wordinista

Okay, around two or three o'clock we saw the winds and rain dying down.  We were without power for about four or five hours, which wasn't so bad all things considered.  The canal is ridiculously high and much with the ALLIGATORS OMG.  I saw one, definitely, and judging from the size of his head, I'd say he was about nine or ten feet long.  I didn't want to get closer to ask him to please ease himself out of the water so I could get a better look.

We've got a few tree limbs down in back and the grapefruit tree is bereft of fruit.  We had a little bit of water get in the house, but nothing too bad.  Got the dehumidifier going, so that's just a matter of time.

Bronte and Kisa fared well, though they were pretty freaked out for a while there.  Actually, after things calmed down we opened the windows to find that the screen was loose.  Kisa very nearly became gator food (until George yelled at her and she ran for the hills).  But George couldn't find Bronte, and was worried she'd jumped out of the window.  He ran out of the house to look for her.  I ran into the house (I was outside doing something else) to look for her.

I found her in the guest bedroom, on the bed, under the covers.  There was just a lump in the middle of the bed.  I died laughing.

Something similar happened later -- someone didn't close the front door firmly enough, so the wind (which is still pretty brisk) blew the front door open.  Kisa ventured out of the porch, and when George called her, she ran back in the house.  Again, Bronte was nowhere to be found.

Again I found her hiding under the covers on the guest bed.  I petted the lump:  "Good girl, Bronte."

Bronte:  Mew!

I love my kitty.  XD

Sorry.  Couldn't resist.

So, the storm jumped from a Cat 2 to a Category 5 storm overnight.  Yay.

It also looks like it's going to skim right between Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula, thereby avoiding Cuba's mountainous terrain, which would weaken the storm significantly.  Double yay.

So far, the "cone of uncertainty" is very large.  Fnar.  S'gonna hit Florida; that much is pretty much guaranteed. Triple yay.

Looks like it'll weaken before hitting FL, at least.  *crosses fingers*

And if all of this wasn't bad enough, it was delivered this morning by an annoying meteorologist, who was the stand-in for the meteorologist we prefer watching in the morning (he's on vacation).  This woman has way too much difficulty with the cue-cards, man.  Such a ditz.

Par example:

"You'll see here between... [pause] ...Cuba and the Yucatan, right here.  Here we have warmer... [pause] ...water.  And that warmer water will provide... [pause] ...fuel that will feed the hurricane."

She also focuses on Orlando weather and never what's going on on the coast.  :P

...And, yes, I do have a preferred meteorologist.

I'll probably go out today and fill up the car.  It's pretty empty.  We're pretty good with supplies, though picking up another carton or two of water can't hurt.  And I might even swing by our local British import shop, because mscongeniality shared some of her PG Tips with me, and it's become my crack.  Granted, some people (like my mom) would argue that I have "too much tea."  I, however, disagree.  No matter how much tea I have, it's always just enough. XD

Pfah.  Too much tea.  I've never heard of anything so ridiculous.