Hurricane Irma | Don't Blink

Hallelujah. Hurricane Irma decided to spare us.

On Thursday, I noted that one of the most powerful hurricanes ever to touchdown in the United States could potentially steamroll through Myrtle Beach. Thankfully for us, that won’t be the case.

Despite earlier forecasts that showed our area in the 5-day error cone of the storm and despite plenty of worry and build up, we won’t go toe to toe with Hurricane Irma. Meteorologists, who cautioned the whole time that the storm could shift, proved correct when Irma decided to take a westerly track, not only comfortably bypassing Myrtle Beach but steering clear of most of the entire state of South Carolina itself.

We are all extremely happy. After living through Hurricane Matthew last year, a storm dwarfed both in size and power by Irma, I told myself I was fine if I didn’t have to deal with another Mother Nature assault for a while.

However, as I have mentioned, Hurricane Irma is a massive storm. Because of this, although we won’t be anywhere near the eye of the storm, we will experience “fringe effects” from Irma. Starting tomorrow and lasting through Tuesday morning, the Myrtle Beach area is expecting tropical storm force winds with the possibility of tornados.

Horry County Schools, my wife’s employer, canceled all classes tomorrow. Sidney and Sloan will have the day to snuggle and rest comfortably inside our home while the wind howls. As for me, classes at Coastal Carolina University are also canceled tomorrow (as well as Tuesday) but staff will still report.

Sidney and Sloan will be safe from the fringe effects of Hurricane Irma as they stay home tomorrow.

My thoughts and prayers are with the millions of people who have and will be impacted by this nasty storm. Since my family was spared, it means another young family to the west of us who originally thought they were in the clear now will have to brace for danger. I feel for them.

Thanks to everyone who reached out over the past several days, you are all the best. Do know we are doing fine and that we are completely out of harm’s way. Don’t Blink.

It is currently a tense time in the area of the country I live in but that won’t stop the Thursday Rundown. Time to roll with this week’s five random topics…

Hurricane Irma – My opening sentence of this blog post was meant to reference one of the potentially biggest hurricanes to ever hit the United States. Hurricane Irma, a current Category 5 hurricane, is forecasted to make landfall in South Carolina. Many meteorologists are saying that Irma will dwarf Hurricane Matthew. Although the hurricane will most likely diminish into a Category 3 or Category 2 storm before it wreaks havoc on Myrtle Beach, it is a very concerning situation. I will make sure to keep all of you updated.

Wife Not a Fan of Football – Sidney can’t stand football season. She becomes quite annoyed when male figures in her life such as her husband and father spend time in front of the TV watching it. If I am going to catch a quarter while in bed, I have to mute it because just the background noise annoys Sid enough that she can’t sleep. When I saw this Blondie comic strip this morning it immediately made me think of Sid and I.

One reason Sidney dislikes football season is because it is so loooong.

Dad Entering His 33rd Year as Football Official – Speaking of football, my dad started his 33rd year as a high school referee this past week. I have written before about his decorated officiating career and needless to say I am proud of him for hitting the field to serve the Spokane youth once again. I wish him well and I will pray for a season of no injuries, understanding coaches, and exciting games. Have fun, dad!

A photo of my dad before he went off to officiate his first game of the 2017 season last Thursday.

Return Trip to Dave & Buster’s – On Labor Day, my father-in-law said he wanted to do “something fun.” To quench his thirst for a good time, we went to Dave & Buster’s. We visited the entertainment center at around 2 p.m. and it really was night and day compared to last June when we went on a weekend night at 10 p.m. We were able to play the games we wanted to in an atmosphere that resembled more of a family center as opposed to a night club. We ate lunch as well. Dave & Buster’s offers a vast and fun menu. Although making a selection was hard, I went with the bang bang chicken. The entire experience was a very nice Labor Day outing.

Sidney (and Sloan) playing Mario Kart this past Monday. My bang bang chicken is pictured to the right.

The Latest on Sloan – Although I don’t have too much new to report on Sloan this week, I do have one of the cuter picture collages to share. The smiles keep coming and her hair does too! When we FaceTime my family, her dark hair is the first thing they notice. She was so happy this morning as she smiled and played in her new overalls. Sloan will turn 25 weeks tomorrow.