Working with Ike

So today I'm working. Obviously not too hard, because I am writing on this blog. It's amazing to live in post-Ike. It's also amazing how quickly people become adapted to a new normal. Last night it got dark and I went to get a flashlight, even though our power was on. I had forgotten that our light switches worked again. It was dark, that means time for bed because there is nothing else to do. It will probably take a few days to get used to power again. The human spirit is resilient, and our brains are remarkably forgetful. At least mine is!

We were very blessed to make it through this terrible storm with our house mostly intact. And our yard was pretty much okay. I had a friend accuse me of cleaning my yard before I took a photo. We did have damage, but the plants are mostly okay. Two or three plants were uprooted. We staked them back down. They'll make it.

We are very blessed to have power back so early.

We are very blessed to have gorgeous weather this week. Low heat and low humidity; who can ask for more!

We are very blessed to have plenty of bottled water right now. We have our regular hurricane stash that we always have on hand this time of year, as well as plenty of bottles of water.

We are very blessed to have plenty of food to eat right now. Again, we have our regular hurricane stores of food, and the refrigerator was full of food. That may seem like a bad thing, but the office had power before we did, and we took our food to work and put it in the fridge here. Our pantry is overflowing.

We are very blessed to be working now. My office is open now, and we're seeing patients. Jeremy's part time gig is open now, and he's there helping them today.

We are blessed to be in a safe neighborhood, where, although we did sleep with the gun next to the bed one night, we didn't need it. There are still police everywhere.

We are blessed to know that our gas tanks are still quite full for the time being, and we don't have to wait in line for fuel. We still have several full cans in the garage, for when we start getting low.

We are blessed to know that when it was so hot and my dog had stopped eating and drinking because of the heat, we (and she) were welcome at a strangers home for the night for a hot shower and hot meal, cold air conditioning and cold refrigerators. We really needed that to recharge our batteries, and get her rehydrated.

We are blessed to have a water heater and oven that is gas powered so while we cannot drink the water, we can bathe in it, and allow the hot water to soothe our aching muscles.

We are blessed to know we still have the physical ability to clean yards that need it. I was wondering if my body could still do this kind of manual labor, and I can. Muscles are definitely complaining, and I have several new blisters to show for my efforts, but yards are clean and I was able to help those who needed it.

We are blessed with friends who will ask for help when they need it.

We are blessed with friends to work by our side as we clean.

We are blessed coming through this together as a family.

I am working in strange conditions. We have x-ray, but no lab. We aren't taking appointments, only walk-ins. Tetanus shots for everyone, including my sweet husband, who got his today. His injury included being bitten by our big cat, and now it's infected. The cat didn't do too well with the storm. Half of our staff has power at home, half doesn't. We're all a little distracted, and there are two single moms who nobody has heard from. I had to treat a guy today for broken collar bone, and I didn't have a DME store open for a brace for him. So I fashioned a figure eight brace out of ace wraps. For those whose eyes glazed over at that sentence, it's impressive, let me assure you. There aren't many places open for prescriptions to be filled. And, of course, I don't have a nurse. That pretty much goes without saying. Since all the schools are closed, the children of our employees are in the kitchen, and have turned it into a kind of pseudo-daycare. The portable DVD is fired up with free Willy, and they're cleaning out the ice cream that's left in the freezer. They set up rules for each other, and they posted them on the refrigerator. It's very Lord of the Flies. With minimal grown up supervising.

So there you go. We're very blessed and keep reminding ourselves that while it's mostly over for us for now, there are many people for whom this is just beginning. Please continue to keep those in your prayers. And thank you for your continuing prayers on our behalf. We really do appreciate it.

More Photos

I'm home. We have had power for about 36 hours now. Funny, going for 40 hours without electricity really makes you love your AC. Which we haven't turned on yet. It's really, really nice outside right now, so we're taking advantage of it.

Here are a few more pictures of our neighborhood with house damage.

McK House

I think there was a tornado in their backyard/neighborhood. One of the limbs that was down in the back there was twisted in a circle before it snapped. One of their neighbors heard two tornados during the hurricane.

Im House

The back gate Pappa said needed a little fixing was hanging on by 1/2 a hinge. Jeremy took it off entirely and laid it on the ground.

Pa House

Sh House -

Apparently they also had water damage inside their house. They will have to replace their wood floors for the 3rd time, and I am sure they're excited about that. A's play house is on it's side. It's not really usable now, but hopefully will be as soon as they get a little cleaned up.

Sm House - gutter damage

Check out her blog here to see what else she had going on. Pray for her and their clean up tasks. They have alot in front of them.

