Saturation

I'm in my living room, surrounded by nervous pets, watching The Weather Channel and trying to figure out whether to head out of town. The nearest voluntary evacuations -- a term that makes little sense to me; can't anyone leave voluntarily anytime? -- are a few miles east of me. A few hours ago I got a news alert saying that Jose is forecast to become a major hurricane by Friday. I assume that means tomorrow, but maybe it means next Friday. Time has been dragging as I (and I'm sure most Floridians) wait for more specific information on where the worst of this thing will be. It's rare for me to bounce back and forth on what to do, but I'm in that frame of mind now.

It doesn't help that I've had a sore throat and raging fever since about 3:00 yesterday morning. I didn't go to work yesterday or today, and I won't be going back until at least Wednesday because of storm closures. I keep thinking I need to clean my patio furniture and bring it in. I don't want my Moroccan table to fall and shatter into a million shards, and I also don't want a wrought iron chair (or "rod iron" if you're buying on Craig's List) to come soaring through my bedroom window. This is also the only time I get nervous about all the beautiful huge trees in my yard -- and throughout my neighborhood. I have three in my back yard that could cause a lot of damage if all or part came down.

Other than bringing in my lawn furniture, I have my own list of prep. (And as I say that, I am realizing that I don't have a battery-operated radio. Damn!) I will pack a suitcase with supplies for at least five days, and I'll put my passport and any other not-easily-replaceable documents there. I will pack a bag for pets and put it in the car. I have been making ice and putting it in containers for the past few days, and I have a case of bottled water. My cooler is at the ready, right next to the freezer. One thing I need to do is get my camping coffee maker out of the attic and put it in the car. I will probably keep coffee in the regular coffee maker, a small pot in the morning and in the evening. I'll keep my phone fully charged and get a good shower and hairwashing every day I can, in preparation for when I maybe can't. I'll keep all my laundry and dishes washed as long as I can. Otherwise, I'm not sure what to do.

Now the pets are sleeping -- on me. If I move or do anything, they get panicky, which only increases my agitation. I could clean or do some work prep, but it's hard to focus. In some ways this is similar to preparing for a blizzard -- with a big difference: Usually forecasters have a clearer idea of where a blizzard will happen. We won't have a good idea of where this storm is going until Friday night or Saturday morning. The only thing I can think of to do is bake something that doesn't require refrigeration. I'll just try not to eat it all.