Hurricane Irene only left us a few hours ago and already I’m hearing people complain that the state/municipal governments did too much to prepare when the storm wasn’t as catastrophic as expected. If we all knew the storm wouldn’t be quite as bad as predicted, no one would have prepared. I’m not one to panic, but even I knew this was a serious storm. It’s the first hurricane to make landfall in New Jersey in nearly 110 years. I brought everything inside (including our very heavy furniture), filled the bathtub, filled water bottles, brought my grandfather here and every other precaution I could think of.

Just like I took every reasonable precaution, I expect the government to take every possible  precaution as well. The same people who are complaining about the government spending too much time & money to prepare are the same ones who would be complaining if they weren’t made to evacuate and something bad happened.

The moral of this story? There will always be whiners. Thankfully, the people they whine about will always be there to save their butts.

• I had to install a registry editor on my phone and repair a corrupted text message. There is something very wrong with that on many levels. #
• I took 3000 photos in Canada last week. Slooowly sorting through them now. #
• Well, just experienced my first earthquake. #
• Steve Jobs resigns as Apple CEO http://t.co/obld5Al – As a user & shareholder, I hope Apple keeps following Steve’s vision. #BestWishesSteve #
• My office is wrapped up in plastic. Let’s hope it’s still here when I come back next week! #

• 107 yesterday, 103 today, heat index of 115. I’m so ready for Fall & Winter! #

• Just got an e-mail from our local NBC station saying the Yankees just won the 2011 World Series. WTF on so many levels. http://bit.ly/i4MpUP #
• Finally tried Blue2O (seafood place in Cherry Hill). Very impressed! Reasonable prices for delicious fresh fish. http://bit.ly/fsT7gG #
• It’s April & it’s snowing like crazy. (and that’s not even an April fools joke.) #
• These photos of the Iditarod and other dogsled races from The Boston Globe’s Big Picture are spectacular. http://bo.st/eSBkgj #
• I miss going to the @Phillies home opener every year with my Uncle Joe, but I’m glad it was never a few degrees above freezing like today! #
• Tried @McDonalds iced coffee today. Terrible. More milk than coffee. Almost bad as the crap @Starbucks sells! Threw it away. Back to Dunkies #

• It’s 20 minutes til 2011 and I’m watching NKOTB & Backstreet Boys perform. If they weren’t all old now I’d say my TV went back in time. #
• Happy 2011!!! #newyear #
• This is the 33rd New Year’s Eve I’ve spent with my grandfather. Great way to start each year. #
• New Year’s Day is always kind of sad because it means my Christmas vacation is over. Thank god for an extra day this year. #
• Ugh, 53 degrees yesterday, 48 & rainy today… Where did winter go?! It’s like it took the weekend off. #

• As cliché-ish as it sounds, stacking firewood out in the crisp morning air really makes me glad Fall is finally here. My fav time of year! #
• RT @leolaporte: RT @jcherup: Facebook bought drop.io and is discontinuing the service! Damnit. — WTF? yet another reason Facebook sucks! #
• @embly917 Thanks! That’s sweet. She’ll appreciate that. in reply to embly917 #
• Happy Halloween! Hope your day has more treats than tricks! The outcome of mine is still to be determined. #
• Some people go to a sports bar to watch the World Series. I’m at a hospital. Drinks are worse but the company is way better. #

• I wonder if @Starbucks new Internet content network is charred like their coffee? Would you like some burnt news with your burnt coffee? #
• My mom’s towel catalog hhas been updated. New Fall and Halloween patterns! http://www.michaelgatti.com/crafts #
• Despite the ridiculously warm weather all week, Fall seems to be arriving. The trees along the highway are all changing color. #

• Left 100 degree temps & insane humidity in Norfolk for the same plus smog in Philadelphia. I miss Alaska already. #
• Finally just watched the last few episodes of @DeadliestCatch about Capt Phil’s death. So hard to watch. Made last 2 years seem like 2 days. #
• @Mann_Center Audio for tonight’s Aretha concert was a disgrace. Many never understood a single word spoken or sung. Disappointing 1st visit. #
• @Mann_Center Thanks. Appreciate the reply. Passed it along to my friend who purchased the tickets. She’ll be in touch. in reply to Mann_Center #

