My day was, for the most part, rather librarian-like today. I was working on file management at the PRC, I dig that.

Later, I had another boring meeting at the condo regarding hiring a new babysitter (property mgmt) for the owners who don’t seem to have enough real problems. I met even later, with our city captain for MB. We started talking about hurricanes and I found out that he has military experience, which is very reassuring. I was going to stay anyway, but now we have discussed what he went through last time and how I can be useful. 1) Do not get killed.

I am staying for up to a cat-3 as it enters the gulf. Once it enters the gulf, it usually increases in strength to a cat-4 briefly and decreases as it hits land, but it’s too late to evacuate if it does not make a critical downgrade or east/west turn. I have turned off the A/C here at home, to start mimicking the misery of not having power in the summer. It’s an exercise in forcing full sensibility into my own mind. I guess I have to turn off the ceiling fans too, huh? And will you be able to use the shower before bed trick if the water’s polluted? I have begun stocking up a little all the time. Water, food, bleach, cleaner, trash bags, gloves, someone who has a gun that I can pal around with, gas, batteries, you couldn’t send me too many of those. Oh and multiple fake ID’s, one that says I work at Vaughn’s where Anderson Cooper will require a fully stocked bar . . . let’s go !

I have been hoping there would be a default network of people who are staying. This is beginning to happen and the discussion is all “worst-case-scenario” but we know it probably won’t be nearly that bad. I met this gay guy with a satellite phone. Damn it, I want a satellite phone. Rumor is that there is some discussion with essential personnel about our plans as well, so we aren’t being totally stupid. And, unlike the message I found about Nagin at Tulane and Claiborne, we all have to pass the emergency spelling test. SOS. Spray paint? . . . Check.

I think we will have some ways to send messages to each other and, most importantly, to you. Otherwise, it’ll just be a really good party. Either way, we are working on keeping you posted.