HA! Erin, like we're afraid of you! We scoff at your paltry winds and rain...

Just because we all got complacent those NOAA guys had to fix our wagons and sic a Tropical Storm (Erin as she goes by) on us.

Hey NOAA, I get it. You're Chicken Little and we all blew you off about the sky is falling.

Okay you woke us up, now call back your storm. Tell it to sit, wait, lie, and play dead.

I think the Rita-strength hurricane threat was a little over the top; I noticed even the news media didn't take you seriously. I mean, probably half of the area is all, "Erin? Erin who? And NOAA? Who's that? Her husband?"

That storm? With its paltry 40 mph winds, rapidly approaching land just south of my town? It's leaving the Happy Hurricane Zone of the Gulf. That means the power and force it needed to pick up? TOO LATE BABY!

So HA! I laugh in the face of your storm. HA HA HA HA

It wasn't going to happen anyway because I employed my super secret anti-hurricane magic, also known as Preparing for the Worst. My flood insurance is paid up, the tree at risk already fell, I've stockpiled essentials in the house (water, batteries, flashlights), and my important documents are in grab-n-go mode. I even have an official little Evacuation and Preparedness checklist (typewritten).

You see? No way was this going to be a hurricane and hit here.

So, while I was buying water I grabbed the makings of a happy little cocktail we Gulfies like to call a Hurricane.

What do you mean do I know Dean? Dean who?

Copyright 2007 Julie Pippert
Also blogging at:
Ravin' Maven REVIEWS: Get a real opinion about BOOKS, MUSIC and MORE
Ravin' Maven RECOMMENDS: A real opinion about HELPFUL and TIME-SAVING products
About-HOUSTON-TX.com: HOT scoop about H-Town!

Restaurant Trauma in Texas: How eating out prompted a really uncomfortable lesson about culture

WARNING: This is NOT a family-friendly post, aka the warning I WISH I'd gotten yesterday before I walked in. Yesterday was a Holiday. I hope you heard the scare quotes around that. Yeah, when you are an adult here is how holidays work: you, same workload as always, kids WOO HOO NO SCHOOL FREEDOM. Do the equation. The result is the day I had yesterday. If math isn't your strong suit I'm pretty sure you can still add that up but just in case let's say the highlight of the afternoon included me dumping out the mismatched sock basket and telling the children to have at it, in a way very reminiscent of Miss Hannigan of Annie . Anyway luckily I've taught my kids that Chores are Fun! and they had a good time. Later, I cranked up the fun-o-meter on a bank errand by dropping in the Halloween store to check out costumes, and upped the ante on "Mom needs new running shoes" by tacking on a "Hey let's eat out at a restaurant!" My husband was able to join ...

If I Could Talk To Him One More Time, Today (a Monday Mission)

This is part of the Monday Mission. We're to leave a voice mail. Check out Painted Maypole's spot for more... "Hi...umm...Mitch? It's Julie, Julie from high school. I doubt you remember me; we only knew each other for about five minutes. You mowed our lawn a few times, dated my friend's sister, and were in my AP English class senior year. That's why I'm calling---about what you did in the English class. It made a lasting impression, really made a difference in my life. That probably sounds dramatic but it's true. You see, I'd spent a lot of years being the kid who fell through the cracks in school. I think by high school I'd gotten tired of being the good enough and compliant student. Senior year, I was one inch from dropping out, and I probably would have if I'd had the guts or I thought my parents would let me get away with it. Instead, I just created a lot of unnecessary sturm and drang for myself, and cut school so much that by the end ...

Me Talk Big One Day (A Hump Day Hmm for 2-20-2008)

Image source and story of image: National Galleries of Scotland If you were to ask me, I'd tell you that I tend to say things other people dare not say. I speak my mind. I don't always coat my words with a generous dollop of ass kissing. Many people consider averted eyes, swallowed words, and sugar coating their due. Skipping this is perceived as disrespectful. It never quite got me to bite my tongue, though, even at times I perhaps should have. I was bold, arrogant, and defensive about this, as the youth often are about their immaturity. But as I entered my mid-thirties and beyond, I began noticing a disturbing pattern: a tendency to swallow my words and sugarcoat. Was this maturity? Wisdom? Or was it a desire to please? Was I tired and worn down? I sat down and looked backwards--- Russo-style , through the opposite end of the telescope---and tried to figure out if I'd ever been as bold out loud as I was in my mind. Was I? Had I been? Could I be? Should I? I believe I was...

Julie Pippert: Using My Words

Search This Blog