We are sitting locked down in a hotel room at the Marriott North in Fort Lauderdale where the view from our sixteenth floor room is of the sun shining on the skyline of the city as it prepares to set. From time to time, a burst of wind comes up, the sky darkens, and it rains. So far these episodes have been followed by a brightening such as we have now at approximately 745PM.
This hurricane has been taking its own sweet time getting here (if it is in fact coming here) and we can see from the nonstop television coverage that it has almost come to a stop over the Bahamas. We hope that it makes up its mind what to do before terminal cabin fever sets in around here. The whole region has been closed down now for more than 24 hours and there is actually no place to go and nothing to do other than catch up on some reading and check out FT every few hours.
The real event will be when the power goes down, and if this thing hangs around for a long time, it will prevent the power company from getting things repaired and it could be blacked out around here for quite a while.
On a more pleasant note, the manager of the hotel has left the concierge lounge, which as per general Marriott policy is usually locked on weekends, open to provide a hangout for the Platinum and Gold Members (there are not very many) and access to the computer (which seems to be having some operating problems at the moment). Last evening in the lounge, we met a businessman from near Dallas who had brought his wife along on this trip and they found thenselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. Regardless, they were of good cheer and we went to dinner across the street with them at one of the last restaurants to close up for the duration. Maybe we will drum up a bridge game later on with them, since they have told us that they play.
As long as the electricity lasts, we will try to keep you all posted.
Thanks again.
Franny & Bob