Written: 9/18/08 (6th in 6- part series) Typed: 9/26/08
Lights out... still. Rumor is that we'll have electricity by the weekend. We can only hope. Yeah Right! If you didn't notice, it's been almost a week since the storm. Last night, we had an unexpected surprise. In the middle of a blackout, we went out to dinner at a 50's style diner. We had never been there for the evening meal, but they even serve breakfast at night! Later that evening, my dad got a a battery and ran a fan a fan system in every bedroom. Meanwhile, today, we are going to a washateria, since it has been before the storm since we last did laundry. I just found out that my pooch has a mysterious limp in left foreleg. An Update: I've been seeing and hearing heavy trucks with arms going up and down our street, and an electric truck doing the same. My dad called the energy company, and he 's been to the Centerpoint website and now they've published a list of zipcodes they will fully restore by by Friday. Ours was on that list. I'm not holding my breath, by the way. Wrong- O! I helped my mom out at the laundromat for a total of three hours, and it was packed to the roof, plus it was extra noisy too. By the we were done, I had three seizures, and a complete loss of my mental faculties. I tell you what, it was a complete madhouse in there! Despite the fighting over washers, we had to play tag over dryers as well. Some folks were so rude as to take dry clothes out of the dryer in order to put theirs in!!! Can you say IMPOLITE? When we got home, after having a bite to eat, it was SO pleasant to do a double- take on who left the stove- top light on. (Sigh, I was really tired) And so this little series of stories has a happy ending save for the fact that Ike was the biggest hurricane to hit Galveston since the storm of 1900. Big storms. Lots more damage and destruction, but every little improvement is a ray of hope.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
The Hurricane Chronicles: Day Five
Written: 9/17/08 (5th in a 6- part series) Typed: 9/25/08
Five days and we are just now getting the death toll via radio, 48, so far. That's two states worth, both Texas and Louisiana. It's still cool, but will become humid by the weekend. Oh, and we STILL don't have power. Most of Houston is still without power, even though we've got thousands of electricians around here. A new book arrived in the mail yesterday. It's in chronological order with the other ones I've received. Five down, one to go, hopefully in the mail today. I've finally come up with a title for the sub- blog I'm going to create. I'm praying that we get the electricity back on before the humidity comes this weekend. On a related note, it is very infuriating to have a direct view of the sports complex right across the street, and to have bright lights blinding you at night. A sports complex of all things!!! Meanwhile, right across the street from the park, is a neighborhood without power!!! Maybe I could deal with it better if the lights weren't so bright or something along those lines. Meanwhile, our neighbors (the ones who had borrowed the tarp) are busy (I assume) nailing down roof tiles back on their domicile. CORRECTION. My neighbor is literally, "repairing some fences," as it were.
Five days and we are just now getting the death toll via radio, 48, so far. That's two states worth, both Texas and Louisiana. It's still cool, but will become humid by the weekend. Oh, and we STILL don't have power. Most of Houston is still without power, even though we've got thousands of electricians around here. A new book arrived in the mail yesterday. It's in chronological order with the other ones I've received. Five down, one to go, hopefully in the mail today. I've finally come up with a title for the sub- blog I'm going to create. I'm praying that we get the electricity back on before the humidity comes this weekend. On a related note, it is very infuriating to have a direct view of the sports complex right across the street, and to have bright lights blinding you at night. A sports complex of all things!!! Meanwhile, right across the street from the park, is a neighborhood without power!!! Maybe I could deal with it better if the lights weren't so bright or something along those lines. Meanwhile, our neighbors (the ones who had borrowed the tarp) are busy (I assume) nailing down roof tiles back on their domicile. CORRECTION. My neighbor is literally, "repairing some fences," as it were.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
The Hurricane Chronicles: Day Four
Written: 9/16/08 (4th in a 6- part series) Typed: 9/24/08
No electicity YET! Ah, well, the cool weather is a blessing. I was thinking about the hurricane blogs last night. Anyway, I have two new books in a series to keep me company, and don't think that it was a co-incindence that I got both books before the storm. The radio has kept us distracted from the situation at hand with the Rush Limbaugh and Mike Gallagher shows. My mom and I are big talk radio fans... Just washed a reluctant Beagle, and she was more unhappy about it than usual. Sara, our pooch, led me on a merry chase out in the yard and inside the house. She did not want the B-A-T-H!!! Came back from a mile- long walk to see if I could find the energy- guy I saw earlier. The trip was a no-go for the electricity- dude, and yes to the excercise. Heard a weird story about Galveston lions, tigers, cattle, and penguins. The former three are loose on the island, and the latter have been rescued from the 58 degree water from the Moody Gardens.
