A DISAPPOINTING ISAAC

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Isaac never made it as predicted. Not even a limp dick.

Isaac started around 1 yesterday afternoon. The winds picked up. Rain a steady drizzle. By 2, Issac was blowing. A swift wind. The rain continued  a steady drizzle. By 6, it was all over. The worst of Issac had passed Key West by.

Isaac never achieved the intensity predicted.

Good. No question about it. I would rather have it this way all the time. Preparation no problem. We have become accustomed to it. Better safe than sorry.

I do not think Isaac ever achieved hurricane level. It stayed a tropical storm. Fortunately!

Winds yesterday were generally 40 miles an hour. Gusts may have gotten up to 60.

I just walked out the back door onto the deck. A beautiful morning! Sun shining. Scattered clouds. Warm. Wind blowing. About 20 miles per hour. I suspect we will have rain off and on today.

Television reporting regarding Isaac sucked. Hype! All the time!

TV continued reporting….. IT IS COMING! THE BIG ONE! Then a nothing comparatively as yesterday turned out. I felt sorry for Al Roker. He was standing on the Weston Pier saying it is coming. It never came. The picture behind him was one of basic calm.

I went out on my deck around 3. During the height of the storm. Normally, I would not be able to do it. I would be swept up by the wind and my body would become a flying missile. They would probably find me in New Orleans.

My walk on the deck was uneventful. A strong, but not overwhelming, wind. My body did not even bend with it. A steady drizzle.

The only problem I encountered during all of Isaac was TV. During the height of the storm, my TV went off 3 times. For only 5 minutes each time.

It will take Adam a couple of days to get here to take off the plywood panels covering the doors and windows. The grandkids, Corey and I threw the deck furniture in the pool. It will be Adam’s responsibility to get it out. It is much harder to take out than throw in.

The one good thing about Isaac were the experiences Robert and Ally enjoyed and will remember. Their first hurricane. They will never forget the joy of tossing deck furniture in the pool.

Enjoy your day!

WAITING FOR ISAAC…..

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Everything is Isaac this Sunday morning in Key West. Today is the day! Later in the afternoon, Isaac will hit. Probably as a 1.

I have so much to share regarding Isaac to this point.

The first thing is how to spell Isaac. The correct spelling apparently is Isaac. Up till this morning, I have been spelling it Issac. How could I have been so wrong? Easy. I am a poor speller. However, I believe everyone was spelling it my way the past few days. The correct spelling would have been obvious otherwise. I googled Isaac. Sites came up under Issac also.

Al Roker is in Key West. Saw him several times on TV this morning. Great to have  him here! Problem is they have him standing in the wrong place. He is down on the Weston Pier. It looks like the corner opposite Orvis. Normally, national television sets itself up on Duval next to the former Fast Buck Freddie’s. Each time without failure an out of town announcer would get on live TV and tell the world that in six hours 3 feet of water would be running down Duval. It never happens!

Roker should be there. Or…..at the Southernmost cone or on the White Street Pier.

Roker is located in a bland spot.

It’s 7 in the morning. Everything looks dark looking out. Supposed to be. Every window and door, except one, on my housed is boarded over with large sheets of plywood. The job was done yesterday afternoon.

I opened the garage door to go out to the front. Wind blowing about 20-30 mph. Palm trees blowing. Everything dark. Warm. Humid. Not bad. I would call it the calm before the storm.

Opened the lone door on the back of my house capable of use. Went onto the deck. Walked to the water. My deck is huge. 144′ x 40′. Then the ocean. The back of the house looked strange. Every orifice covered with plywood. My home looks deserted. Like some one just upped and left. Abandoned

The ocean is moving. Sizable waves developing. Not yet breaking. Very few white caps. Breaking waves and white caps will come.

Lisa and family arrived in the early afternoon yesterday. Lisa said Robert and Ally were already stir crazy. She had to get them out.

