Here I Am...(da-na, na-na) Rock You Like A Hurricane

It has been a little over a week since Hurricane Ike blew through town and it was my first official hurricane. After Hurricane Rita (aka: 24 hours in a car to get to San Antonio) I was not interested in evacuating again and since the storm was only a 2 maybe turning into a 3 I planned on riding it out with Philip.

Surprisingly many of the neighborhood stuck around as well. We had a good time on Friday, September 12th until the power went out around 11pm. Late that night winds and trees whipped through the air, but I managed to sit through it all while Philip went outside to yell at the storm. The next week that followed we were without power. Each day we'd hope and pray it would come on, but each day it did not. Thank God for a cold front and 60 degree nights which is almost unheard of in Texas in September.

Lines for gas were out of control (good thing I filled up before the storm) and everyone needed ice as their refrigerators started to warm up. There was no major damage to the house, only a few tree branches down and places where the siding was pulled away from the house.

I have to say our neighborhood may be one of the few places left in America where the neighbors hang out together and enjoy it. This made the aftermath much more bearable. We had good people to talk to, PLENTY of good food to put on the grill after the freezers started to defrost. I think we had burgers, sausage, chicken breast, tenderloin, tamales, spaghetti you name it...and beer....of course beer. It is good to see people pull together in a time of need and help each other and that's what everyone was able to do around us.

I think Philip and I surely would've gone stir crazy if we had to sit in the house with each other and no power for a whole week. I wonder who would've made it out alive....probably me, after all I do have more meat on my bones that Philip ;o)

One of the lessons I will take away from this is how much we take for granted with our lives. With the touch of a button we can get water & ice from our fridge, we can adjust the temperature in our house, we can wash clothes with a machine, the Internet, need I say more. From the week without power alone I would evacuate if it was a bigger storm and in the summer months. There's no way I'd make it in 90 degree heat that's for sure! But I am thankful for what I have and will realize that it doesn't really talk that much to make you happy, just good friends, good conversation and good food. Hallelujah Amen!