No electicity YET! Ah, well, the cool weather is a blessing. I was thinking about the hurricane blogs last night. Anyway, I have two new books in a series to keep me company, and don't think that it was a co-incindence that I got both books before the storm. The radio has kept us distracted from the situation at hand with the Rush Limbaugh and Mike Gallagher shows. My mom and I are big talk radio fans... Just washed a reluctant Beagle, and she was more unhappy about it than usual. Sara, our pooch, led me on a merry chase out in the yard and inside the house. She did not want the B-A-T-H!!! Came back from a mile- long walk to see if I could find the energy- guy I saw earlier. The trip was a no-go for the electricity- dude, and yes to the excercise. Heard a weird story about Galveston lions, tigers, cattle, and penguins. The former three are loose on the island, and the latter have been rescued from the 58 degree water from the Moody Gardens.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
The Hurricane Chronicles: Day Three
Written 9/15/08 (3rd in a 6-part series) Typed: 9/23/08
I slept in my bed for the first time since the hurricane. It was and cool up there. When I woke up the cool breeze had encircled the house. Good thing we had practiced having no electricity last year for two weeks due to some snafu with the electric company. No electricity yet, although on a day like today, we usually would turn off the AC anyway. Talked to some of my friends via cell phone, one of which was an elderly fellow patient that was in therapy with me in Denton. I like to consider her my adopted grandma, since I have lost both of mine. The other was a family that resided in my neighborhood. They were fine, by the way.
I slept in my bed for the first time since the hurricane. It was and cool up there. When I woke up the cool breeze had encircled the house. Good thing we had practiced having no electricity last year for two weeks due to some snafu with the electric company. No electricity yet, although on a day like today, we usually would turn off the AC anyway. Talked to some of my friends via cell phone, one of which was an elderly fellow patient that was in therapy with me in Denton. I like to consider her my adopted grandma, since I have lost both of mine. The other was a family that resided in my neighborhood. They were fine, by the way.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
The Hurricane Chronicles: Day Two
Written: 9-14-08 (2nd in a 6- part series) Typed: 9-21-08
Two days, after the hurricane, a Sunday, was a very different story. During the night, as we slept, our power went out again! Fact is, I would've slept right through if it hadn't been been for a thunderstorm which, somehow damaged the transistor that controls the power for a for a small portion of our neighborhood. Just my neighborhood. Terrific. Score one for the Energizer Bunny! So my family and I decided to get in the car and go look see how the surrounding cities had fared. It wasn't a pretty sight. There wasn't nary a building that didn't incur some sort of damage from framing to bricks, roof tiles, and some, complete destruction. Before we lost power last night, we saw Reliant Stadium with it's outer strips protecticting the roof, totally hanging in shreds. I've been praying for all those that 've been hurt, and who help in the recovery see the hand of God through this.
Two days, after the hurricane, a Sunday, was a very different story. During the night, as we slept, our power went out again! Fact is, I would've slept right through if it hadn't been been for a thunderstorm which, somehow damaged the transistor that controls the power for a for a small portion of our neighborhood. Just my neighborhood. Terrific. Score one for the Energizer Bunny! So my family and I decided to get in the car and go look see how the surrounding cities had fared. It wasn't a pretty sight. There wasn't nary a building that didn't incur some sort of damage from framing to bricks, roof tiles, and some, complete destruction. Before we lost power last night, we saw Reliant Stadium with it's outer strips protecticting the roof, totally hanging in shreds. I've been praying for all those that 've been hurt, and who help in the recovery see the hand of God through this.
