5/9 Well worth it

Even though I was away from the office for two full days, it was well worth it. I made so many contacts--great people involved in disaster work. Plus I learned so much. The EOC is awesome and it's good to know we'll be in good hands should another disaster strike.

In a real emergency I wouldn't be at the EOC in Jackson...I'd be implementing our own Hurricane Response Plan in Biloxi. We'd have to evacuate all our volunteers first, then staff who aren't "mission critical." Other staff would be deployed with our trucks and other vehicles to a staging area further north. Additional folks would "batten down the hatches" in Biloxi and Ocean Springs, doing the best we could to ensure our property would remain safe. It's very serious business, but I'm so confident with the great staff we have that we will do the best we can.

I'd be the last to go. And because of that, I'll make sure everyone else gets the hell out of Dodge, so I could leave too. (Of course, this is only in case of a severe hurricane.)

There is one very small cool thing about all of this: I get to use a satellite phone. Oh, sure, I'm immature, but can any of you say that you wouldn't love to use a satellite phone. C'mon now. Be honest. (Not you, Rob. You get to use them all the time.)

5/7 Not about Quincy

I forgot to write that Friday night I went to Backwater with Jane and Jan, and some of their colleagues. When the manager found out that I was a comic, she asked me if I wanted to introduce the second comic and said I could do a few jokes. Of course I said yes. The first joke didn't go over well, but the second one killed. That felt good.

She doesn't like to emcee, so I'm sure the next time I go home I can get a gig being the emcee there.

It was fun.

Tomorrow and Wednesday I'll be in Pearl, MS at the EOC (Emergency Operations Center). I've heard it's underground and is ultracool. Can't wait. We're doing a hurricane preparedness exercise. A huge fake hurricane will hit and we'll direct the response from the EOC. Since it's 3 1/2 hours away, I'll have to stay overnight, which is why Q is staying at Pampered Pets. Then Friday I have to go to New Orleans for the day, so I won't pick her up until Friday night. I'll sure miss her, but she was so happy to see that she could e with a bunch of other puppies. They are all in the same room and spoiled rotten. It made me smile to see her cavorting. She didn't even notice that I left.

I'll report about the EOC later this week.