“It is not if, but when.” That was the theme of Lynette Black’s presentation at the Center when she discussed how to prepare for an emergency. We often believe an emergency will never happen and when it does – we are unprepared. But to save valuable possessions, and many times lives, we need to be ready for the unexpected. And that means having your emergency kit up to date and easily accessible; and having a pre-rehearsed plan of action. I won’t go into detail listing the items for your emergency kit since there are handouts at the Center and you can go online at http://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit or http://www.redcross.org/prepare. But your kit should include the necessary items to survive without electricity and water for at least three days. (And don’t forget cash. If the power goes out, it will be hard – if not impossible – to use your credit card.) Review your kit every six months to keep it up to date. You may need to replace the food, water, batteries and refresh your medications. You also need to make a plan – and practice it. In many emergencies, there is little time to think. You may only have 20 minutes or less to decide what you need – and that’s not necessarily what you want. As I get older, I may make better decisions, but not as quickly. And I have found during emergencies, my brain is no longer my friend; it just shuts off and vacates the premises. “Sayonara, you’re on your own.” So plan ahead. How will your limitations affect your response to an emergency? What about transportation if you need to leave your home? How will you take care of your pets? Have you made arrangements with your caregiver? And have you designated an out of state contact person to call? (It is often easier to make an out of state call than a local call from a disaster area.) At the Center there are also copies of “Disaster Preparedness for Seniors by Seniors” written by the Greater Rochester Chapter of the American Red Cross after they experienced a two week power outage due to a massive ice storm.. Hopefully you will never experience such an extreme emergency, but with wildfires, train derailments and winter storms in the Gorge – anything is possible. And to have your kit ready and your plan rehearsed, you will be better prepared. As it is often said “It’s better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret.” You know the Baby Back Rib Dinner, sponsored by Mill Creek Point Senior Living, is on Friday October 5th from 4:30 – 7:30. You know it’s a fundraiser for Meals-on-Wheels and the Center. And if you attended last year, you know the food was excellent. But you might not know that this year you won’t have to walk as far to get to your baby back rib. The Center has arranged with St. Mary’s for overflow parking and thanks to our sponsor, Mill Creek Point, you will be shuttled back and forth using their bus. Now you can’t use parking as your excuse to miss a delicious Baby Back Rib Dinner. If you need another chance to practice your new or used dance steps, Tuesday night at the Center is the place. Tonight, Annie Lane will be performing. And next Tuesday on the 2nd, we’re back to the top of the menu with the Strawberry Mountain Band. And for the rest of this story (which you can probably repeat in your sleep): the music starts at 7:00, everyone is welcome and donations are appreciated. “The Colonel” Tom Parker, born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk in his native Netherlands, was Elvis Presley’s manager for over two decades. (And the randomly chosen winner of a Baby Back Rib Dinner is Pat Davenport.) But this week’s “Remember When” question features two cartoon characters. Among the animation studios, Disney was considered the “Tiffanys” and Terrytones the “Woolworths”. But Terrytones created many popular cartoon characters including Mighty Mouse and these two conniving identical magpies that first appeared in 1946 and were seen on television by millions of kids from 1956 through the 60’s. For a free Baby Back Rib dinner, what were their names? Email your answer to the mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or mail it with a copy of the 1966 animated television series “Mighty Heroes” created by Ralph Bakshi. Well, it has been another week, paddling upstream through rough waters and blue skies. Until we meet again, as Dennis Waitley advised “Expect the best, plan for the worst and prepare to be surprised.”