I know I live in Florida when:

[Valigator]

You have FEMA's number on your speed dialer.

You have more than 300 C and D batteries in your kitchen drawer.

Your pantry contains more than 20 cans of Spaghetti'Os.

You are thinking of repainting your house to match the plywood
covering your windows.

When describing your house to a prospective buyer you say it has
3 bedrooms, two baths and one safe hallway.

You are on a first-name basis with the cashier at Home Depot.

You are delighted to only pay $3 for a gallon of regular unleaded.

You decide that your patio furniture looks better on the bottom
of the pool.

You own more than three large coolers.

You wish that other people get hit by a hurricane and not feel
the least bit guilty about it.

You have 2-liter coke bottles and milk jugs filled with water
in your freezer.

When you moved to the coast, you couldn't hang a shower curtain
without reading directions; today you can assemble a portable
generator by candlelight.

You catch a 13-pound redfish in your driveway.

You can recite from memory whole portions of your homeowner's
insurance policy.

You have had tuna fish more than 5 days in a row.

There is a roll of tar paper in your garage.

You can rattle off the names of three or more
meteorologists who work at the Weather Channel.

Someone comes to your door to tell you they found your roof.

Ice is a valid topic of conversation.

Relocating to Cleveland, OH doesn't seem like such a crazy idea.

You spend more time on your roof then in your living room.

You've been laughed at over the phone by a roofer, fence builder
or a tree worker.

A battery powered TV is considered a home entertainment center.

Having a tree in your living room does not necessarily mean its Christmas.

You know the difference between the "good side" of a storm
and the "dirty side."

You go to work early and stay late just to enjoy the air
conditioning


Arthur J. Lane, DDS

[Nulle]

The lizards are back-packing it out because the fence is gone.

[gspsonny03]

Val, I'm sorry to find that humorous, because I'm sure some of that to you is down right serious. But it is good to know that you haven't lost your sense of humour.

[8X56MS]

I'll be honest, other than several days without power, my experience with all this Wilma and Katrina stuff was not that bad. From what I saw in person, and in the news, there are a whole lot of folks that just don't prepare at all, and relish their new found 'victim' status.
I have lived in Florida most of my life, and have gone through many hurricanes. Only in the past few years, has dependence on FEMA, or any other Government entity been a way of life.

[TreeDoc]

I like the Tree Worker part....I'm seriously considering an office in Florida!

[8X56MS]

well you should have come on down TreeDoc. In Broward and Dade Counties, they are hauling off some 16 million tons of tree debris. There are "Tree Doc" crews from all over here, just cutting and hauling away.