Having dodged the Gustav bullet (I hope), it looks like a new storm is building and heading our way. This one looks to be a doosey, and with me having to head for Denver this weekend, I think I am going to pop smoke and send my daughter home early as well. She will hopefully finish her dives this weekend, and I will see about bumping her flight up to Monday or Tuesday.

It's crazy, but I think I am developing a hurricane sense. I kinda knew we would get hit with Fay, but it wouldn't be a gully whumper for us (though the rain has made problems for many here). I also kinda knew that Gustav wasn't going to be our problem either, but this new one, I got a baaaad feeling about this one. When I look at it on the tracker, I feel like I am looking down the wrong end of a shotgun barrel.

I've left the house all boarded up, so all I was waiting for was the kid to finish her cert. Now that she's getting that finished, I either have to leave her with some old salty natives here, or else bug her out and send her home three weeks earlier than planned. Of course, when we made our initial plans, I was going to be staying here until October, but now that I am gone, my neck hairs are up just thinking about leaving her here without me.

Interesting decision. What would the rest of you do?

Better safe than sorry, I'd bump up her flight... good luck & be safe.

A guy with your level of experiences should definately listen to your gut. Up and out of there, my friend. Up and out.

-Blast

I'd have to agree with the others, I'd send her home. There's a line of storms queueing up out there in the Atlantic.

Yup, off she goes. You aren't gonna be there with her anyway, so why be worrying yourself sick???

What if you were the parent / guardian across the country, would you want your child to be boarded with a non-parent and also put at risk of a hurricane, while your "ex" makes a buck out of state?

If something happened and you were not there, despite your best intentions and preparations, how would it feel to deliver that explanation to the other parent / guardian / court?

Not even a close call. Send her home with great memories ready to visit you again. Maybe in the circumstances you can negotiate for some more time later.

Edit: I see on another thread that your daughter is 19. She is old enough to be in the loop and have a say in the matter. And clearly her other parent / guardian should have input. I suggest a three-way conversation is in order. You decide if you think she should leave or stay and listen to what the others have to say. If you are clear she should go, then do not facilitate her staying and be insistent. But start getting ready to not have it your way!

It is a pitch and yaw maneuver today. I am still leaning towards evac. I told her at lunch it was up to her if she wanted to stay, and she said she would rather leave with me gone. Then her dive instructor says if they can't dive on Saturday, she won't get cert here and would have to finish her dive once she got home, which is a low probability.

That kinda sucks. Damned weather.

Very synchronistic that you made this post. TD8 is now Tropical Storm Hannah. I agree with the others, if anything happens to your DD, then you would have no defense before the "long green table" and I think you will understand what I mean.

My DD2 is now 20 and engaged. Her fiance has to stay on campus in Baton Rouge and work damage control with LSU. She was torn between going home to "momma" or staying with him. She felt family obligations. My DW and I have both told her that it is her decision but her rightful place now is with him unless he tells her to go.This felt very odd to both my DW and to myself.

They are both intelligent and regularly exercise common sense. Their BoB's are packed, along with extra bottled water, weps/ammo, and their bikes (secondary stage vehicles). They have made allowances to care for their cat.

It feels strange letting go from a parental viewpoint.

Hmmmm... Being a mench and a worrier, I understand with the "pack her up" theory, and agree the if there is a doubt, there is no doubt- get out.

But, she's you kid Ben, and she is 19- I can't believe she going to ignore a situation when getting out is a good idea. You've spoken with her about plan B, staying and if need be holing up on her own, why you don't like. What was her plan C? Perhaps she stays until Sunday, then takes a red eye out? That gets her out of the way, and with her qualification dive. Or maybe there is a land route that can be use if it must?

When in doubt,
Bug Out.

Trust your gut. You didn't become a grey-beard by luck alone.

I'm starting to get those strange feelings as well wildman. Mine's only 15 and when she shows good, mature decision-making I feel a mix of pride in her and a twinge of sadness that she is one more step closer to not needing me anymore.

Kinda like "mission accomplished, ...damn".

Perhaps she would enjoy a long weekend in NYC, catch a Broadway show, hit the museums, shopping, . . .

Yeah, +1 on bug out. What's the old saying about third try is the charm?

Well, we talked about it some more, and the dive instructor is committed to the dive Saturday, so unless his plans fall through completely, her need to stay longer is pretty much temporal.

So her final answer is to go. Re-booking her flight on Frontier, their silly ridiculous rebooking fees etc will cost as much as just buying the damn one way ticket home. So basicially they are ripping me off, just because they can, and that is that. Not that I am so worried about the money, but the principal gets me down. The airlines have a nice scam going, even though the cost of flying is proportionately much lower than other forms of travel. I guess when you are in such a cutthroat and well regulated market, you gouge everywhere you can, just to make up for the bureaucratic lumps you take.

