Just In Case

With the impending hurricane that was forecast at the beginning of the week, I finally felt like it was time to get a supply kit together for our family "just in case". The tornados in the spring weren't enough to mobilize me into action, but with the unpredictability of this hurricane when the reporters first began to speak about it, I thought I'd better go ahead and be prepared. So, I went out and purchased supplies for a survival kit. Everything from batteries to toiletries to paper goods to first aid items. And water. Lots of water.

It just so happens that I went out to purchase these supplies the morning of the same day we experienced a tremor from the earthquake in Virginia. An earthquake. On the east coast. Rather than feeling so silly, as I did before I went to the dollar store and Walmart, the rumble left me feeling a little shaky and a little more motivated to take the said products out of their shopping bags and actually pack the kit.

So, now we have a hiking backpack filled with supplies for the "just in case". While I still need to gather a few things for a second bag, like food and copies of important documents, I'm feeling a little better now that we have something that we can grab if we need to. That, and the laptop. And the camera. And the external hard drive. And the...

Matt asked me why we needed to grab the laptop. We have insurance. I said, "Insurance doesn't replace the artwork that I haven't backed up yet."

Good point.

Grab the laptop.

Or backup all of my files.

Turns out we didn't need any of it for these weather incidents. Which, by the way, while I wasn't so ok with the shaking of the condo, I do love a good storm

and rainy day to veg out.

After Hurricane Irene's outer bands passed through Raleigh

So, we'll wait and see and in the meantime, there is one more thing in our living room that needs a home. A home close to our front door. For the just in case.

P.S. Yes, I did add a touch of whimsy to our bag with a custom made tag. The daunting thoughts of a survival kit made me want to add something a little more "me" to it.

Don't laugh. Don't judge. Don't hate. =)