You can’t always be lucky in a storm like Hurricane Ike. These events seem to randomly pick and choose their victims, so I must first state I’m ever so thankful we escaped damage. That certainly makes a little inconvenience and discomfort in the aftermath easier to bear.

There’s also something we did before the storm that’s been key in keeping us out of the lines you see on TV. We prepared. For this – and for our continued comfort after five days without electricity – I must credit my Southern Louisiana-bred Cajun Hubby, for whom this was not the first rodeo.

I’ll admit, though, that his “experienced” hurricane preparation tactics did not at first jibe with my newbie hurricane-readiness ideas. “No plywood on the windows?” I’d ask. “Naw, they’re protected enough. What we need is gas,” he’d reply. And so on...

So, with an empty porch, stuffed pantry, full tanks in anything that holds fuel, he-man generator, cooler of bottled water, gas stove, hand-crank flashlights and battery-operated candles, a full bathtub for flushing the toilet if water is off (good to know), and exposed windows – we faced the storm.

Oh, my!

The following morning, bleary-eyed, I surveyed the damage. Windows, check. Roof, check. Trees, not so check. Neighbors’ property, more of the same. Power, off for hours… but what’s that rumbling noise I hear outside?

In walks Cajun Hubby, with an array of extension cords snaking from he-man generator. Within a minute, I have a working fridge, fan, coffeemaker, and would you believe it? Dish Network! We are officially the most popular family on the block – what a man.

Events like this bring out the neighborliness in people, so the roar of chainsaws soon fills the air as everyone pitches in to clear trees and marvel at our area’s relative good fortune. My daughter delivers carafes of coffee up and down the street and we thrill to know that, unlike nearby neighborhoods, we still have running water.

Five days later, we’re still at it and doing fine. It doesn’t concern me (too much) that the neighbors opposite us have had power for two days and we’re still rumbling along. It will come. Anyways, Cajun Hubby says it’s cool… we haven’t tapped the gas in the other Waverunner yet.

I’d say we’re good for another week without much worry – and we just may have to be!