So the bottom line is she is heading home Tuesday. She will get her certification, and be able to spend some time going through her boodle she's taking back with her, and visiting friends and family she's not seen all summer long. It's been kinda nice having her all to myself, but I've reached the limits of my selfishness for now, and since I am having to leave anyways, might as well get her back with enough time to adjust to her college lifestyle again.

She would dearly love to go back to NYC. She too misses the pizza and bagels. Daddy has spent enough money on her this summer already, so that ain't gonna happen. She's going home with a complete new wardrobe, and a whole new set of toys and books and baubles. More importantly, she is going home with a new set of special memories, and a refreshed and motivated attitude, and the knowledge that her life is still the most important thing to at least one other person on this planet.

Mission accomplished...

Take a bow Sir, you done good!

Good luck to all in the path of Hanna... wish you the best.

Kris

Destiny today finds me in Denver with the wife again, watching the storms from a nice, safe distance. It's amazing how different the sunshine is here compared to Florida. It is just two different worlds.

Anyways, the kid went diving at Alexander Springs finally and got her certification, then went back to Blue Springs and did her first certified dive. Today she is playing with friends out at Disneyworld one last time, then will pack up and return home Tuesday night, God willing and the river don't rise, well, at least not too much more (St John's River expected to crest Wednesday over 2 feet above flood stage). All should go fine, and I will see her for a couple hours on the layover trip.

To quote one of my great fictional heroes, just doing what I can with what I got.

So getting outta Florida is a big refreshment, it'll be a relief when the kid makes it out too, but I ain't too worried about that now. She has everything she needs, including a few good friends watching over her, people I can trust. Maybe even a few angels if my prayers made it to their mark.

Newbie here - getting out of the path is rarely a bad decision from my few years down on the eastern NC coast.

I'm in the central piedmont/foothills region of NC now so this storm looks like it will pass more or less directly over us after making landfall. Not nearly as bad as being on the coast but depending on the size and speed of the storm (like Hugo, Bertha and Fran in past years) it will still drop a lot of rain and can still have a good bit of force when it gets to us. Less of the severe damage but still a lot of trees down and the related power lines and power outages. So my preparations are in gear and started this past weekend - adding to the water stores, canned/dried goods, extra propane for the grill, gas for the generator should we need it, extra ice in the freezer, plenty of charged batteries and fresh primaries for lights and radio, storing furniture and loose outdoor items, checking for clearly loose limbs and getting them down now, fuel in the vehicles in case we need to move to the inlaws home around 20 miles away (they are also in the path but may have power if we don't)etc...

Welcome newguy! It seems you've learned well from past experiences.

-Blast

Welcome Newguy!!!

Well, unfortunately I am in a quandry. I have to send DW to South Carolina on Thursday as her father is having surgery on Friday. Nothing like sending a loved one INTO the path of danger. I have been watching the weather channel as well as all the news channels. I wish this one could be avoided. However, with that being said, I feel better about having the DW down there to make sure that the father in law will be taken care of by family with common sense. I have very mixed feelings about this.

Not knowing a thing about your family situation, I say this from past experience only. I once had back surgery in a town about 90 miles from my home. In the worst of the central CA fog season. I told my wife (the ex now) not to risk driving herself and our two kids over to visit me in the hospital, the worry would not do me one little bit of good. If your father-in-law is capable, maybe she should stay home...

thought about that and it is a surgery that may or may not be a good-bye type of senerio. It sucks.

Oh. Sorry...

“Intuition is a combination of historical (empirical) data, deep and heightened observation and an ability to cut through the thickness of surface reality. Intuition is like a slow motion machine that captures data instantaneously and hits you like a ton of bricks. Intuition is a knowing, a sensing that is beyond the conscious understanding — a gut feeling. Intuition is not pseudo-science.” Abella Arthur


"Old hands" in many fields have learned to trust their "gut feeling"

Good choices. Best of luck.

Again, Welcome to the fire.

I wish her and you all the best.

Likewise.

We're about 90 miles north of Charlotte in the Triad, and the local forecasts are calling for Hanna to continue to be a Category 1 (winds up to 85 mph and 5-6" of rain) as she passes through here late Friday night/early Saturday morning. It's hard to imagine that much of a storm on it's way considering how nice the weather's been all this week, but we're in good shape in terms of supplies.

Jim

I would like to thank you for your support and I appreciate the friendship. If all goes well it will be good for her to see family again. I am hoping that it turns that way. I will keep you posted on the out-come of my father in law. Again thank you.