Thanks to Isaac, and we’ll be blaming him for many items over the next few weeks, I hope that the lessons of Katrina were strengthened.
Yes, there are the truly important tasks that cannot be ignored, such as having enough batteries for radios and flashlights on hand, filling the car with gas, keeping plenty of fresh bottled water on premise, also stocking a supply of food items that are preserved and don’t require much in the way of preparation work.
Once you’ve secured your home, assured you are self-sufficient for a few days, and follow your stay-in-place or evacuation plans, you should pay attention to that most important survival item: adult beverages.
Now’s the time to enjoy those aged wines you’ve been holding back for a special occasion. Lucky you, this is it. There is not an occasion more special, at least not during these tense moments, than finding comfort and pleasure in the midst of nature’s fury with one of nature’s gifts. Popping a cork on some wine that you’ve tucked away for years will take your mind off the wind, the horizontal rain, and all those strange noises right outside your door.
Plus there is simply nothing else you can do but take your time and savor the liquid. When else are you not rushed to be someplace else? When else are you not distracted by friends at the next table, by having to be completely cordial, or being expected to share something very special which you would prefer not to pass around?
Hurricanes are the perfect time to dig deep into the wine cellar. At the very bottom of a list of reasons to raid the stash, kick back, pull some corks, and pour that 2002 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is the fact that maybe, as the natural event proceeds and robs you of precious electric power, your aging wine may not be able to withstand the shock of heat which surely follows every hurricane along with the void of air conditioned air because of electrical power loss.
But at the very top of that list of reasons is the fact that you really deserve a special treat. Never is there a better scenario, after doing what has to be done in preparation for the storm, then opening the “prize.” It’s a real risk-reward situation.
Hopefully we won’t be faced with any more hurricanes or tropical storms, ever again. Okay, so that’s not realistic given our community address. But if we have to face the music, let’s drink well.
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