Nor'easter 2009!

Someday Bryan & I will look back on these last couple of days and tell our grandkids that we survived the Great Nor’easter of 2009. I’d heard the weather reports in the preceding days, but our local media love to create drama out of nothing so I really didn’t pay attention. Until I was riding my bicycle at work as the storm rolled in just like the wicked witch in “The Wizard of Oz.” Turns out this little storm was more like a hurricane.

Fortunately, no trees fell on our house, we didn’t flood and we never lost power. Unfortunately, many of our friends’ and co-workers’ homes were flooded, had trees fall, and/or lost power.

These are not their homes—I stole these from the local TV station.
I guess this time the weatherman-drama-queen wasn’t exaggerating! The storm surge was just as high as hurricane Isabel a few years back. I didn’t think nor’easters were capable of producing tides that high, or wind & rain like we’ve had. The fishing pier down the road was completely submerged over the handrails. Some houses and large sand dunes were completely washed away down in North Carolina.

Makes me wonder what would happen if a hurricane like Ike came through here.

The Three-Fingered Mommy

This is how my day started. I woke up at 5 AM and couldn't go back to sleep. And that really pissed me off since I hardly ever get to sleep in anymore. Because I had to go to work this morning anyway, I went ahead and took a shower and got around while I waited for Bryan to get home from his night shift. And I waited. And waited. And started wondering if I was going to make it to work on time for the morning meeting--which is the only reason I had to go to work today at all. Then I remembered that I haven't complained about my job in a while and decided to start a blog post about that...then he got home. So that blog entry will have to wait. But why so late? The not-so-unusual reason...his relief didn't get to work on time. But that's not really what this is about.

I rushed out the door, feeling very guilty that he had to deal with the kids this morning on zero sleep--but there was nothing I could do other than rush to get to work, so I could rush to get home for him. In my mad rush to work, a few things went right. I managed NOT to get a speeding ticket (knock on wood). And I managed to get a ride from a friendly shipyard worker to the ship from the parking lot (saving me a few minutes of bicycling in the freezing cold). He got me to my office trailer just in time for that important morning meeting. And that is where it happened. I slammed my finger in this guy's truck door.

Oh but I wish that's where it ended. He didn't see me. And started driving away.

At first I thought it was just my glove. Nope--as I pulled and twisted I immediately realized it wasn't just my glove. And it wasn't coming loose. Ohmygodthedriverdoesn'tknow!!!! I was turned backwards--couldn't reach the door handle with my other hand. As the truck started forward and started dragging me with it, I got ready to leap into the truck bed--THANK GOD he glanced back just in time before he really hit the accelerator! I may have lost more than a finger--might have been my whole arm!

This poor guy was beside himself. I was shaking and in shock, and he was trying to get my glove off for me. Somehow I still had my Starbucks coffee clutched in my other hand, and he saved it as I fell back into the passenger's seat. (Yes, much like a man who will protect his beer in any situation--I prioritized my coffee over having my hand ripped off.) My finger was still on my hand, and it didn't appear to be broken. It was immediately bleeding and black and some skin is torn off where I twisted and pulled to frantically get free of the door. He gently dabbed all the blood off with a tissue and put a band-aid on it--all the while I was putting every ounce of energy and concentration into not crying. I am a woman in a male-dominated blue-collar environment. I have to act somewhat tough or these guys will eat me alive on the ship's deckplates.

The surprising thing is the pain! I feel like a whiny little girl, but my entire hand hurts all the way up past my elbow! I slammed my thumb in my Mom's Suburban when I was little, but I don't remember it feeling anything like this. And I think about my kids--I have always been very careful not to catch my kids' fingers in any doors. I can't imagine how I'd freak out if it happened now, knowing what this feels like. I showed them my finger when I got home today just so they'd see how bad it was. (ok, and to get some sympathy from my little monkeys...) Hopefully it scared them enough that they will be more careful, too.

And, no--I haven't taken a picture of it. It's gross. And I'm too big of a baby to unbandage it right now.

I Won't Drop My Brain on the Floor

We had a great Halloween, despite three family members getting over H1N1 flu. We started off the afternoon by carving pumpkins.

Bryan's "I-Gor"--inspired by Young Frankenstein.

Mine--Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Brandon & Tyler drew theirs, and Bryan carved their drawings (as best he could). We weren't quite ready to trust them with knives & carving tools...

And Nick, who is obsessed with all things Spider.

I would also like to brag about our outdoor decorations. I worked all summer on my front flowerbed to grow the right weeds for accenting our graveyard skeletons.

I hit today's after-Halloween sales at several stores for some much larger additions to the graveyard next year.

And lastly, the candy. Every year, I tell myself I won't go overboard buying too much candy for the trick-or-treaters. But our neighborhood exploded with new houses and children this year--better to have too much candy than not enough. We left it all in a cauldron outside for whomever to grab, thinking the older kids would take most of it and then we wouldn't have to worry about leftovers. Not the case. We have most of it left...must be because of those skeletons in the garden. (right...) Anyhow, some of the candy is gummy body-parts.

There's eyeballs, ears, bloody fingers. And brains. Bryan let the kids have some after lunch today.

Brandon: "Mmmm! Brain!"

Bryan: "Don't drop your candy on the floor."

Nick: "I won't drop my brain on the floor, Daddy."

Bryan: "It will make Maggie sick." (the dog)

Nick: "Maggie can't eat my brain." "I can open my brain by myself." "Daddy, can you open my brain?"

As for our costumes--we were running late as usual last night getting out the door to start trick-or-treating. You'll have to visit here to see us!