During those 45 minutes that we were seeking shelter in our basement during a tornado warning, I was thinking about what I should have grabbed before the tornado rips my house apart akimbo.
Mr. Downeastdoing stuff already did this self evaluation and his determination was: beer.
I, myself, gave this more thought than that.
Many people say family photos. Yeah, maybe, but I can see with my 89 year old parents that they are trying to foist their collection of family photos onto me and I really don't want them. Oh yeah, I took a few so that I would remember that even I, was once a baby and I did graduate Junior High, High School and College in an actual cap and gown. But other than that, I didn't really take any other 'black and white' and faded color snap shots.
So who is going to want the 8 organized in chronological order albums I made? Not my child who doesn't want anything that isn't on his i-phone.
So family photos....maybe.
Let's see...here is my top ten list of what should be grabbed just before your life is going to be torn apart...
10. Family photos...maybe.
9. Family documents....I guess....although they can all be replaced....for a fee, I'm sure.
8. Recipes....especially old, favorite ones and the Slovak family ones (that's what I am). I should type those onto my laptop, now that I think about it. Yeah, good idea.(That's why I keep this blog, makes me think about these things...)
7. Hairdryer and round brushes....I know, I know, I can replace these, but I would need them the very minute the tornado is over and Mr. Downeastdoingstuff starts up the generator. (I have major hair issues and I would think the humidity would be high after a tornado is over, what with all the ripped up water pipes and stuff.)
6. Jewelry.....not that I have anything all that great, but I've already been through having my house robbed and ALL my jewelry taken at one time and then having to replace it. (NOTE: My advice to anyone that wears jewelry. DO NOT, I say, DO NOT keep all your jewelry in one spot, ie. a jewelry box. All the burglar has to do is to grab it in one fell swoop and it's gone.) Rather keep your jewelry all over the house or in boxes that say Rat Poison.
5. A coffee yogurt and a Diet Pepsi. You probably will be hungry right after surveying the damage and digging around for your family photos. Don't forget a spoon.
4. My purse. I might need my credit cards and car keys, assuming the car is not in a tree somewhere. Lip gloss and sunglasses, too.
3. My paintings.....although this is too daunting a task, it would be nice to have.
3a. My Laptop and charger. (use with generator) 'nuf said.
2. My Cats.....Little Molly and Sophie. Can't live without them, cause they're purrrrfect.
1. My retainer. OK. Yeah. My retainer.
Being an adult orthodontic patient, insurance didn't cover any of the million dollars it cost me. Everynight I have to wear a clear plastic retainer for the rest of my life if I don't want to revisit the Orthodontist. And I am fully aware that every night when I put it on, it is tight and is loose by morning. So my teeth shift even during the course of the day.
JUST IMAGINE sifting through tons of debris that used to be our house after a category Fujita scale-5 tornado looking for a clear, plastic retainer. Ain't gonna happen. And it takes weeks to get a new one made. So, that is the number one thing I should have grabbed.
(Well, it's tied at number one with the cats, truth be told.)
That's it.
There's no place like home.
What would you take with you?