And - now we rest... and wait...

Took the kiddos in to karate this morning since I hadn't done it all summer and so that Steve could get a jump on his end of the hurricane prep.

Rain started gently falling at 10:15 in Old Town and I headed home, with one more errand en route and a quick stop at my mom's place to make sure all downspouts and drains are clear.

I returned home hopeful to find hurricane prep list almost done.  Came home to find a less than aggressive push on the to do list, which was quickly remedied by some mama hollerin' and some quick steppin' from the kiddos who jumped into the fray like troopers.  All last minute items were done in less than an hour.  Woo-hoo!  Go team Otto!

Last of the pool deck furniture in - check
Pool hoses, chemicals and various minutia secured - check
Oil lamps filled and ready - check
Hanging plants down - check
Random tools and toys brought in from back and front yard - check
Bikes secured - check
Dry well pump on - check
Sump pump working - check (with fingers crossed that the ancient well hangs in there for one more storm before crumbling to bits or getting repaired this Fall.)
Chain saw gassed up and ready with easy access - check
Dogs hunkered down in the Master Bedroom - check

*shew*

Play Doh is out and inside play in progress, and mama gets to sit down for a breath before fixing lunch.  As Steve just said - "Our deck and porch have never looked so good.  If only it stays that way through the storm and after."

We are done and inside for the duration, I hope.

That said - I do believe (and hope) that all is for naught.  My gut is telling me that the Weather channel is waaaayyyy over-hyping this storm.  Anything to feed the 24 hour news beast.  I am calling it now, that we will get rain (lots), wind (lots) and probably power outage from downed tree limbs, but not much more than a bit of water in our laundry room, which happens whenever it rains super hard.

This is a category 1 hurricane, at its most a category 2.  While significant, it shouldn't bring about the widespread devastation of Katrina, Andrew, Charley, or for a more realistic comparison Hurricane Gloria.  Gloria was a category 4 hurricane that hit the Outer Banks in 1985 and bounced up the Eastern Seaboard, fairly similar to the projected path of Irene, hitting all up the Washington-Boston Corridor and beyond. Eight people died and over $1.8 BILLION in damage in today's dollars.  THAT was the hurricane of a lifetime, or at least of a generation.  Category 1 or 2, just off shore from DC, not so much, I am hoping.

Is it a big storm?  Yes.  Will there be lots of damage up the East Coast?  Yes.  Is it the storm of a lifetime?  No, I think not.  Talk to folks in New Orleans or Haiti to be reminded of a storm of a lifetime.

Well, I hope I didn't just jinx us.

This is Staci, reporting live from Casa D'Otto.  Warm and dry for now.  More later.