My House - here's how we could see what was going on. Shine a flashlight through the gap and see what's going on in the little corner of my yard we could see.

This was a photo of the last of the storm. It was taken about 7:00 AM in tropical storm conditions, after we unboarded the back door. We could see the banana trees out the back fence through the night. They bent in half during the night, so we could see the top of the fence when the wind blew hard, and when the wind let up, we could see the banana trees lift a little. That was our wind gauge.

This is generally how my neighborhood looked on Saturday AM. Many trees down, most fences down. A few roofs damaged in the front part of the subdivision.

Church Sunday AM

It was raining pretty hard, but there were a few of us there. We had church outside because there was no AC or power, so we were under a breeze way. It was very surreal. We sang songs we all knew because we didn't want to get song books. We had communion on our brass plates, and some optimistic soul passed the offering plate. People wore whatever they had. Jeremy couldn't even think of wearing shorts to Sunday AM church, so he wore jeans. We did have to wade a little to get through the parking lot, because the drains had gotten clogged with debris.

The Impact Center had some roof damage. But no fire damage from the funeral home next door.

Neighborhoods on Saturday AM. They look MUCH BETTER now, with the streets passable.

Sorry, Heather. I know you're anxious about your home. I wasn't able to get to it over the last few days. I hope you're able to get information on your house.

More later.

Photos

I am on a dial up connection and it is taking me forever to upload photos, but I know you're interested to know what your house looks like. I have uploaded one photo from each house - the worst case senario. One or two houses have two photos because of the damage. I hope to also include photos from church, but the building is alright. Jack Rowe's Dignity Funeral Home right next to church burned down to the ground this morning before church. LC finest tried to save it, but they couldn't.

Sm House

Sh House

Im House

McK House

Pa House

My House

Church

Jack Rowe Funeral Home

Update on weather

At 5:20, 50 MPH winds started buffeting my house. So we completed the boarding up procedure, namely, sealing the back door and scouting the neighbors houses for stray litter they thought was harmless but I'm not so sure.

I am apprently a yard nazi, spying litter I fear may fly and harm my house and others. Today, I have stashed a for sale sign, front door mats (4), yard signs (2), hanging plant, sprinkler head, hose, and a potted plant. In other people's yards. So, no leaving junk for me to clean up. But if you're in too big a hurry when you leave, rest assured the Hurricane Fairy will finish cleaning your yard, and will stash your stuff nearby for you to find when you get back.

I made Hannah go potty one last time for a while. The only way out now is through the garage. Our mean kitty got out and we had to chase him down. Fortunately, he is about 400 pounds and never turns away a snack. He doesn't move all that quick, either. He was not too hard to wrangle. The small kitty saw the fate of his (much) larger brother and decided that he should obey his benevolent captors and get himself back inside of his own accord. So we have all 5 of us safe and sound in the house.

We will continue to use the good sense God has given us to be careful. We are entertaining many of you who call us and tell us what a bad idea this was of ours. We appreciate your concern. We will certainly get a photo of the wave that washes over our house, the sitting on the roof for evacuation, and, of course, we will take plenty of photos from the helicopter, as requested. I will post those later.

Back to cooking dinner. Thank you for your prayers.

Good things, bad things

I love this style of posting. Come to think of it, the last time I saw it was written by first and second graders. So I'm in a simple mindset this morning, apparently.



Good thing: Contraflow (where they turn the south bound lanes into north bound lanes)

Bad thing: They're not using them. In their defense, we really don't need it right now, but that's not very comforting for those who are sitting in traffic, even for the 4 mile back up in Conroe.



Good thing: Opening toll roads for free to all for evacuation

Bad thing: Only the EZ Tag lanes are open like that. All the rest have the arms down. So only two lanes get through every time there's a toll booth.



Good thing: Storm shutters of corrugated steel

Bad thing: They get HOT when left in the sun. HOT!



Good thing: Storm shutters of corrugated steel

Bad thing: It's awfully dark in the house right now. Awfully dark. Which overnight isn't so bad. You sleep pretty good in a house with storm shutters on, blinds down and closed, and curtains. It's awfully dark. But during the storm I'd rather peek out the window occasionally and see outside. That is impossible with this system. Did I mention it was dark?



Good thing: Neighbors who are also staying

Bad thing: Neighbors who are staying but are freaking out. I actually said "This storm isn't so big. It's really not that big." Do I feel guilty about lying to them? A little. I did mean it wasn't as powerful as it could be. But Ike is big. Big. Those folks from California don't really understand a hurricane.



