Priorities

Hurricane Sandy tore up and flooded the east coast yesterday and today, and many folks have long term clean up and rebuilding ahead of them or are experiencing the tragedy of having lost a loved one. Some of those who were in her path had been forced to evacuate and were only able to take necessities with them.

We were in the line of fire and although our house is not in a flood plain, I took precautionary measures due to our neighbor's huge maple tree that looms over the back half of my house and my entire workshop.

The impending 60 mph winds had me a tad bit concerned that the tree, with its full canopy of leaves, would topple in our direction.

At times like this, what would you save? (Aside from the obvious—family and pets.)

My number one priority was my workbench because 1) I love it and 2) I sure as heck don't want to build another one. Ever.

So, I disassembled all the parts and brought them to the front of the house.

Second priority was all the hand tools I had made, followed by any projects-in-the-making. After that, I brought in all the modern hand tools I had purchased.

I was satisfied with that, thinking that insurance would replace any of the machinery and small power tools, but I decided to cover them with heavy plastic tarps anyhow. It wouldn't prevent the tree from crushing the contents of my shop, but if it only damaged the roof, the tarp would keep the rain off my tools.

Two bedrooms were also in the path of the maple tree, but I perused their contents and thought, "meh."

Sandy has passed, we did not lose power, the maple didn't budge, and it's time to put my shop back together.

But while looking at my workbench's legs (that were lying on the floor in my office) and the tools I had laid on top of them, an idea popped into my head of where to stow my saws when I take my bench on the road.

I hope that if Sandy roared through your neighborhood, you fared as well as we did.