Happy Birthday

My father's birthday is not until the 4th of July. Today was not my niece Andrea's birthday, either. But hey, close enough, at least this year.

Kathe and I went out to Bellfountain. So did my brother Tom and his girls, Andrea and Linda. So did Casey, the girls' grandmother, my mother's sister Pat and my father's sister Ann, Ann's husband Wesley.

A fairly low-key event. Andrea got some presents (including a book about Batman, her favorite character, with a read-along tape I recorded for her), and so did Dad (including a book of allegedly brain-stimulating puzzles Kathe found at Browser's Books). We had wrap sandwiches, and pieces of a flag-themed cake.

Not much, just a family event. The big event was that someone's dentures got misplaced, I won't say whose.

//The Magic Eight-Ball says, "Family is important, if only to one's own family."\\

Surviving A Disaster

Informative interview with Amanda Ripley, author of:
The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes—and Why

http://www.motherjones.com/interview/2008/06/five-ways-to-survive-disaster.html
Disaster survival tips:
1. Learn how to text message. Oftentimes, as in Katrina, text messages will go through when cell phone calls won't.

2. Expect smoke. If you're in an airplane, know how many rows are between you and the exits. If you're at home, know your way to the door without the lights on. Most fire deaths are due to smoke.

3. Get to know your neighbors. They may be your key to survival. The stronger your community is, the better equipped you will be to survive a disaster.

4. Practice. Many people who survived the WTC attacks knew where the staircases were because they did lots of fire drills. Children especially should know where to go in case of emergency, and walk that route until they are familiar with it.

5. Lose weight. Overweight people often are less able to move quickly in escape situations that call for speed.