Oh Sandy.

I can't believe I'm writing another hurricane prep post!  I've lived my entire life in the mid-Atlantic region and never have I experienced such intense weather.

Prep this time is a little different from Irene.  First, we don't have a newborn (phew!) we have a 15 month old.  While he's less fragile, he's also more aware, so I hope we can protect him from the scariness of the storm.

Second, we live in a house.  There is a basement that could flood, a lot of windows, and an attic that needs some retro-fitting.  I took down our outdoor Halloween decor and brought in our outdoor furniture this morning (boo...), and we'll take care of trash cans in the morning (our trash is *supposed* to go out tomorrow).  Our wiring is also above ground, making the possibility of a power outage much much higher than before.  Fortunately, we also live near both sets of parents, so hopefully if the power stays out for long here, we can escape to one of their homes.

Otherwise, we're using our lessons learned from Irene.  We are packing emergency bags; we bought bottled water, flashlights, batteries, and shelf-stable food.  This includes powdered milk for Mr. E.

If you're in the path of Sandy, and not sure what to do, here are some tips:

 - Fill your car up with gas.  If the power goes out, the gas stations don't work.
 - Tap MAC.  Again, without power, credit cards don't work.
 - Put your important documents (insurance, Social Security cards, birth certificates, etc.) in a Ziploc bag.  If you have to leave quickly, you don't want to leave those behind.
 - Clean your house.  Sounds odd, but you can't vacuum without power, and if the lights are out, you want to be able to find things easily.  In that, locate your toolbox, flashlights, batteries, and other emergency supplies.
 - If you have a pet, make sure the carrier is ready to go.  Food, toys, water are all good things to have at the ready.
 - Make a plan!  Work for Jason and I is still on for tomorrow, but the storm will hit during the day.  We are making a plan in case I can't drive home.
 - We have some shelf stable food, such as PB & J, crackers, meal bars, cereal, and tuna.  It might not be a culinary breakthrough, but it's better than nothing.

I hope you all weather the storm well, and we'll see you on the flip side of Sandy.

- M. and co.