Friday, July 22, 2016

Are You Ready?


When Bob was taking a bath last night, he tried to turn off the cold water but the knob was stripped and just turned and turned in his hand. We had to turn off the water for the whole house to get it to stop. (I filled up the coffee machine with water before turning it off, obviously.) The plumber came in the morning and all is fixed now but last night I had a disturbing realization.

There was no other water. 

No jugs in the fridge or bottled water hanging out on the counter. The water in the earthquake kit was old. I am not prepared for an emergency. I haven't changed out the preparedness kit since before we moved into this place two and a half-years-ago. I always like to know we're ready for anything so this was unsettling. 

I've written about earthquake preparedness before. I know how important it is. I know the supplies that are needed and how to acquire them. I just haven't done it in much too long. Our crappy water faucet was sending me a message and the message was, "Get it together, woman." 

I'm getting it together. Are you guys ready?



6 comments:

  1. I got fired up this Spring for some reason and overhauled all the kits (both ends of the house and the car). It felt really good getting them all tuned up. Especially since I had last done them in 1994 (after Northridge).

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  2. We aren't prone to earthquakes here in New Orleans, hurricanes are our thing. Usually with evacuations, so always knowing what I'll grab on the way out is important. And we have long time without power and the like, so I have my camp stove and some campfood, spare batteries for flashlights, etc.

    Been through it enough times to always be thinking: ok, if I lose power, how am I going to eat through what's in the freezer and fridge before it goes bad. One year was magical - without power for ten days, a mandatory evacuation that some of us refused (first responder friends and me just stubborn), we'd have parties on the porch (so hot inside) as I cooked up everything. NOw my stove is electric which is inconvenient but I'll make workarounds with the camp stoves.

    I don't know how it will work in this neighborhood. At my last house, I never evacuated because I almost never lost power, and when I did the windows gave a great breeze. That was a good recovery place for people to come shower and charge phones, etc. A magical house ... I think it's watched over by the former neighbor. She died during Katrina and after they removed her body they tore down the house. I later bought the lot, and I swear she watches over us.

    I just moved into this house and I don't know how it will be. Not a lot of trees to fall on power lines and so far no power loss (common in New Orleans). I'm getting rain barrels again soon and I have a super-duty water filter. I have a big back yard and a hammock to sleep out there if it's too hot in the house once I lose power. I got a backup coffee grinder in case of no power, and i know well how to make coffee on the campstove. Priorities!

    Am I ready? As ready as I can be. Enough times through this and "hurricane season" makes it time to think about this constantly. Once a storm nears the gulf, we do the other things - always keep the car gassed up, have cash on hand. I know where I'll evacuate to (Houston) and my pup is welcome (though the cats there will be very unhappy). I don't know if I'll board up the windows, kind of depends on the level of threat. I'm more likely to stay than evacuate, though now that I have a dog I have to consider that. If it's impassable on the roads, what would I do? I can't leave her behind, obviously. I could leave her food and water and the dog door open, but no way. She's my family. She's also the one who - sensing how upset I am about politics right now (DAvid Duke is running for office!) - pushed the laptop off my lap and sat on my lap for the first time ever.

    So, yes and no. thanks for humoring me spouting about what's on all of our minds every year June 1-September 30.

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    Replies
    1. Wow. That's amazing! Thanks for sharing. No way I'd leave Teddy behind either. xoxo

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    2. Cheers, NOLA from Galveston county, TX. Yep, the season is upon us, August-September you kind of sleep with one eye on the Gulf. I've got to get us ready too...NOW. We won't evac either and I don't have enough stuff. If you wait too long, there's no stuff left to get. Thanks for the reminder, Lisa!!
      Shirley B.

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