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A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and does what he wants to do. - Dylan Cool JPG |
Carbonboy's Web Log August 2004
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Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them. - Einstein Cool Site |
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Leigh Stevens - Alive & Well More Coming on this Story! |
August 16, 2004 Back in Clearwater -- home safe in my home-away-from-home. What a trip and what chaos to face with missing a few days from the client. As far as Charley missing Tampa Bay, the locals don't have a clue how fortunate they have been. South of here, it's a different world entirely. August 15, 2004 Survivor's Guilt
I left Clearwater as planned at 1:30 am on Friday morning with no traffic to speak of. Instinctively I headed north on I-75 instead of east on I-4 to Orlando. In retrospect that was a good call as Orlando and Daytona Beach got direct hits. When I got to Jacksonville, I napped for an hour at a rest stop before sunrise. Then grabbed a big breakfast and extra large coffee and decided to head home up the I-95 corridor to Piney Point. I was in North Carolina when Charley hit landfall 100 miles south of Tampa Bay, realizing for the first time that the entire trip was unnecessary! Tampa Bay was spared, but there was no turning back as Charley was making its way right behind me. I got to Piney Point exhausted, but happy to be home for the first time since Memorial Day. Saturday morning I awoke refreshed as I always do sleeping in my bed. I took care of all the things that needed to be taken care of when a house sits vacant for months at a time. I even managed a good workout on my weight bench! That evening I grilled some great salmon, scallops & shrimp kabob's, inviting my new neighbors over for an impromptu party. It was wonderful and we had a great, but brief evening. Charley was due to reach the mouth of the Potomac late that night, but with only a fraction of the intensity it had in Florida. A 3-4 foot storm surge was predicted -- nothing like Isabel last year. By 11:00 pm I was in bed expecting to be awakened by Charley when it passed. I slept through the entire nonevent! It's now Sunday morning and I have no valid reason to stay any longer in Piney Point. I had planned to hang out here at least until Tampa Bay was up and running with power again (living with no AC in Florida this time of year is pure hell). But as Tampa Bay was blessed with a nonevent, I'll begin the long drive back today. No way am I going to drive straight through this time, opting for a night's rest in Florence, NC, and then making the rest of the journey -- back-tracking Charley's path from Daytona Beach through I-4 to Orlando and finally on to Clearwater. Like many who evacuated Tampa Bay to a hotel room in Orlando (leaving their home for a night directly over Charley's path), I feel a bit foolish over the entire incident. At least I had the option to leave. So many south of me, thinking Tampa Bay was to be hit, did not. The devastation for them will continue long after the media has moved on to the next "big story." Unless of course that next storm, Earl, decides to follow Charley's path. August 12, 2004 Not Again!
I wonder if hurricanes are attracted to me? This will be my 4th, and bear in mind I spent seventeen years in LA (survived 4 earthquakes as well). Well, my temporary home here in Clearwater is under mandatory evacuation. Both I-4 and I-75 are bumper-to-bumper and will be late into the night. So, I think I'll have a fine meal, a few hours sleep and at 2:00 AM head on over to the east coast of Florida for a little sight seeing in South Beach. Who knows, maybe I'll try to out race Charley and head back to Piney Point for a few days. So no regular Blog updates for, at least, a few more days. I'm ready for a mini-adventure, which sure beats sitting in some shelter with no AC for a few days. Wish me luck. I'm glad they didn't put the new carpet in the condo yet! Update on the mini-adventure coming Saturday. August 1, 2004
oops - I had a little unexpected crisis - seems a toilet that I never use in my home-away-from-home sprung a leak sending 3" of water throughout. Damaged a few books, but life goes on. More when I get re-settled.
© 2000-2004 Michael Milauskas - Composites-By-Design Corporation |
Herman Hesse - Rediscovered More Coming on this Story!
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