hanging with helene hurrying thither

The last thing I did before I left home today was check in with NHC.

Hurricane Helene isn't forecast to cut a swath to us, but she'll be dumping tons of water.

See that white-headed curve facing toward the west?

Think of that as an Amazonian woman with very long hair, rising up out of the Gulf and shaking those waters out of her thick tresses.

Yeah, that's what we have in our immediate future, as do the Carolinas and Virginia.

Hopefully she won't do it in slow motion like that other one did.

We're expected to get 4 to 6 inches of rain, but that won't be as bad as the mountains are going to see.

Still, I have no intention of being out in it, nor dealing with the accompanying winds.

I have until 8 PM to get done what I want to get done on this Thursday!

Timetable in hand and head, off I went!

First stop: AMC Cinema!

I'd taken advantage of my A*List status to make a reservation to see "The Wild Robot" in Real D 3-D!

Ever since I first saw the previews for it, I've been super excited about it.

Remember how much I loved MAV1S?

Well, this version of android sounds like a robot akin to her.

I was hoping for the best...

and having a pepperoni pizza, too.

(smile!) 

I had another motive for seeing "The Wild Robot", though, in this format.

I wanted that bonus kit so I could build my own Rossum-7134.

How sweet is that???

Tom made sure I got one, as well as the others there this afternoon.

And how was the last dance on this week's A*List?

Sweetly memorable, one to hold close and gently twirl on the floor before bringing back for another close and gentle hold... perfect.

Truly, it was perfect.

Beautiful story about love and friendship and change, with elements of scarier aspects of life gently sprinkled in...

fabulous characters with that touch of being real, not caricatures...

wonderful voices of actors heard too seldom, like Mark Hamill and Ving Rhames, as well as the talented Lupita Nyong'o who can imbue any work of fiction with heart and soul.

I cried three times, it moved me so.

I will absolutely be seeing that one again next week.

(smile!)

Afterward, I popped over to Staples for a new ink cartridge for the printer.

AARP had rewarded me twice with gift cards for the points I've earned with questionnaires.

That netted me a total of $15 off the genuine HP ink - hooray!

Then I walked over to AutoZone, as AllState had gifted me a $7 off $30 coupon.

Lord knows my girl has a drinking problem!

So now she'll have another quart, as well as a new windshield wiper blade.

Yes, just one; I rarely have a passenger, so okay if that side is not so good.

(smile!)

What else did I have a discount or freebie for?

Oh, yes: a flu shot and the latest COVID-19 booster!

Not only will UHC pay for those for me, but they'll reward me with $5 to spend elsewhere.

Plus, as I went to CVS for the shots, that store gave me a coupon for $5 off $20!

That was perfect for using with a $4 Ensure coupon... all money that stayed in my pocket!

 

What a perfect way to finish out my day of fun!

And what should I see on the telly when I switched it on?

That 'mercial with John Legend that had encouraged me to get a flu shot!

(smile!)

Then, about 10 PM, the tornado sirens started singing around my neighborhood, performing duets and trios as they drove me to distraction.

I do so loathe tornados.

The only thing in their favor is how intensely brief they are.

A minute, maybe two, and they are gone, leaving destruction all around.

I prepared my tornado shelter: the innermost hall closet, with a suitcase to sit on, a bagged blanket to protect me, my bag of medicines, and the solar lamp from Cathy in California.

That light may be the most important item there, to preserve my sanity as the tornado sirens wailed their scary threats for the next 90 minutes.

 

I had to turn off the sound from the TV.

It was much more important to listen for the sound of a train barreling outside my door.

It was much more important to listen for the sound of the rain against the windows.

 

Hurricane Helene is huge, just huge, and her northeast edge was throwing out continuous streams of tornados across three states... including Georgia.

Hope I won't lose electricity before she gets gone.

Helene has winds up to 140 mph, making her a Category 4 - and, as seen in this Wind Arrival diagram from NHC, her reach is the worst I've ever seen.

That was posted at 11 PM.

I'm planning to check again at 2 AM on her progress.

At least she isn't lingering.

No, she's hustling along at 24 mph, like she has a hot date lined up in Tennessee.

Yes, I jest, but that's an effort to stay calm.

Here's hoping for the best, here and elsewhere.