There's a light drizzle outside now. No wind worthy of the name, just a gentle breeze.

Damn you, plywood manufacturers! Damn you to hell!!

[Update after a little reflection]

Well, to be philosophical about it, it's kind of like washing your car to make it rain, or carrying an umbrella to prevent same. If the storm doesn't hit us, we've done a great service to southern Palm Beach and northern Broward counties by preparing our house for a hurricane and spending the money to move out of it.

But perhaps I speak too soon. The demon, at whatever strength or intention, continues to lurk off shore.

Anyway, for now, for those grateful, the tip jar is to the left.

Well, try to get some sleep, anyway...

the tip jar is to the left

You should have moved to the Sun Coast. We've been pre-disastered.

Seriously, there is a storm out there and it is coming. Stay put, stay safe, be glad you prepared, and be glad it may have been for nothing.

On behalf of your readers and co-conspirators, I'm sure we'd much rather think of you, slightly poorer and drinking a beer on the porch of a motel on a pleasant September evening than getting tossed around by some gawdawful 120-knot monster. It's been really weird watching this storm come in, even from a safe distance. I've never been in a hurricane; all my natural disasters (one decent earthquake and one rather tempermental wildfire) haven't been the sort that inexorably crawl towards you at 9mph. I can't decide if that's better or worse. In other traumatic situations, I've often found that anticipation makes things that much worse; on the other hand, the chance to prepare in advance seems kinda nice. I suppose it's a matter of taste, like whether you go for the classic slow-moving zombie flicks or the more recent fast-moving ones.

I digress. In any case, glad you're safe. Kind of a pity about the shuttle fleet, however. And I was rather looking forward to seeing Limbaugh's mansion getting flattened... :-)

Don't grumble till it's past! Charley headed toward us at category 2 and was category 4 a couple hours later. You may yet need that plywood.

Stay safe!

Well it's 9:00 am here in western West Palm Beach and it's getting dicey. Storm is 100 miles off shore, and we are getting winds up to 80 mph.

Don't know how you are doing south in Del-Ray, But I imagine from TV it ain't no fun.

The depressing part is that we are going to put up with this for another 24 - 36 hours.

Expect the power to go out real soon. I have generator power but will have to wait till the heavy stuff is over to put it outside.

As I type it's gotten real dark out there. Something's coming...

greg