I bet everyone here in Jacksonville was overjoyed to be able to get out of the house finally! ¬†After two days of staying in doors with my kids from the storm I decided it was time to get out. ¬†HOWEVER, we went out on Friday, you know that crazy day where there was a tornado warning! ¬†With my daughter’s school orientation canceling and my evening plans canceling, we all felt the need to still get out. ¬†Not knowing that there would be a tornado watch later that day, we went to the Avenue’s Mall. ¬†Even though half the mall’s shops were closed, there was still much to do there. ¬†We ran into old neighbors that had cabin fever too, bought some new school clothes for my kids, and went on a search to find a store that would pierce Miranda’s ears. ¬†Jaden, getting sick of clothes shopping begged to take a break and eat lunch. ¬†After we finished eating lunch all of a sudden there was much commotion going on in the food court. ¬†People were wrapping up their lunches quickly gathering their children by the hand, restaurant employees quickly pulled down their medal security walls closing up their counters, and security guards were multiplying before my eyes talking on their walkie talkies – surely they knew something was up. ¬†I happened to know what was going on though, I was informed earlier that there was a tornado watch in the area and a kind man at the mall gave me in the inside scoop that there might be a tornado heading our way. ¬†I didn’t think an actual tornado would truly come our way though! ¬†Regardless of what was going on outside this mall, I knew I would stay put for a while. ¬†Within seconds the food court went dead. ¬†Like a herd of sheep cattle, the security guards directed everyone to enter into one of the mall’s back hallways by Belk’s. ¬†Surrounded by concrete walls, I chose this little inlet for my kids and I to stay in. ¬†I figured if the ceilings would come crumbling down, at least we would be protected by the entry way we hovered in. ¬†It was our cozy little “home” that provided us with more space than anyone else could claim for themselves in this hall of ours! ¬†Of course through this all, my son, Jaden, has to pee and pee badly! ¬†Packed in with a bunch of other cabin fevered souls, that ironically now, we are cased in together like a large crowd standing in a long line waiting to get a book signing from some famous writer, there was no way out for poor Jaden to pee somewhere. ¬†Thank god we grabbed one of our drinks from lunch because rather quickly that became Jaden’s little portable potty! ¬†Time passes by and everyone’s still trying to call their spouses, significant other, friends, and whoever else they can reach in the world outside of the Avenue’s Mall. ¬†Me, I make my mother and sister worry as I tell them about the tornado that is supposedly heading straight for the mall! ¬†Under our circumstances, to my amazement, everyone in these confined concrete walls seemed quite calm. ¬†Maybe like me, they too thought ‘hey if there’s going to be a tornado coming, the best place to be would be inside a large building that probably won’t be lifted off the ground spinning around in the tunnels of a tornado like Dorothy’s house from the Wizard of Oz. ¬†And the mere fact that you are housed in with a bunch of other people is always comforting if a disaster does emerge! ¬†At least you’re not alone right! ¬†I always find it interesting that when we busy ourselves with grocery shopping, clothes shopping, running to the post office and grabbing a bite to eat pretty much everyone keeps to themselves with saying the expected hello’s and goodbye’s; but other than this, most people won’t give you more than just smile back. ¬†But when a possible horrific act of mother nature threatens our lively hoods, an unforeseen tragedy occurs or a common experienced disaster arises, everyone seems to drop those walls immediately and gathers together in perfect harmony. ¬†It’s almost like we are saying in untold words, ‘we are all in this together, we are all the same, we are here for one another.’ ¬†I love moments like that.
Of course I remained calm the whole time. ¬†I mean come on, I grew up in Chicago where tornado warnings was just as common as ruthless blizzards, early winter loud hail fallings, sky-open crackling thunder storms, harsh winter frost bite days and endless pot holes in the expressways that always followed from such thrilling winter events! ¬†But I was concerned with one thing. ¬†I hadn’t heard from my ex-husband. ¬†It seemed odd that he wouldn’t be calling us every 5 minutes to be sure our kids were safe. ¬†I couldn’t reach him since his voice mail kept coming on and he was not returning my text messages and voice mails. ¬†Wondering if a tornado hit the Julington Creek Plantation, I called my friend who lives there as well. ¬†Her reply was, “What? ¬†Huh? ¬†A tornado? ¬†I haven’t heard about that. ¬†It’s rather boring here now. ¬†It’s not raining anymore. ¬†No wind howling, nothing Darice!” ¬†Had I opened my fortune cookie before all of us mall customers were scrambling to reach the outside world to see if their loved ones were safe, things could have been a little easier in the concern for my kids father’s well being. ¬†
Of course I didn’t actually open up my fortune cookie until after the tornado warning dropped. ¬†Soon we were freed from our shepherd-like security guards and while I was in the bathroom waiting for my children, I decided to grab my phone when I saw the forgotten fortune cookie sitting lonely all by itself in my purse. ¬†Opening it up my fortune read:
I had to laugh at this!  
We stayed at the mall even when the previous sheep cattle decided to leave. ¬†I think we were the only original mall customers left when the newbie’s came in. ¬†Once we were done with getting school clothes, we finally headed out. The streets were slow with activity. ¬†Some stores were still open but not many people out and about. ¬†What a PERFECT time to get my errands done! ¬†So we spent the rest of our day running errands. ¬†
I wish I could say that I got everything done on Friday; however, being that it was the craziest weather day we’ve had in a while, most stores were still closed. ¬†So we had to resume our errand journey the following day. ¬†Which brings me to yesterday, Saturday. ¬†We went from one extreme in that it appeared that Jacksonville’s population was cut in half on Friday to on Saturday, it had more than tripled! ¬†Sharky’s cuts for kids was packed, where we ate lunch was even more packed, and our reunion to the mall was ridiculously crowded that it took us 10 minutes to find a parking space!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ¬†As much as I did not want to be there again, I promised Miranda we would return so she could finally get her ears pierced! ¬†And that she did.
Soon after, Miranda went to her friends house and Jaden got to play with friends and go the theatre while I had a blast doing a boudoir photo shoot…in the rain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ¬†Can’t hide from this rain! ¬†Funny how even now as I write this, it’s super sunny outside and just last night the sky was covered with gray and encompassed by water!
Soon I will post photos from last night’s boudoir session!
For all of you Jacksonville residence’s out there, enjoy this sunny day!
P.S. ¬†Jaden asked me what fun things we’d be doing today. ¬†Having to disappoint my little tiger, I told him not as much is planned for today. ¬†We’ve done so much over the last two days that I think it’s time to just settle in and be. ¬†”No mommy, can we go to the St. John’s Town Center…(one of his favorite places!), please!” ¬†He pleads and pleads with me to take him. ¬†He loves to get ice cream there and watch the turtles in the pond in front of Maggiano’s Italian Restaurant. ¬†Upon explaining that I have run out of money, he leaves my office without a peep. ¬†Within seconds, he returns and without saying a word, places three quarters and a penny on my desk! ¬†As if .$76 would solve his problem and grant him the opportunity to go to the St. John’s Town Center to get his ice cream and visit with the turtles! ¬†How sweet is this!!!!! ¬†
Come on brides, now you have to book with me.  I mean poor little Jaden needs to eat his ice cream and play with the turtles.  HA HA.
