Two weeks after Hurricane Frances hit, I was in Walmart trying to buy a couple of battery-operated lanterns. My boarded-up house with its 30 ft. high cathedral ceiling looked so eerie by candlelight. Also with lanterns I could read!
Not unexpectedly, they were sold out. I told a Walmart employee I wanted a few on hand for the next hurricane. Well she guffawed and exclaimed, "Don't worry honey, we won't get another hurricane for 30 years!" -- This was on Monday.
Recently, Hurricane Ivan had become the second hurricane of the season to strike Florida's other coast. Now Hurricane Jeanne was whirling in the Atlantic Ocean. We were told it was not a threat to us. It was on a northern path away from Florida.
Just a few days later, my lawn-man knocked on my door. He inquired if I had seen the cover of the day's newspaper. It was early, so I had not. Well, Hurricane Jeanne had looped around, she was heading directly toward us! I was in shock! I had just gotten my windows unboarded from the previous hurricane!
Now I was in a panic! Fortunately I was able to get the carpenter back to board me up all over again. Just 3 weeks to the day after Hurricane Frances hit, Jeanne struck! Another category 2, both on a Saturday. At least this time my electricity didn't go out until around 9:00 PM.
As I huddled with my pillows in the pitch-dark bathroom downstairs, I was still in a state of disbelief. How could this happen again, and so soon? My house was already battered and damaged. Could it even stand up to another hurricane?
Fortunately, Jeanne moved faster than Frances. Also electricity was restored in 4 days this time rather than 7.
My friend Margaret phoned from the Orlando area. She had been hit by all 4 hurricanes of the season! But never once did she loose electricity! Unlike Vero Beach, the wires there are all under ground.
Soon after, the Insurance adjuster arrived. He complained that he was unable to reach me by phone. -- My answering machine sat in it's box. Because I found the directions unclear and wouldn't risk a fire. I doubt I'd survive one. My bedroom is the farthest from the stairs. Bless him, he hooked it up for me!
I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw him walking all over my steep roof! He was in his tie and street shoes! So-called professionals refused to get up there without safety equipment. He made all those rednecks in their jeans look like wussies!
I had managed to get a few estimates for repairs, although most of my calls were still going unreturned. Soon a check from the Insurance Co. arrived. I thought surely it had to be a joke! The cost of my repairs were around $12,000. and the check was for $2,500.! Even with my deductible that amount was a ludicrous! Apparently they thought I lived in a time warp.
I phoned the Insurance Company. To make a long story short, they mailed me another $2,500.... If I had I no Insurance what-so-ever, and just banked the premiums, there would have had plenty of money for the repairs. Later, I was dropped as a client.
The price of electricity and everything else shot up after the 2 hurricanes. I continued to shop around for estimates. It was almost Spring before many of the repairman returned my calls, and nearly Summer before the repairs to my house were completed. This was true for many Floridians as well.
Eventually, I did get a couple of battery-operated lanterns, plus a giant flashlight. And just in time for the next category 2 hurricane, which struck the following year! A harrowing ordeal for sure, my windows were all left unboarded. I screamed, cried, prayed, and cursed throughout my subsequent tribulation!
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Saturday, September 15, 2012
CHANGE OF LIFE & SEASONS
September was the most hated of all months when I was growing up. My brief span of freedom came to its end. The month was so dreaded, the very mention of it made me cringe in July. By August, just the thought of it gave me night terrors. There wasn't a child conceived who loathed school and everything it entailed more than I did! The teachers were tantamount to jailers. And the other kids were little gangsters as far as I was concerned. To say I didn't fit in was an understatement. And worse, I didn't want to! Once back in the gulag, it seemed forever until the holidays rolled around.
Now that I'm old, it seems that after the calendar hits September, the holidays come and go fast. Plus I LOVE it when the kids are back in school!!! The neighborhood is far more serene. Also I don't have to worry about my mailbox until the weekends. But the month is dreaded for another reason.
