Hurricanes: Weathering The Storm June 24, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Health & Wellness, Nature.comments closed
Unlike tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes (which often wreak havoc with little or no advance warning), hurricanes generally don’t sneak up on us.
Weather experts monitor each storm’s approach, predicting the expected track and gauging the level of wrath, giving residents time to prepare and, if necessary, evacuate to remove themselves from the path of destruction.
If you decide to stay put:
(1) Fill the bathtub with water for washing and to flush toilets.
(2) Make sure you have enough drinking water on hand ~ 15 gallons per person (one gallon per person per day for two weeks).
(3) Turn the refrigerator and freezer controls to the coldest settings.
(4) Fill clean containers with water for drinking and cooking and store them in the refrigerator and freezer to keep contents cold longer in the event of a brief power outage and to provide you with extra drinking water if water supplies become contaminated.
(5) Check your supply of non-perishable food ~ canned or dry. Keep a manual can opener handy.
(6) Items to have on hand: tools (hammer, nails, knife, pliers, screwdrivers) * unscented bleach to purify water (8 drops per gallon) * one flashlight per person * spare batteries *battery operated radio * matches or lighters * disposable plates and utensils * first aid supplies (bandages, gauze, scissors, cotton balls, petroleum jelly, antiseptic spray, hydrogen peroxide, antacids, aspirin, thermometer, rubbing alcohol).
(7) Other items which might prove useful: plastic freezer bags to fill with water to make ice * grill or sterno stove with extra fuel * garbage bags for clean up * rope or heavy cord * tarpaulin for temporary roof repairs * needle and thread
If a blackout occurs:
(1) Turn off or disconnect all motor-driven appliances and fixtures to avoid damage from sudden surges when power is restored.
(2) Open the refrigerator or freezer as seldom as possible during a power outage. Food will stay frozen for up to 48 hours if the freezer is full and tightly packed and the door is kept closed. Food in a partly filled freezer may keep for 24 hours.
(3) If food in the freezer does defrost, use it within one or two days. Never refreeze food that has thawed completely. If in doubt, throw it out.
(4) Avoid using candles, as they may result in a fire. Use flashlights instead.
Other thoughts, suggestions, and ideas . . . please comment below!
Related posts: Hurricanes: Evacuation & Homecoming * Hurricanes ~ Other Tips & Resources
Dance Like No One’s Watching June 24, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Exercise & Fitness, Happiness, Health & Wellness, Humor.comments closed
Life is not alway a bed of roses, but when we find ourselves in a rose garden, we should dance.
Better still . . . dance where you are planted!!!
Do the Boogie Woogie . . .
Whirl & Twirl . . .
Sway side to side . . .
Or just bounce . . .
Don’t wait to be happy to dance. Make yourself happy by dancing.
Quote: You should be dancing, yeah! ~ The BeeGees
Aah . . . that’s better!
Weighty Words June 24, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Food & Drink, Humor, Writing & Writers.comments closed
There’s a correlation between what I’m writing and the number on my bathroom scale . . .
If I’m writing a novel, a continuous effort to push out words toward a unified goal, my weight dips down.
It’s not that I forget to eat, but I’m too engrossed in writing to take my stomach’s protests seriously:
Stomach: {{rghrghrgh}}
Me: I’m busy. I’ll feed you later.
Stomach: {{RGHRGHRGHRGHRHGRHG}}
Me: OK, OK . . . as soon as I finish this chapter.
By the end of the chapter, three days later, my stomach has given up and gone back to sleep.
I step on the scale, blink in surprise at the diminutive number smiling up at me, and realize that my novel’s gains are my loss ~ as I flesh out a novel with weighty words, my weight melts away.
In contrast, when I’m blogging, there are too many pauses ~ convenient places to get up and eat:
Me: Aah, post #427. Done and dusted. I guess I’ll head to the kitchen and grab a bite to eat.
Stomach: I’m not hungry.
Me: Well, you will be later . . . let’s be proactive.
Aah . . . that’s better!
Spirit Lights The Way 