So everything is battened down.  My sister has arrived.  We have light winds and have had light rain for a few hours but that is it.  The storm is not due to hit until late tomorrow but it is so large that the powers that be are in overdrive with preparation.  Mass Transit will stop running shortly, the Phila airport will cease operations,and  schools have been closed for Monday and Tuesday.  Even my dentist has sent an email announcing they were closed. All of the local televison channels have the special graphics as they cut in for breaking storm information.

What is different about this storm, the reason everyone is taking it seriously, is the consistency and the alarm.  As these storms come in we typically hear about 1 of 6 possible courses it could take and IF it takes this one we could have issues.  This time there were only really 2 courses for several days, one was bad and the other worse and they have been consistent for at least 3-4 days.  I have friends who typically stay in their homes at the shore and hold parties as the storms role in, they have all evacuated.  My house is about 40 miles inland from the ocean yet there is pure panic around as we are also due to be hit by a major storm.  There is not a bottle of water to be found within miles nor can you find bread or milk.  No batteries or even lighters. The  outcome is yet to be seen but I can tell you this, Sandy or “Frankenstorm” is different.

For some reason I had a flashback yesterday of a trip my family took to Disney World when I was about 12.  It was the biggest trip my family had ever taken and the first time I had ever been on a plane.  We arrived in Orlando and found that our luggage went on to Ft. Lauderdale.  They knew exactly what plane it was on and roughly when it would arrive back. They promised my mother that once it arrived they would deliver it to the Hotel.  For the next several hours my mother went on a ranting panic.  What if?  What if never arrived?  What if we did not get our clothes?  She could not afford to buy new clothes.  What if we all got sick from wearing dirty clothes? What it she did not have a clean pair of underware?  I am not making that up!  It actually stuck with her until she passed.  Every once in a while something would happen and someone would toss in, yes and you may not have clean underware.

I sat in the parking lot of Target yesterday after being amazed at the empty shelves thinking thank god she was not around to see this panic because what if it affected her ability to have clean underware.

So we are all closed in here now for god knows how long, both kids, my sister, husband, 2 dogs and a cat.  Thank god we hit the liquor store!