I'm back!

Wow I've been gone a long time...did you miss me? I hope you didn't all think I'd died or something in the hurricane. It really wasn't that bad!

We hung out at Ron and Jen's house. After the power went out on Saturday night at 7.15 we spent some time playing games and then decided we should probably try and sleep during the main event. Sadly I did not sleep very well so I got to listen to the house being beaten by the wind and the turbine on the roof twirling round and round. It was all very noisy and not reassuring. But we survived. The house had a little bit of damage but nothing like some of the others in the area.

Charlie and Margaret's house had little damage also, but sadly their neighbours didn't survive as well. It must be really disheartening for them as hurricanes are really random. One house could be condemned and their neighbour have no damage at all.
The weird thing is that Jeanne hit really close to where Frances did. The likeliness of it hitting so close is about the same as winning the lottery every day for a year. Does that make us lucky or unlucky?

Personally the after effects of a hurricane are odd feelings. I'm alive and pleased that the houses sustained little damage (though the church was hit bad) and I don't really feel as homesick, but somehow I don't feel like me. I don't know why and I couldn't explain it but that doesn't mean I won't try.

I guess that I feel drained in every way possible. My back is sore from sleeping on a sofa, and I think that I could sleep for a week if I had my bed from Belfast. I just don't really have the energy to do anything. I kind of feel like going to curl up in a corner and not have to deal with being away from home or any of the other things that might stress me out or drain me more.

I guess I wouldn't mind if I had some structure back. Everything I had worked for was cancelled cause of the storm- Pumpkins, the picnic. So about 4 of the leaflets I made were just pointless. So I also feel like I've done nothing to contribute even though I've been here for over 3weeks.

I feel like I'm talking round in a big circle and not making any sense. I was hoping to convey to you what it's like to go through a hurricane and the aftermath of it but apparently all that happens is you stop functioning properly. Storm Stress Syndrome means that you have mental, physical, behavioural, emotional and spiritual diversions from your normal self. I think I have mental and emotional at the moment.

Anyway, I think I'll go before I start random conversations with myself. If you can think of any fundraising ideas that we could use to replace Pumpkins I'm sure they'd help- seeing as some of us can't think by ourselves.

Hope you are all well.
xo.