They arrived timely. I was getting ready to dump the deck furniture in the pool. Corey helped me. And Robert and Ally. We had a ton to throw into the pool. Four small tables, 8 chairs, 4 chaise lounges, 9 bar stools and some miscellaneous items.

This is Robert and Ally’s first hurricane. The last storm hit Key West six years ago. Robert and Ally are 8 and 7 respectively so have no recollection of a hurricane.

They helped dump the deck furniture in the water. Laughing all the time.

Before we started the dumping process, Ally took the four noodles out of the pool. She announced they should be in the garage and took them there.

My flashlights and candles are lined up. Appropriate food and water stored.

I am ready for Isaac.

Lobsterfest party last night at the Yacht Club. Big time fun! It was sort of a pre hurricane party also.

Lobsters available buffet wise three different ways. Stuffed, broiled and boiled. All you wanted. Delicious!

I had guests. Don and Christine, David, Jimmy and Joanie, Larry and Christine, and Herschel and Erika. Everyone ate, drank, and enjoyed.

Since it was my party, at the end I did something I have been doing frequently the past few years. I ordered shots of Patron Silver Tequila for every one. A piece of lime included. A toast was made and the shots all downed at one time.

Neil Armstrong died yesterday. Eighty two. The first man to walk on the moon!

I remember the event well. As I am sure most do who were alive at the time.

It was an evening in July 1969. Later in the evening,. Perhaps 11 or better.

I did at the time and still do consider the event the greatest achievement of man in my life time. It blew my mind. Man on the moon!

My four children were aged 7-12 at the time. Lisa was the seven year old.

They were in their beds sound asleep. I woke them all and brought them down stairs to watch the event on TV. I wanted them to remember it the rest of their lives.

They do not.

Nothing to do now but wait. Wait for Isaac. I will read and watch TV. At some point, the power will go off. No more lights, no more TV. That is the uncomfortable time. Flashlights and candles do not provide enough light power for anything. I have said many times and repeat now…..I do not know how Abraham Lincoln read law by candle light.

Enjoy your day! Talk with you tomorrow. Hopefully. Probably. Definately!

 

IT’S ALL ISSAC !!!

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It has started. During the night. Issac’s precursor. Forty mile winds and rain.

Issac is not scheduled to hit till sometime tomorrow evening or early Monday morning. By that time it will be a 1. Possibly a 2. Winds around 75-85 miles per hour, if a 1. Around a 100,  if a 2.

A pain in the ass! A bit of fear and trepidation is starting to set in. It is the unknown.

Complacency is evident. Reflected by all of us who live in the lower keys. It has been six years since the last hurricane hit. There have been numerous since, but none that affected us. Most hurricanes start out heading directly for Key West. People are told to evacuate. Hotels and businesses close down. Then the path of the storm deviates and it does not hit.

We thought Issac was going to be another one of those misses. Does not look that way at this point. Headed directly for Key West! Passing right over us!

No problem if Issac is merely a tropical storm or 1. A bit of a problem if a 2. But we will survive. If a 3, we are in trouble. A 4 or 5 and we could be dead.

Issac is projected to become a 1 before it hits Key West. Hurricanes are fickle. They change swiftly. Direction and speed. Could be a 2.

I started preparing yesterday.

Water is important. The water system breaks down or gets contaminated. Publix had little water left. I should be ok. I have about 60 regular size bottles and 2 gallon jugs. I will fill the bathtub with water tomorrow morning. If the water system breaks down, the toilets do not flush. That is the reason for the bathtub water.

I bought all kinds of goodies to eat that do not need to be refrigerated. The electricity is sure to go. If down a substantial time, everything in refrigerators and freezers spoil. There are few stoves, etc. run by gas. Electric is generally used. Cannot cook.

So it is peanut butter, crackers, cookies, tinned fruits that need not be refrigerated, bananas, apples, cakes, canned sodas, etc. Neither a normal not healthy diet. But hurricane time is sort of party time, so what the hell!

