Raw Drip

We spent the better part of the day trapped at home with the kids weathering Tropical Storm Fay.  Sadly playing into every female stereotype, Fay couldn’t quite make up her mind where to park and spent the better part of the last 24 hours breezily meandering around the Florida peninsula leaving a path of distraction in her wake.  For us, the worst part of the whole ordeal was Adam & Tabitha’s attack of cabin fever that struck at 10 a.m.  Once cabin fever set in, conditions inside our home deteriorated far more rapidly than those outside. 

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Like many fellow Floridians, Dick and I monitored the approach of Fay for the past week or so and as her track veered towards our area, we executed on our hurricane safety plans.  Dorky urban dwellers that we are at heart, we dutifully followed the advice in the local newpaper, bringing in our potted plants and other exterior decorative items that could become projectiles in a fierce wind storm.  We checked the batteries in our transistor radio and gathered together our canned goods & some basic first aid supplies.   In final preparation, we gassed up our vehicles and stocked up on non-perishable grocery items at our local warehouse club. 

As we marched out of the superstore, our carts overflowing with boxed gallon jugs of water, assorted batteries, and a lifetime supply of coffee, cereal, crackers & trail mix, I was stunned to see what our fellow shoppers considered “emergency” supplies.  Most other shopper’s carts were loaded with cases of wine, beer, hard liquor, potato chips and cigarettes.  One male shopper even bought a 56″ LCD TV to go along with the new generator and cases of Budweiser him and his children would undoubtedly need to survive the oncoming cyclone.  Clearly his was the kind of emergency shopping that occurs when you send your husband out to stock up on the necessities.

Of course, I can’t be too judgemental here.  There’s arguably a certain utility in all the beer, wine & liquor purchases - inebriation being one good way to get through a day trapped at home with small children.  But the thing that really mystified me was the lack of coffee? Not a single shopper was stocking up.   I mean no electricity, no water or snacks – all of that I can handle, but no coffee?  Now we’re talking Donner party…