You might be a Floridian if....

[mowalker]

You exhibit a slight twitch when introduced to anyone with the first names of Charley, Frances, Ivan or Jeanne.
 
Your freezer never has more than $20 worth of food in it any given time.
 
You're looking at paint swatches for the plywood on your windows, to accent the house color.
 
You think of your hall closet/saferoom as "cozy".


Your pool is more accurately described as "framed in" than "screened in".
 
Your freezer in the garage now only has homemade ice in it.


You no longer worry about relatives visiting during the late summer months.



You, too, haven't heard back from the insurance adjuster.



You now understand what that little "2% hurricane deductible" phrase really means.
 
You're putting a collage together on your driveway of roof shingles from your neighborhood .
 
You were once proud of your 16" electric chain saw.
 
Your Street has more than 3 "NO WAKE" signs posted.


You now own 5 large ice chests.

Your parrot can now say" hammered, pounded and hunker down".



You recognize people in line at the ice, gas and plywood locations.
 
You stop what you're doing and clap and wave when you see a convoy of power company trucks come down your street.
 
You're depressed when they don't stop.
 
You have the personal cell phone numbers of the managers for: plywood, roofing supplies and generators at Home Depot on your speed dialer.
 
You've spent more than $20 on "Tall white kitchen bags" to make your own sand bags .
 
You're considering upgrading your 16" to a 20" chainsaw.
 
You know what "Bar chain oil" is.
 
You're thinking of getting your wife the hardhat with the ear protector and face shield for Christmas.
 
You now think the $6000 whole house generator seems reasonable.


You look forward to discussions about the merits of "cubed, block and dry ice".

Your therapist refers to your condition as "generator envy".
 
Your pets hide even better than ever, especially when it's time to evacuate


You fight the urge to put on your winter coat and wool cap and parade around in front of your picture window, when you finally get power and your neighbor across the street, with the noisy generator, doesn't get electric.

And finally, you might be a Floridian if:



You ask your relatives up north to start saving the Sunday Real Estate classifieds!
 
 
 
Ray
 
93 Coleman Rio Grande
2003 Dodge Ram 1500 W/Da HEMI

[Chez Way]

You exhibit a slight twitch when introduced to anyone with the first names of Charley, Frances, Ivan or Jeanne.
 
Hey!  I resemble that remark!

Chez Way aka Jeanne (pronounced genie, by the way!)

[gsm x2]

Is anyone else as annoyed as I am that the TV stations are sending their Weather People done to Florida? Then they report, "Some people just refuse to evacuate."

What do they think they are, "War Corrospondents".  Get those nitwits back to the studio where they belong.

[campingcop]

What people in FL. have learned...

* Coffee and frozen pizzas can be made on a BBQ grill.
* No matter how many times you flick the switch, lights don't work without electricity.
* Kids can survive 4 days or longer without a video game controller in their hand.
* Cats are really irritating without power. * He who has the biggest generator wins.
* Women can actually survive without doing their hair--you just wish they weren't        around you.
* A new method of non-lethal torture - showers without hot water.
* There are a lot more stars in the sky than most people thought.
* TV is an addiction and the withdrawal symptoms are painful. One day at a time, brother.
* A 7 lb bag of ice will chill 6-12 oz Budweiser's to a drinkable temperature in 11 minutes, and still keep a 14-pound turkey frozen for 8 more hours.
* There are a lot of trees around here.
* Flood plan drawings on some mortgage documents were seriously wrong.
* Contrary to most Florida natives' beliefs, speed limit on roads without traffic lights does not increase.
* Aluminum siding, while esthetically pleasing, is definitely not required.
* Just because you're over 21 doesn't mean you can stay out as late as you want. At least that's what the cops told me during a curfew stop.
* Crickets can increase their volume to overcome the sound of 14 generators.
* People will get into a line that has already formed without having any idea what the line is for.
* When required, a Chrysler 300M will float--doesn't steer well, but floats just the same.
* Some things do keep the mailman from his appointed rounds.
* Tele-marketers function no matter what the weather is doing.
* Cell phones work when land lines are down, but only as long as the battery remains charged.
* 27 of your neighbors are fed from a different transformer than you, and they are quick to point that out!
* Laundry hampers were not made to contain such a large volume.
* If I had a store that sold only ice, chainsaws, gas, and generators...I'd be rich.
* The price of a bag of ice rises 200% after a hurricane.
* Your water front property can quickly become someone else's fishing hole.
* Tree service companies are under appreciated.
* I learned what happens when you make fun of another state's blackout.
* MATH 101: 30 days in month, minus 6 days without power equals 30% higher electric bill ??
* Drywall is a compound word, take away the "dry" part and it's worthless.
* I can walk a lot farther than I thought

[Starcraft Dad]

I got this in my e-mail the other day.