Today the windows must be boarded. The wind at the moment will not make it easy. I never purchased hurricane shutters. I have sheets of plywood I have used for years. They are marked as to which window or door. Adam will screw them in. By some point this afternoon, every window and door in my home will be covered, except for a small door leading to the deck. There has to be  a way in and out. It will be dark dark inside.

I purchased two additional flashlights yesterday at Home Depot. I have a ton of candles. Again, the electricity will probably go. Which means no TV also.

All deck furniture will be thrown in the pool. That is how it is done. Garbage pails and other incidental items will be stacked in the garage.

Then I will be ready!

Oh, I forgot. No air conditioning if the electric power goes. Very uncomfortable!

I have a party tonight. Though the one I am attending was planned, there will be many pre hurricane parties. That is how locals react.

Tonight is Lobsterfest at the Yacht Club. I am throwing a small party. Ten guests. It was supposed to be outside. Has been moved inside. Should be fun. I will bitch big time as I drive in and from the Yacht Club. Because of the rain and wind. It will be…..Louis. you are stupid…..you should have stayed home!

One other comment of note. Yesterday’s show was terrific. People are very much into the Todd Akin rape controversy. I spent about 20 minutes on the issue. Revealed the “doctor” authority Akin was relying upon. There are two. One is a medical school professor who takes the position rape sperm and the woman’s egg do not unite. He says generally ovulation does not occur in a rape situation. His authority are Nazi studies done during World War II at extermination camps.

Women were grouped together who were due to ovulate. They were placed in gas chambers. Everything was as if they were to be executed. But they were not. They screamed and reacted as if it was the real thing. They did not know. They were then retested and most had not ovulated.

Sick.

Ok…..this is it! Bring on your worst Issac. We are ready for you!

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

FAMILY COOK OUT

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Good morning and happy Sunday!

The streets of Key West are an abomination. Road work every where. Big time construction.

There are three separate roads jobs going on at one time. Each different. Each being done by different contractors. Great planning was obvioiusly involved. I think.

Detours all over. Changes made to timing of street lights. Every where one turns, there is traffic. Long lines of traffic.

The major job involves North Roosevelt Boulevard. A two year effort by the State. The Boulevard is a main road for ingress and egress to and from Key West.

Key West is a small island. 1.5 x 4.0 miles. Perhaps there is no better way to reroute and do the construction. I do not know. What I do know is there  is nothing any of us can do about it. Grin and bear. In due course, we will become accustomed to it and the aggravation will be no more.

Visited with Lisa and family yesterday. First time I had seen them in about ten days. They returned from vacation Friday evening.

Always good to see them. Lisa was her lovely self. A bit more tanned than usual. Corey in good spirits.

Robert and Ally were excited to see me as I was to see them. They seem to have grown big time in a short time. Poor ally. Her baby front teeth seem to have all fallen out at the same time. She has a wide gap while waiting for the premanrnt ones to come in. The space detracts not from her beauty and smile.

The cupboard was really bare. Had to do some grocery shopping. Plus buy some food for a planned cook out later in the day. I still use the old Publix. I know where everything is. It takes less time to shop now that there are two Publix stores in town.

Lisa, Corey, Robert and Ally came over to swim. Robert and Ally have improved so much. Even their diving. Lisa is planning an advanced swim class for them.

We grilled outside. I have this huge grill which is atached to and a part of the house. I rarely use it. Last night we did. It was fun cooking on it.

What happened to Louis and You Tube? It is coming. Everything seems to take longer than planned. Soon I will be up and running on a daily basis.

Sloan is due later in the morning. You Tube is one of the things we will be working on.

Donna and Terri, where are you? Like a Matt Lauer trip.

The two made it to New York. Exhausted. A hard trip for two seniors to make. One driving the truck/van and the other the car. They finally gave in. Conceded the battle. They have hired a moving company to move them from New York City to Los Angeles.

Enjoy your Sunday!