Goodbye Irene and Good Riddance

The speed with which news gets on the internet never fails to amaze.  Hurricane Irene — now Tropical Storm Irene — has not finished wreaking damage.  Yet there is already a Wikipedia article on it!

As anticipated, we were lashed with rains and tropical storm strength winds here in northern Virginia.  The outer bands arrived mid-morning on Saturday.  By noon it was raining non-stop.  The storm did not really hit the area until around 6:00p, however, and was evidenced by strong winds, with gusts that caused trees to quiver, shake, and sway.  The rain kept falling.  It was an otherwise normal-like day for us at home.

It wasn’t until 2:00a or so that we lost power.  We were fast asleep by then and wouldn’t have known that we no longer had electricity if not for the irritating beeps issued by the UPS (uninterrupted power source) that keeps our computers running for a few additional minutes when the power goes out to allow us to shut down normally.  The beeps were easily silenced; not so the drunken fools somewhere outside at the height of the storm, laughing like banshees.  What can I say — no cure for stupid is there?

Anyway, we were up around 6:00a this morning.  Still no power.  Nor internet.  Nor phones (we have VOIP).  No problem.  Using our Millenicom aircard and the TruPhone app on Mui’s laptop, we were able to touch base with family to allay any concerns they might have about our safety.  Then, Mui fixed us a pancake breakfast (oops, no photos) and we settled down to read for a while.  Just before 9:00a, I made an off-hand comment that the power could come on now.  Like magic, a few minutes later there was light.  It’s nice to have divine powers :-)))).

We’re in the clear!
[image courtesy of the National Weather Service website]

Another hour saw the rain end and the winds diminish.  With the sun peeking through the thinning overcast and patches of blue appearing in the sky, we walked over to a nearby store to pick up a newspaper and see what damage there might be in the area.  None!  Just some leaves and thin branches littered the streets.  We got off easy, I know.  We are grateful.

And so, life returns to normal for us.  No offense to my friend Irene, but we’re glad to see her namesake gone!  For those who experienced the heavier impact of Irene, we wish them good luck as they begin the process of cleaning up after the storm.  For those still in the path of the storm … hang in there.