IKE

Well, although I know nobody reads this blog, I feel bad for not posting for so long. Quick recap since last year: taught for 2 semesters and had a great time but ultimately decided to invest the time and energy in moving the doctorate along - i.e., taking classes instead of teaching. Spent summer in Salamanca, which was much better than before, because the weather was so much better. Now I am taking 4 classes in the fall semester - instead of 3 classes and teaching. So that's all fine...

IKE. Well, it was a direct hit on Galveston, which is VERY RARE, so we got almost the full force here in Houston. Friday night September 11. Power went out at 10:50 p.m. It was scary because the winds were so high and we could actually feel the house shaking and moving. Not that we were really afraid of a window blowing out, but yeah, it could have. In the end no damage to the house, but the power was out. Trees down everywhere and power out for 95% of Houston. 2 weeks and 1 day later, we still have no power. Clean up has been going on . Crews from all over the country coming here to work. Most of the city is back online except for inside the Loop. We stayed 4 nights in Seguin after the storm but came back, of course, to get on with our lives, but managed to find a generator at the Sears in Seguin, and found a room a/c., so we have  been more or less comfortable with that arrangement, although it costs a small fortune to run that stupid generator with gasoline. Really unconscionable for someone who is trying to be environmentally responsable. Turns out you can buy generators that run on natural gas, or you can convert gasoline generators to run on natural gas -- probably too late for us now, because I'm sure any second our power will come back on (yeah, right) -- but we will work on that and be ready for the next storm.

My dad had damage - humongous oak tree in his front yard went down and fell on his house, although a) he was not in house, he was on road trip, and b) it fell across front entrance, not on his bedroom a little to the side, and c) it didn't crush the house like it could have, one of the branches drilled into the ground like a piling and supported the tree so it didn't crush the house. So actually not too much damage, all told. Big mess. See foto album for more details.

Several houses in our neighborhood (older cottages, not new construction 2 stories like ours) were crushed - will try to post some pictures.

We were lucky but we are way ready to get the power back on.

Comments

[Marylou Purpura]

Hey Susan, Polly sent me your blog address and I looked at the pics of your dad's house with the distinctive tree decoration! What a mess that was, but what a blessing that there was not more damage. Glad you and Larry made it thru alright and hope that power comes back quickly.