OT: Good luck to our Florida correspondents

Sitting up in the dead of night watching events unfold from Athens, on a winters Sunday night (or is it Monday morning yet!!!!) after entertaining some very jet-lagged guests from Cumbria (who arrived in Auckland this morning with a gift for moi - a bottle of Highland Park 1958 Limited Edition Single Malt Whisky (without the "e") - numbered 491 of 665 - oh joy, joy - have a small glass at hand - almost orange in colour; quite nutty nose with decided almond flavours - slightly smoky finish - Mmmmmmmmm!

I was contemplating writing some smart-arse comments re elections and Florida and Jeb Bush etc etc when I just learned of the death toll.

My favourite line, from a favourite actor in a favourite movie -

"Oh the horror!!"

Condolences! -- st.h

"st.helier" wrote in news:x8GTc.13431$ snipped-for-privacy@news.xtra.co.nz:

Don't worry George will be here to save the day before the week is through. But seriously this was one mean strom I am lucky that I was in the early path. spent most of the day scurying around to get ready only to watch the storm drop further south. It is one of those reliefs tempered with the knowledge that my good fortune was not for my southern neighbors many of whom did not have as much time to prepare as those of us who were unaffected. Nasty things these storms.

jcoulter wrote in news:Xns954669CC3F6E9225stellar@216.196.97.136:

Wine to celebrate with-Les Charmes from Macon Lugny, what else (especially with heavy drinkers who idea of great wine is scotch!)

Two years ago I was trying to buy a house in Punta Gorda and the first thing the real estate agent presented to me was a chart of all the hurricanes in the Gulf since 1859 that showed none had ever hit Punta Gorda/Charlotte Harbor. I guess Charley made up for it. I bought instead at Daytona Beach in a high rise condo. The town hall right across the street from me is now flat. Our power never went off and the wine cooler is still purring.

Bill wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@verizon.net:

How much notice did you get of the storm? I live just north of St Augustine within a 1/4 mile of the beach. We still expected to be hit by hurricane winds at 9PM Friday. Went to bed sure that I would be swimming by 3am instead woke at 6:00 to clearing skies. (St Augustine 14 miles south, was the target at the time)

I think when the storm turned into Port Charlotte about 3 PM, we were put on the path then.

I was worried about forming a wine tasting group in Daytona but a 90 mile drive down to Daytona would be just right for you. Sooner or later we will have to find a restaurant close to the half way point and tell some lies. I will be in Maryland until 26 September.

Bill wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@verizon.net:

South of St augustine and before Daytona hmmm, Flagler County cuisine as i recall is heavy on the Waffle House. What wine goes with grits? But sounds like a stellar idea

"Snack Jack" in Flagler Beach is a good seaside seafood shack, unpretentious and simple, but not a place that I'd offer for an offline ;-) Surely there must some place worth dining at in Palm Coast?? FWIW, my in-laws in Ormond Beach and Port Orange are all still without power and will be for days. How Bill got power in Daytona I don't know.

And, Bill, I had no idea that you'd (partially) relocated. Depending on circumstances, I might be able to join you two for dinner some time when I'm in the area...

Mark Lipton

We'll find a Palm Restaurant for you Mark. Snack Jack has a $35 corkage fee now. Only kidding. But it is about the only place on Flagler. There is a very nice place on the north side of Ormond that has a good wine cellar. I think it is called Stonewood. I will be down there until Christmas I think and will look forward to seeing you when the weather turns cold up there in Indiana.

And everything in Port Orange is closed today. There were 15 power company trucks from West Virginia in Aunt Catfish's parking lot Friday at lunch. I guess they left Saturday morning without taking care of Port Orange.

What was the movie and the actor? I'm getting this line mixed up with a phrase uttered during the (very) famous live commentary of the Hindenberg disaster in the 30's. Can't remember who the commentator was.

Vino To reply, add "x" between letters and numbers of e-mail address.

Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now. I'm pretty sure the line was also in the original, Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" Dale

Dale Williams Drop "damnspam" to reply

Pardon my interjection, but I am trying to get information on the situation in Port Orange. My mom is there, and I am here near Sacramento, California, and can't get any phone numbers in Port Orange to answer. I would appreciate anything you could tell me. Either reply to this post, or email me at goodideadave=at=hotmail.com. Thanks.

Oh, and the actor you might be thinking of is Marlon Brando as Colonel Kurtz in "Apocalypse Now".

snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com (Dave) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com:

Not direct help I know but the Daytona newspaper is

Good luck to you and your family

I assume he's not talking about Les Nessman in the turkey episode on WKRP in Cincinnati. I still smile when I think about that episode.

Cliff

Dave, FWIW, We've spoken with my sis-in-law in Port Orange on 3 separate occasions in the past 48 hours. OTOH, we keep getting a busy signal when phoning the parents-in-law in Ormond Beach. It sounds like it's a pretty haphazard business right now, so don't panic.

Mark Lipton

Mark, Bill, et al:

Thanks for your help and encouragement. I finally got through to mom about an hour ago. She is sweltering in her trailer, playing solitaire by flashlight with her cat. A big tree fell over between her home and the one next to hers. It clipped her screen room, and the screens are all torn off her windows by flying debris, but she is out of the rain. No power yet, and mine was the first call to make her phone ring since Friday night. She said that she went looking for a working phone, but every pay phone she found had twenty people in line for it, and she didn't want to wait out in the sun. Which I thought was a good decision, since she's almost 80. Anyway, she is in good shape, and I appreciate everyone who took the time to get me info on the situation in Port Orange.

Best, Dave

I'm pretty sure the line from the Hindenberg newsreel was, "Oh, the humanity!"

Dan-O

I'm pretty sure the line from the Hindenberg newsreel was, "Oh, the humanity!"

Dan-O

Marlon Brando in Francis Ford Coppolla's "Apocalypse Now" from Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness?" Wow, now that is getting in the "wine" reference - Coppolla.

Best of luck to all of our friends in Punta Gorda!

Hunt