Friday, September 19, 2008
The Hurricane Chronicles: Day One
Written 9-13-08; (First in a six- part series) Typed: 9-19-08
Have you everheard of a "Crazy Ivan?" That's where a Russian sub makes a quick 180 degree turn to check it's baffles? Well, This is "Crazy Ike,"a strong Category 2 hurricane, that nearly was a Cat 3 by 1 mph of wind!. Actually, it filled up 3/4 of the Gulf of Mexico and had a track only a contortionist could follow. The storm just missed Houston (due to a last milisecond turn to the East.) Our neighbors to the SW of us (our house is at facing a crazy angle) lost a significant amount of roof tiles. Our rotting fence that borders the same neighbors and my family, partially blew down, and an unidentified chimney cap wound up in our yard as well.
Galveston's a mess, and a total wreck. I've explored those islands end to end more times in pursuit of ocean fishing spots. Our favs were the San Luis Pier, and Jamaica Beach. Good luck just trying to find the remnants of the former, and Jamaica Beach resembles a war zone. 10 hours before the storm, Galveston's 16 ft seawall was all underwater, and lapping up onto Seawall Rd. The city resembles an over- watered flower garden, especially at about 1 a.m. Sat, when the storm came on- shore. Most of Galveston is under an average of six feet of water, and the city resembled a flambe when 12 structures caught fire. T'was the height of infamy to be surrounded by water, only it was too deep for the high water EMS/ Fire to get to the situations. The said vehicles had to pull back from "home base" once the storm came on shore for flooding reasons. I hear that they are "trapped?" somewhere in a basement or the likes of one. You, the reader, know that I've been down here for just over 1 1/2 years, and this is my first hurricane, and thank God, it wasn't worse. I can't speak for the cities along the coast. In some cases, most people have lost it all, such as the guy in Galveston who lost his house to floodwaters, so he took off in his Corvette. Bad Idea. Not only did he lose the car, he lost his shoes. (Ouch! on the Corvette!!!)
Right now, over 3 million are without power, hoping to regain it again in the span of three to four days. As of two hours ago, we were helping our neighbors; collecting their roof tiles, and dad lent the biggest tarp he could find to them.
According to the governor, this is the biggest search and rescue operation in Texas history.
I took a walk with my brothers and dad, scoping out the neighborhood, and it was a sight better than most cities, although it was just cosmetic damage (leaves, shingles, the occasianional roof blown off or missing a whole lot of shingles.) If that was just light damage, I was afraid to see the NE side of the former storm and the utter desolation of the coast cities.
We just got power back at 8:50p. The family is very grateful to the Centerpoint people. Our first hurricane expierience was short, but telling, and we were prepared. The tv came back on withevening shots of Galveston. I was right unfortunately... Galveston and the entire Texas SE coast were 95% destroyed. Someone even brought their kayak to paddle down the six foot deep streets, and we about had a crash on the causeway, of speedboats, three deep by three high, and the piece de la recistance, a speedboat at a traffic light. "When in Galveston..." My family had it good this time- it was just a blackout, and we'd been in longer power outages than this. Case closed. That's when things go horribly, horribly wrong.
Have you everheard of a "Crazy Ivan?" That's where a Russian sub makes a quick 180 degree turn to check it's baffles? Well, This is "Crazy Ike,"a strong Category 2 hurricane, that nearly was a Cat 3 by 1 mph of wind!. Actually, it filled up 3/4 of the Gulf of Mexico and had a track only a contortionist could follow. The storm just missed Houston (due to a last milisecond turn to the East.) Our neighbors to the SW of us (our house is at facing a crazy angle) lost a significant amount of roof tiles. Our rotting fence that borders the same neighbors and my family, partially blew down, and an unidentified chimney cap wound up in our yard as well.
Galveston's a mess, and a total wreck. I've explored those islands end to end more times in pursuit of ocean fishing spots. Our favs were the San Luis Pier, and Jamaica Beach. Good luck just trying to find the remnants of the former, and Jamaica Beach resembles a war zone. 10 hours before the storm, Galveston's 16 ft seawall was all underwater, and lapping up onto Seawall Rd. The city resembles an over- watered flower garden, especially at about 1 a.m. Sat, when the storm came on- shore. Most of Galveston is under an average of six feet of water, and the city resembled a flambe when 12 structures caught fire. T'was the height of infamy to be surrounded by water, only it was too deep for the high water EMS/ Fire to get to the situations. The said vehicles had to pull back from "home base" once the storm came on shore for flooding reasons. I hear that they are "trapped?" somewhere in a basement or the likes of one. You, the reader, know that I've been down here for just over 1 1/2 years, and this is my first hurricane, and thank God, it wasn't worse. I can't speak for the cities along the coast. In some cases, most people have lost it all, such as the guy in Galveston who lost his house to floodwaters, so he took off in his Corvette. Bad Idea. Not only did he lose the car, he lost his shoes. (Ouch! on the Corvette!!!)
