NOTE: I plan to add several updates during the day as Lady Iz approaches

IN THE DARK'
10:00 PM
Well, my power has now gone out. There was a bright blue flash outside and a loud boom.
The wind has apparently begun to shift. A window I've had open all afternoon began to get rained in, so it's now closed. Rain is steadily pelting it. Also, the
rain has become much heavier & steadier--no more breaks in the action. Several counties in the area now under a flash flood warning. That's it for tonight.

DISASTER!!
8:00 PM
Well, my cable went out for a while. Not only HBO, but the broadcast channels as well. What was odd, however, is that my digital cable box was still showing the time. Normally, as soon as the cable signal is interrupted, the time display goes blank as well. However, it's back up now. Harry Potter looks like he was in a bad fight or something, but I have no idea what exactly happened. I curse Mother Nature for leaving me hanging.
During the cable outage, I was becoming desperate. At one point, I actually picked up a book. Fortunately, I quickly came to my senses and never actually began reading it.
However, I have been listening to the local news radio station, and I'm starting to think we've gotten off easy thus far--sporadic cable service notwithstanding.
Some 460,000 people are now without power in the DC area. And they're saying that if your power is already out, or goes out later, don't look for it to come back on before tomorrow. Because of the winds, there are no repair crews out at the moment. Trees are down all over the place, including one on Massachusetts Avenue near the Vice President's pad. Even some of the interstates are partially blocked. Between the trees, the darkened traffic signals, and the heavy rain in spots, driving has become quite difficult.
Evacuations of low areas near the Potomac and the Chesapeake Bay--where a waterspout was sighted earlier--have now begun as Isabel's storm surge has begun to make its presence felt.
The storm's eye--or what's left of it--is expected to pass over Culpeper County, which is immediately adjacent to where I live.
Oh, and the Federal government has already wimped out for tomorrow.

STILL HERE
6:40 PM
Those bands of wind and rain seem to get a bit stronger with each one that comes through. About half the time, there's very little wind and perhaps only a sprinkle. Then the wind will kick in again, and the rain will come down much harder for a few minutes. Each little cycle takes maybe ten minutes to get through. But it's not the steady, sustained storm I had expected.
I did venture out to the store during one of the breaks in the action. The authorities had urged us earlier to stock up on staples, so I figured I better do so. I'm not sure I understand the logic behind it, but I always trust the people in power, whether they're telling us to buy staples or invade Iraq. Now if I could just find my stapler....
On the way back in, I was pleased to note that most of my neighbors had cleared their balconies of plants, patio furniture, and other potential missiles. Maybe I should do the same.
The power is holding up, though it has fluctuated on a couple of occasions. About an hour ago there was a loud explosion; sounded like maybe a transformer down the block. That, too, was accompanied by a momentary flicker of the lights, but they stayed on.
Besides the electricity, the most important thing is that my cable is still up.
Now if you'll excuse me, Harry Potter is on HBO....

STARTING TO GET IMPRESSIVE
4:35 PM
Things are definitiely starting to pick up. A couple of moderately heavy rainbands have gone through the area, but no real deluges.... Yet.
The wind is definitely kicking up, with gusts up to around 40 mph. Then, just as quickly, the wind will die down to virtually nothing. However, it does seem like each time another gust comes through, it's stronger than the previous one.
No problems with the power around here thus far, but there are reports on the radio of 11,000 without electricity in northern Virginia. They weren't more specific.
The worst of the storm is supposed to be between 10 PM and 2 AM tonight.

HO-HUM.... SO FAR
1:30 PM
While the North Carolina and Virginia coasts may be getting pounded by Isabel, it's really not very impressive near DC. Just overcast, a bit breezy, but no rain as of yet. This, despite the dire predictions of just 24 hours ago. Even the rainfall totals have been revised downward, and they're no longer predicting hurricane force winds for tonight.
Still, precautions continue downtown in the nation's capital. The subway and bus systems shut down at 11 A.M. Apparently, the lack of wind and rain was threatening the safety of passengers.
And just a little while ago, Attorney General John Ashcroft broke into a supply closet at the Department of Homeland Security and stole all their duct tape. He then firmly secured the curtains covering all the topless statues in the Justice Department.
So while we may yet end up being swept out to sea to die a horrible death, at least we won't be exposed to the sight of giant exposed metallic breasts.

NEAR PANIC
12:50 AM
It remains to be seen whether it was brilliant foresight or an irresponsible overreaction, but the nation's capital has already decided to shut down in anticipation of Hurricane Isabel.
It began yesterday in the early afternoon when a school system in Maryland announced it was closing for the next two days. Other school systems throughout Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia followed in quick succession. By nine o'clock, virtually every school in the three states was either closing entirely today, or else sending the kids home early by noon. Everything is already closed for tomorrow.
The adults were not to be outdone, however, as the entire Federal government also announced that it would be shut down today. State, county, and city government offices soon followed.
In an effort to further contribute to the sense of hysteria, DC's Metro system announced it would suspend all rail (most of which is underground) and bus service as of 11 A.M. today.
News? There is no news to speak of. It's wall-to-wall Hurricane Isabel on all the local TV stations. President Bush could not have picked a better time to finally admit that there is no Saddam/9-11 link: It has received virtually no coverage around here. And if you're watching the Weather Channel, you may, if you're lucky, catch a quick reference to the temperature in LA. Otherwise, it's all Isabel as well.
All these decisions had been arrived at by 9 PM last night. At that point, the stars were still out, so there still weren't any clouds. As for wind, well, there really wasn't any.
Whether all this proves to have been necessary once all is said and done remains to be seen. But for now, it is another example of how the media can grab onto a single story and turn it into a self-sustaining nuclear reaction. In a way, it's fascinating to watch this beast grow exponentially as it feeds on itself.
The forecasters had better be right about the path and destructive power of this storm, or no one will ever listen to them again.

HURRICANE HUMOR
12:35 AM
As Armegeddon, the inevitable end of the universe, and Isabel rapidly approach their final, cataclysmic rendezvous with destiny, Dave Addis of the Virginian-Pilot has prepared a highly amusing hurricane readiness quiz.
And based on my answers, I'm his long-lost brother.