Update From the Fringe of a Hurricane...er....What's that you say? Oh. Right. Tropical Storm.

Yeah, when I say fringe, I mean the FRINGE. I can still see blue sky to the west. No rain just yet, but apparently, that's still a possibility. To which I say: Whatev. I called no rain last night and people made BETS AGAINST ME! Too bad they didn't make 'em with me or I'd have.... well, I'd at least win the bet. This will teach them not to doubt me! Anyway! The winds have picked up to about 20 mph, gusting to around 35mph. We've got some downed leaves in the parking lot. That usually doesn't happen until like, February. We're under a high wind advisory which means what I just told you was happening.... could still happen until about 9pm. And I guess the clouds are pretty thick. I had to turn lights on before 7pm, which is odd.

So last night I stayed up pretty late watching the hurricane coverage, thanks to CK and his incessant text-messaging. (What is it with that guy? He loves me, he hates me, he loves me, he hates me. I can't keep up! And no, I did not go over there so finger off the trigger there, sparky.) And Rita made landfall just about as I was going to bed (Alone!). I was watching TXCN, which is the Texas Cable News Network. So it's like CNN but just Texas. Isn't that RAD??? Ahem. And so they were just doing the live feed from KHOU in Houston and it was everything you expect it would be. Reporters out on the seawall in Galveston with a digital anemometer to remind us that it's windy. Reporters in the lobby of a damaged hotel to remind us that stuff is broken. Reporters out in the middle of the street to remind us that it's raining. So I woke up this morn....er.... today to learn that people are already heading back to Houston. Why would you do that? You just sat in traffic for an insane amount of time two days ago, and now you want to do it again? All of the gas stations that were out of gas, are still out of gas. Why would you spend a tank and a half to get home today, when you could use half a tank to get home on Tuesday? Sigh. Well, thankfully, that's most people's biggest problem: deciding when to come back. I know there's a lot of damage in Beumont and Port Arthur. Some roofs caved in and lots of trees knocked down. Your normal, typical hurricane type stuff. Some random looting of a Lowe's, which to me? Sounds like they were just getting supplies and no one was at the store. Who knows what their intent was, but I'm pretty sure they got caught or it wouldn't have been on the news.

So in quasi-conclusion, this is nothing like Katrina. That was just disaster after disaster after disaster and it seemed like it would never end. First a Cat4 hurricane, then the levee failure, then the flooding, then the looting, then the basic breakdown of society into armed gangs and anarchy, then everyone expecting the government to help them instead them helping themselves (do NOT get me started!). Rita was like... Cat3, go to Austin, read a magazine, and come back. I hope it was that easy for everyone. Of course, gas is stupid high. The 7-11 on the corner is charging $2.95 (up from $2.85 yesterday) and I saw a Shell last night that was completely shut down, but it was right on the Interstate, on the northbound side. So I guess as long as you travel off the interstate a bit, there's gas to be found. Even if it is approaching the price of GOLD. Anyway. Best o' luck to our Houston/Galveston/Port Arthur area pals. Even though you're probably not reading this unless you have some wicked cool internet set up in your car. And as far as Dallas?

Thaaaaaaaaaa SUN'll come out! Tomorrow! Betcha bottom dollar that tomoooorrrrooooow!! There'll be suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun!!!

Have fun gettin that out of your head!!! Hehehe