Friday, September 17, 2004
Now I've Seen (Heard & Read) It All
We've all seen the messages that people scribble on their boarded up doors and windows. One of the most amusing I've seen this week was one on a door. In descending order was a neatly numbered list: 1. Charley, 2. Frances, 3. Ivan, 4 Sale. Hopefully they were kidding about selling, but we like their sense of humor.I'm not sure about other states, but Florida has a huge number of specialty license plates available. It seems they honor everything from Manatees to Shuttles to State Colleges plus many more. Of course, Floridians pay extra fees to enjoy a decorative plate. These fees vary according to the plate and the additional funds go to support the cause for which the tag was designed. This one is not an "official" plate, but perhaps one should be established by Legislation (yes, folks... to authorize a new plate, it takes Legislative action) to benefit the victims of Florida's hurricanes.
Saturday, September 18, 2004
In Times Like These, Small Steps Make a Difference
People's lives have literally been turned upside-down by Hurricane Ivan and relief efforts are just getting a good start in the Panhandle. Troubling reports are coming from the area as, on the third day after the storm, relief efforts are hitting snags. Trucks of supplies are tied up in traffic that stretches miles long into the affected areas, delaying supply shipments. Some trucks were also forced to detour around washed-out roads and bridges. Supplies leaving Eglin Air Force Base in Okaloosa County by truck were taking 10 hours to reach Escambia County — a trip that normally takes only one hour.Other trouble spots included:
- Florida's supply of ready-made meals are 'tapped out" with a supply from another state en route.
- Long lines for ice and water.
- Longer lines for gasoline.
- Hospital facilities are damaged, emergency rooms are busy and many local nursing homes have no idea when their power will be restored.
- Hundreds of thousands are still without power.
In times like these it is the small things that help restore normalcy and mean a lot...
- Southern LINC and Verizon were offering free long distance calls and cell phone charging to residents of Pensacola and Fort Walton.
- The U.S. Postal Service has generators running at post offices and will try to resume regular mail delivery to accessible homes and businesses.
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
The Revenge of the Hurricanes
I left this blog hanging. It's not that I lost interest, I simply wasn't sure what to say. I would try to write and nothing would come. So many were suffering that I couldn't even bring myself to post the latest hurricane humor. So, I chalked it up to storm fatigue and took a few days off. Now, as Governor Schwarzenegger would say... "I'm back!"So is Ivan. You remember Hurricane Ivan? Ivan was the strong Category III hurricane that left portions of Florida's Panhandle in shambles and as he traveled inland dumped huge amounts of rain over several states causing massive flooding. Well, while most of us weren't looking, the remnants of Ivan slipped south and west – back across Florida – and into the Gulf of Mexico where he has been reincarnated as a tropical storm threatening the Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas coasts. Unbelievable.
Hurricane Jeanne is the big story though. Jeanne is the same storm that Florida wasn't supposed to worry about, and for the most part we didn't. We were beginning to feel a bit of normalcy again. The plywood is down and we can again see out our windows. I've gone three days without filling up my car with gas. Just yesterday I set out the patio furniture and my refrigerator is again filled with perishables. Now forecasters say Florida should worry about Jeanne.
