Nothing to Fear

YAYYYY!! OK!! So, we are home!!  The city of Miami Beach is just as beautiful as ever, but looks like it is still waking up from a bad dream with torn down leaves and trees lining the street, store windows still boarded up, people just slowly getting back to work, no valet in my building, AND the elevators still turned off...making the trip up 12 flights with animals and computer in tow an arduous one, after Hurricane Ira. 

My daughter and I drove a different way today than we did, after being turned away at the McArthur Bridge yesterday (the picture shows), unintentionally, after today being turned away again at a Police Blockade in Hallandale Beach to go the other way...no apparent reason.  With nothing to slow us down, we entered the city of South Beach from the other side, wondering if we had gone that way yesterday, would we have still been turned away for another night from entering South Beach!?

Anyway, couldn't be happier to be home, and in a safe building like the one where we live.  Thing is, with all the new construction codes, I think, most buildings in Florida, are up to code to survive winds like those from a hurricane, last weekend.  And, because the city makes it so hard for us to come back after a storm, increasingly, I notice people don't leave...even when there is a "mandatory evacuation," like the one that my area in South Beach just experienced.  Which really only means that no one will be there to help you, if you call (911).

Although, I really can't complain, for the hospitality that Chris, my daughter, Caroline's boyfriend's family showed us.  I really think the media exaggerates and builds fear to increase money spent on these natural disasters.  I haven't figured it all out, but SOMEONE is making money.  I have lived thru enough of these hurricane predictions and false tracking to know that there is nothing to fear.  Still, the endearing qualities it brings up in people are the community pulls together, and we are all here for each other, which can be amazing!

So, last night, after a long day of waiting in line to find out we couldn't go home yesterday, we went to stay with Chris on Hollywood beach, for the night, as he was able to return to his home.  Everything was closed, but we got dinner at a Thai place that wasn't taking anything, but cash, and selling for "take out."  Almost no restaurants were open and Publix grocery store, shown below,  had no electricity, and was only letting 10 people in at a time, and they were only taking cash too, with little more being sold, but dry food and frozen!!

We all thought this was pretty funny, when we were waiting forever for our dinner at the Thai place. we all agreed, "so like they can make all cash, and just report 3 orange chickens sold!!"  HAHA!! Yep!!

That is about the size of it...Anyway, we are home safe now, and maybe that was just our one hurricane scare here in Florida for this year!!  Yay!! Thankful to be home, and thankful that once again, THERE IS NOTHING REALLY TO FEAR!!!

Just waiting for all the boarded up stores and restaurants to open, as I had to go down 12 flights of stairs, just to get my computer charger in the car, so to make it worth it, thought I better also get some lunch (at 9:30am).  I could find only The Daily on West Ave. with it's doors open, but only able to serve coffee, freshly squeezed juice, and dry goods...I got a huge Rice Krispy Square with my juice!!
Slowly returning to normalcy in Florida today.