(no subject)

[cleolinda]

Looks like Hurricane Dennis is going to come in harder than I thought. I'm in Birmingham, as you may recall, so I'm pretty much out of danger--at worst it's going to be a massive inconvenience if we lose power and/or water, for whatever reason, for however long. (Power I can see losing; water is much less likely. But they did say this would be the worst storm in 13 years, and I'm basing this on what I remember of the big storm in '92 or thereabouts.) I suspect I'll definitely lose my internet connection, because my new modem flips out if there's so much as a cloud in the sky. I'm going to look up the Livejournal phone number, however, so I may be able to post from my phone. I don't think it's really going to hit until Monday, but if I disappear or stop answering comments, that's what's happened.

(And I even had a writers' group meeting scheduled for Monday night. Woe.)

Also, my fool stepbrother and his wife went to Jamaica knowing! KNOWING! that the hurricane was coming. My stepfather's been running around in circles trying to make sure he's okay, and he finally found out that everyone's fine; the resort just doesn't have power now. Brilliant.

Still cleaning. Have I mentioned the cleaning? The Clean Your Living Space Or Else Ultimatum? I loathe heavy-duty cleaning. ("If you'd do light cleaning, you wouldn't have to do heavy cleaning." "Shut up.") It's progressing slowly, mostly because... I hate cleaning. Love organizing. Hate cleaning. However, the upside to this is that I found a metric ton of awesome shit, including but not limited to a packet of incense sticks, four pretentious French truffles, a box of raspberry tea, a pair of beloved earrings, three keyboards (only two work), my favorite lip balm, two pocketknives, a bottle of vodka (1/3 full), two hair scrunchies, two bags of cough drops, assorted sinus medication, a gardenia candle, nine tea lights, a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, a manicure kit, four vials of perfume (not BPAL), a box of staples, two staplers, five pens, three Lemony Snicket books, two Harry Potter books, two brand-new spiral notebooks, a pack of tarot cards, a doll shoe, and $40.37. I used the first twenty dollars of that to go see Look at Me last week (and go out to lunch), and I'm using the second half to go see Fantastic Four tonight, and whatever's left over will go to a non-coffee beverage of my choice at the writers' meeting, should it actually take place. Depending on the outcome of the storm, hip waders may also be purchased; we'll have to see.

Comments

[spectralbovine.livejournal.com]

Ooh, cleolinda PhonePost! That would be fun.

I've heard baaaaad things about Fantastic Four.

[adoresixtyfour.livejournal.com]

"I've heard baaaaad things about Fantastic Four."

So have I. But is that stopping me from seeing it with a bunch of friends tomorrow? No, that is not. Then again, we have a high tolerance for pain--this same bunch saw Exorcist: The Beginning as well.

[waltzingalong.livejournal.com]

You think they'd name a hurricane something more kick ass than Dennis -- hope it doesn't affect you too much.

[semajws.livejournal.com]

The J tropical storm/hurricane in 2009 will be named Joaquin. How's that for kick ass?

[t4-flirt.livejournal.com]

nice to see you're in such a good mood about everything...esp. the cleaning part. i have cleaning of my own to do next week--cleaning out my 1/2 of the storage unit my dad & stepmom rent. gack.

[passenger86.livejournal.com]

Do you mind if I ask which writer's group you're talking about? Is it open to anyone? I'm asking because I live out in Helena, and I've been looking for a good writer's group for a while now.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

It's just a couple of college friends--we haven't even met yet, but it's pretty private. I can ask if there's any good groups in the area, though.

[pescivendolo.livejournal.com]

Does it make me a sick person that I hope Dennis hits some easterly winds and pounds up on the western coast of Florida/the panhandle instead of going the Alabama/Louisiana route? I'm on the East Coast, so we'd be in about as much danger as you are in B'ham (maybe a WITTLE more), and I'm so ready for my first hurricane!

*needs a job and/or a hobby*

[iamthemoon.livejournal.com]

OMG.

I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!!!

THE PANHANDLE HAS BEEN THROUGH ENOUGH!!!

*fume fume*

I always hope it goes to Texas. My church prays for it to disspate.

[unexplored.livejournal.com]

When I lived in Orlando last year we had three of the four hurricanes hit us. Now that I live in Texas I take hurricanes seriously and no one else here does. People who have never been thru a category 3 or 4 storm just have no idea. Ask anyone who went thru Andrew or Hugo, they don't mess around even for tropical storms.

Sorry to stand on my little soapbox. Being born and raised in FL for 25 years will give you a complext when it comes to hurricanes.

[kittenscurious.livejournal.com]

that's an impressive amount of shit you've found. your room must have been in baaad shape to unearth all that. congratulations and good luck (with the room and the storm)

[semajws.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't say you're out of danger, not by any means. The storm should weaken before it hits Birmingham, but you'll probably still experience some very damaging winds and flooding rains.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Well, we are expecting ten inches of rain and 70 mph winds. I guess what I mean is that I don't expect the neighborhood to be leveled entirely. Plus, we had three problem trees that have since been cut down--last year when we had a severe storm, once was struck down the middle by lightning and cut into thirds (no, seriously). So the trees we were worried about falling on us last year aren't there anymore.

[riverchild.livejournal.com]

Hahaha, Bertie Botts Ever Flavour Beans! I found a packet of Harry Potter lemon sherbets a few weeks ago while cleaning.

Do you mind if I ask what kind of tarot deck that is you found? No reason, just nosey, really. :)

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

(Looking...) Anne Marie Ferguson's Arthurian Legend Tarot? I don't really use the cards; I just collect different packs for the artwork.

