It's that time of the year again!

The Husband and I are escaping New York City and spending 10 days up in New England.

This year, the timing couldn't be better. We are leaving in time to escape Hurricane Irene.

Seriously, it's kind of ridiculous how freaked out New Yorkers are getting about this hurricane that's coming toward us.

Mayor Bloomberg had a serious press conference today, my neighbors are clearing their balconies and taping up their windows.

Seriously, New Yorkers? First, it's only a Category 3, and second, by the time it hits the vicinity of New York, it is likely to have fizzled.

Having grown up in the Deep South, we had a hurricane every week. Yes, they are destructive and scary. But they rarely get this far north (where temperatures are less favorable. And once they hit the land, it really slows them down.

That said, I hope I don't come to regret these words.

I guess it's possible that a hurricane could lash Manhattan. Anything is possible.

But I'm not holding my breath.

I'll see y'all after Labor Day!

The Husband and I have discovered a major point of contention between us.

Honestly, I can't believe it's taken us this long to figure this out.

I like soft, cottony, pillowy toilet paper. It's so much more comfortable to use than the cheap stuff!

The Husband, on the other hand, likes the thin, cheap stuff. He says it has "better grip" and "leaves less residue."

I didn't want to go any farther, so I didn't ask for more detail!

Suffice it to say, it's been impossible for either of us to compromise on this hot-button marital issue.

As a result, we have agreed to keep two separate rolls of toilet paper in our bathroom - one for him, and one for me.

Our guests are pretty confused. But at least they have options.

Now that we're expecting, kind and well-meaning friends are coming out of the woodwork to offer us stuff.

They all say things like, "I'm going to give you my bumbo" or "boppy" or "exersaucer" or "jumpy pumpy lumpy" or "poopy loopy hoopy" or something or another.

Are these all real things? And why the silly names?

We just smile and nod and accept the stuff. They're all some variation of plastic tub looking thing or pillow or cushion. Usually covered in images of ducks or butterflies.

I'm a little scared about this new world we're entering.

The other day I went to visit some friends in Brooklyn.

They live pretty far from me - I had to get from the Upper West Side to just a couple of stops from Coney Island.

I got onto the train at Times Square, and a kind middle-aged gentleman very nicely offered me his seat.

I was touched, and gratefully accepted his offer, since my back was really hurting.

A few stops later, I glanced over and noticed that he was still on the train.

Several stops after that, he was still there.

An hour later, we arrived at my friend's stop. Seriously, it was the first time I realized what a trek it was for The Warriors to get from the Bronx to Coney Island without getting killed.

I got off the train at my friend's stop, I noticed that this gentleman also exited.

Wow, I thought. What are the chances that we were going from Midtown Manhattan to exactly the same stop in southern Brooklyn?

Quickly forgetting about him, I walked 6 blocks to my friend's house, then across and through a small, winding road to a quiet, tree-lined block of houses.

As I arrived at my friend's house, I saw, to my astonishment, this same gentleman dragging a trash can to the curb of the house next door!

It was clearly his house. Yes, he was my friend's next door neighbor! He waved at me in recognition.

The moral of the story: be nice to strangers. Because you never know when they'll turn out to be friends of your neighbors, or at the very least, know where you live!