Right now, over 3 million are without power, hoping to regain it again in the span of three to four days. As of two hours ago, we were helping our neighbors; collecting their roof tiles, and dad lent the biggest tarp he could find to them.
According to the governor, this is the biggest search and rescue operation in Texas history.
I took a walk with my brothers and dad, scoping out the neighborhood, and it was a sight better than most cities, although it was just cosmetic damage (leaves, shingles, the occasianional roof blown off or missing a whole lot of shingles.) If that was just light damage, I was afraid to see the NE side of the former storm and the utter desolation of the coast cities.
We just got power back at 8:50p. The family is very grateful to the Centerpoint people. Our first hurricane expierience was short, but telling, and we were prepared. The tv came back on withevening shots of Galveston. I was right unfortunately... Galveston and the entire Texas SE coast were 95% destroyed. Someone even brought their kayak to paddle down the six foot deep streets, and we about had a crash on the causeway, of speedboats, three deep by three high, and the piece de la recistance, a speedboat at a traffic light. "When in Galveston..." My family had it good this time- it was just a blackout, and we'd been in longer power outages than this. Case closed. That's when things go horribly, horribly wrong.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Memories
This is the seventh anniversary of 9/11. Although it was horrible, we have come a long ways in thwarting terrorisim. I feel for those families, firefighters, and policemen who gave their lives so other people might live. I applaud the actions of the folks aboard those planes who tried to regain control of those cockpits. There have not been any terrorist attacks since! This is due to the crackdown on terror by President Bush & Company. God Bless the USA!!! Long May She Live!!!
Double Trouble
With Hurricane Ike targeting my exact position, I want to relate to you some "frying pan" trouble before I fall into the fire. A few days ago, I suffered from some "double trouble." Asthma and seizures to be exact. Believe me, you do not want to try that combination. The seizures I get I have to suck in air. So, what air is there to breathe when you are in the middle of an asthma attack? That is officialy the worst way to go out. I took my asthma meds and Lorazipam for my seizures. The dirty little secret is that this is the medicine they give you when you get head surgery, and I take it on a regular basis. Anyhow, it was just a matter of time for this combo to go away- 3-4 hours at most. That is a long time for someone who can't breathe in H2O, and jerking all the way.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
A Primer For Ocean Fising
Ocean Fishing. Gotta love it, or lump it. You've got to be fanatical to brave mosquitos the size of baseballs, and when I say that they swarm, they swarm. They're not your average mosquitos. Their bites last four or five days. I got up at 3:15 a.m and on the way to the ocean at 4:30. It takes about 1 1/2- 2 hours to get to the ocean from my place, but as my dad and younger brother would have it, we'd have to get their by dawn- fish feeding frenzy time. Indeed, I fed the fish, instead of the other way around. I'm not known for my fishing, freshwater, or ocean. When it comes to lowering the worm or shrimp, I'm known as a Vegetarian: An old Indian word for bad fisherman. I was blessed enough to pull up four throwbacks (fish that you throw back due to size requirements and the like.) Now I know almost every freshwater specieces of fish in Texas, but I'm drawing a blank on the Gulf of Mexicos' residents, but I feed them just the same. The aforesaid inhabitants were just not biting later that day, most likely due to the approach of Hurricane Gustav. When we didn't continue to catch fish on the dock, we moved on, to some real ocean fishing. Due to some light seizures I had on the dock, I took a nap after a snack and I didn't participate in plucking dinner from the ocean. Oh, well. My dad and brother tried, but the fish just wouldn't co-operate. We ate lunch at a great, obscure, burger joint. Every fisherman, and woman in town knew about this place. We headed home after that, itching all the way, in between dozing spells, or at least I did. The warm sun and blue skies took care of that.
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