Things I Learned From Hurrican Ike

I'm reposting some of my old blog material,
mostly to get it all in one place again.
This was originally posted on My Space on Sep 27, 2008.

Things I learned from Hurricane Ike

• When the electricity goes off you will still flip the light switch every time you enter the room, even if it's been off for days. And each time you do it you will be surprised when the lights don't come on.
• There are an amazing number of people who have no idea of how to negotiate a four way stop at a busy intersection.
• There is darkness ... and then there is the absolute absence of light. There's a huge difference.
• Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches can taste pretty good when that's all you have to eat.
• It is actually possible to go more than twenty-four hours without watching television and survive.
• Running into / tripping over things in the dark is painful.
• There are an amazing number of things you cannot cook without eggs, butter, and/or milk.
• As far as the local news is concerned, a natural disaster trumps a financial disaster every time.
• Ice can be used to barter for goods and services.
• If terrorists really wanted to strike fear and panic into the hearts of Americans, they would just create a gas shortage.
• People will get into a ridiculously long line without having any idea of what the line is for... and the closer to the front of the line they are, the longer they are willing to wait to find out why they're in line.
• It doesn't matter if FEMA does a thousand things right, the news people are still going to find the two or three people who think they were ignored by the government and put them on TV.
• I stink at finding ways to entertain myself without electricity.
• Rocks (and other dense, non-aerodynamic objects) can fly.
• If the wind and water don't get you, that tree in your front yard will.
• Living in a hot, humid climate with no air conditioning makes people really crabby.
• No matter how good your 'hurricane' story is, someone in the office will have a better one.
• Hurricanes suck.