Some call it 40. For me, it’s the launch of Jaime 2.0, better, faster, stronger. (na-na-na-na-na-na-na- naaaaah).

Had things gone as planned, I would be telling you about the great kayaking/camping trip we took to Little Tybee. Hurricane Matthew had other things in mind and that trip is just not going to happen this year. We opted instead to bike downtown, do a little shopping, and have a picnic lunch in Forsyth Park. Dinner was grilled lamb pitas with tzatziki sauce and fries. With Mike’s help, we made a coconut cream pie for dessert. The crust was too dry and salty. Gotta keep working on those. Mike did a fine job on the pudding center, although the recipe simply called for too much coconut (which is weird for me to even be saying).

Thanks for all the birthday greetings and wishes. It was nice to hear from everyone (and it not be hurricane related!).

Apologies for the silence since Friday evening. Yes we made it through Hurricane Matthew relatively unscathed. All things considered, we were pretty lucky, and are relieved to have gotten through it. Frankly, it was a pretty thrilling experience. I love a good storm, and this was the biggest I’ve ever seen. We don’t regret staying one bit.

We were of the 10% in Savannah that did not lose power during the storm. Considering the multiple blowouts from power poles/lines we witnessed (especially between 4a-5a on Saturday), it is amazing we stayed up. Word from home today is that the power is now out. We had expected that as they are working to repair the lines in our neighborhood for the rest of the 90%.

For me the hardest part now is that we don’t have any internet at home, which means NO communications at all from the house. As we don’t have a landline or cellphones (yep, another 10% minority for us), this has made it hard to keep up with the outside world. I’m back in the office today (and on lunch now), which is how I am reporting this.

I’ve been trying to write down my thoughts and timeline on the storm. If I finish and get to editing it, I’ll try to share. In the event I don’t get around to that, I would be remiss not to mention the one thing that left the biggest impression on me in the aftermath of the storm – COMMUNITY. I am specifically referring to those of us who stayed and rode out the storm together. The spirit of helpfulness and caring that I felt and gave on that Saturday afternoon (before the evacuees started to come back) is something I’ve never experienced before. I wish I could capture with words how amazing it felt. We knew it was short-lived, but it was such a wonderful feeling while it lasted. I think there will now be a bond between us and the neighbors who stayed for as long we all live there. Sorry for the cheeziness of this, but as I said, I’m having a little trouble articulating the feeling.

Thanks again to everyone who checked in on us and sent us well wishes. I’m going to believe all the positive karma you sent our way is what helped knock this storm down to a Cat. 2 and got us through.

Thanks to everyone who has reached out to us over the last two days. Hurricane Matthew is just about to really start blowing in here to Savannah, so I thought I would take a quick chance to update you all. First, as you can probably guess, we stayed. Yes, our entire county is under an evacuation order. As we’ve come to learn, such designations are sometimes more political than for public safety – really, a subject for another day.

It’s been raining steadily since about 4p, and a bit gusty. The worst of it is expected to hit in about an hour or so. Originally we had expected 70+mph for about 4-6 hours, but now it’s more like 40+mph for nearly 12. We’ve been up since pretty early securing the house and supplies, so a quick nap, and then we’ll likely be up all night watching it play out.

As far as supplies goes, we’re nearly perfect. Only thing missing is a generator. In a very fortunate circumstance, Mike and I have been gearing up all summer to primitive camp via kayak this fall. The camping may be out for awhile while our islands and waterways adjust back to normal, but we have just about everything we need to live in our house without power and water for quite awhile. All good there.

As you can see, we still have power and internet. We’re also serving as the back up plan for my sister and brother-in-law², who live just a few blocks away but slightly lower ground and in a single story. We have two, plus the higher ground. Could be a tight squeeze if they do come though – 4 adults, 1 dog, and 9 cats. Yikes.

That’s about for now. I’ll try to keep you all posted as the night goes on, but no promises. Matthew is in charge, not me. Well, I want to go make the rounds again and check out the ever-increasing winds. Stay safe out there.