I don't even know where to BEGIN with this...

Growing up in Eastern NC, I've seen my share of hurricanes! By now we can all pretty much tell what's going to be a catastrophe, what we should stay indoors for, and what is simply going to be nothing but a few hour wind/rain storm.

I don't know if I am just forgetful or if things have gotten a little out of hand, but I don't recall the entire city ever having such an EXTREME reaction over something like this.

Has the world gone hurricane-crazy? Everyone is on the end-of-the-world bandwagon with this crap.

This is Hanna right now:

We had a little rain this morning, a beautiful breeze on a sunny afternoon...yet the entire county decides to shut down all the schools and daycares so MOST OF US that still have to WORK have nowhere to send their children (I don't have kids of course, but it was hell for a lot of moms who did today). It is 6:30 PM and it's BEAUTIFUL outside.

There is a city curfew of 7:00PM that I just cannot understand. Why not 10:00, at LEAST.

We went shopping at Bed Bath & Beyond for things to put in our kitchen this weekend and they weren't closing until 6:00PM for the storm.

I went to Food Lion at 5:00PM people, and they were ALREADY BOARDED SHUT.

A place that people HAVE to go, a place above all others that needs to stay open til the LAST MINUTE is CLOSED.

I was so mad, I hauled tail a mile down to the Piggly Wiggly. Now folks, I HATE Piggly Wiggly. Mostly because there has NEVER been more than 5 cars in that parking lot at one time. Everything is DUSTY, and about 10% more expensive than Food Lion. There isn't enough turn over on the food in that place, yuck.

When I get there, there isn't a single parking spot left! I thought the roads had looked empty, but damn, it's because the whold city had congregated at the Pig.

Instead of the normal ONE lane and ONE employee visible in that place, EVERY lane was open with about 20 cashiers and baggers. I'm willing to bet they all met for the first time tonight, because they sure as hell have never been seen working more than one at a time in that place.

I only needed a few things to get me through the weekend, only because I've had a busy and overly procrastinated week so stupidly waited til the last minute. After seeing the madhouse, I decided to get the basics: My wine, milk, juice, and Richie's Pepto Bismol. Cost me $25! Would have cost $20 at Food Lion, AND I would have gotten a free milk ticket, grrr...

Anyway, my main intent was a loaf of bread with lunchmeat, but lunchmeat was too expensive there, and the bread aisle.....oh, the bread aisle....

You'd have thought we were getting a typhoon the size of Australia.

You'd have thought we were going to be sealed into our homes for 3 months.

Evidently that's what EVERYONE thinks, because there wasn't a SINGLE loaf of bread left. Not a muffin, not a bagel, not a moldy bag of raisin loaf in the dusty back corner, not a DAMN thing left.

Here it is, 6:40PM. I've got a book a million pages long to read over the weekend thanks to Joanie, a bottle of wine, and a kitchen to finish. It's still sunny and beautiful outside, and I will more than likely sleep through the wind and rain. And if it lasts til tomorrow, well dang it, thank goodness it's my day off and I don't have to work in it, because I got wet enough delivering mail in the first bands of the storm this morning.

 If this doesn't break my new sub in, I don't know what will. She better not get too mad and forget who's going to have to work through Ike (ME). THAT is the one I would take seriously. Not Hanna.