Good thing: Hurricane stores of food and water

Bad thing: Food is not Weight Watchers approved. But when you're looking in the store for food you can keep for 6 months in your pantry, food that can be opened with a manual can opener, and you don't have to heat or cool for it to be yummy, you're left with Dinty Moore Stew and Chili. We bought crackers at the store this week to help us get down the stew and chili.



Good thing: Evacuations went very, very well for those who left.

Bad thing: It took Rita to get us where we could say that.



Good thing: 24 hour Ike watch on all channels.

Bad thing: 24 hour Ike watch on all channels. Seriously, I don't need to see a reporter lashed to the pier as waves crash around him and his camera man can't stand. But it is cool to see Galveston with waves crashing over the Seawall Blvd on the south side of the island. How many times have I driven that? It's under water now, with every wave that comes in. Freaky. And it's low tide.



And now, I have to tell you of Ike's first morbidity. That's just where folks get hurt, not killed. I still get those confused. I think it's even used just for illness, but we're gonna use it for injury too, here. Go with it, people. Jeremy is sunburned on his neck and arms. Not because he had no access to sunscreen, but because he failed to avail himself of it. AND, I am sunburned. Only on my legs though. And my face. And my neck. I wore my hat! But apparently the sun bounces off that steel. . . . AND, I have a rash on my feet where I got into something in my yard. I think it's the weeds in my fern bed. I did actually board up in flip-flops. AND I have a HUGE blister on my right thumb from taking the protectors off the bolts and tightening the wing nuts to the shutters. It's pathetic really. I almost took a picture, but you wouldn't believe it was actually my thumb.



Keep praying!

Hurricane's Eve

What does one do on the eve of a hurricane? Well, let me tell you.

I went to work, came home, ate, put up all my storm shutters (all by myself!), mowed the grass (because I want my lawn to be manicured on the insurance photos), cleaned out the yard, cleaned out the truck, calmed down the next door neighbor (who was freaking out!), fixed my exhausted husband a sandwich, and fell into bed exhausted after tracking the hurricane until 11:00 pm.

My husband went to purchase and cut plywood for a family with disabilities who weren't able to take care of this themselves. Then he took the extra plywood to some elderly folks house and did the best he could to secure the southside of their house. Then he came home and our (nonfreaking out) next door neighbor helped us to rethread the few bolts that weren't working well. He also tracked the hurricane until 11:00 and is still enjoying his well deserved sleep.

My plans for today, you ask? Laugh if you will, but laundry. Clean sheets and towels for everyone. Also, study for boards, continue some projects, scrapbook, keep watch at my doors with a mop for leaks.

For those who are anxious about our decision to stay, we're not crazy. And if we thought we were going to be in trouble, we wouldn't be here. The storm is weakening, I believe thanks to prayer.

I told my mother I wanted to live through, and see, the eye of a hurricane. I want to watch the eye go over me. This midnight landing is not conducive to that. Oh well. I'm sure she's just wishing I wouldn't have an apparent death wish.

We will board up the doors this morning. To be perfectly honest with you, I'm more concerned about pottying for our dog than the storm. We may have to deal with messes later. But that's okay. I think taking a lab on a leash in the middle of this may be more like flying a kite than a potty break.

I'm writing posts for future post time. So if I blog more after I sign off, I'm not lying. I am just that prepared. Keep praying!

About Ike

We're staying. (insert your exasperated sigh here). There. We're weathering through a category 2-3 in our house and it's going to be fun. Just like camping. With 120 mph winds. And storm shutters. We're going to be fine. Plenty of food, water, and work to do. It's like a vacation. That's camping.

I know our God is bigger than a category anything storm. I know it can dissipate in an instant with just a word from the Big Guy. I am trusting that He will keep us in His hands.

Pray for those who are going and those who are staying. Traffic is already at a stand still down here in the WAY south, and there are more people trying to hit the roads later today. There will be deaths if these people can't get off the roads. And for those who are staying, pray that the storm goes away. Pray that electricity is maintained, and that tornadoes aren't a factor at all down here. Pray for the storm surge, that it is small, that creeks don't flood, and that rain has a place to go. Pray that the hurricane is timed for low tide (not that it matters too much, it's a big storm) so water can run off. Pray for our animals, that they will be okay. And pray for those who are left that there won't be a mob mentality like there was in NO 3 years ago. (We do have guns. And ammunition.)

One final thought. If we're this terrified of a hurricane, even a medium sized one, what should that tell us about what our attitude ought to be toward God. He's bigger than any old storm.

