in honor of hurricane season quickly approaching....

Form the Orlando Sentinel 8/21/04

30 things we learned from Charley
It's been excatly a week since we wok up to Charley's aftermath. And in that time we have been taught some lessons about unpredictability, preparedness, heat, phones, power, human nature - and maybe some other things we hadn't though of until now....

Water is comfort food. But 3-day-old Cheetos are too.
We shouldn't complain about all the "useless" tools in the garage - we actually DO need a generator.
Shadow animals on the wal - still fun!
It's your God-given right to sit on your back porch and eat Chinese takeout by candlelight in your underwear.
No matter how hard the wind blows, roadside campaign signs will survive.
You can use your washing machine as a cooler.
You can't spell "priceless' without I-C-E.
Air conditioning: Best. Invention. Ever.
Candlight is better than botax - it takes years off your apperance.
Downed power lines make an excellent security system.
Lake Eola can generate waves.
Gasoline is a vaule at any price.
The need for your dog to go out and take care of business is proportional to the severity of the storm.
The lifeblood of any diaster recovery is coffee.
Cell phones: breaking up isn't hard to do.
The movie theater can be a most pleasant place, even if the feature is Alien vs. Predator.
There's a plus side to having nothing in the refrigerator.
You should never admit to having power at your house in the presence of co-workers or neighbors who don't.
SUVs are the best makeshift tents on the market.
Radio can be the best way to watch television.
AA and D are the only alphabet we need.
The four-way stop is still an ingenious reflection of civility.
Water from the shower is colder than water from the kitchen sink - and tastes just as bad.
When house hunting, look for closets with lots of legroom.
Chainsaw wielding men are nothing to be afraid of.
Getting through the day should be an Olympic event.
An oak tree on the gorund looks four times as big as one standing up.
Even after all these years, it can be nice to spend time with Col. Mustard in the ballroom with the lead pipe.
Somebody's got it worse.
Somebody's got it better. Obviously, they're getting preferential treatment.