Heppie, lucky you. My company is still saying we’re working tomorrow even though the latest forecast says Orlando might feel the first effects as early as 10 a.m. tomorrow (40 mph winds, possible tornados). They brought in all the outdoor furniture and are battening down the hatches of the building but apparently the employees are expendable.
Oh, I get it. It’s a contest.
Our hurricane can beat your hurricane.
:smack:
And my sister (for the love of Og how could I forget my own sister :rolleyes: !) Susie Derskins.
Sorry, sissy.
I said I wasn’t feeling well. 
Party at Tupug’s!! Woot!!!
IRL I only have three beers in the fridge. But at least they’re very good beers. But better news is that I have a case or so of wine tucked away somewhere. Mostly very good wine.
Well, all the schools and government offices have been closed for tomorrow in the Bay area (Tampa/Clearwater/St. Petersburg). My place of business let us out early today and is closed for business tomorrow.
Went to buy some essentials and all the freaking stores were out of water, batteries, flashlights, etc. I am surprised though that people are acting as civil as they are. I thought by now we would have resorted to a survivor mentality and would have been bashing each other’s heads in for sustinance.
Oh well, a guy can dream.
Give me that damn jug of water! I saw it first. Besides, I have kids depending on me.
My daughter got sick today and I had to pick her up from school. There’s a 10% or so chance that this is just nerves from all of the hurricane talk. Tomorrow is no school so I’m not sure how we’re going to handle that. Hopefully Mrs. Shibb’s work will be cancelled.
I learned today that the apartment where we’re staying is Evacuation level C, or somewhere between sea level and 17 feet above sea level. I’m guessing on around 10-15 feet above sea level. So I think that we’re theoretically supposed to evacuate. Just not sure where to yet, or if we’ll go until we have a better idea where this storm is actually headed. Just glad it’s not my furniture in that apartment!
Neither fried mainboard nor wall of hurricane-propelled water could keep me from a HurriDope, dammit… I’m back!
Just finished moving into the Pink House ™, which doesn’t appear to be massively sturdy. Still, I’m going to sit on the porch with a cigarette and a beer and see what happens. Wish me luck…
Heh…because of the above post, when you’re looking at the main SDMB page it reads:
Floridopers: I think we’re…
by Really Not All That Bright
Just thought I’d share. 
Yeah, my friend is in level C also in Pinellas county. I told her and her boyfriend to stay the night at my place but she refuses to evacute. She said she was going to ride it out. I got dibs on her huge rubberband ball if she doesn’t amke it back in on Monday.
Y’all may have to do without my sparkling wit for a few days…my place of business is giving us half the day off at least. Cool!
Shibb, what floor are you on? I’m reading that the Tampa area evacuations aren’t mandatory so far. I recommend if you are told to evacuate, do so even if it isn’t mandatory. Sitting in an apartment with no power an no air wouldn’t be much fun…no matter how much of that good wine you drink.
My house is in a mandatory evacuation zone, and unless things change, we’ll have to be gone by 6 tomorrow morning. Things will have to change radically, though, because it looks as if every course change that takes us out of the path of Charlie puts us farther into the expected storm surge. But hoping for the best never hurts, as long as you do it while you’re packing. Best of luck to everybody.
A friend on another message board says the local Sarasota news is advising that people flush their hot water tank, refill it, then turn off the water and electricity. If anyone’s thinking about doing that, but doesn’t know exactly how, I found some pretty good illustrated, step-by-step instructions.
Everybody stay safe and dry!
According to wesh.com, Orlando Quality Inns are offering $42.95 rooms to Florida residents if any of you should decide to head this way.
I’m in Brandon, specifically. That’s about, what, 10-15 miles East?
NO SCHOOL TOMORROW!! Woo-hoo!
My partner teaches at a small college in central Virginia. He left me utterly gobsmacked when he came home this afternoon around 5pm and told me, the college is shut down tight from 5pm cos they claim on their website that Charley’s eye will pass over central Virginia by 7am tomorrow morning.
:eek:
I looked it up, and it’s true, they had that!
It’s been modified now
http://www.longwood.edu/news/stormcomm/
I checked the local forecast, and it says partly sunny with a chance of thunderstorms tomorrow.
I honestly thought he was kidding; I had been looking at the hurricane trackers last night and thinking, Good luck, Florida! with that one-two punch…
In Virginia? Are you kidding me? Until tomorrow I doubt that they’ll know for certain where this thing makes landfall, much less what the effect will be 1000 miles north and if it even gets that far north. Sounds overly cautious.
Wait a second… what kind of evil place do you guys live that school’s back in session already?!?
My kids don’t go back till August 30th, and I think that’s early. When I was in school, we never went back till after Labor Day.
Well I believe that here in the South (or maybe just Florida) most students start school early to mid August. They also get out of school early to mid May.
August 3rd was the first day of school in Pinellas County. August 5th for Hillsborough. I assume the rest of the state is on approximately the same schedule. Sad to be using our Snow Days so early, though. 