's where we were headed. We wondered out loud if we would have trouble getting Jaru and Lucy in the bathroom with us and I was like...Jaru...no problem.  Lucy's evil azz however?  Might as well rename her Toto right now.

Do YOU have a plan in place regarding tornados?  Do you kids know the plan?  Are you signed up with the emergency texting service with your county or parrish?

Are you ready in the event of a tornado? 

Do you know what to do if you're driving at the time?

Let's talk about this man.  We need PLANS!!!!!!!!!!!

Tell the truth and shame the devil!

COULD you take a job that pays you less money than you make now but was much less stressful and made you happy?

The Jump Bag

I'm well versed in a proper jump bag.  What is a jump bag you ask?  The bag you grab when shit is going down FAST and you need to get out of dodge IMMEDIATELY or your life could be in danger.

What's in a jump bag?  Everything you would need to survive on your own for a MINIMUM of three days without help from the government.   No police.  No firemen.  No nuttin.  Stores shut down.  Everything CLOSED.  Just you against the world.

Could YOU survive?

What if you needed to stay in your home until further notice from your government?  Could you?  Could you be safe and protected in your home without help from your government for a length of time?  Would you be prepared?  Would you go hungry?  Would you have enough water?  Would you have medical supplies?  COULD YOU BE TOTALLY ON YOUR OWN IN A CRISIS SITUATION?

At 13700 we could.  If some shit went down and Robby was at the office...he'd be good.  Why?  Cuz he has a jump bag.  He's my husband.  HE HAS A JUMP BAG.

I used to keep a jump bag in my truck but, for whatever reason, took it out. That will be rectified tomorrow.  Robby's truck too.

I ain't saying you need to panic about anything but I'm saying you need to be prepared for anything to go down. 

Non-perishables should be kept in your home for an emergency folks.  Every time you go to the grocery store you should pick up something new. 

Ready-to-eat canned fruits and vegetables.

Canned juice, powdered milk and low sodium soups.

High-energy foods such as peanut butter, jelly and salt-free crackers.

Trail mix in airtight bags or containers.

Power Bars or Cliff Bars.

Dried foods such as beef or turkey jerky.

Whole grain cereals such as oatmeal and low-fat granola.

Snack-sized canned goods with pull-off lids.

Beverages in foil packets or boxes such as Capri Sun and Hi-C.

Nonperishable foods for the family pets such as canned foods.

At least a three-day supply of bottled water: three gallons for each person.

I ain't trying to scare you but I WILL say that it's dumb for ANY of us to believe our country is invincible and that our government will be able to be everything to everybody when everyone is in need.

Think New Orleans.  Think Katrina.  Get your jump bag ready.  Get you enough of whatever you need to take care of yourself and your family just in case. 

We got this.