“I should keep a pair of shoes near the bed”

10:16 p.m. [September 18, 2003/Dad’s Work Laptop]

Every time I try to turn the light on, I end up saying “force of habit”. Everything seemed “normal” when I woke up this morning, at least from 9 a.m.-12:15 p.m. I mean yes, I knew that the hurricane was coming today, so it didn’t take me by surprise of course.  I took a shower, put on a new pair of pajama pants and a turtleneck, watched the 10:00 a.m. daily show repeat on the win tv, went downstairs and started studying for my Art History test next week, and right after mom and I had sandwiches for lunch, the power went out. I knew it was going to go out sometime during the day, but not at 12:15 when the wind was barley blowing and it was just raining. About 20 minutes later the wind started to really pick up, and dad told us to go to the other side of the house. So all of us [mom, dog, and I and occasionally dad would walk in there] camped out there. Everyone was lighthearted. I studied for my art history test a little more; mom flipped though a magazine, the wind picked up. For today, the four windows in the “sunroom” was our television. It poured down rain, and people were still driving around like there wasn’t a hurricane. I watched the trees sway back and forth, and right after mom and I finished having lunchmeat sandwiches for dinner, it hit the fan. Trees started falling everywhere, it was a little odd just pointing and saying, “Oh wow, look at that one” after it fell quietly down, exposing its roots. The first trees to go were the ones on the side of our property, next to the fence that hides this place that looks like a junkyard, and the trees in the unoccupied house across the street. Those over there just fell like dominos. The ones near the junkyard crashed into the fence.  And then we saw a pecan tree in the front yard that had been almost pulled near the ground. We watched it for ten minutes, and then it just quietly fell down. I walked to the back of the house, and saw that a huge tree was across our backyard. I’m thinking in all about ten trees fell in our yard. I’m sure dad is going out there tomorrow morning, to assess the damage. None of them have fallen on our house so far. I think the tree that fell across the backyard had been on my shit list for a while, every time it stormed, or the wind blew a lot that tree would start swaying, and I was always afraid that it would crash right into my bedroom. Maybe the magnolia tree next to my window near my bed is gone too. It was a pretty tree too, but it too was on the “list” because I was always afraid that it was going to fall on me while I was sleeping.

There was a squirrel outside during the storm that didn’t get the memo from the other squirrels to leave town. He was sitting under the car port, soaking wet, with his little paws curled up, looking for a dry place.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the power wasn’t out for another day, or that my car that is parked over at the VA Diner packing plant is stolen. I don’t miss tv that much, or going online really. I miss watching tapes a little, though. I’m sad that I’m going to miss TDS for the first time in a year and a half. (I think this makes only the fourth or fifth time I’ve missed it all since May of 2000) I asked Cristina if she could tape me an extra copy of the show tonight and she said sure. I hope she remembers.