September is when we are the most likely to be struck by hurricanes! And the double zero decade was certainly an unusually active one! It really put the fear into me. Those were miserable times and the memories remain vivid.
I feel the new year should begin in September, rather than January. Because everything seems to change so dramatically after Labor Day. Everything feels different, like a brand new year!
Summer is the "naked season" for me. I close the blinds and strip myself bare to save on electric bills. Technically, September is still part of Summer until the 22nd of the month.
During rare Septembers we get our first taste of cool air after seemingly endless hellishly hot & humid days. But I can remember many a year when I wore my Summer clothes (tee hee) straight through Christmas. The tourists and the snowbirds may love the warmth, but I hate it! I need a nip in the air to feel alive. Florida is probably the wrong state for me.
Growing up, I remember the temperatures being quite different. Halloween night was almost always chilly. By Thanksgiving, we were all in heavy long sleeves or sweaters. And by Christmas, we never went outdoors without a coat! This changed around the time I got up into my 30's. Native Floridians started to take note and remark about the warming cycle we had entered.
I love the holidays. But it's hard to get into the spirit when you're sweating in the heat. In recent years we did have some prolonged cold, but that came after New Year's.
My favorite time is that period between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I enjoy that festive feeling and hopefully cooler air, too! However, after you reach adulthood, Christmas Day itself becomes an anti-climax. It's little more than just a big meal.
New Year's is always a sad holiday to me. Perhaps because it means all the big holidays are over for another year. I never celebrate the new year. It's more of a reflective time.
That brings us to my birthday in January, which I always celebrate, even if I'm alone. At my age, I'm starting to wonder how many birthdays I actually have left. In a way I'm kind of glad my time is growing short. I don't like the direction the world is headed.
By February, people are bellowing, "Summer is right around the corner!" Which makes me want to high-five them with a brick to the head. Because I want it to stay Winter! I've never tolerated heat well. And the older I get, the less I can stand it.
Summer, once my most cherished season, now is my least favorite. As far as I'm concerned, it can't end fast enough!
Now that I'm old, it seems that after the calendar hits September, the holidays come and go fast. Plus I LOVE it when the kids are back in school!!! The neighborhood is far more serene. Also I don't have to worry about my mailbox until the weekends. But the month is dreaded for another reason.
September is when we are the most likely to be struck by hurricanes! And the double zero decade was certainly an unusually active one! It really put the fear into me. Those were miserable times and the memories remain vivid.
I feel the new year should begin in September, rather than January. Because everything seems to change so dramatically after Labor Day. Everything feels different, like a brand new year!
Summer is the "naked season" for me. I close the blinds and strip myself bare to save on electric bills. Technically, September is still part of Summer until the 22nd of the month.
During rare Septembers we get our first taste of cool air after seemingly endless hellishly hot & humid days. But I can remember many a year when I wore my Summer clothes (tee hee) straight through Christmas. The tourists and the snowbirds may love the warmth, but I hate it! I need a nip in the air to feel alive. Florida is probably the wrong state for me.
Growing up, I remember the temperatures being quite different. Halloween night was almost always chilly. By Thanksgiving, we were all in heavy long sleeves or sweaters. And by Christmas, we never went outdoors without a coat! This changed around the time I got up into my 30's. Native Floridians started to take note and remark about the warming cycle we had entered.
I love the holidays. But it's hard to get into the spirit when you're sweating in the heat. In recent years we did have some prolonged cold, but that came after New Year's.
My favorite time is that period between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I enjoy that festive feeling and hopefully cooler air, too! However, after you reach adulthood, Christmas Day itself becomes an anti-climax. It's little more than just a big meal.
New Year's is always a sad holiday to me. Perhaps because it means all the big holidays are over for another year. I never celebrate the new year. It's more of a reflective time.
