REFLECTING ON A PANDEMIC SUMMER

 

I'll admit I enjoyed the isolation and quiet especially after the shortages ended. My days were spent working on my latest novel a supernatural thriller and mystery. And nearly every evening was movie night! I was able to whittle down the collection in my DVR library as well as enjoy new films.

Unfortunately lurking outside remained that invisible King Kong sized gorilla called the coronavirus. Of course I wore my armor, (flimsy though it be) of a mask plus disposable gloves every time I ventured out. Plus hand sanitizer has always been standard equipment with me.

Before long, new monsters began rising up in the Atlantic one right after another. Cristobel, Hanna, Laura, Sally, Nana and many more all deceptively friendly sounding. I think hurricanes should have names like Igor, Vampira, Adolf, Lucretia, Vlad, etc. more in character with their nature.

My porch furniture remains piled high in my garage. I never carried it back out after last year's threat. My hurricane pantry has been restocked, plus all my devices; lanterns, flash lights, & radio remain at the ready. Many of these are crank-up since batteries are hard to come by before and especially after a hurricane when there's no electricity.

But one problem persists, the same I face every season -- someone to board my house! Last year I paid an outlandish price for the job which is crazy, but I was desperate. The estimates I'm getting now are $20-$25 per window and another $20-$25 each to unboard. In 2004 I paid $40 for my entire house and that included BOTH!

I realize there's inflation but that's just obscene! This is not a home improvement project but a life & death situation. When a Category 2 or above is headed straight for you it's a dire emergency!!! Those prices are just pure gouging!!!

A neighbor told me that a number of California people are relocating to Florida due to the devastating wildfires. Geez, don't those people know about our hurricanes! And Florida has wildfires too, just not as frequent as California.

This neighbor also mentioned that the Californians were paying higher than market value for houses here. (hint hint) At least this person prefaced that statement with: "We'd hate to lose you as a neighbor," unlike a previous one.

Yes, I'm a senior citizen on a fixed income with a two-story family sized home that I want to keep as long as I can. Go ahead and demonize me! I make no apologies! My time on this planet is diminishing every single day and I chose to spend it here in the home that I love. -- That is NOT a valid reason for someone to take advantage of me when I'm over a barrel!

And welcome to pandemic autumn with plenty of hurricanes still ahead!!!

THAT WAS NOT MY LIFE!!!

 

Awhile back, to my shock, I discovered I was on a site called MY LIFE! About the only facts they got right were my age along with my car.

According to this site I am related to neighbors (both former & current) as well as that phantom called Elena Difiori who the Church of Scientology seems to think is a tenant. If I ever saw this woman I wouldn't recognize her from a hole in the dirt! Also listed as a relative is some fellow with a name I don't recognize. I have absolutely no clue as to who this person is! Geez, talk about alternative facts and false news!

One SIGNIFICANT PERSON who was conspicuously absent is my now 80 year old BROTHER! He lives in a group home in another state and we are in regular contact! It boggles my mind that a blood relation as well as a sibling was NOT listed, but total strangers I've never even met WERE!!!

I was able to get in there and correct a few things but not all, to do so I was required to pay! From what I see, this was a scam, a scumbag site that existed only to extort money! They couldn't care less if the majority of their information was incorrect.

I called the phone number listed for MY LIFE and was told to expect at least a 20 minute wait. -- If they tell you that upfront, count on the wait time being twice as long. Who has that kind of time to waste!

NEVER did I give my consent to be on this site!!! I consider it an INVASION OF MY PRIVACY!!! -- And worse it's filled with numerous and erroneous info!!!

Soon after, My Life was sending emails inviting me to view private information about my neighbors. I had absolutely zero interest!!! And if their personal info is anything like what I found on mine, most of it had to be false anyway!

These emails have dried up and I hope this site has too!

DEADLY CATS

 

I hate this time of year the season of the hurricane!!! As I look at photos of the recent devastation wrought upon Texas & Louisiana those same feelings that sickened and stressed me when Hurricane Michael struck Mexico Beach in 2018 came flooding back. These should be once in a lifetime storms or at least once in a generation and not frequent occurrences.

And now we are into the peak of the season!

I wish science would create something that would blow these monsters right back out to sea and keep them there! Hurricanes are fueled by warm waters. Thanks to climate change we can count on even more frequent and stronger ones in our future.

As a resident of a coastal Florida town I fear it's just a matter of time before it's our turn. In the recent past several Cat 3 and 4 hurricanes have skirted our coast. I've personally gone thru 6 Cat 2's in my lifetime, half of them alone. Plenty of expensive damage was done and I've seen trees uprooted during Cat 1's.

I know a Cat 4 would turn my home into rubble! And despite the whopping insurance premiums I pay, I'd never be able to rebuild my home as it stands now. If I survive, after rebuilding and with all the losses incurred, I'd be better off moving. At my age, it wouldn't be a new start, but an ending.

In only 4 months I'll be 70 years old.

My options would be some type of senior housing, possibly in a group setting. -- As to the latter, I'd rather be dead! I love living alone! I don't have to deal with anyone else's drama, nonsense, or toxicity and I've put up with way too much of that in the past!

I'd rather make a date with the Grim Reaper in my garage before I'd let it come to that. Except there would be no garage anymore!

The only good thing in that scenario is that if another major storm came it would no longer be my problem. I'd need not worry about the bother and expense getting my house boarded & unboarded. I have a two-story and no one wants the job!

The last Cat 4 that threatened (last year) cost me $600. The man wanted another $300 for unboarding. But I talked him out of it by agreeing to remain boarded until the end of the season. Living in a dark house for weeks at a time is depressing, not to mention dangerous. I'd be a cooked piece of meat if a fire broke out. And this was the second time in recent years I was forced to tolerate this. -- And to think in 2004 I paid only $40 for the same job.

The 2004 back-to-back hurricanes were a nightmare but could have been much worse! The checks I received from my insurance company were a joke! Had I no insurance at all and just banked the premiums I would have had more money to cover my expenses.

I needed a new roof, plus all the screens on my big back porch were ripped apart and the shreds blowing in the wind.

Just the spring before, I had rose bushes planted in the border along the front of my house. Hurricane Frances killed most of them and the ones she didn't, Jeanne killed striking 3 weeks later to the day.

October 1 was the end of hurricane season when I was growing up. Now it's November 30! With global warming, climate change, whatever you want to call it; I wouldn't be surprised if we see year round hurricanes in my lifetime and I am far from young.

Nowadays entering each new hurricane season I worry and wonder if it will be the one taking my home, the place I rediscovered my happiness. Would I want to survive?

Death comes in many different categories; the loss of a cherished lifestyle is one.

However as long as I'm able to remain alone and stay in control of my own life there's always a chance at happiness!