Fleeing from the Feeder Bands of Frances....

I am having such a good time that I would feel guilty about it except I don't have to feel guilty. I have spent a frigging fortune on this storm and I am going to frigging well enjoy it.

I know... it could veer west or even southwest and I could be locked in a closet tomorrow hanging on to my kids for our deal little tropical lives but today... I am having such a frigging good time.

I woke up this morning... slept late after staring at loops until way after 1am talking to friends who were more tired than me. Woke up and looked outside and there was no wind.

None. Nothing. I mean not a leaf was moving anywhere. Blue skies. And I thought "oh shit it moved north" and then I thought... "no.... it stalled" and then I thought "it stalled and it weakened."

Turned on the news... it stalled and weakened. This is my business. My hobby. I know without turning the news on.

That was why it felt so weak at the ocean yesterday. Because while Sharon and I were out enjoying the moderate amount of wind they were giving out an advisory that showed the storm had weakened. At 1pm yesterday when Frances was further away it was stronger and you could "feel" it but it weakened and you could feel it as well.

There is some idiot news man on the TV. I'm talking an idiot. And, he says "there is no reason for people to be out there right now on Las Olas" and the girl reporter who is covering the storm had just held up her fancy little wind speed checker and the most she could show was 9 to 10 mph. NINE TO TEN. She kept insisting that it was GUSTING a few minutes early to FOURTEEN. OH WOW ...take cover... she is standing ON THE BEACH and all she can get steady winds are TEN. And, the IDIOT newscaster sitting at his desk says "there is NO reason for them to be out there"

Well, Mr. News Reporter... YOU ARE WRONG.

There is PLENTY of reasons for those people to be out there.

Let me list a few...
THEY ARE OFF WORK. MANY WITHOUT PAY.

THEY HAVE HOUSES THAT ARE BOARDED UP TIGHT. It feels like you are in a jail.. a prison... a dungeon I heard it called. They are bored and tired of watching storm coverage.
They know that the strong winds will not start until later this afternoon and have seen stronger winds in afternoon thundershowers and winds out in front of a cold front. This is not weather yet. They have a day off, their house is locked up and they are saving their food for the much hyped crawling storm and they want to get out in the sun and have some fun and feel the breeze.

Yes. There might be a feeder band coming through. They are sort of kind of hoping they might actually be hit by some weather somewhere so that can justify the fact that they have just spent over $300 (easy) on this non-weather event. They do not want to watch your stupid station anymore or your commercials.

They will if and when the weather deteriorates. They are Miamians. They KNOW weather.

They know when to come in from a thunderstorm.They HOPE they get rained on.

They want to "feel" the storm.

They have seen so many storms slide by Erin, Bertha, Dora, David to name a few that slid by to the NW and we got the "weak" SW side. They know that we will get a few feeder bands and that's it. They will be happy that they took the precautions and blew their diet on all those snacks. They don't mind erring on the side of being very careful.

But Mr. News Reporter they are going to frigging well go to the beach while they can.

You see...here in Miami..we know how to read the radar. We wake up and put on Bill Kamal and see that feeder band off shore coming in slowly dying. We see color infared. We see the water vapor. We know we have a window for "FUN" and we go make hay while the sun shines.
Tomorrow we may die.. or lose electric at the very least. Lose our homes because Frances can turn west like Donna or SW like Betsy and slam into us.

We aren't stupid. But we like our weather and we love going to look at the surf before a storm.
11am... advisory out.. 25.5 76.7 moving at 9mph WNW

The track has been pulled back just a drop to the right because the storm has decreased in intensity and is no longer the Storm that would eat Florida and spit her out and leave behind chewed up palm trees for Ivan who is following behind.

Big difference between a storm that is 145 mph and one that is 115.

But in Davie.. people are still buying lumber. They refuse to believe that the storm will pass us by.

I heard more people today telling me.. "I think its going to turn back to the west at hit us straight on"


So.....

Its shopping time in Miami.Its play time in Miami.Its go out and find a store that's open .. have some Cuban coffee, some croissants, some caramel creme filled butter cookies dipped in fudge or caramel frosting from the Argentinian bakery. Enjoy a Kosher freshly baked egg Challah for Shabbos. We will have a shabbos. We will have Babaganosh and Chumus and I'm making Potato Salad personally. We are going to frigging well enjoy this Tropical event and not complain about how much money it cost me to protect the life and limb of all my children who are enjoying a 5 (FIVE for those of you who are numerically impaired) DAY vacation from school.

Miami...

I love Miami.

The winds have picked up. We are going to get a FEEDER BAND. Yes siree.

And... anyone reading this is thinking "she's nuts" should know that I knew that and that is why I didn't take my precious children to the beach this morning as planned. That and we don't want to waste gas. That is why I went to the beach with Sharon last night at sundown. That is why Sharon and I stayed in the neighborhood, went to Jerusalem Pizza Shop and got breakfast and looked out the door that was left open because the store had boarded up with plywood. Donny made us eggs with onions and cheese and I have a small Israeli salad with coffee. Later I had some Cuban coffee and am now sipping an ice cold Diet Dr. Pepper and my mind is working fast and furious. HAHA ...so Whole Foods closed and I can't find any "think smart" who needs it. I have guarana by the way in case I can't get out later to get more Cuban coffee.

I am not nuts. I am having fun. I have spent enough money on this storm I am allowed to enjoy it.

