LilMsFoodie

I made a reservation for Wednesday and Thursday night at a hotel north of Tampa that allows pets. I guaranteed the reservation for last night and have it for tonight as well.

I will email information to the first person that contacts me. It would at least give someone a hotel for tonight. Definitely not a Fodors type hotel.

LilMsFoodie

OO

We are up early this morning--wanna come for coffee? I woke up...started to think about this, knew there would be a new path, and that was it. I'm up. Glad you found space should you need it. We all learned quite a lesson from Charley and projected paths--not that it isn't something drummed into our heads with each storm, but you get complacent. Hopefully at least your area will be spared this time.

DH checked occupancy for this weekend when he got to work yesterday and we were at 78%. A computer generated program allows selling based on numerous variables, and it generally is dead on. 45 minutes later when he checked again--we were over-sold by close to 100 rooms! By the end of the day he had cut it in half and he's certain it will be a wash with just the scenario you show: lots of people planning, but plenty cancelling as the path becomes more definite.

It seems as if we've been living with this storm for about a month now, but it's just that we aren't over the other one. One of the Red Cross workers staying with us since Charley is from Vero...her shift here was just up but her son called her and told her to stay put. This poor woman has worked from 7 to 7 with one day off since Charley and now sees no end.

LilMsFoodie

Hey Olive, I paid for the room last night even though I didn't use it, at least I assume they will charge me for it. I did tell them if they needed the room to call my cell phone to make sure that I was coming and if they needed to, someone else could have it.

For years I had the same arrangement with Chalet Suzanne. Instructions to charge our card and hold a room for us. Never needed it and now we understand all areas of Florida can be at some risk.

If no one comes forward here in the next two or three hours I will call and release the room. They will be able to sell it I believe. It is on the Crystal River and would be ok for someone driving up 19 to the panhandle to get out of state in Alabama or somesuch.

LMF

Tandoori_Girl

And I thought I was up early.

I don't sweat those east coast storms. Although I still have some remnants of a dead tree in my courtyard that will most likely be coming down. I'm scheduling some roof work today (minor patching of a valley, the whole thing needs to be replaced) and will ask for them to do it next week. Hmmm. I wonder if I'll ever see them. They could get busy.

I posted this elsewhere -- the eye of this storm is 28 miles compared to 10 miles with Charley. This storm looks like it will cover the entire state. Oh, lordy.

joan

LMF, that is very kind of you!

God Bless!

LilMsFoodie

Those NOGAP UKMET tracks would still have me uncomfortable if I lived in the Tampa Bay area. I guess we will know tomorrow morning which path is the most likely.

Not a lot of time to prepare on our side. I'll move plants and lanai stuff tomorrow morning and I have mega supply of batteries and water, etc. this time. No aimless wandering in search of D batteries this time. (little fans use lots of batteries)

East coast evacuations will go off today. Potential for a 4 million evacuation. Where the hell to?

Fort Myers hotels are still at capacity with work crews and residents of barrier islands down here to work on their island homes. LMF

Tandoori_Girl

LMF, you ARE prepared. Batteries for a fan...hmmm. Maybe I need one of those.

I was wondering about that too -- where to go? I'm going to keep the car handy, you never know what these storms will do.

When we got to LAkeland last time my son got on the computer and IM'd all his friends who had stayed behind in Tampa. I was dumbfounded to hear how many people stayed. I guess they would have high-tailed out at the last minute, who knows.

I just bought a power surge protector for my computer that allows you to run off its battery when the power goes down. So I'll at least have that.

LilMsFoodie

Little battery operated desk fans from Brookstone allowed me to sleep nights without AC. Brookstone is overnighting fans to its stores in Florida. LMF

GoTravel

I have tons of D batteries! I wish I could send them to you.

With every storm I get into a full blown panic and keep buying the stuff I already have.

I mean really, who needs 11 tins of smoked oysters?

LilMsFoodie

I'll raise your smoked oysters with my 12 cans of crab. LMF