[royalsongstress.livejournal.com]

Ooh, we're going to see Fantastic 4 on Sunday night. I finally talked my brother into seeing it. I feel the need to support Ioan Gruffudd in his Hollywood endeavours, no matter how hopelessly awful they may turn out to be. At the very least it should be fun, right? My brother's going on the pretense of 'supporting comic book movies', but I suspect Jessica Alba has something to do with it. That, and he's an awesome older brother who takes me to movies. :-)

Hope the storm misses you, chou-chou. I hate storms.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Aww, that's awesome. And I have to say, Ioan Gruffudd's the majority of the reason I'm going to see it, plus a few lines that were fairly funny.

[stillxmyxheart.livejournal.com]

What I wouldn't give to find just $5 in my room, let alone $40 *is jealous*

At the rate Dennis is going, it looks like I may get some wind and rain, but nothing too terribly devastating. Unless he turns to the East... (I'm in Tallahassee, juuuuust to the East of where the Panhandle does that downward bump thing). Then we could be talking hurricane day.

[istoo.livejournal.com]

One wonders what sort of things you get up to, with that metric list of stuff (vodka and pocketknives?).
Next Harry Potter book out next week.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Well, around the time I announced that I had found chocolates, incense, candles, and booze, my friends were like, "Who've you got living in there, the Continental?"

[arayuldaiel.livejournal.com]

Nah, I don't think Bham's in any danger. I live in NW Florida and we're evacuating to my uncle's house in Alabama tonight, so that would really, really suck for us if Dennis got us anyway.

And whoa I should probably clean my room if you can find all sorts of neat things in there...

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow--welcome to the state!

[scornedsaint.livejournal.com]

I love cleaning. If you feel like shipping me down there, I'd do it for you...

[megmatthews20.livejournal.com]

I've been gushing to see Fantastic Four since I first saw the preview near the beginning of the year sometime. Ioan is awesome. I want to see him in a movie with Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson, and Ian Holm. That would be so cool, seeing a movie with names like Ioan, Ewan, Liam, and Ian.
(Has filled dork quota for the day)

Best of luck weathering through the storm. Hope you seriously consider some orange juice if you make any attempts to finish that Vodka. *Is amazed by those who can drink it straight*

Here's to chocolate, liquor, and Harry Potter books!

Cheers!

[superego-18.livejournal.com]

"However, the upside to this is that I found a metric ton of awesome shit, including but not limited to a packet of incense sticks....etc"

lol that sounds like a recitation of all the junk hagrid has in his gynormous coat. happy cleaning! hope you don't get hit too hard with the hurricane aftermath.

[marcusisabadass.livejournal.com]

Down here in the Big EZ, they still don't know what's going to happen. Right now, a mjority of models show it going east of here and yall getting more rain than us. but there's still that uncertainty that is extremely unsettling, especially after Cindy, which I am convinced was a hurricane, messed stuff up round here.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Seriously, good luck with all that--I mean, y'all are just about in a frickin' swamp. I'd hate to be down there right now. Well, except for the plentiful booze.

[linz-lou.livejournal.com]

I live in Birmingham, too - well, actually about 30 minutes from B'ham, but when you say, "Oh, I live in Sumiton!", no one knows where you're talking about, so saying B'ham makes it easier [/rambling] - and I'm hoping that we're not really affected by Dennis.

And when I clean my room I never find anything of interest - definitely no money lying around. *is jealous*

Hope you have no problems with Dennis! =)

[vampychick.livejournal.com]

You're in Sumiton? Hi from Carbon Hill.

Yeah, the power company called the mayor today and was like, "You're going to be out of power for five to seven days." The storm hasn't even hit yet! Don't they think that's jumping the gun a little?

[iamthemoon.livejournal.com]

If we evacuate, which we never have, we'll be going to Trussville. You should know where that's at, eh?

All things considered, I'd need to borrow that pair of waders. ;)

[pescivendolo.livejournal.com]

That's a northern suburb of B'ham. It's where people from my hometown (about an hour north of there) go to shop at Target. It's also where every school trip to B'ham or beyond would stop to eat at McDonald's.

[punkiejeannien.livejournal.com]

wow, the step brother sounds like a winner...

hopefully Birmingham and ATL (where I am) will stay at the same level-- we got creamed the other night, but nowhere as bad as Mobile and Ozark are going to get!

[iamthemoon.livejournal.com]

Many years ago there was a hurricane Dennis that swung through the Gulf, over bottom Florida, churned in the Atlantic, got crazy disastrous, and struck Georgia and the Carolinas HARD.

Hope that doesn't happen again!!

[draconifers.livejournal.com]

Mmm, losing power sucks...

Same with me! I love to organize, but hate to clean. You have some awesome items!

Hope you have fun...

[travelsizedoug.livejournal.com]

*Cleo love*

[phoebesmum.livejournal.com]

You've discovered more stuff in your room than I actually own. There is a definite possibility that you've tapped into an alternate dimension and are just finding some random stranger's possessions.

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

four pretentious French truffles

Dude, they totally aspired to ganachehood but they're making the best of their reduced circumstances. All the same, the Bertie Bott's must feel snubbed.
--
had a writers' group meeting

What were you going to bring? *wonders about Black Ribbon*
--
Sorry to hear about your stepbother, and good luck with Dennis the Menace.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Well, it's actually just me and two good friends from college. I was thinking about taking my children's story and having them help me hammer out the ending, which doesn't really solve the actual emotional problem of the story as is.

[ambiguousreason.livejournal.com]

God, I should not clean my room for a few years just so I can find all kinds of cool stuff once I finally do clean it again.

Oh, P.S. - would you be willing to link to something for me next time you update? Pretty please? I feel sort of bad asking, but to be honest, it gets people in if you mention it. Let me know.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Well, what is it, first?