20thStDad

We were without power for 4 days, and I didn't mind one second of it. Also didn't go get ice, we just cooked some stuff and were done with it. Milk? We buy that every week anyway, who cares. By the time we bummed a cord from the neighbor's generator for the fridge, all it did was cool drinks and make ice (margaritas are possible without ice, but just not as good). BUT, like I said, only 4 days, and I know it started to warm up after Monday-Tuesday. I would have whined about being hot, but not much else bothered me. I got a few extra days of playing with the 20thStBaby, which was well worth it to me. She could care less if we didn't have electricity. The only downside is that I drank in 4 days what I typically drink in a month, so I need to go stock up again.

Woohoo!! My LSU Tigers took it to Auburn! We never win there, and this was a tough one. I didn't think we'd pull it off, but Jarrett Lee shook off a horrible start to make some awesome throws. Maybe we finally found our QB. A&M is in a bad place right now. I can't believe Franchione ever thought going there from Bama was a good idea. So dumb.

Based on my own limited observation I would disagree with their findings. This is silly. If anything it's the wicked left who are impulsive and reactionary, often taking a cause to the Nth degree before anything is proven (see: California). It's the conservatives who don't move at all when there is a loud noise, because they are crotchety and don't like to keep their hearing aids in.

Would them curbing the edge of your drive be an easier fix than the french drain? At least to a level higher than their ground. They definitely have to take measure to prevent what the pictures show.

Our neighbors have been great too. After the 3 hour group cleanup effort Saturday, we cooked dinner and invited the guy staying by himself over for burgers, sausage, and scotch. Then when our neighbors got a generator Sunday, we loaned them an extension cord, bummed power for our fridge, went on a gas-getting adventure for the generator, and tried to help refill and change the oil as much as we could. We had to go out of town yesterday and they were happy to take our nice long list of things to do if/when the power came back on (plug fridge back in, turn A/C up, set alarm), but thankfully it came on and we didn't have to put them through that. Since our neighbors are so awesome, maybe we should invite all of HAIF to the next alley party we have. I don't see why not.

Yeah those people piss me off. The ones who complain that their handouts aren't coming fast enough, and who think FEMA or the government should put them in a hotel because they choose to live in a hurricane prone area yet refuse to prepare for one. Love those people. I know way too many of them. Discourages good volunteers, too.

Understood...it was a big hurricane and there were impacts as far north as Ohio. I drove around and looked at a lot of damage, and most was due to trees falling onto something, not roofs being blown off. Tornadoes are another story - if that did it then it's no surprise.

Hey at least she knows that much about email. I doubt McCain has ever used it. Not that he should really, it's not the most secure or classified way to get info across.

Roof ripped off way up in the freakin Woodlands? Who built it, the Tremont Towers people? The damn Academy in Galveston is still there.

$10 Tuesdays at TGF. I can't imagine paying more, even that much hurts, because I'm in the chair for exactly 6 minutes. Never had evenness problems...could be a head shape thing.

Here we go, a lot from the car so sorry about the imperfect edges: Memorial Drive Buffalo Bayou at Waugh White Oak Bayou, I-10 at I-45 Houston Ave, going north over White Oak Bayou White Oak Bayou from the Durham bridge I-10 at Durham White Oak Bayou at bridge 20 (Heights)

My birthday is talk like a pirate day? I'm not sure whether to be bummed or excited...I think excited.

White Oak bayou flooded some, my wife took some awesome pictures of it from the car. Same for Buffalo bayou. I don't think buffalo bayou got higher than for Allison, but I bet it got just as high. But 1 day after the rain stopped, it was back down. So the bayous worked like they were supposed to in my opinion.

I still don't understand the random availability of u-verse. On a positive note, internet and cable were working when the power came back on. Still planning on switching to DSL, unless they pull some extra cost BS on us. Not this week though, they are probably busy as hell.

This was just cleared up on the news - that is a rumor. FEMA will directly pay your hotel bill if you stay at a contracted hotel, and you can apply for reimbursement if you are at a non-contracted hotel, but ONLY if your house is unlivable, and they stressed that not having electricity does not count. It's not social services, it's disaster recovery.

Heights was hit bad - I think there's a few reasons for why it took a while to start getting power back here. We just got ours tonight, not complaining at all since I know others are still without, but we are right near a hospital and an old folks home so I figure we are near the top of the line and it still took 4 days. Anyway, the rear servitudes - I've commented how they are nice for street appearance, but when it comes to trees and hurricanes, they make it difficult to fix things. There tends to be bigger/more trees in backyards versus front yards so there is more ammo as well. And there are lots of old trees in the Heights. Combine all this, and the mess is unbelievable. I got out Saturday morning while it was still raining and started clearing our alley so some neighbors could leave, and within a half hour ALL of the neighbors on our block were out there clearing, and by mid day we were done with all the cleanup needed. Granted we were lucky, no lines were hit. Ended up bumming our fridge power off the neighbors generator the next 2+ days, and here we are.

Just got our power back and hour ago. So many trees down in the Heights... We have a bunch of awesome pics but I'll have to post later.

We spent 5 hours at Star Pizza Sunday, it was great.

Yeah that was her hurricane panicky face...but I had to switch back to goofy (might have to refresh, I did) Getting close to bed time. I wonder if I can sleep through this. I bet I can.

I had to switch back to a happy avatar, it's no fun looking at the cutie all distressed. She's content and asleep right now anyway!

If you were calling a land line they may have all moved to lower floors or some other central area in the building. I live 5 blocks from there and so far there hasn't been anything that would threaten that building, so I'm sure she's fine.

Times like these we need a HAIF chat room that can hold 50 people or so. Too much posting and refreshing!

Are you there (here) or did you see it on the news? I haven't seen anything or heard anything from our house yet. Still have cable and power.

Our normal program takes the a/c down to 67 at night, so we're chillin. I suppose if we cranked it down just for the storm we could get her down to 62-63. That would be some awesome sleep. Is it weird that it hasn't rained ahead of the storm? We haven't gotten anything, just a nice breeze.

48? Are you sure it wasn't 47.5?