Dean 'Cane

I live in the deep south, about an hour away from the parts of the Gulf Coast that were devastated by Katrina in 2005. Even being an hour inland, Katrina passed over us as a Category 3 hurricane, and the eye passed over our town. We stood on the front porch (because we're smart, y'all) and watched 150 year old pine trees in the historic district of my mother's town fall, three at a time, bouncing  like a tennis ball when they crashed to the ground. Needless to say, that was a little traumatic. What was a tad bit more traumatic was being 6-ish months pregnant at the time (I was due December 1st) and not having power/water/showers/air conditioning for a week. Everyone else took cold baths when the water came back on 4 or 5 days after the storm, but I had calf cramps so badly that the minute my toes touched that cold water, my legs seized up and I cried in pain. My ankles were swollen from the heat, and my legs were a weird lavender color, hazy and veiny.  So when I see the alarmist forecasters chanting "CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE HEADED TOWARDS THE GULF!" I get a little nervous. Instead of being pregnant, I now have another mouth to worry about feeding and keeping hydrated. I have to worry about diapers, snacks, meals, etc. And dealing with a cranky toddler in the heat. Fortunately, my parents purchased a generator and a window unit air conditioner, so if need be, we'll all be sleeping on the floor in their home office just to soak up the cold air. So if anybody is reading out there, keep us in your thoughts, and some *'Cane fizzle out* vibes would be appreciated.