The Patio Page
continued from D1
and we’re not going to be here.” Click.
I wish I could tell you our house was a model of preparedness, but it was not. This is because I am married to an optimist.
My husband simply did not believe the storm was real, or was really going to hit, or was really going to be much of a big deal.
So even though I had purchased water, batteries and a few loaves of bread, he didn’t do much in the way of prepping.
As the wind started blowing, the patio furniture still was outside. So were the garbage cans. My father and I eventually brought everything in and jammed it into the dining room.
Thus, I spent my birthday night not drinking champagne and laughing with my friends, but huddled on the dining room floor i n t he middl e o f a l l t hat patio furniture, listening to a scratchy radio and cursing our lack of hurricane shutters.
We m a k e i t t h r o u g h the storm fine except we lost power for two weeks, which turned me into a bitter woman.
And there was still the matter of my birthday party. What had happened to it? We rescheduled the party, of course.
It was held t wo weeks l a t er, on Sat urday, Sept . 18, at that same restaurant.
My dear friend told me t h e t i mi n g w a s p e r f e c t bec ause in Hebrew, 18 i s “chai”or life, which means good luck.
We had a great time at my party.
I laughed with my friends and we drank champagne.
Then a f e w days l a t e r, another blob formed.
I’m happy to report my husband was Johnny- onthe-spot for that storm. The flashlights were loaded with fresh batteries.
The patio furniture was stacked inside the house.
He even arranged for us to spend the night at a friend’s house, which had shutters.
A n d a f t e r H u r r i c a n e Wil ma hi t us t he f ol l owing year, in 2005, we finally bought hurricane shutters for our house, plus a new roof.
Naturally, we’ve had no hurricanes since then.
But you never know. The Atlantic ’s been busy thi s week.
And my birthday is coming up.