Listening to the radio and watching the news they of course interviewed people who were evacuated in the middle of the night due to the fires. I heard this one man, who was interviewed, tell the reporter they got a call and were given only fifteen minutes to get out of their home. Fifteen minutes is not a lot of time, especially when you’re panicking.
So I thought about it and asked myself What would I take/pack if I only had fifteen minutes to get out of my house? This is what I came up with:
- My kids, of course. I’d wake and dress them. Then give them trash bags and tell them to empty their dresser drawers into the bag and put as much clothes and shoes as they can into the bags.
- My photo albums. I’ve got A LOT of family photo’s in albums and on CD’s that I would hate to loose.
- Our shoes and clothes! Duh! If I might be homeless I’m going to at least need clothes to stay in a shelter, right? Like the kids, I’d give Mister trash bags to load up with our stuff so we won’t be naked homeless Mexicans.
- My make up, hairdryer and all my styling products under the bathroom sink. You think I’m just trying to be funny, huh? Seriously, I’m not. I’d run into the bathroom and empty the medicine cabinet and under the sink and pull out our toiletries because we’re going to need them wherever we end up at. Same thing with the hallway cabinets, we’ve got toiletries there and blankets. I’m sure we’re going to need at least one blanket each.
- Our document box! I’ve got a storage box with things like our passports and birth certificates.
- My Coach purses! I shit you not I’m going to make sure Mister packs those bitches! Who knows what will be in store for us and if I need to I could sell/trade them for food or a hotel room for a few nights.
- I’d rip all the pictures off the hallway wall on the way out.
- If I had enough time, or senses, maybe toss some dry food into another trash bag because who knows where we’re going and how long we’d be gone.
- Finally the painting Mister bought me on our honeymoon. Its worth about a hundred bucks but the story and laughs behind it is truly priceless.
Poor Mister, I’m sure he’d want to get into his garage to save some of his tools but I don’t think he’s going to have time with loading up all our clothes, pictures, food and my purses.
If you only had fifteen minutes to get out what would you save?
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ETA: We just got an email that one of our San Diego employees lost his house to the fire. I feel so bad for him and his family.
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October 24, 2007 at 6:14pm
Samantha_K
I’m with you on the makeup and styling stuff. I really would take the time to clear out the bathroom.
I think I’d get everything you said, but I am honestly not sure if I’d remember to get food…If I made it out with anything important (aside from the kids of course, they’re an automatic) it’d probably be a miracle. I think I’d be calm enough, but the panic monster could take over.
October 24, 2007 at 7:16pm
babylamb
What a great post. Since I don’t live in Ca now but I have been through their fires when I was younger I know what it’s like to be evacuated.
Love the trash bag idea.
I would take all my albums, picture boxes, lap top, and filing cabinet. I also have a tub of my kids art project they’ve done at school for me. 15 minutes isn’t a very long time
October 24, 2007 at 7:19pm
Sue
My file cabinet. All the photos I could find. Hemi, the kids and yeah, I’ll take Paul too. LOL! My laptop and digital camera (hey, gotta keep in touch and document the carnage somehow). Makeup…yeah, but that is a quick thing to grab.
I wouldn’t worry much about many clothes, just enough for a few days. Those are pretty easily replaced.
October 24, 2007 at 7:24pm
L Sass
The very idea of having to clear out fast panics me! I’d go first to photo albums and my computer (where recent photos are stored), important files and my jewelry. And my winter coat, because those are expensive!
October 24, 2007 at 7:35pm
yakimafarmgirl
Hmmm…seeing as I’m a nomad these days, I’m already packed. I’ve been living out of suitcases for months. Before I left Yak, I condensed my stuff into the essentials, so I pretty much have everything with me (my backpacking stuff – who needs a shelter
, my cat, toiletries, clothes, laptop).
I’ve lost everything I owned once before (when I was moving to LA back in ‘95 and some assholes stole my car that had everything I owned in it – I got the car back 2 wks later near one of those big swap meets – they sold off all my personal belongings!) and that pretty much taught me to not get attached to my material things.
October 24, 2007 at 8:36pm
Ms.L
I love that your makeup and purses come before food,lol
Your list is pretty much like mine…the kids and their clothes,as well as any beloved toys.
My pets,their food and cages and stuff.
Food and hey some camping stuff that way I’m not stuck in some crowded shelter.
Our documents
My jewellry box,photos,my computer tower,keepsake stuff..oh clothes,lol. Might need those eh?
I like your idea of using trash bags,very smart!
October 24, 2007 at 8:45pm
Carrie
I say get a renter’s policy and that will take care of everything and a month at a hotel.
I would only take my cats, adam and my safe. Everything else can be replaced.
October 24, 2007 at 8:51pm
*~*Cece*~*
Samantha, food was not on the top of my mentaal list. lol
Babylamb, I think I thought of trash bags because I buy ours by the case and we always have TONS of them under the sink. Besides, who’s got time to pack a suitcase!
Sue, I’m sure Paul’ll be happy to hear he’s been included in the items to be saved! lol
Sass, luckily living in CA we don’t own “winter coats”. LMAO
Yakima, that’s awful!
