cellio | evacuations

Katrina is certainly a tragedy, and I feel really bad for the people who've lost lives and property. My heart goes out to those people. But two things: (1) this is not anything like the tsunami in magnitude, Mr. Mayor, and (2) there are other things going on in the world too and I'd like the news to cover them. (I mean, really, if I were a nefarious government agent itching for some shenanigans, this would be the perfect time.)

anastasiav posed a thought experiment today. Given 12-24 hours' notice that you have to clear out and you have only your current vehicle with which to do it, what would you take? I have sometimes played through the "the house is on fire" scenario, where you maybe grab something on your way out the door, but this is a different scenario.

This isn't the order in which I thought of things, nor is this in full priority order, but I'm trying to group things for easier reading. For purposes of the exercise I'm assuming that my VW Golf is not currently in lemon mode. :-)

The universal "this goes without saying, right?" list: passport, cash, checkbook, cell phone, non-perishable compact food, drinking water, medicine, blankets, a few changes of clothes, toiletries, contents of the "important papers" drawer.

Every bit as essential to me: the cats (duh), some food for them, computer CPU and external hard drive. Yes, if a shelter turned my cats away I'd keep driving, as long as I possibly could. (And by the way, the cats and the external hard drive -- in that order -- are what I'd grab in the event of a fire.)

Thinking practically: contents of the "original work" drawers (research notes, sheet music, etc that aren't on the computer), one good knife, photos of items being left behind (including contents of bookshelves) for the insurance claim and to help with rebuilding,

Sentimental stuff: photo albums (I don't have a lot), the afghan my grandmother (of blessed memory) made for me (doubles as a blanket, too), a few (specific) pieces of jewelry, copies of my band's CDs (one each, I mean, not stockpiles), kiddush cup from our wedding, Shabbat candlesticks from a good friend.

Special and possibly surprising to some: about a dozen specific religious texts, or that entire section of the bookcase if I had room. Books are replacable, but that's not the point. I would do my best to specifically rescue the books containing the (real, not translated) name of God. I would also check with my synagogue and offer to take one torah scroll with me if needed. Yes, I would give my religious community a chunk of my evac space for something that important; it's kind of like tithing, when you think about it.

(Oh, in case you're wondering, Dani has his own car. We'd certainly try to use both. So I haven't factored him into this. This is my list, not our list.)

Unless there's room (which I kind of doubt), my hammer dulcimer didn't make the cut (though I'd grab the bag of hammers; good hammers are really important, and they're small). It's expensive and it would be a shame, but I do know where to get another. Losing the case would be annoying (not commercially available), but in this scenario I'd be doing enough rebuilding of the core parts of my life that this would be noise. (Err. So to speak.)

Sure, I've got lots of other stuff -- but most of it is stuff that could be replaced. It's just stuff. The things I listed go beyond "just stuff".

What are the things that you consider to be beyond "just stuff"?

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This question is probably easier for me because of the recent two cross-country moves done in my car, so I know what an amazing amount of stuff I can cram in there. The answers also depend heavily on where I intend on /going/ with all this stuff in my car. I can be in NorCal in less than a day, and probably still know enough people in Pittsburgh to couch-surf for some while and that's only 3-4 days' drive (of course, having everyone trying to bail out of an area at once would certainly increase travel times). If I planned on literally camping out somewhere that would naturally require different provisions. This assumes that only a relatively isolated area is affected, rather than the entire country going splat. Anyway, in no particular order:

Vital paperwork: passport, bank and credit card info, IDs, insurance info, etc
Cat, cat food and dishes, litter and box, carrier
Enough cash for about 2 weeks. Checkbook and credit cards.
Small folder of heirloom photographs, cards, and other compact things of sentimental value
Basic kitchen gear: chef's knife, paring knife, saucepan, wooden spoon, mixing bowl, cutting board, a couple of sets of plates and utensils, other items as space permits, a cookbook. Valerie's silverware.
Drinking water in large and small containers
High-energy and less perishable snacks: energy bars, soy milk, apples, Red Bull (my driving upper of choice)
About a week's worth of basic clothing including overcoat and boots depending on season, plus an interview suit and one dressy outfit
A few favorite pieces of jewellry
Toiletries and medications
Communication: cell phone w/ car charger, laptop, PDA, mp3 player, some CDs (rural radio sucks)
A few books for entertainment
Batteries of various sizes
Flashlight
Rope
Swiss army knife and pocket knife
Favorite stuffed animal
Pillow, sheet, blanket

Assuming my renter's insurance still exists, most everything else is "just stuff."

evacuations

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