That brings us to my birthday in January, which I always celebrate, even if I'm alone. At my age, I'm starting to wonder how many birthdays I actually have left. In a way I'm kind of glad my time is growing short. I don't like the direction the world is headed.
By February, people are bellowing, "Summer is right around the corner!" Which makes me want to high-five them with a brick to the head. Because I want it to stay Winter! I've never tolerated heat well. And the older I get, the less I can stand it.
Summer, once my most cherished season, now is my least favorite. As far as I'm concerned, it can't end fast enough!
Sunday, September 9, 2012
AFTERMATH OF THE STORM
Growing up in Florida I've heard some pretty stupid statements concerning hurricanes. Such as, "It was such a job boarding my windows, I was disappointed the storm didn't hit." Which makes me want to scream, "You fool! It would be a lot more bother & expense if it did!"
Another ignoramus statement is, "Oh a hurricane is just a one day event." Actually the aftermath is often just as bad or worse. But in different ways and the ordeal can stretch on for days, weeks, and even months.
2004 the day after Hurricane Frances hit, the pain from my temple soon spread to the entire right side of my head. I returned to the bathroom floor to sleep. I was constantly throwing up from the migraine. And the toilet was right next to my head. So it was a convenient place to be.
Early the next afternoon, I took my migraine upstairs to sleep in my own bed again. This was late summer, my house was boarded up with no air-conditioning or electricity. I awoke in blinding pitch darkness atop sweat-soaked sheets. The room felt suffocating. I fumbled for the candle & matches I had left on my little bedside dresser.
My flashlight and radio were downstairs. Slowly, I ventured out. As I neared the bottom of the stairs, I nearly tripped with the lit candle in my hand! It was a close call! Everything around me looked creepy with the windows boarded. My cathedral ceiling added to this effect.
I grabbed the flashlight and radio. I hurried back upstairs into my bedroom. Suddenly I spotted the small, unboarded bathroom window. -- A window I could open! The outside air was sweltering, too. But at least it was fresh! This is where I slept for the following week. My master bathroom was more spacious than the one downstairs. I could stretch out.
Every night I fell asleep to the music of neighbor's generators. I felt ants and other things crawl over me as I slept. My only entertainment was the radio, which I often wanted to smash! I didn't like any of the music. Plus I was hungry for world and national news! The only news I could find was about Vero Beach as if it was the center of the universe! I was sick of hearing about the hurricane!
Phone service returned around the same time I recovered from the migraine. Then my flashlight gave out. Even a new battery couldn't save it! The first thing I did was call my Insurance Co., which I did by candlelight. As I related information, my policy nearly caught fire in my hand! The lady at the other end was understanding. She said to take photos. She suggested I find a man to help me spot damage. Then I phoned the carpenter to come and unboard me. I was unable to reach him.
An hour later, my friend Irene called. She warned me not to drive because signs were down and traffic lights were blowing loose on their wires. Due to the lack of electricity, I couldn't get my car out of the garage anyway. Plus my driveway was covered high in debris.
Irene had weathered the storm in a house filled with friends. I asked if I could borrow a camera since I was without one. She put "Bernice" on the phone, whom I'd also considered a friend. I asked if her husband would walk around the house with me to spot damage. Well she screamed into the phone, "My husband is not responsible for your property! He'll bring you a camera and don't you dare ask!"
I was stunned. I wasn't asking him to sign anything! So how was he responsible? I should have told her to take her camera and stick it! But I was desperate. Even Irene told her she was being unreasonable. Later, I made it clear I wanted nothing more to do with her until she apologized. But she wouldn't budge!
Thanks to the migraine, I had no appetite for 3 days. I carried multiple garbage bags of spoiled food out to the curb. For my first meal after the storm, I ate a giant can of spinach. Later, I had lots of room temperature soup, which wasn't bad that way! My house was a sweat box, so I didn't want anything hot. I ached for a glass of something cold to drink.
