Lots of love to you, Liese.

I'm glad everything worked out, Tommyrot!

Laura, wishing for safety for your family. I'm thinking a lot about everyone in Irma's path.

I was supposed to fly to Fort Lauderdale Saturday morning for my niece's baby shower, which she is having to reschedule. I'm worried about her--7 mos. pregnant, right in the path of the storm. I offered my place to her and her DH, but they are on the fence about evacuating.

amyth, I hope your FL family members take you up on your offer. It would be nice to meet them. Did you mention that we have, like, all the hospitals, if your niece runs into any complications? Plus, BBQ.

NHC started using the M designation on their warning maps for Irma. Freaking terrifying move into superlatives.

Tipsy tommyrot!

I do hope your niece and DH get out. Love to all who open their homes to those fleeing. I think I talked to DH once yesterday, which is an indication of how busy he was preparing. Normally I talk to him at least a dozen times. I don't get anxious or freak out normally; I am more a do what you gotta do girl. But my chest hurts thinking about the coming destruction that is out of my control. My family has the means to get out, but too many don't. And maybe stupid because it is property and not life, but the Keys have brought so much joy and I worry they will be destroyed.

I don't mean to be flippant, because I'm definitely thinking of everyone in the path of the storm and hoping for minimal impact.

But between this and the fires on the West Coast, this is starting to feel like the part of the movie where the aliens are trying to wipe things out so they can terraform the planet.

But between this and the fires on the West Coast, this is starting to feel like the part of the movie where the aliens are trying to wipe things out so they can terraform the planet.

I totally feel the same way. I was just saying to a friend last night, that between Harvey, the fires and the heat wave on the west coast, and Irma all happening in two weeks, it feels like the beginning of a horror movie.

It feels like end times. And that's without even mentioning the obscenity in the White House.

I'm glad to hear the family is evacuating, Laura. This storm looks really scary.

sara, what is the M designation for Irma, by the way?

Congratulations on everything working out, tommyrot!

Major hurricane.

Ah. I probably should have figured that out myself.

It looks like Irma shifted a bit overnight. Now the tracks seem to be trending a bit more easterly. So NC might get hit. I'm far enough inland that a Cat 5 that makes landfall in Wilmington gets knocked down to a Cat 3 or less by the time it reaches me. But that's still a fair bit of storm.

It's so weird to see references to the dangers and fierceness of Irma. My great aunt Irma was a lovely, sweet old lady when I knew her. She was a former hand model, and I got my first manicure as a memorial to her after she died. I think she'd be tickled to hear everyone talking about Irma in this way.