• I just wasted over an hour trying to solve this Samba server issue in OS X Leopard. Why didn’t Apple fix this ages ago? http://bit.ly/aEGlTt #
• Wow, my house is really bright in the morning without trees around it. #
• Wow, a day without an excessive heat warning or air quality alert. That’s a first for this summer. #

• Putting some of my Dad’s shasta daisies on his grave for Father’s Day. #fathersday #
• Wow, getting 6 Mbps downstream on the @sprint 4G network! That’s better than I get on my @comcast hardwired cable internet. #
• RT @digitalkitty: Thinkgeek gets a cease and desist letter from the national pork board for selling unicorn meat. http://tinyurl.com/32h6aht #
• RT @google: “Google Voice now open to everyone http://bit.ly/dzPpwR" – you need to sign up for this. Been using it for a year and loving it. #
• Just spent 5 hours starting to cleanup the trees that fell down. Amazingly none hit our house! #

• The Mother’s Day menu in casa di Gatti was sauteed salmon with a dill cream sauce. Turned out well. Not Alaskan salmon but good nonetheless. #
• Last night’s SNL with Betty White was the funniest episode I’ve seen in a few years. “Wizard of Ass!!!” #
• It feels more like Fall than Spring outside, so what the heck, I broke out the pumpkin spice coffee this morning. #
• I realized we finally get @discovery in HD. @DeadliestCatch is even better in this way. #
• I just ordered some postage stamps to support shelter animals. Get some at http://stampstotherescue.com. #
• Public Service Notice: Jersey strawberries are now out at the farm stands. http://twitpic.com/1nztwd #
• Just finished landscaping Stroup Manor. #
• Exhausting but productive day. Rewarding myself with a Wawa hoagie… on whole wheat. Even when I splurge I’m responsible to a fault. #

• RT @PhillyInquirer “Christie wants teachers union official fired for memo http://bit.ly/cUnp5e" – The governor is actually right about this. #
• RT @Phillies “One year later, remembering Harry Kalas http://bit.ly/bgRMCl" #
• I can go to bed now that I got my Deadliest Catch fix. Looks like season 6 will be another good one. #
• 90 degrees a week ago & today it’s 34 out. Mother Nature really needs to lay of the bottle. #
• NJ is trying to get rid of traffic circles so my town just built two new ones. Go figure. #

• The rabbits in my yard seem much less afraid of people today. One refused to moved for me. Apparently they know it’s #Easter #
• Very productive weekend of working outside & in the garage but Monday is coming way to soon. #
• It’s the first week of April and it’s 90 degrees! Forget April showers. April heat strole seems more likely. #
• I have a bad feeling @Comcast will take this Net Neutrality ruling as a free pass to screw their customers. Hope FCC keeps an eye on them. #
• Today is my Dad’s birthday. He would be 74. I donated the $ I’d have spent on a gift to a few of his fav charities. http://www.emilgatti.com #
• American Chopper is coming back! My faith in the Discovery Channel might be restored. http://bit.ly/bt3Nku #
• Interesting take on WV coal mining communities from @kingsthings blog http://bit.ly/9BCK5R #
• Our governor is no winner, but NJEA is the biggest enemy of education & teachers in NJ. They’re a constant disgrace. http://bit.ly/d6aMzw #
• RT @sarahlane “Hotel pillows filled with buckwheat: GAME CHANGER.” — US hotels should follow suit. They’re all I use at home. #
• Glad to see Tina Fey doing Sarah Palin on SNL again. Her impression is no more silly than the real Pailn, but more entertaining. #

• Frost this morning and sunny & hot this afternoon. Goofy weather. Just give me the snow back. #
• Happy St. Patrick’s Day! If you don’t like Irish/Celtic music, I don’t suggest stopping by my office today. You’ve been warned. #
• @embly917 Way to go!!! in reply to embly917 #
• Just had Italian food for St. Patrick’s Day dinner. This would make my Dad so happy. (waiting til weekend for corned beef & cabbage) #

• At a regatta on the Cooper. Would someone please explain to mother nature that it’s not supposed to be 90 degrees in April. #