My kitchen windows that overlook the porch were unboarded. But I couldn't open them because they are screenless. And the porch screens were all blown out! I didn't want squirrels, lizards, bugs, snakes, and Lord-knows-what-else stealing into my house.
Around dusk, I'd sit at my kitchen table fiddling with the radio dial. Through the windows I could see a disturbing view. It looked like the end of the world. It reminded me of a scene from DAWN OF THE DEAD. Honestly, I kept expecting to see zombies! There was no street light now. It got dark fast! I didn't like being down there then.
Later, I heard that the Winn Dixie supermarket closest to me was now open. After clearing my driveway, I asked the new neighbor to help me with my garage door. He was a big, older man and was able to lift and hold it open from the side as I drove out.
The supermarket had darkened isles with mostly bare shelves. The freezer cases were almost entirely empty. I was hoping to buy ice, but there was none. I picked up a can of cold soda, paid for it and asked the cashier if I could drink it right there. She nodded. Afterward I bought bread & peanut butter, plus a box of granola bars.
I was told the carpenter had come to unboard me while I was out. My phone was working now. He should have called first!
Electrical crews from all over the country descended like angels to get us up & running again. After a long, miserable week, my electricity was finally restored. But my house remained boarded. At least I had air-conditioning now! I found myself navigating in dark rooms out of force of habit. TV service didn't return for almost another week because the cable co. was still getting it's act together. I risked my life driving to the movies during the day.
As is typical after a hurricane, calls to contractors & handymen went ignored. But my house was finally unboared. I believed the worst was behind me. I assured myself I wouldn't be experiencing anything like that for at least another 10 years or more. People were starting to smile again. Little did anyone know, that in just a couple of weeks, another category 2 hurricane would strike us all by surprise!
Another ignoramus statement is, "Oh a hurricane is just a one day event." Actually the aftermath is often just as bad or worse. But in different ways and the ordeal can stretch on for days, weeks, and even months.
2004 the day after Hurricane Frances hit, the pain from my temple soon spread to the entire right side of my head. I returned to the bathroom floor to sleep. I was constantly throwing up from the migraine. And the toilet was right next to my head. So it was a convenient place to be.
Early the next afternoon, I took my migraine upstairs to sleep in my own bed again. This was late summer, my house was boarded up with no air-conditioning or electricity. I awoke in blinding pitch darkness atop sweat-soaked sheets. The room felt suffocating. I fumbled for the candle & matches I had left on my little bedside dresser.
My flashlight and radio were downstairs. Slowly, I ventured out. As I neared the bottom of the stairs, I nearly tripped with the lit candle in my hand! It was a close call! Everything around me looked creepy with the windows boarded. My cathedral ceiling added to this effect.
I grabbed the flashlight and radio. I hurried back upstairs into my bedroom. Suddenly I spotted the small, unboarded bathroom window. -- A window I could open! The outside air was sweltering, too. But at least it was fresh! This is where I slept for the following week. My master bathroom was more spacious than the one downstairs. I could stretch out.
Every night I fell asleep to the music of neighbor's generators. I felt ants and other things crawl over me as I slept. My only entertainment was the radio, which I often wanted to smash! I didn't like any of the music. Plus I was hungry for world and national news! The only news I could find was about Vero Beach as if it was the center of the universe! I was sick of hearing about the hurricane!
Phone service returned around the same time I recovered from the migraine. Then my flashlight gave out. Even a new battery couldn't save it! The first thing I did was call my Insurance Co., which I did by candlelight. As I related information, my policy nearly caught fire in my hand! The lady at the other end was understanding. She said to take photos. She suggested I find a man to help me spot damage. Then I phoned the carpenter to come and unboard me. I was unable to reach him.
An hour later, my friend Irene called. She warned me not to drive because signs were down and traffic lights were blowing loose on their wires. Due to the lack of electricity, I couldn't get my car out of the garage anyway. Plus my driveway was covered high in debris.
