Drinking Before the Hurricane

So I actually meant to post earlier this week about the impending hurricane (yay, RI has its first major hurricane in over 75 years and I'm here for it!) and the earthquake.

Let me at least say something about my very first earthquake. I was leaning over a desk, and I sort of felt dizzy. I looked over and the windows of the school were moving. Horizontally. This lasted about ten seconds, and then we all chattered nervously, "Was that an earthquake? Noooo. Check Google. Oh my God, it was an earthquake! Well what do you know." And my co-worker from San Francisco was all whatever about it.

Now they're going all crazy about Irene. They think there might be flooding and power outages on Sunday night, so we've all been instructed to prepare for the worst. Well, last night I started my preparations: I bought peanut butter crackers and went to a bar.

I met up with another VISTA at a bar on Wickenden St. (seriously one street over from me and less than a five minute walk). The bar, because people are so clever here, is called the "Wicked Den," or if you're a local, just "Wick." It's very wood-covered and apparently they serve over 100 beers because they have a club you can join where if you try every kind you get a plaque on the wall. (Or if you just get to like 50, you get a pair of underwear.)

I, because I want to learn about Providence culture, got Narragansett beer, which originated in Providence and is like a local/New England favorite. Not like you can see it, but the logo is on right. It's not very good, but it was cheap and served in a clear, honey-comb patterned mug, so I'm happy. Also there was the most divinely salty free jerky. I know you don't appreciate that, but oh my lord baby Jesus.

The only real reason I took that second picture though is something you unfortunately can't see. On the far left is this:

It's even more inspiring in person.

I don't believe in us using pictures we didn't take, but this was important. Apparently there a bunch of kinds of "Woodchuck Hard Cider," so since I probably can't get Strongbow, this might be what I end up drinking. The VISTA I hang out with really likes beer,and I'm try to, you know, learn about stuff, but I need a back-up, non-beer plan.

So I'm going to pack my Hurricane get-away bag and charge all of my devices and batten down the hatches, blah blah blah. Wish me luck.