Hurricane Update


Thought I'd post a quick update to let everyone know we made it through the storm okay. Bumping up the move a day was a good thing as we just beat the storm. I dropped off the rental truck and it started to rain. We were blessed; however, our set of circumstances were inconsequential to the massive damage done around Galveston, Orange and most of Houston. The fact, Ike continued to reek havoc as it made landfall through east Texas, Arkansas, the Midwest and on through to Pennsylvania where my parents said it even knocked out power is a testament to storms destruction.

What the news is showing is pretty accurate from what I can tell. The city seems to be handling things in as efficient a manner as possible. The saddest part is the discovery of bodies as the waters recede and the unnecessary deaths caused by those who don't know how to run chainsaws and generators properly. Officially, the death toll is at 30. In general, though, people seem to be coping with the situation, but their impatience is steadily growing as they wait for several hours to get gas, or their electric hasn't been restored.


As I sit at one of the few coffee shops with wifi, I'm eavesdropping on some of the stories of damage done. One gentleman, (I'm being generous with that term) is screaming at some poor telephone operator at the electric company about how unfair it is that he doesn't have power at his place while all the "rich people with money" across the street have had their lights on for 12 hours. Seriously, dude. Go pound sand on the beach or something. We don't have power either, but we all can live with that when others don't even have a house to go home to. I wished I could've given him a bib and bottle, but they don't make such accessories for 40 year-old men that I know of.

I have to say thanks to my friends Mark and Jeremy for helping me pack up the truck in a hurry and dump it off even faster before the storm hit. They have helped me move so many times it's gotten to the point they've started making remarks like, "Hey, where's that big, honking baby grand piano you used to keep around/" or, "This must be new 'cause I don't recall moving an antique bank safe."

It was rather funny watching the expression on our new neighbors' faces as they loaded up their belongings to leave ahead of Ike as we kept hauling in stuff from the moving truck. It was the same look Forrest Gump continually would get throughout the movie. I even joked I was going to pull a Lt. Dan by riding out the storm from atop our 26 foot UHaul.

The other thank you goes to my in laws for putting us during the storm. It's not easy having four anxious kids running around with no A/C, not to mention one cranky brother/son-law shooting his mouth off (um, ya, that would be me). Allie and Avery seem to be doing fine given they don't have to go to school and they are getting their very own bedroom to decorate.

Thanks also, to all of you who sent emails, twitter messages and comments of concern and offers of prayers for our safety. It was much appreciated. We'd ask that you please continue to keep those who are working so hard to bring relief to the victims as well as the victims themselves in your thoughts.  1.45 million households still are without power as of right now (it was over 2.1 million on Saturday). Galveston may not have power for up to 2 months or longer. Thankfully a cool front has kept the temps cool and humidity bearable. I've made several trips downtown to the old apartment (which ironically, never lost power or even flooded) and the air smells like sewage. Most of the skyscrapers have windows blow out.  They look like children who are missing their front teeth. 

Finally, Ashley was a real trooper through the move, the storm and the aftermath. Any one of these events is stressful on it's own, but all of them together frayed our nerves to the point it resulted in a big blow out. Eventually we worked it, having one of those landmark discussions that make marriages just that much stronger. I'm extremely lucky to have someone that loves me so much.  I love her very much.

After unpacking the boxes, and getting into a routine for the girls the priority is for me to get a job. I've been the teenage slob long enough. It's time to put my corporate face back on, now that the girls are in school, and nail down a serious position. (If anyone has any suggestions or contacts, I'm all ears. My resume is on here somewhere if you're curious about my background. It would be much appreciated).

Last night as we finally lay in bed in our new bedroom Ashley said, "I was kind of looking forward to the hurricane - in a curious sort of way. There's was a part of me that thought it would be interesting, but this isn't any fun at all."

No, it wasn't, but we were still blessed, and when it comes down to it, the whole thing was only a minor inconvenience in comparison to what some are still dealing with. No matter what your religious beliefs are, there is no doubt that when an event like this occurs, God shows up. One way or another.


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