Irene had weathered the storm in a house filled with friends. I asked if I could borrow a camera since I was without one. She put "Bernice" on the phone, whom I'd also considered a friend. I asked if her husband would walk around the house with me to spot damage. Well she screamed into the phone, "My husband is not responsible for your property! He'll bring you a camera and don't you dare ask!"
I was stunned. I wasn't asking him to sign anything! So how was he responsible? I should have told her to take her camera and stick it! But I was desperate. Even Irene told her she was being unreasonable. Later, I made it clear I wanted nothing more to do with her until she apologized. But she wouldn't budge!
Thanks to the migraine, I had no appetite for 3 days. I carried multiple garbage bags of spoiled food out to the curb. For my first meal after the storm, I ate a giant can of spinach. Later, I had lots of room temperature soup, which wasn't bad that way! My house was a sweat box, so I didn't want anything hot. I ached for a glass of something cold to drink.
My kitchen windows that overlook the porch were unboarded. But I couldn't open them because they are screenless. And the porch screens were all blown out! I didn't want squirrels, lizards, bugs, snakes, and Lord-knows-what-else stealing into my house.
Around dusk, I'd sit at my kitchen table fiddling with the radio dial. Through the windows I could see a disturbing view. It looked like the end of the world. It reminded me of a scene from DAWN OF THE DEAD. Honestly, I kept expecting to see zombies! There was no street light now. It got dark fast! I didn't like being down there then.
Later, I heard that the Winn Dixie supermarket closest to me was now open. After clearing my driveway, I asked the new neighbor to help me with my garage door. He was a big, older man and was able to lift and hold it open from the side as I drove out.
The supermarket had darkened isles with mostly bare shelves. The freezer cases were almost entirely empty. I was hoping to buy ice, but there was none. I picked up a can of cold soda, paid for it and asked the cashier if I could drink it right there. She nodded. Afterward I bought bread & peanut butter, plus a box of granola bars.
I was told the carpenter had come to unboard me while I was out. My phone was working now. He should have called first!
Electrical crews from all over the country descended like angels to get us up & running again. After a long, miserable week, my electricity was finally restored. But my house remained boarded. At least I had air-conditioning now! I found myself navigating in dark rooms out of force of habit. TV service didn't return for almost another week because the cable co. was still getting it's act together. I risked my life driving to the movies during the day.
As is typical after a hurricane, calls to contractors & handymen went ignored. But my house was finally unboared. I believed the worst was behind me. I assured myself I wouldn't be experiencing anything like that for at least another 10 years or more. People were starting to smile again. Little did anyone know, that in just a couple of weeks, another category 2 hurricane would strike us all by surprise!
Saturday, September 1, 2012
HIDER IN THE STORM
Labor Day weekend 2004, no one in South Florida was planning any picnics on the beach. We were all hiding behind shutters or plywood. A monster category 2 hurricane named Frances was headed directly toward us. Exactly where she would make landfall was anyone's guess.
I had weathered 3 serious hurricanes in my life. This was to be the first I would experience alone.
That Friday I was stressed-out, in an agitated state unable to find anyone to board-up my windows. So I busied myself moving anything of value from my second story. I didn't know what else to do. The next day the storm would hit!
An older couple recently had moved in next door. They were completely renovating the house. First, they installed storm-proof glass in their windows. (Something I wish I could afford!!!) Learning of my situation, they sent their carpenter over to help me. He was a Godsend!
Pre-cut and labeled plywood sheets were now waiting in the garage. He only charged me $40.. Because he didn't believe in taking advantage of anyone in my situation. I thought he was a saint!
Unfortunately, there was nothing to protect my front door or bathroom window. The man who cut the plywood claimed that due to the angle of the house it was unnecessary. Ditto for my wide kitchen windows. He said they were protected by the back porch. -- But I think he was just lazy! I was particularly concerned about my unfortified front door. Especially since it opened inward.
