Waiting is the hardest part, they say. And there is certainly some truth to that.

 

I’ve never been particularly patient in situations that involved a lot of waiting.

 

At 15, waiting for the drivers’ ed roster to be posted to be sure my name was on it.

 

At 17, waiting for my college admission letters.

 

In my 20‘s, waiting to hear the results of a job interview.

 

Later, waiting for the birth of my daughter; her due date was Christmas Eve, so it’s just as well that she didn’t arrive for another week or so.

 

This weekend, I’m waiting for a hurricane. Isaac is still technically a tropical storm, but he’s gaining strength down in the Caribbean, and bearing northwest. It’s not my first hurricane experience, really; in Pennsylvania, the edge of Ivan took out our flowering plum tree in 2003, and last year Philadelphia felt the brunt of Irene.

 

But Isaac will be different. I’m in southwest Florida this year. Naples has a pretty good track record as far as hurricanes go – we checked. And our house is situated a few miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico, so no risk of storm surge here. Of course, there’s plenty of time for Isaac to make a slight right turn and head toward Miami, or to veer west out over the Gulf. You can’t really tell, because Isaac is a “disorganized” storm at this point. It’s a pretty sure bet, though, that we’ll get a piece of the action.

 

Anyway, I’m prepared.

 

Water supply. Check.

 

Pantry stocked. Check.

 

Flashlights – check.

 

Lots of batteries. Check.

 

Propane stove. Check.

 

Cash on hand. Check.

 

Cars full of gas. Check.

 

72 hour kit. Check.

 

It’s a little like packing for Girl Scout camp, to tell the truth. Make a list, check it twice, all that stuff.

 

The news media is all over Isaac, not because he is an unusual storm but because of the Republican Convention in Tampa next week. Huh? You plan a major convention in Florida in August and then act surprised that you might run into some bad weather?

 

If…just if…Isaac became a major storm and Tampa took a direct hit, the issue wouldn’t be whether the GOP would come up with a nominee for November’s ballot. No, the challenge would be what to do with thousands of politicians and media hounds who have probably had way too much to drink the night before.

 

But that’s a different issue.

 

Today, the sky is brilliant blue. Not a cloud to be seen. Golfers are teeing up on the 12th hole just past the palm trees in my back yard. It’s my day off.

 

I think I”ll head over to the pool and just wait a while.