[tlhdoc]

Brenda tell Ray that I miss his humor.  I hope to camp with you guys again.   The storms may be natures way of telling you to move home, but them again we had the flood last weekend.

[byrdr1]

Well I'd say come to NC, but we are having it, just as bad in our mountians and coastal areas.
Sitting here thinking about all you guys in FLA, GA, & SC today and us in NC tomorrow.
You have the wind and rain & storm surge. We get lots of the rain, rain, rain....
Every thing that has hit Fla has come to NC and plus we got Gaston and another one with all rain..
We were dry the firstpart of summer and spring, we have made that up lately..
My yard has been wet for 2 months now.. I mean it is damp to walk on it 5-7 days after these storms..
I hope all ya'll are OK and let us know.
 
I have a generator I will sell....Cheaper than what they may be asking in FLA. 5200 watts. It will run my house and well pump. I dont think it will run AC. but in the winter with 5 days with our power, it will run gas pack and well pump as long as both are not on at the same time. It will also run the refrig and freezer and TV and one or 2 lights. rotating around things in the house.
You just have to come and get it.. I also have 30 rv plug outside...
randy

[Kelly]

who'da thunk I'd be able to contribute to this thread?!     Tornadoes I know about ~ hurricanes?  Nope.  Got this today ~

30 Things Hurricanes Teach Us
 1. An oak tree on the ground looks four times bigger than it did standing up.
 2. Even after all these years it is still nice to spend time with Col. Mustard in the ballroom with the lead pipe.
 3. When house hunting look for closets with lots of leg room.
 4. Water from the shower is much colder than water from the kitchen sink--and tastes just as bad.
 5. AA, C and D are the only alphabet we need ( batteries ).
 6. The four-way stop is still an ingenious reflection of civility.
 7. Radio can be the best way to watch television.
 8. Chain-saw wielding men are nothing to be afraid of.
 9. SUV's are the best makeshift tents on the market.
 10. You can use your washing machine as a cooler.
 11. It's your God given right to sit on your back porch and eat Chinese takeout by candlelight in your underwear.
 12. We shouldn't complain about "useless" tools in the garage-- we actually DO need a generator.
 13. You can't spell "priceless" without I-C-E.
 14. Downed power lines make excellent security systems.
 15. Lakes can generate waves.
 16. Gasoline is a value at any price.
 17. Cell phones: Breaking up isn't hard to do.
 18. The life blood of any disaster recovery is COFFEE.
 19. The need for your dog to go out and take care of business is inversely proportional to the severity of the storm.
 20. Candlelight is better than Botox--- it takes years off your appearance.
 21. Air Conditioning: BEST. INVENTION. EVER.
 22. Water is a comfort food. But 3-day-old Cheetos are too.
 23. Shadow animals on the wall---still fun.
 24. No matter how hard the wind blows, roadside campaign signs will survive.
 25. You should never admit to having power at your house in the presence of co-workers or neighbors who do not.
 26. There's a plus to having NOTHING in the refrigerator.
 27. Getting through the day should be an Olympic event.
 28. The movie theater can be a most pleasant place, even if the feature is Alien vs. Predator.
 29. Somebody's got it worse.
 30. Somebody's got it better. Obviously, they're getting preferential treatment.

[sandykayak]

New Florida Synbols:

NEW  FLORIDA  SYMBOLS


Gov. Jeb Bush held a special news conference in Tallahassee today to inform the people of Florida of new state symbols. The changes take effect immediately and must be implemented by all official agencies.


The changes are as follows:

The Florida State Flag will now be a blue tarp...............

The license plate symbol of two oranges will be replaced by a chain
saw.....

The new State song will be " Blowing in the Wind"..................

The state motto will now be..."Oh my God, Here comes another one".....

The new state beverage will be.............anything with an alcohol base.

The new State tree will be ...............any that are left standing at the end of hurricane season.

The new State Bird will be the "whipper"will.............

The new State nickname will be "State of Disaster"................

However, keep in mind, that Disney will be the "last man standing" as they are up and running...............