Shortly before, a major hurricane named Charley hit Florida's other coast causing serious damage to lives and property. I, like most other Floridians believed that would be the Sunshine State's only hurricane of 04. Little did we know it was just the beginning of an active season!
That evening, I prepared a feast for myself in the formal dining area under the chandelier. I felt like a passenger on the Titanic. Soon all the food in my refrigerator would be spoiled. But tonight I would dine like a Queen! I wondered if my house would even be standing by Labor Day Monday.
As I readied for bed, I turned off the bathroom light only to find myself standing in pitch darkness. I'd forgotten my large window was now boarded. I figured if I just slowly walked straight, I'd come to the foot of my bed. Then I'd climb on. I took a few steps forward blindly swinging my hands & arms in the dark.
Suddenly I grabbed an object that should NOT have been there! Something metallic, long and cold; like the bottom of a huge windchime. It was hanging way down in the middle of my room! I took it with both hands, feeling it up and down trying to discern what it could be. There was nothing like THAT in my bedroom! I was freaked out and frightened. Afraid, I let go and turned back toward the bathroom, feeling the wall as I went. I switched on the bathroom light, then the bedroom one. There was absolutely NOTHING hanging from the ceiling!!! Yet it had been as solid as my wrist!
Quickly I got a nightlight from the hall closet. I placed it in the bathroom, then left the door ajar. To this day I have no idea what that was in the darkness. It's just one more weird, inexplicable occurrence in my life.
Around 4:00 A.M. I was awakened by fierce shrieking winds lashing my house! I realized if I wanted one last cooked meal I'd better get up in a hurry! I prepared an enormous breakfast. From past experience I knew I would be in for a week of mostly fasting. The electricity gave out right after I finished the dishes. Frances was a gigantic, slow-moving hurricane. The worst was yet ahead.
The storm's most intense savagery came after dark. My safe room was the downstairs bathroom. It had no windows and was pitch dark with the door shut even in daylight. This is where I would spend the night. I threw 6 large pillows on the floor as my bed. Unfortunately, the room is narrow. Whenever I turned in my sleep I'd either bang my head on the base of the toilet or hit the door jam with my foot.
As the winds accelerated, I worried my front door would blow down bringing the storm inside. I closed and locked the bathroom door. I turned off the flashlight. Again, I was in blinding pitch blackness. But my flashlight was close! Suddenly I felt elated that I was alone. There was only room for me in here. Had my father or the dog been alive, it would have added only more stress and problems.
A chilling draft sweep through my house. I heard it as well as felt it! I shivered as it blew under the bathroom door. My house and I shook together. Outside was chaos! The sounds of my home being viciously assaulted by this monster were all around. At one point, I was certain my back porch had been ripped off and blown away! I thought again of my front door and wondered if I was going to survive. It was a horrifying night!
The next day I awoke with an excruciating migraine. I had no idea what time it was, and I didn't care. Through my kitchen windows I saw the torn screens flapping on my back porch. To my amazement the porch itself remained! But the results of hurricane havoc were everywhere! My back lawn was completely covered with debris. The entire neighborhood was a similar disaster. Trees were down. Everything looked broken and battered. -- But my front door held!
I was nauseous from the migraine and my right temple throbbed in agony. I returned to the bathroom floor to sleep. Later I moved back upstairs. I spent 3 days sleeping off the migraine. For the time being, there was nothing better to do anyway. However, the ordeal was far, far from over.
I had weathered 3 serious hurricanes in my life. This was to be the first I would experience alone.
That Friday I was stressed-out, in an agitated state unable to find anyone to board-up my windows. So I busied myself moving anything of value from my second story. I didn't know what else to do. The next day the storm would hit!
An older couple recently had moved in next door. They were completely renovating the house. First, they installed storm-proof glass in their windows. (Something I wish I could afford!!!) Learning of my situation, they sent their carpenter over to help me. He was a Godsend!