This will be my primary update site, since the phones are spotty at best now. I will keep this going as long as I can.

Regarding Gustav

This was sent out by my office manager (as a joke, I think). This is how we tend to view hurricanes in this part of the country. Or at least at my office.

Office Procedures Concerning Storm and Office Closings

As we watch the progress of the storm, the following are this firm's guidelines based upon the hurricane's intensity:

Hurricane Category #1 No excuse for being late. Leave earlier to give extra time to avoid fallen trees and limbs.

Hurricane Category #2 Due to the horizontal rain, you may wear jeans.

Hurricane Category #3 Whereas most of the area will be flooded we suggest you avoid wearing open toe sandals when coming to work. Canoes will be provided to get to the building safely without getting wet.

Hurricane Category #4 More than likely there will be no electricity. Given that, we will have manual typewriters available to all staff members. Please take extra caution and wear water-proof make-up if Category 4 or above.

Hurricane Category #5 Velcro will be provided to keep you attached to your chairs when the windows blow out. We will have chocolate cake at 3:00 pm in the kitchen.

Pray for those who will be in the path of Gustav and the one after it. It's been an exciting hurricane summer so far!

So, about that rain storm. . .

The rain storm that was supposed to be a category 1 hurricane was fun, wasn't it? My friend's husband said it was like a snow day that was warm. I guess.

My mother. Some of you have asked about my mother. Well, she was okay initially because I was in Amarillo, where no one could ever accuse them of having a hurricane. So when I woke up Monday, there was a tropical storm aiming for my house. My first call was to Southwest Airlines. Get me home. Early. And they did. 3 hours early, which was not in front of the turbulence, but was in front of the rain. They were all very nice, and the plane to Houston was not quite full, so it wasn't too bad to get home early. I didn't call my parents until we were on the plane in Amarillo (but before it took off). That's when my mother found out her oldest child was headed from safety into the jaws of a hurricane!! She was resigned. Didn't try to talk me out of it. Which was good seeing as how I was already belted into a tube designed to carry me home at top speed. Am I sure this is a good idea? Really? Okay. (I think there was a sigh under her breath.)

When the hurricane turned out to be a big thunderstorm, she was better. I try to tell her that my house is rated for a category 3. Meaning that until a 3, if my roof goes, my foundation goes with it (Toto, we're not in LC anymore). I stayed wrapped in a blanket and slept through most of my Tivo'd shows. What a good day. Then I went to my friends house to do several loads of laundry (our washing machine is broken. The house smelled rotten when we got home) and watched Freaky Friday with her and her family. Jeremy did get to go on his business trip, and enjoyed it.

We went to the grocery store Monday when we got home. When I can figure out how to get photos off my cell phone, I will post them. I have NEVER seen a store with NO BREAD OR BANANAS. Until Monday. It's strange.

I will post photos of the wedding we went to last weekend. I hope to do that from my house, but it's not promising. We're still trying to get internet at home.

Jeremy should find out about his job this week or next. Please continue to pray.

Hello, Dolly

My mother has never gotten used to her daughter living on the coast of Texas. Hurricanes are not part of her life experiences, and she still isn't quite sure how to react to them. Especially after Rita.

Whenever one of these ends up hitting somewhere on the Texas coast, I can expect a call from my mother. Yesterday was no different. Here is how our phone call started:

Mom: So, when can I expect you up here? (Note the absence of a hello)
Me: (After a confused silence) Um, I thought I would see you next weekend. Why would I be up there?
Mom: Because of the hurricane, you know.
Me: What hurri- Oh, you mean Dolly.
Mom: Yes, Dolly. Aren't you evacuating?
Me: Um, no. It's, like, hitting somewhere in Mexico, right?
Mom: It's hitting in TEXAS. Tomorrow. So, you're not evacuating. Do you have storm shutters up?
Me: No. Why would I have storm shutters up? (Thinking of my neighbors laughing hysterically at me putting up storm shutters.)
Mom: (impatiently) Because there's a HURRICANE coming.
Me: No. No shutters
Mom: Well, what are you doing to get ready for the hurricane?
Me: (Sensing there is a Right answer to this question and a Wrong answer to this question) Um, well, we mowed the grass this afternoon so we wouldn't get rained on this evening when the outer bands start moving in.
Mom: WHAT!! You haven't done - well, I suppose you know best, living on the coast and all.
Me: (Sensing that I had given the Wrong answer). Mom, I promise we are going to be safe.

And so far we are. Please join me in praying for the safety of those who are being battered by the hurricane right now, and praising God for warm shelter that is strong when hurricanes come (or just rain bands).