Hurricane preparation from a Hurricane n00b

I've lived in Florida for about two years and Hurricane Irene is the closest possibly to becoming a Hurricane survivor. I highly doubt this storm will be 'Anderson Cooper worthy,' but it has put a bunch of Floridians and tourists on edge. Personally, I've always wanted to experience some sort of weather phenomena, excluding the daily summer monsoons here in central Florida. In fact, this summer I've re-mottoed Florida: The sunshine state, lightening capital of the world.

Being a Hurricane n00b, I've heard a variety of interesting tips from Hurricane survivors. Sadly, all the local stores ran out of the items that are considered essential for Hurricane survival, prior to me deciding that maybe I should be more prepared.

1. Fill up your bathtubs with water.  This is, apparently, so you may have a fresh supply of water, in case the plumbing goes out. It is also the only way to flush a toilet. Only one problem, we only have one tub, and there's no drain plug.
2. Buy a shotgun. Apparently, not nice people try to plunder other people's houses when there's no electricity powering a security system. It's ok, one doesn't need a shotgun when they have a ferocious German Shepherd.
3. Ensure that your trees are trimmed. Luckily, there are no really big trees near my house.
4. Buy bottled water. I'm still not a fan of plastic water bottles. Luckily, my mom is though and manages to keep a hefty supply. All the local stores are out of bottled water cases though. So I sense an apocalypse should the storm actually hit us.
5. Fill up your gas tank now so you can make an easy escape. Meh. I just don't feel that sense of urgency yet.
6. Make sure your flashlights have batteries. I don't think this house has one working flashlight. Probably a problem, but I tend to use my echolocation at night anyway.
7. Buy a weather radio. I sense my logic is flawed, when I think, why would I need a storm radio, I can just use the internet/my phone. I know, I know; I'm completely dependent upon electricity.
8. Buy non-perishable food. I would totally do that, except it was 3 for $5.00 Greek yogurt sale. Besides, all the stores are out of bread. I think, we have some chips.
9. Board up your windows.  But then you'll have to take them down. And why would you want to put holes in the drywall. Again, my sense of urgency is non-existent.
10. Stay tuned to local news for the latest updates. One thing about news in Central Florida is that they obsess over stories until it is dead (i.e Casey Anthony). It would be impossible to blatantly ignore Hurricanes when Floridians start freaking out every 10-seconds.

So that's my Hurricane preparation guide. I'm not going to abandon the fort here. I'm sure this one will miss us, mostly because it knows I have to work open to close on Thursday and all afternoon on Friday.

Jumping off

Recently, my good friend and former co-worker, Tony Albanese quit his job, packed up, and drove across country to Los Angeles. No plan; no real reason, other than he just didn't want his life to be wasted. Apparently, he's done this before and ended up in Orlando.

I can only dream of such actions. I have another friend who went the other way. She had a job working for a big company in Los Angeles. She recently packed up and drove across country to live in New York City. Again, no job.

I wonder why I can't do the same. I have no children, no overwhelming commitments. There are days that I just want to pack up and call it a day. Though logic dictates that it's a 'grass is always greener' situation. It must be nice, even for a day, to have no obligations.

I'm far too attached to my family and to having certainty to just pick up and leave. I'm the type of person that needs a destination and a job. One can only hope that a better opportunity and adventure is out there for every one of us.

One of my favorite things: Empty Theme Park

This past week I've been working from 6:00 AM until 2:00 PM or 3:00 PM. Why, you may ask? I'm not too sure, but I love it. As some of you may know, I'm not exactly a morning person, but I'm always glad once I actually get started. This morning I arrived at 5:30 AM to a completely empty theme park, except for one security guard and a few roaches. I took a breath and found that as absurd of a life I have, it is amazing.

I think very VERY few people have the opportunity to walk through a place alone that is empty and most importantly silent. It's a very underwhelming experience to have silence now or days. As I walk, I imagine that if there was an apocalypse, that emptiness would feel exactly like it does in that moment. Theme parks are usually filled with screaming children, music, ride noises, and every noise pollution possible, but there is a point where all that turns off and it's just a regular place of business.

