We have survived! The old flagpole that was here when we moved in got knocked down, the car was pushed a few inches, and the AC broke—but we’re alive. Thankfully, the AC is under warranty, but we still have to pay a hundred bucks just to have someone come check it out. They can’t come until Tuesday, so I’m grateful we have the portables—one in the bedroom and another in the living room. Funny, because just the other day, I thought they were a waste of money. Now they’re lifesavers!

I’m surprised the AC broke, though. I thought we had at least 10 to 15 years before we’d have a problem. I noticed something was off as soon as I got up. I could hear it running, but there was no air coming out of the vents. But then again, I’m not that surprised. When you have money, you stay afloat like we used to, but when you’re poor, there’s no getting ahead. Moving out west to the desert to develop our own land and build a new house is starting to feel more like a fantasy than a reality. I just don’t see how we can pull it off. On top of that, I’m just not as healthy as I used to be.

Hurricane Milton wreaked havoc across Florida. It sounded scary out there at times, but all we could do was wait it out by candlelight. We were without power for 14.5 hours, and stepping out onto the lanai felt like stepping into a war zone. Nearly 20 tornadoes spawned from the storm, and it’s a good thing we didn’t go to Port St. Lucie after all! That area, Fort Pierce, and others were hit hard by the tornadoes. Even someone’s carport near the entrance was taken down. As frustrating as things are for us, it could have been much worse—we definitely couldn’t afford to fix a carport! Where we’re situated, I think tornadoes are a bigger threat than hurricanes.

At one point, there was a lull in the wind and rain, and I could hear dogs barking in the neighboring subdivision. I couldn’t believe it—who leaves their dogs outside in the middle of a fucking hurricane?! It’s bad enough to treat dogs like outdoor decor instead of pets, but to leave them out in a storm? Even though I can barely hear them down here, it amazes me that no one does anything about it. How do their owners or neighbors even sleep?

During the night, I was in touch with Irma and Toni on and off and others. It was still stressful, and I could have used some lorazepam at the time. Putting the therapist on hold for now, though. The most important thing is dealing with my sleep apnea. I have been able to get a little more sleep, which helps (until something fucks it up again). I slept a little over 7 hours yesterday, and almost 8 hours today.

Looks like Kathy decided to ghost me, even though I don’t know why. We weren’t arguing or anything. Oh, well. Her choice. Besides, nothing really surprises me these days. I don’t do do-overs, and I have a hard no-forgive rule. So unless it’s turned out she’s been hacked, she can’t come back into my life. I can’t even access her other account, so I’d say that yeah, I’ve been blocked. sighs I’ll never again have a friend like Aly.

I got a couple of shelves to put by the built-in desk in front, but they’re delayed. I also ordered a 12-piece wax sampler for $6.

We lost even more money because we had to throw some food out because of the power outage. I could have been smart and pulled some chicken or fish out of the freezer and made that up with veggies, but instead, when Tom wanted to Dominoes, I got a pizza and some lava cakes, and they made me feel kind of yucky. My heart raced and I sugar crashed. I’ve been eating horribly unhealthy for the last few days now. Because of the hurricane, we got a lot of pantry stuff, so I’ve had more bread than I eat in a year.