Pre-cut and labeled plywood sheets were now waiting in the garage. He only charged me $40.. Because he didn't believe in taking advantage of anyone in my situation. I thought he was a saint!
Unfortunately, there was nothing to protect my front door or bathroom window. The man who cut the plywood claimed that due to the angle of the house it was unnecessary. Ditto for my wide kitchen windows. He said they were protected by the back porch. -- But I think he was just lazy! I was particularly concerned about my unfortified front door. Especially since it opened inward.
Shortly before, a major hurricane named Charley hit Florida's other coast causing serious damage to lives and property. I, like most other Floridians believed that would be the Sunshine State's only hurricane of 04. Little did we know it was just the beginning of an active season!
That evening, I prepared a feast for myself in the formal dining area under the chandelier. I felt like a passenger on the Titanic. Soon all the food in my refrigerator would be spoiled. But tonight I would dine like a Queen! I wondered if my house would even be standing by Labor Day Monday.
As I readied for bed, I turned off the bathroom light only to find myself standing in pitch darkness. I'd forgotten my large window was now boarded. I figured if I just slowly walked straight, I'd come to the foot of my bed. Then I'd climb on. I took a few steps forward blindly swinging my hands & arms in the dark.
Suddenly I grabbed an object that should NOT have been there! Something metallic, long and cold; like the bottom of a huge windchime. It was hanging way down in the middle of my room! I took it with both hands, feeling it up and down trying to discern what it could be. There was nothing like THAT in my bedroom! I was freaked out and frightened. Afraid, I let go and turned back toward the bathroom, feeling the wall as I went. I switched on the bathroom light, then the bedroom one. There was absolutely NOTHING hanging from the ceiling!!! Yet it had been as solid as my wrist!
Quickly I got a nightlight from the hall closet. I placed it in the bathroom, then left the door ajar. To this day I have no idea what that was in the darkness. It's just one more weird, inexplicable occurrence in my life.
Around 4:00 A.M. I was awakened by fierce shrieking winds lashing my house! I realized if I wanted one last cooked meal I'd better get up in a hurry! I prepared an enormous breakfast. From past experience I knew I would be in for a week of mostly fasting. The electricity gave out right after I finished the dishes. Frances was a gigantic, slow-moving hurricane. The worst was yet ahead.
The storm's most intense savagery came after dark. My safe room was the downstairs bathroom. It had no windows and was pitch dark with the door shut even in daylight. This is where I would spend the night. I threw 6 large pillows on the floor as my bed. Unfortunately, the room is narrow. Whenever I turned in my sleep I'd either bang my head on the base of the toilet or hit the door jam with my foot.
As the winds accelerated, I worried my front door would blow down bringing the storm inside. I closed and locked the bathroom door. I turned off the flashlight. Again, I was in blinding pitch blackness. But my flashlight was close! Suddenly I felt elated that I was alone. There was only room for me in here. Had my father or the dog been alive, it would have added only more stress and problems.
A chilling draft sweep through my house. I heard it as well as felt it! I shivered as it blew under the bathroom door. My house and I shook together. Outside was chaos! The sounds of my home being viciously assaulted by this monster were all around. At one point, I was certain my back porch had been ripped off and blown away! I thought again of my front door and wondered if I was going to survive. It was a horrifying night!
The next day I awoke with an excruciating migraine. I had no idea what time it was, and I didn't care. Through my kitchen windows I saw the torn screens flapping on my back porch. To my amazement the porch itself remained! But the results of hurricane havoc were everywhere! My back lawn was completely covered with debris. The entire neighborhood was a similar disaster. Trees were down. Everything looked broken and battered. -- But my front door held!
I was nauseous from the migraine and my right temple throbbed in agony. I returned to the bathroom floor to sleep. Later I moved back upstairs. I spent 3 days sleeping off the migraine. For the time being, there was nothing better to do anyway. However, the ordeal was far, far from over.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)