MsL, y’all know I don’t go w/o make up and if there’s a chance I’ll be interviewed on TV gotta at least have a face on! LMAO I’m totally kidding about that. But not about the make up being packed up!
Carrie, I always forget about reneter’s insurance.
October 24, 2007 at 8:54pm
Dixie
The discs with all my photos on them. I don’t need the actual photos, I can reprint. And the folder in my filing cabinet marked “important documents”. The rest of it can burn. It’s unimportant and replaceable.
October 24, 2007 at 9:28pm
Chelle
I would pretty much do what you would. Clothes, toiletries, DEFINITELY makeup and hair products!! hehe….photos and important papers. I would probably forget about food, though…HOW? I do not know! lol
October 24, 2007 at 9:38pm
The Sports Mama
Hmm… I’d grab my briefcase, cuz I keep pretty much everything in there. (including my purse, which also holds our important papers… I know, probably not the best spot, but *shrug*) And I’d have to grab Bug’s medication…. because believe me, no one wants to live with him without that!
The kids and the dogs are a given, but I’d also probably grab the nearest laundry tub full of laundry that had not yet been put away (I really hate doing laundry!).
Since we’d be going through the garage on the way out… I’m pretty sure Coach would be grabbing the beer from the beer fridge, and all the jackets and blankets he could throw at the boys!
October 24, 2007 at 9:59pm
Beth
15 minutes…holy shit. Okay, I’d grab:
Kitties (duh) and their food
I don’t know how but I’d definitely grab this ginormous tub I have of photos
I’d grab our computer’s PCU (fuck the monitor, mouse and keyboard)
I’d dump as many clothes as possible into a trash bag
And yeah, my every day bag and purse has the rest that I need
I would hope I could keep a calm head but I don’t know.
These poor people. I feel so bad for them.
October 25, 2007 at 12:20am
Craze
I can’t even imagine having do that. I’d grab the kid, the cats, some clothes and toiletries. Not sure what else.
October 25, 2007 at 2:33am
Heidi
I’d grab the kitties and the puppy, that’s a given. I’d grab the computer CPU since all my photos are on that and grab the laptop, throw a bunch of clothes/shoes/purses in a trash bag and grab the fire safe box with all my documents in it. I’d also grab the photo of my parents wedding.
October 25, 2007 at 2:55am
shell
i would grab my kitties, my laptop and my leather kate spade handbag ~ which has my blackberry, checkbook, agenda and digital camera in it at all times. oh, and my wedding album and my scrapbooks. oh, and my glasses if i was wearing my contacts. whew.
October 25, 2007 at 4:32am
Beth
only 15 minutes, huh?….ok.
1. family, of course. I’m with you..grab a garbage bag and stuff as many clothes in there as possible.
2. pets
3. all my pictures…albums, cd’s..etc.
4. I.D. for everyone.
5. my camera!
Everything else is replaceable.
My Dad lives near Hollister…is that anywhere near the fires?
October 25, 2007 at 5:14am
Sassy Momma
Here’s where I’m part freak. I have one of those vacuum sealed bags with enough necessities in it for all three of us for two days. I shit you not. Actually, I have two bags, the other one has blankets and toiletries in it. So if I were given 15 minutes, I’d grab my family, the bags, my animals and my fire safe. I’d be 10 minutes ahead of most of the other people around here.
October 25, 2007 at 6:47am
Angie
15 minutes?? Shit. Let’s see…
kids; dogs/dog food; computer; camera; ipods; external hard drive (all my shit is on there from the last 3 years!); great-grandma’s paintings; great-grandma’s quilts; great grandma’s dishes; lock box (has passports, birth certs, marriage cert, etc.); clothes/shoes. Pictures would be tough – I have 2 rubbermaid tubs full of pictures & picture cd’s….I guess with 5 people in our family we could all carry a lot of stuff – so we’d try. Ugh. This is sad to think about – I feel so badly for all those people. In the end, all that really matters is your family and pets, right? But the laptop would come for sure! Praying for rain for you California! Hang in there.
October 25, 2007 at 6:44pm
Webmiztris
wow, that would be tough. I guess I’d do about the same – clothes, makeup, our safe, my purse/credit cards/money, my laptop, and of course, my kitties.
October 26, 2007 at 1:53am
Jen
I would grab pictures,clothes and shoes….underwear of course. My kids and dog. Some blankets and my first aid kit. My dry food and canned foods with the can opener……some cases of water from the garage….my jewelry box….and my boxed wine….and some beer….oh yeah the kids medicine…..and BIRTH CONTROL PILLS……LOL!
October 26, 2007 at 2:04am
Beej
For awhile there Todd insisted that we have a disaster kit by the door after 9/11. I don’t even want to think about it.
Though I’d heard on NPR earlier in the week that a lot of people who live in areas affected by wildfires keep their heirlooms in a box in a garage instead of in the house on display. This way they can just grab em and go if there is a fire.
It makes me wonder if it is worth living in that kind of area, if you feel you cannot display your things in your home, you know?