Let me have some fun before the storm turns west and slams into us :)

My 15 year old son Mendy who put up shutters for people ALL day yesterday told me that the high is building in and not letting the storm move north. He has spent tooo much time with my brother Ronnie ..obviously. My son Zalmy who is 9 told me that the winds are picking up. Something just hit the front window during a high gust.

Was Mendy outside playing with the next door neighbor Max with a soccer ball. I told him to play with the soccer ball at Max's house.

Miami ... Friday morning before Frances passes us by on her way further north.

Maybe I'm playing devils advocate here.

I'm going to relax. Read a magazine. Make sure the kids put the nice yellow daisies I bought for Shabbos in a vase. Make some food. Possibly put some nonpermanent color into my hair. I'm going to paint my nails. I'm going to change the water in the Beta's bowl. I'm going to watch the storm on TV...nonstop, live, round the clock. Maybe go with Ronnie for a ride later to the beach or just hang out here. Maybe I'll try and finish reading Purple Cane Road one more time. Found my copy in Sharon's car getting out all the canned sodas I bought the kids as consolation for working so hard to clean up the house and prepare for the storm that never came. Not so far anyway.

Maybe it will just weaken further... slide up the coast slowly and catch a front out to sea. Could happen.. Or move in as a weakened storm up the coast somewhere in a less densely populated area.

Last night.. while at the beach.. standing in the water with waves breaking around my ankles I had a problem feeling the anger and wrath of Frances. She didn't feel that mean. I've felt mean storms. While taking some wonderful pictures of Floyd I fell into the water that was racing .. Calm down I was safe. But you could feel the fury. Big chunks of sand or ocean bottom got everywhere inside my clothes. I was in short skirt and tee shirt. My bra was soaked, my panties were soaked. I had chunks of sand in places I won't talk about online. Coated in seconds. There was a fury to Floyd I'm not feeling about Frances. Maybe she spent her fury on the Bahamas that got pounded and are still getting pounding as I type this... Maybe she's not such a fierce Florida storm and maybe she won't slam Ft. Pierce.

Or maybe she will..

Maybe everyone in Miami is right and she will veer west and blow us away.

Well.. we've prepared. We've hunkered down. We are watching the palm fronds dance outside as a feeder band moves towards us and every weather man on TV is screaming SHARK pointing at the feeder bands from hell.

Maybe... Bet if that little news girl tried measuring the winds out at Sunny Isles pier right now instead of Las Olas she would find at least 15 mph sustained winds .. maybe 20. Gusts are possible in the feeder bands up to 60mph according to the weather man.
We are locked in. The airport is closed.The port is closed.The feeder band is open.
But the Argentinian Bakery and the Kosher Pizza shop are open. God Bless America and God Bless Miami ;)

btw...Sharon thought the guys going in and out of the Argentinian Bakery were extremely cute.. they had that soccer player look.

Okay.... just went outside. Stood there. For one or two minutes it looked fierce. You could hear the wind gutturally moaning but it was traveling south towards Miami Shores and North Miami.

Ronnie came over .. he's hoarse. Has to go get his mother in law to bring her to the house for the storm. He took Zalmy to go play with his cousin Chaim. I took a picture with the feeder band coming in..dark in the background. Told him to run quick from the feeder band. I'm sure he got Zalmy around the corner to his boarded up house in time. I can see him now.. driving through the feeder band north to Ft. Lauderdale.. feeling the weather thinking 'this is all I'm going to get from this friggin storm"

Oh well.. felt nice.

Really nice standing there for a few minutes in the falling fine mist with the wind whipping around me. The finest of raindrops falling from the sky as the feeder band passed us by..........

After the money I spent on this storm its going to be a Hard Candy Christmas..or round here a Hard Candy Chanukah lol.

Great song.. great lyrics.. in my mind the whole time I was writing this... the Maybe part anyway. Love that play/soundtrack/movie.

Hard Candy Christmas

Hey, maybe I'll dye my hair
Maybe I'll move somewhere
Maybe I'll get a car
Maybe I'll drive so far
They'll all lose track
Me, I'll bounce right back
Maybe I'll sleep real late
Maybe I'll lose some weight
Maybe I'll clear my junk
Maybe I'll just get drunk on apple wine
Me, I'll be just Fine and Dandy
Lord it's like a hard candy christmas
I'm barely getting through tomorrow
But still I won't let
Sorrow bring me way down
I'll be fine and dandy
Lord it's like a hard candy christmas
I'm barely getting through tomorrow
But still I won't let Sorrow get me way down
Hey, maybe I'll learn to sew
Maybe I'll just lie low
Maybe I'll hit the bars
Maybe I'll count the stars until dawn
Me, I will go on
Maybe I'll settle down
Maybe I'll just leave town
Maybe I'll have some fun
Maybe I'll meet someone
And make him mine
Me, I'll be just
Fine and dandy
Lord it's like a hard candy christmas
I'm barely getting through tomorrow
But still I won't let Sorrow bring me way down
I'll be fine and dandy
Lord it's like a hard candy christmas
I'm barely getting through tomorrow
But still I won't let Sorrow bring me way down
I'll be fine and dandy
Lord it's like a hard candy christmas
I'm barely getting through tomorrow
But still I won't let Sorrow bring me way down
'Cause I'll be fine (I'll be fine) Oh, I'll be fine