Ike’s Hike
September 12, 2008 | Check-in | Comments [5]
At this point, the eye of Hurricane Ike is projected to pass just east of downtown Houston by dawn tomorrow, at which time it will be a Category 1.
It’s projected to hit Galveston as a Category 2 – NOT a major hurricane, but certainly an inconvenience.
Amaya has decided that if she gets scared, we’ll all huddle with flashlights in Nana and Paw-Paw’s room, and tell scary stories.
Go figure.
Stay tuned.
* * *UPDATE* * ** * *UPDATE* * ** * *UPDATE* * ** * *UPDATE* * *
Friday 6:30 PM CDT
Winds are well up into the “tropical storm” force now, and we’re starting to hear it. Oddly enough, no rain yet.
Would you believe it? FORTY PERCENT of the residents of Galveston Island did NOT evacuate and are staying. Some people are going to be killed; the storm surge is expected to be 15-20 feet with 10 to 20 foot waves on top of that! It’s to the point now where no rescue is possible because boats and of course aircraft can’t operate. They had a small warehouse burn down in Galveston because the streets around it were flooded and no fire fighters could get to the area.
I see by the Weather Underground charts that we have about a 50-50 chance of seeing hurricane-force winds (72 mph+) where we are. And a spokesman for the biggest power company here (we have several) stated that they expect power outages “for weeks” throughout the area.
After the storm passes, we’ll decide what to do, but we may go up to Birmingham to stay with Beth for awhile. Beth, hope you don’t have company for dinner like we talked about last weekend!
Pray for us.
I DON’T Like Ike!
September 11, 2008 | Items of Interest | Comments [3]
Okay, after several false alarms over the last few years – Hurricane Rita (which caused a lot of panic here in the Houston area, if little actual damage) ; T.S. Gus; and Hurricane Gustav – it looks like we’re in for the real thing.
Yep: “It’s the big one, Elizabeth!”
Hurricane Ike is bearing down on us, probably hit around Matagorda Bay as a Category 3, and that means that our area will be in the dreaded Northeast quarter of the storm. High winds, lots of rain, and potentially many tornadoes.
We should be safe enough from most of it; we’re on fairly high ground, not in a flood zone (and we have flood insurance to boot). We are on the Katy Prairie, so there aren’t lots of trees to worry about.
BUT…
When the power goes out, it will probably STAY out for a L-O-O-O-NG time. And of course stores and businesses will be closed. We could go to San Antonio – that’s our ward’s typical fallback plan – but that would be cutting right across the path of the storm.
A few years ago I figured a “back-alleys” route to get to Birmingham, so we may head for Beth’s house if it looks like power’s going out for an extended period of time. We’ll see.
Hurricane Ike Tracking Map Here
Keep us in your prayers!
* * *UPDATE* * ** * *UPDATE* * ** * *UPDATE* * ** * *UPDATE* * *
Thursday 8:30 PM CDT
Eerie. The storm track is beginning to slide a bit off to the east. If it continues to do this, we’re going to be out of the dangerous Northeast quarter, and the storm’s effects will be a lot less. We’ll be on the “dry side.”
This is exactly what happened with Hurricane Rita almost exactly three years ago (less a couple of weeks). Rita ended up coming ashore, not at Freeport but all the way over to just east of the Texas-Louisiana state line, and we got nothing but a bit of rain.
The “Golden Triangle” of Texas (Beaumont, Port Arthur, Orange) and Lake Charles, LA, however, were devastated. In fact, there was a lot more damage there than Katrina had done a month earlier in New Orleans – but who the heck cares about some whitey part of the country when “Chocolate City” is available for Jesse Jackson and the Democrat Party to scream and yell about?
Anyway, if this trend continues, we’ll dodge another bullet. But this time, we drug out our 72-hour kit which Nancy had packed up last year, and I have my little portable Ham Radio (KE5JYY at your service!) for when the cell phones go out.
Keep prayin’, folks, it’s working!
buddy
September 9, 2008 | Uncategorized | Comments [1]
I cant remember your number, i dont know how to work my home phone. anyway, I couldn’t get off saturday , but I don’t have to be at work till 4:00 p.m. so i can still see bailey that morning this saturday until 3:30. just call me and let me know what you want to do. she has to be back home at 6 anyway.
Travelogue: Clemson v. The Citadel 09/06/2008
September 8, 2008 | Travels | Comments [3]
Wish I had more time – it’s time for bed before a resumption of real life tomorrow for me – but I thought I’d mention some stuff of interest regarding our football pilgrimmage over the weekend.
Ethan P., Seay, Buddy and I accompanied Dad/Bill Sr. to Clemson, SC and their football season opener against perennial non-powerhouse The Citadel. This is the first time that I, believe it or not, have attended a game at the infamous “Death Valley,” even though I have been steeped in Clemson football since I could crawl. (Amazing that not one of Dad’s children graduated from there, although Lainie did attend for a time. Buddy and I graduated from UAB, Beth from Troy, Amanda and Lake from UAlabama).
