All Eyes on the Tropics

These words are not what I want to hear! Never welcome, but especially not now! We're just beginning to restock the fridge, took a few boards off the windows, and finally have A/C. It can't be happening again.

These past few days have been trying. We returned from our evacuation to a dark, hot and humid house and sat on the porch, forever trying to find a bit of tepid breeze. During the daylight hours, we had chores to keep us busy, refrigerators to empty and yards to rake, but dusk to dawn was miserable. With nothing to do, we set off for a neighborhood coffee shop that had not lost power. There we found the condensation on the glass panes a welcome sight. We sipped iced coffees and teas, plugged in our laptops, and recharged ipods and cell phones, getting more than our money's worth of electricity. Kevin was especially susceptible to the misery of life without electronics. When power was restored at ten minutes to nine on September 4th, we were absolutely giddy! WTG Entergy!

Memory Tag!

I got this from Vickie's blog:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember that maybe brings a smile to your face!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It will be fun to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you are playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Yay!

Woo-hoo! We drove back through our VERY dark neighborhood from PJs to find an Entergy truck driving down our street with a spotlight on the lines. He followed the line from one end of our street all the way down to Jefferson Hwy. A minute later everyone was jumping up and down and screaming! We had lights! We flipped on the A/C and it's beginning to cool off. The best surprise is that once the electricity was on, we found out that we had phone and cable and internet too. An unexpected pleasure! Wheeeee!

Oh, and we did get mail today. I was shocked when the mailman drove up this afternoon!

The newspaper carrier delivered our paper today too...along with the last three days worth! So I had something to read while sitting on my porch today.

Still No Power

Ick! I haven't showered since we've been back, so I'm contemplating going somewhere to shower tomorrow. We're supposed to limit the amount of water we put into the sewerage system since the power is out at not only residences, but the lift stations that move the wastewater to the treatment plants. We flush only when absolutely necessary and try to put minimal amounts of water down the sink. Tommy washed the pot we cooked dinner in last night in the yard with the hose! Hee-hee!

I was excited to see energy trucks at the pole near our house today! They've been working in the neighborhood for hours though, but nothing yet. It is stifling hot inside. We spent most of the day on the porch, but the mosquitoes would eat us alive if we slept out there. I'm at the coffehouse again enjoying their A/C, a nice cold iced tea, and getting my money's worth in electricity. We have two computers, two phones and two i-pods plugged in recharging! ROFL!

We are all so spoiled. Kevin is definitely not used to entertaining himself without electronics for an entire day! I hope that *I* survive the complaining!

Pioneer Woman I'm Not

We got home today to a dark, hot house. Spent most of the day clearing up the yard and street. SO many branches and tree debris. Just one piece of siding peeled away...at the very top of the house, same place where it was replaced after Katrina, No big deal. The fridge was easy to clean thanks to the garbage bag trick. We cooked dinner on the propane BBQ. But now we are hot and bored and sitting at PJs cofeeshop trying to cool off. For some reason they have power here. The windows have condensation and it feels so good to be so cold! I don't want to go home! It will be nice to sleep in my own bed, but I'm afraid it will be so hot and humid that I won't be able to. Anyway, we hope to have power and cable and telephone and all that good stuff soon! I wouldn't make a good pioneer.

Here We Go Again

I kept hoping that we wouldn't have to go! But it's starting to get scary. The interstates have been bumper to bumper since dawn and contraflow doesn't start until 4 AM tomorrow! I finally started packing my scrapbooks and photos. Yesterday was spent on laundry and packing clothes. Since our hotel reservations are not until Monday, we are going to have to sit and wait...nervously. (Maybe I can get some scrapping done!? While watching the weather channel! LOL!) We plan on leaving pre-dawn on Monday. Hopefully will be back after just a couple of nights. Crossing fingers!

-----------------------------------------

Tommy is insisting that we can't wait until Monday morning to leave, but our hotel reservations aren't until Monday night in Jackson, MS. So we are going to leave tomorrow and drive to Memphis where his area manager lives. He offered to house us. We will stay overnight, and then drive BACK DOWN to Jackson. We will probably be in the car all day tomorrow, get a few hours sleep and take off again. UGH!

But it is getting scary. Around mid afternoon, all the stores had closed. Groceries, drug stores, McDonald's, BLOCKBUSTER (just when I could have used a good movie/distraction! LOL!), etc. Gas stations were running out of gas.TV coverage has been non-stop and the mayors and parish presidents are scaring everyone. Guess that's exactly what they are trying to do...to get the people to leave. We boarded up the windows, took in the porch chairs, etc. There is mandatory evacuation in many of the parishes, including New Orleans and the part of Jefferson on the other side of the river. So far we only have voluntary evacuation. In other words, it's strongly suggested.

So we're going on another adventure...and hope it's a short one.

Ain't (Isn't) It A Shame?!

OK. I'm going to try this again. It IS a shame but I never take the time to post. Maybe that will change. So here's to new beginnings!

Petunia in Paradise recently blogged about 5 Words I Dislike. I have one to add to her list:

AIN'T.

A certain perfectly cultured little person of 8 uses it and insists that it's a word. "No it ain't!" I want to say, just for fun, but I don't. It's bad enough that I have a T-shirt from Stinky’s Fish Camp with the phrase on the back..."It is what it is and it ain't what it ain't." Yes, I have to explain that one each time I wear it. But it's a cute shirt. :)