Tropical Storm. Tropical Hurricane. Tropical Depression. Tropical What??

Sure, I lived on the East Coast for a few years, but I remain a West Coast girl through and through. I know how to deal with earthquakes. I went through years of earthquake drills in school after all and I'm California born, not quite bred. I've experienced my share of them. Hurricanes. Tropical Humanahhumanuh. That's another story.

Do you check the weather everyday? I now check the National Hurricane Center website often enough for Brooke to make funny of me. And what she doesn't know is that I've checked that bookmarked page even more since she's been gone. It's this mystery of the unknown that draws me to it. I don't know how to prepare, what to expect, or how I'll know something tropical is here otherwise.

For instance when I awoke this morning to a sky full of gray and wet, I probably would have thought "Oh, we're having a rainy day." Instead I acknowledged that the 50% Chance of Tropical Cyclone orange big bubble is upon us. We're to "expect heavy rainfall for the next few days and be aware of life threatening flash floods and mud slides . . . especially in the mountainous regions." Not quite the type of Oregon sunshine rain I'm used to, and not just a typical morning in Jamaica.

I tell myself there's logic to it. I don't watch the news here, no TV, and I don't listen to the radio. I suppose if somebody had an announcement playing on a big set of those tower speakers down the hill rather than the reggae remix of Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You", I might catch it. Maybe. We're pretty isolated on the mountain. Everyone keeps reassuring me I'll have time to board up my windows, buy canned food, and fix up the generator Anna and I share before anything would ever hit. Um, okay?

Welcome to Jamaica. The land of no worries.


Truth is there's no logic to the feelings of worry and stress that comes from checking the NHC. My knowledge of today's radar for the Atlantic--that Igor, Julia, and a 40% chance are out there--does little to change my actions of the day because they're still just a possibility---and what drastic change am I going to make with a lot of rain? In fact, remember Gaston of a few weeks back? Yeah, most don't. Well, he was headed our way too, even got inside of the islands . . . and lasted just long enough for me to get a little worked up and start buying canned goods before going completely away, no harm done.

Lesson of the story is one we've all heard before. You can't stress and worry about what's to come. God designed these tropical phenoms after all. He's not going to let me down now, not even for a Tropical _______. And besides, He did promise never to flood the earth again.  :) He'll prepare me in ways far greater for what's to come than the NHC ever will.

The closeted rain coat, 4WD vehicle and a sturdier pair of flipflops will be coming with me to the clinic today. And who knows, maybe this is His way of cutting down my caseload and managing the schedule for the new grad running the show!