Again, you may be thinking WHY 6:00 AM. There have been days when I show up, and there are people (tourists) waiting to get in, frantic that it's 5:45 AM and they do not have their tickets.  I appreciate their enthusiasm, but I also truly like that they have to wait outside until 6:00 AM - thus giving me a moment of surreal peace.

That's what it is! Peace. A moment where you can think about yourself and how you feel in the universe. Maybe that's why people like to go camping or to far off places, to feel like a single soul in the universe, rather than just another number or face in the crowd. Inner peace. Namaste.

Things that I'm looking for this week

July is almost over (thank goodness), in Florida it's overwhelmingly hot and infested with tourists. People don't believe me when I say that they smell like sunscreen and disappointment. What is 'vacation' for some people, is daily life for others.

That being said, my summer semester is winding down, and not a moment too soon. I am, again, unbelievably stressed. So much so that I have three (3) Canker sores in my mouth. Two are almost gone, but one is getting bigger and angrier. I usually get them when I'm super stressed and eat a lot of chocolate (all of which happens frequently).

The worst pain I experienced when when I ate a hot dog and got ketchup in the wounds. Omg! It may be worse than electro-therapy. So, the #1 thing I'm looking for a is a cure for mouth sores.

Secondly, I'm sure many people are running into this need as well, but it is the need for more money. I've got bills, yo. It seems like everyone I know is getting married in the coming year. That equals a lot of traveling and dress buying. Some of the money saving tips I've encountered that work well include: not eating (or only having Ramen), car pooling, whoring myself to online surveys (Swagbucks, Crowdtap), sewing holes in clothes, putting tape/glue in the hole in my shoes, and using the library.

Furthermore, I'm addicted to chocolate fudge and Sabra's Supremely Spicy Hummus.  Sadly, the fudge leads to canker sores, and the spicy hummus does not at all help them heal. So maybe it's a win-win.

Any tips are welcome!

07/15/11 FBI: 'Enraged' flier pelts crew with peanuts

CNN reported a story about an  'Enraged' flier pelts crew with peanuts.  I could not help but laugh, because I can totally see myself going crazy and doing the same thing.  It's a common joke amongst my friends, who are equally as stressed out as myself that we will start smoking e-cigarettes.  I'm so close to losing my mind that I can see myself throwing peanuts at people screaming "mah, mah mah, wizards, mah" until I get taken out in a straight jacket. Fully knowing, this is my fate, it's so funny.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Not a spoiler)

Let me start by saying this is not a technical review, won't have any plot comments. More of an observation, as I live in a place literally surrounded by Wizards.

Luckily, I had the opportunity to screen the final Harry Potter film two (2) days before it came out. And people were lining up already in lawn chairs and such. Ok, fine, it's a popular series. But these people were in full wizard outfits. Again, normal...but Hogwarts and such seems to be located in a colder temperature. In Orlando, we hit 95-degrees on both days. That's dedication.

There is also a wizard conference in town, so again, lots of wizards running around. More than usual. I like to play a game similar to 'Punch Buggy' except it's 'Punch Wizard' this week, the bruises have been so bad.

So the film itself it epic. I just called it the this generation's equivalent of the first Star Wars. I'm actually going to pay to see it again. I may even draw a lightening bolt on my forehead.

On being an animal person

The past week, as well as, this week, Charger has been in doggy bootcamp.  I think of it like the Maury show, where they bring the bad kids to jail for a reality shock. This is similar except more obedience school. In addition, this is the first time Charger has been away from us for more than three days. I can't believe how much I miss her. I don't miss being exhausted, but somehow I'm equally as stressed and I miss my puppy.

I posted pictures of her around our house, so that we can see her wherever we normally look. Surprisingly, my mom hasn't taken them down. I think she secretly misses Charger too. I know my dad does. This brings me to a point in my life where I can finally understand why I never got/excelled in an animal career as I wanted. I am not an animal person. I'm starting to become better with animals, but I was and never will be that person. There's something almost magical about people who love and live animals. It's almost ethereal. Animal people can sense other animal people, which is why I think I was never accepted into that world.

Knowing this has brought me peace.  A part of that dissatisfaction I had about not achieving my goals of working with dolphins and whales, has finally ceased.