Instead, Paige is in Raleigh with that cute baby Liam and Jenn and I are hunkering down at her house waiting for Hurricane Irene.
This certainly has been an interesting deployment.
On Tuesday I bought batteries, snacks, a first aid kit, and an extra lantern. Irene was expected to be a Category 3. I worried about the three trees with branches that hang over the house.
On Wednesday I bought water and more snacks. Irene was expected to head more east of here and stay a Category 3. I continued to worry about the three trees with branches that hang over the house. I couldn't decide whether to stay or run away.
On Thursday Jenn helped me bring my plants in to the screened porch. Irene started moving west and was said to be strengthening to a Category 4. I called USAA to make sure that if a tree fell on my house that we were covered by insurance. Don't worry, we are. And, of course, the cars are too. Everyone else seemed to be evacuating, and I still just didn't know what to do. I finally decided to stay.
I also listened to someone tell me the story of a hurricane followed by a band of tornadoes that dropped seven trees on their house and one tree on each of their cars. Most of their belongings were ok, but the cars and house were destroyed. If she could live through it, so could I, right?
Today I finished securing everything outside, cleaned the tubs, filled them with water, packed two coolers and three grocery bags of food, packed enough clothes to last at least a week for any weather or circumstance, loaded up the X-earth, and headed to Jenn's for the weekend. Irene has kept a pretty steady path, but thankfully has weakened to a Category 2. Almost everyone else in the neighborhood has been moved into new housing or left for Raleigh. It was eerily quiet on base since all the helicopters had been evacuated to avoid the storm.
As I packed and cleaned, I thought of all the possible scenarios. A) Nothing would happen and we would be fine. B) Power would be out for a few days, but no major damage. C) I would come home to find three trees blown over directly on my house and it would be flooded from all the rain. D) The satellite dish on the street over would be blown from the ground and Irene would throw it directly into the Sentra's rear windshield. E) Windows in every room would be broken and wind and rain would have destroyed everything in it's path. F) That I would suffer a heart attack at a young age trying to determine every possible scenario that a hurricane could create while my husband was gone.
I couldn't decide what to pack. I stood in front of my closet. My dear Laura texted me to check in and make sure I was ok. Then, in true dramatic girl fashion, I sat on the floor and cried. I really wanted my husband to be here. I really wanted someone to tell me what to do. I REALLY wanted to save all of my clothes and shoes. And I cried a few extra tears thinking about the potential loss of all my pretty clothes and shoes. (You can't take it with you Hilary, you can't take it with you. Store up your treasures in Heaven.)
I finally decided to hope for scenario G) That God would perform a miracle and all the trees would fall away from my house since no one lives around me right now. But just in case, I allowed myself to pack one bin of things I would save. I have joked before that I would save my microwave and DVR if there was a fire in my house. And in a tornado, there's just no saving anything. But when you have lots of time to decide, it's hard to make that decision. As I cleaned and put things away I had a sentimental memory of each item. The ring I bought when I was out with Adam, or the book that reminds me of a dear friend....what would I save if there was a hurricane? I finally decided on some pictures I didn't have scanned and saved on my computer. The scarves Adam bought me from different countries on the last deployment and the nice jewelry he's bought me. And, my reptile print four inch heel platform peep toe pumps that I bought on my recent trip to VA, because if I could save just one article of clothing I would choose those.
So packed up, cleaned up, and secured down, I headed to Jenn's. And here we are now waiting out the storm. Stay tuned for Part Two....even I'm waiting on the edge of my seat!
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