We met my cousing Rick Polhemus (son of Uncle Fred who recently passed away) and his step-father-in-law for “tailgating,” and pretty much ate, talked, and people-watched in the blazing sunshine until gametime.
Dad had good seats in the upper level just a couple of rows from the edge, right where the TV cameras are. The game was a “blowout” for Clemson, 45-17 (which was a good thing after Clemson was disappointed by Alabama in Atlanta last week).
We left Clemson on Sunday morning and got back to Birmingham around 2 in the afternoon. Hung around with Dad for a bit longer, and then Seay drove me to Beth’s, where we parted.
I will add some more details at a later date. Right now, it’s beddy-bye.
Love.
I need help! The Joker ate my insperation and ambition! TT-TT
September 8, 2008 | Shameless Begging, Uncategorized, Whining | No Comments
~I is vrry sorry if any of you are waiting for Chapter 3 of Coal Wars. It seems… I have a bad case of writers block and I cant start the next chap! I would greatly appreceat any opening ideas for the chapter; it seems I can only write well if I feel like it, and that isn’t going to be happening for a while…
So I would vrry much like some ideas. I will most likely use one and post it into my story. This is your chance!
Peas and tanks oos!
Jojo the one with writers block. Oh… snap… no kitty face…
Hi Miss Alice
Anata garasu no, me de donna yume wo…
Mirareru no?
Mirareru no~~?
Mada atashi
Kokoro ga sakete…
Nagarederu
Tsuku iota
Sukima ni sasaru…
Kioku- tachi
Hi Miss Alice
Anata ga jitsu no
Kuchi de dare ni ai wa
Nageteru no?
Nageteru no~~?
Mou atashi Kotoba o tsumaku, shita no netsu
Same kitte, meteru outamo
Utae nai
Still, you do not answer…
I haz it memorized! Go me!~
Buddy tell Ethan
September 8, 2008 | Uncategorized | Comments [2]
Thanks so much for renting his drums to me. He was so cute bargaining. It will really help me with my exercises. I am gonna put a quilt inside the bass drum to quiet it a bit. They accidently sceduled me for saturday and gave me Sunday off. Which ever day is best with you, I can get it changed at work, if saturday is best. Don’t forget to tell Adam Michael whenever he is ready we can schedule another tennis lesson. I will give him one of my raquets since I have 4. I also have a game for Ethan. I had tomb raiders but Casey borrowed it, however I have “Fable”, and I have already played it. Its this years addition. I think Ethan will like it as you have to use the sword and bow and arrow and you have alot of magic powers.
Announcement!!!
September 5, 2008 | Uncategorized | Comments [1]
~OK peplz, just a few things for the ones who want to know the answers to my questions.
1: The answer for Artek’s eyes is that he is blind
2: If you want the answer for the riddle, here it is:
You break the chalk in half. One half plus one half equals one whole. You put the hole on the wall and you get out.
And… that’s ’bout it I suppose.
The next chapter will be comming out soon, so keep checking! =^^=~
New Blog Post (Not Here, Over THERE –>)
September 4, 2008 | Check-in | Comments [3]
I hadn’t written anything on my personal blog in a long time. There were “technical difficulties” that I hadn’t taken the time to untangle so it just sat there not functioning for several months.
Finally took a few minutes – it was actually not that hard to figure out – and now it’s working again.
I thought the article was worth writing so I’m inviting y’all to check it out.
RESPOND TO JORDAN, PLEASE
September 3, 2008 | Uncategorized | Comments [3]
She checks everyday to see if anyone has read her story or tried to solve her riddle. We musn’t discourage a young writer no matter how bad the story needs editing. 
I sure hope she takes a good grammer/writing class this year. perhaps she could simply learn to use paragraphs. Love you jordan!!
Grrr!
September 3, 2008 | Uncategorized | Comments [5]
Why is it so amazingly difficult to post pictures? once again, it won’t work even though i’m trying to do it the SAME WAY i did it last time. any hints or suggestions?
Music question
September 1, 2008 | Uncategorized | Comments [9]
As I get older and can’t do some of the more physical hobbies I used to like to do, I have always wanted to learn how to play the drums and its a hobby that is not so physical I couldn’t do it for years to come. Of course my problem is that i always live in apartments and unfortunatley they are too noisy or are they? So I have a bunch of questions and I hope Bill or Buddy or someone with some music knowledge can answer them. 1. Can you buy an electric drum kit and turn the mic down low enough or wear head phones that you could practice in an apartment without disturbing neighbors.? 2. How do you know if you are a left or a right handed drummer 3. Is your primary drum hand the one that hits the top hats or the snare drum? Luckily now a days thanks to the internet you can take lessons online which is great when you can’t afford to pay for them. I have watched alot of these lessons and it is very interesting to me.