Home Depot was a nightmare. I got there about 20 til 6 a.m. and there was already a line. No plywood, no flashlights, no batteries, no water, no generators, no Tapcons. They had NADA. They allowed us in and had us stand in line to wait for the plywood shipment, which, depending on the 8 a.m. hurricane advisory, would be shipped to the location where it would be needed most. The place was a madhouse and there were at least 200 or more people in line for the plywood that probably wasnt coming. As we stood in line a guy came up to us and asked if we were waiting for plywood. When we said yes he handed us a business card and said he had a warehouse full of plywood and was right around the corner. "How much," I asked him. He said 25 bucks a sheet. They sell for about 18 at the HD. Not many people took him up on the offer. Price gouging is supposed to begin AFTER the hurricane. Those are the rules.

Of course, this is Miami and I am Cuban. I called my dad who called his pal at the Cuban-owned lumber yard and voila, we now have the 3/4" CDX plywood we need. I scrounged around in the shed and found enough Tapcons to be able to anchor the plywood properly. It's a good thing I'm a pack rat when it comes to tools and hardware.

At 5:30 a.m. every single gas station that I passed as I drove to Home Depot was full. People standing in line for gas ala Jimmy Carter's America. Supermarkets around here are out of everything. Ice cannot be found anywhere around here.

This will probably be my last post for the day as I have to head over to dad's and get them ready then come back home and do my house. I already have my necessities: beer and cigarettes.

To all those Florida bloggers out there: if you are reading this you are procrastinating. Get your asses off those comfy chairs and away from your keyboards and get them in gear. Frances looks pretty ominous and she is BIG. The whole state is gonna be under her spell. Seriously, get your asses going.

Pray for us, folks. Looks like we are gonna need all the help we can get.