Irksome Irene.

Hurricanes are irksome creatures of nature.  They're fickled, speed up, slow down, change direction on a whim just to piss off those in their path. So, what does one do while awaiting the onslaught of a Catagory. 1 hurricane? 

Laundry.  I figure that since the laundry room is on street level, if we do experience flooding this may be my last chance to get clothes clean for a while.  So, why not?  Three loads later and every stitch of cloth in the place is clean and smelling fresh.  Me, too!

Prepare the Cooler. Putting ice cubes in bags and storing them as the ice-maker cranks out more just in case we lose power for any length of time.  This is the biggest potential problem I see ahead of anyone hit by this very big girl.  Somehow, I always think of an Irene as being a tall red-head.  Don't ask.

Cook.  There was a big beef roast in the freezer and it would spoil if we lost power, so it's simmering on the stove in olive oil, garlic, thyme, and broth.  There will be plenty of sandwiches if we lose power.

Listen.  Strange alert sound followed by a "voice of authority" issued from the fire house.  The alert sound was different from the wailing one used to call attention to a fire or rescue mission, most annoying, lasting for at least 10 minutes, while the comments made by the VoA were muffled and inaudible.  Don't know what that was all about. 

Heavy Rain. It began about 9 am. with the winds picking up about 2 hours later.  Nothing to write home about, so far. though both have intensified over time.

Watch & Wait.  Town is all boarded up. Everything is shutdown tight. No restaurants or stores open anywhere. The outlet shopping centers closed Thursday night and voluntarily remained closed Friday.  Depending on the damage from the storm, they may not open again until the middle of next week.

NHC.  Checked out latest advisories. Located the latest tracking graphic. (See image above and click to embiggen.)  Looks like the eye will pass over us at around 2 am Sunday.  I'll either sleep through it, or be awake most of the night.  Unless, of course, the bitch changes things again.

It's going to be a long day - and night.

More later - if the power holds.
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