My son and his family are anxiously awaiting Irma in a crowded high school classroom.  It’s the calm before the storm!  They are sheltered on the second floor, above any potential water surges.  The storm is headed right for them, after they spent a restless night on the floor.  They were able to sneak home this morning for a shower and breakfast, but are now restricted to the building.  Florida residents had a lot of time to prepare for this storm, but they’ve also had a lot of time to fret.  The storm itself is moving at only 9-miles per hour, as it grinds its way up the coast.  They will all lose power soon, and concerns will heighten for potential damage of their precious homes.  It’s a helpless position to be in!

We will probably end up sending our donations to the clean-up directly to him.  They spent money to buy plywood, food, and supplies in anticipation of the aftermath, that may leave nearby Marco Island completely under water.  I’ve been traveling to the Gulf Coast of Florida since the late 1950’s .  Only in recent years has this area been affected by Hurricane conditions.  Hermine hit on September 1, 2016, just after Ingid in September of 2013, along with some tropical storms that caused damage in this recent time span.  Prior to 2013, the last Gulf Coast hurricane was recorded in 1886, giving an impression that this side of Florida was somewhat immune to this type of activity.  However, the condo that I bought in Florida 25 years ago will surely be under water by tonight.  Fortunately, I no longer own it, but it was initially what led to my son being a current Florida resident.  My former in-laws, who still own a unit nearby, are even closer to the Gulf.  They are typically not down there this time of year, since the Indiana weather is so pleasant.   They should be a thousand miles away when the surge floods the complex.  I’ve seen the water level rise to just outside their doorway during a tropical depression many years ago, and this will certainly be worse.  I’m just glad that I didn’t schedule a trip to Disney World or book a Caribbean cruise this week!

We went to see the movie, Logan Lucky, last night, as a distraction from watching the Weather Channel.  The Hitman’s Bodyguard was our first choice, but seating was limited to the first row.   We were able to at least get the second row for our second choice.  It was a major deviation from our typical back-row preference, but I had some passes to use and stood in line at the box office rather than the convenience of the Fandango app.  The movie turned out to be a bit silly, reminding me of a red-neck version of Oceans 11.  My wife said that they used that analogy to poke fun at themselves in a background news story during the movie that referred to the robbery as “Oceans 7-11.”  I must have been too close to the screen to hear!

Before our trip to the cinema, we took the dogs down to the neighborhood International Fall Festival in a nearby park.  The big draw for me was my favorite food truck, The Dump Truck, serving cheeseburger dumplings with a tasty ketchup and mustard sauce.  Its “permanent” home is in a downtown Food Park, not too far from where we lived three years ago in our move to Portland.  I would frequent this restaurant, along with one of its neighbors called The Grilled Cheese Grill.  This popular food cart earned notoriety when Jerry Seinfeld and Fred Armisen were seen there together as part of Seinfeld’s show “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.”  Gourmet Grilled Cheese sandwiches and cheeseburger dumplings were part of my initiation into Portland dining.  The festivities in the park included music, wine, ice cream, and food trucks, but I failed to see any of my neighbors.

Tomorrow, I head to the office, just like the old days.  My former company is hosting a performance by musician Jason Isbell, and compatriots in retirement and I scored some free tickets.  He is performing at the Keller Auditorium tomorrow night, but the more intimate setting of the former “Skype Lounge” will more than satisfy my desire to see him.  My two friends bought tickets for his evening show, so they will get a double-dose.  It will be my first visit to the building where I worked my final two years in broadcasting since the end of December.  Our offices were on the 6th Floor, while the lounge is situated on street-level, so I will not be exposed my former cubical, but will probably see some old friends.  On Friday, I’ve also organized a reunion of former Alpha employees like myself at a Buffalo Wild Wings near that office, so I will make the old drive downtown twice next week.  I’ll have to pay for parking on both occasions, but it should be worth the hassle to re-connect with some old work compadres.

While I’m downtown, I can have my glasses repaired that were broken in the Hood to Coast Relay van.  I’ve been relying on my back-up pair this past few weeks.  Plus, I have a dentist appointment to clean my teeth, and plan to get my oil changed.  My wife returns Friday night from D.C. and will hook-up with her niece at PDX.  They both arrive at the airport within a couple of hours of each other, and will drive back to the condo together.  She’s visiting from Atlanta, so we’ll spend the weekend doing touristy things like wine tasting and sight-seeing.  By then, we’ll know the damage that Irma has done to Florida, and how much of a donation to send to my son, and if there will be any left to share with other victims of Irma.