Friday

As I write this, Hurricane Rita is pounding Galveston, and putting New Orleans underwater again. Once again the incompetence of the United States government shines through. How sad is it that we can't even evacuate cities that are soon to be under siege? Days and days of warnings, people leaving their homes and possessions behind, only to be caught in a traffic jam, running out of fuel, sweltering in the 100 degree heat, and burning literally to death like the elderly that were on the bus that caught fire. Ain't our government great!
So I went to the school to sell sno-cones again today, and we did even better that last week, raking in $107 for our cause. If we keep this up, maybe we can help the government alleviate it's debt! Can you see our Prez crushing ice and selling sno-cones? He probably could screw that up too!
That's all for now. Keep the Texans in your thoughts this weekend, I know I will, we have been there done that, and believe me, it is no fun!

PS. Happy 44th Anniversary Mom and Dad

Category 5

This is Rita - she is a category 5, and if I were anywhere near the Texas coast, I would be running like a scared rabbit! I just found out that a good friend of mine has family in Gonzales, Texas, which is about 190 miles east of Galveston. They should be ok, but will feel the winds of probably around category 1 force, which we have learned can be devastating enough. It looks as if most people in Galveston are leaving now, and not waiting till the last minute. I hope they are smarter than I was back in '92 when Andrew came through, and I thought we would be ok. No material items are worth risking your life for - for once I wish I had listened to my parents and left!
It will be interesting to see what FEMA and our government will do after this storm. They have had enough practice, and hopefully will get it right this time. I am guessing that gas prices will rise again too. Again, the oil companies taking advantage of a bad situation.
They have been interviewing people who live in the Keys, some who's homes received some water damage and flooding. The majority of the people said it was no big deal compared to what happened in New Orleans and Mississippi. At least they still have a home to go to.
Good luck to the Texans, my thoughts are with you!

The Day After

The sun is shining through grey skies, the wind has subsided, the rains have passed, and once again, we have escaped the wrath of Rita! Rita was the 7th storm to hit Florida is 13 months. The stress level of South Floridians is high, but not as high as Texas and Louisiana right now. They are bracing for what looks like will be a category 4 storm. As bad as this sounds, I hope Texas gets this storm, Louisiana doesn't need another drop of rain. I don't know what is going on with the weather lately, but it seems that the tropics just don't like the Gulf Coast States. Didn't it used to be the Carolina's that got more hits than Florida and the Gulf Coast?
Here's hoping that Rita is our last worry for the season! Wishful thinking....

All's Quiet

Well, here it is around 4 pm, and all is for the most part clear. We got really lucky once again here in South Florida, but the Keys weren't quite as lucky. They escaped major damage, but will have a big mess to clean up in the next few days. I think that Hurricane Katrina taught everyone to be ready, prepare for the worst and hope for the best. You tend to get a bit complacent living in South Florida because there always seems to be some kind of weather system out there, but few actual hits. Katrina showed us not to take it for granted that storms will miss us. Schools are open tomorrow (YEAH!!), so my son is upset - he'll get over it! That's all for now..stay safe everyone!

Hurricane Rita - morning

This picture doesn't do justice to what is now Hurricane Rita. It is very difficult to take pictures without either getting soaked, or blown over. We have been lucky so far, and it hasn't been too bad. As I type, we are in the middle of a pretty bad band, and the weather should stay poor for the next few hours, then hopefully Rita will just be a memory. My son is anxiously awaiting an announcement about school tomorrow. They have already missed 4 days so far this year due to Hurricanes, and it is only September.
That's all for now, hopefully I will have nothing exciting to tell you later, but will keep you all up to date as weather permits!

Rita - Tuesday Morning

Good morning all! This picture was actually taken last night (9/19), I set the wrong date on the camera. I thought it was an interesting sunset mixed in with the clouds, almost looks like a funnel of fire. So far all is calm here in South Florida. I checked in with my parents as well who live about 8 miles South of me, and all is quiet there too. We have had a few small outer bands go through, but no significant rain or wind as of yet. I am hoping it stays this way, but you never know with these type of storms. Key West is still in pretty good shape as well, their main concern is the storm surge. I was actually able to get some sleep last night, for once the storm didn't blow through in the wee hours of the morning. I did wake up at 5:30, and couldn't get back to sleep, I never have been a good sleeper.
Will keep you posted as long as I have power and internet, and will update pictures as well if anything is worth shooting. Take care!!

Lovely Rita (not a meter maid!)

So many people want to retire to South Florida......why?? Here we are in the middle of September, with sweltering heat, an unreal amount of humidity, and yet another hurricane on the horizon. As a kid, I don't remember having all these hurricane threats. It seems in the last couple of years it has been just insane. It is very nerve racking for residents in South Florida and the Keys. The coverage on tv is non stop, which isn't a bad thing, the gas stations have long lines, the grocery stores are overrun, schools are closed, and in general nerves are on edge. Your life is put on hold for a few days. I guess those in the North who have to put up with snow every winter are just as bad off as we are. There is no perfect weather state is there?
I rode my bicycle up to the grocery store earlier today to get some batteries, and was listening to some of the chatter of the other customers. Someone told me that they think that this winter is going to be a cold one because the summer was so hot. I made that same comment to my parents over the weekend. I wouldn't mind a cold winter, it would be a nice change of pace, and at this point a welcome relief.
Well, I need to go get my house ready for the impending storm. The winds are picking up a little, but the worst of it shouldn't be here till sometime between midnight tonight, and noon tomorrow, and be done by midnight Tuesday. I will post again when I can, and will try to take some pictures to share. :)

Nothing important

Well, I got the results back on my first Calculus test, I got an 83. Not too bad, but could be better. Will nail it next time, at least now I know what to expect. Did get quite a bit of studying done this weekend, but not finished yet. I did take time out to watch "Assault On Precinct 13". It was filled with action, and had a pretty decent plot, but was somewhat predictable. It's worth watching.
Looks like we have to keep an eye on the tropics again. It seems there are two storms out there, one of which could get us a bit wet in the next few days. This gets old quick here in South Florida. In July we had Dennis, August was Katrina, now September looks like it will be Rita....enough already!!
The Emmy's are on tonight. I will probably watch only because Ellen DeGeneres is hosting, and I happen to think she is hilarious! I am sure I won't watch it till the end, they tend to drag on and on and on and on..you get the point. Let's see who stays on script and who wanders off - lots of hot topics to rant about these days.