I'm sorry for your loss. Hopefully your trip will play a good role in the healing process.
It's not time to freak about Irene yet. At this point, the models are very divergent and there's no real telling where this thing is going to go or what's going to happen with it. One fo my favorite models predicts the storm will remain offshore of the East Coast. The other one predicts it will go up the Gulf Coast of Florida. Who knows?
In the latest forecast, they're calling for the storm to speed up a bit (and she's already breezing along at 17 MPH). We were expecting it here in Miami Thurs night/Fri morning, but now it's looking like a Thurs morning event.
Beyond 3 days, the models are notoriously iffy, so I will fearlessly predict that by next Sunday, Irene (if she still exists) will be somewhere between NE of Bermuda and east of New Orleans.
I'm waiting another 24-48 hours before I really form an opinion on what happens with this system.