Batten down the hatches

Hurrican Sandy is coming

You are probably wondering what exactly are hatches and how do you batten them.  We have not idea about either but since Hurricane Sandy is heading our way so we'd like to offer you our suggestions of how to be prepared for her arrival.

Make yourself a Hurricane Sandy Kit including:
    •    batteries
    •    flashlights
    •    bottled water
    •    toilet paper
    •    non-perishable foods like cereal, crackers, canned goods, peanut butter, snacks, etc.
    •    booze (you can never have enough if you are trapped in a house without electricity)
    •    tylenol - trust us you'll need it at some point

Charge it
Make sure to charge up all your electronic devices - it would totally stink if you only had one bar left and no electricity to charge your phone.  How would you text or tweet.

Fill 'er up
Make sure to fill up your car with gas.  And if you do lose power you can always charge your phone in your car.

You raise me up
If your basement is prone to flooding, make sure to lift up anything to higher ground that might get destroyed.

Secure it
Patio furniture, kids toys, bikes, grills, planters should be brought inside or secured.  Nobody wants a projectile bike coming through their window.  Speaking of windows, feel free to put those X's made out of tape across your windows.  We are not really sure what a little bit of tape is gonna do to prevent a mighty hurricane wind from blowing in your windows, but the look of those tape X's is really cool.

Lights out
Plan on losing power - we probably won't but just be prepared just in case.  There is nothing worse than being trapped in a house with no electricity with a hot and cranky family.  The novelty of playing with the flashlight will wear out quickly with kids.  Make sure to have board games, books and a charged iPad to watch movies. 
Again, have beer, wine and booze on hand.  You'll thank us later.

Stay indoors
We are all about a brisk walk to a neighbor's house for a Hurricane Sandy party but don't be walking around in the storm.  Mother Nature is not to be messed with - and you'll have no one to blame but yourself if a tree falls on your head or you step on a live wire.  Governor Patrick and Mayor Menino urge al local businesses to have non-essential employees work from home.  (Sometimes it's nice to be non-essential.)  So stay home.

Be kind
If you have an elderly neighbor or someone who lives alone, check on them.  Make them a mini-survival kit with a fully-loaded flashlight, a bottle of vodka and a box of Cheez-its.
If you see a down trees or wires, call the Mayor's hotline at 617-635-4500 (if your phone is charged.)
 After all this preparation, we are gonna look completely ridiculous if it ends up being just a little bit of rain.  But you'd rather be safe than sorry, right?

Good luck!