September

New photos at the side.

Hey

I've decided to stop posting non-family related stuff here. I joined facebook recently, and have started posting links and thoughts there. I get feedback, so that seems to be the more appropriate outlet. I'll have some pics of Jameson up later today or tomorrow. It is almost October (costume month) and he will be styling.

Kaptur

When is it time to panic?

Billmon on the problem.

Megan McArdle on the money market near-collapse

Bonddad on Congress responding to Paulson's plan.

It is starting to look like both dems and repubs are willing to go along with a bad deal for taxpayers as long as both parties do it.

Newsflash: the press

is dysfunctional.

On the Ike front, I am tired, sore, and scratched up. My neighbor, Mike, rocks. He helped me move my fence out to the curb for pick up. Dez went to work today. I may go tomorrow, but HCC is being stingy with info. Even if my campus has power, most of my students don't. They need computers to write essays (and electricity, water and food, to care about writing essays). My online classes are supposed to start this coming week. That should be interesting. The server is currently down. BTW, if you've sent me email, I can't get it right now. The server is down.

Meanwhile, the kids in the neighborhood are living it up. They love being out of school. Dez took a bunch of water guns and an elmo sprinkler out in the culdesac yesterday. Pandemonium. Kids ring our doorbell all day asking if Birgitta's (my mother-in-law) dog, Bella, can come outside. They walked her around for hours at a time. Today is tree-chopping day for me. I was able to stand up a few of them.

Ike

We were lucky. Our home didn't flood, the roof and windows are intact, and we got power back quickly. The back yard took a whack. No big deal. There's roof and window damage around the neighborhood. An SUV is in one of the ornamental lakes. Rumors are starting to pour in from friends and neighbors about the death toll in Galveston. Hopefully they're just rumors. Thanks to Brad and Ruben, and Anne and Mark, for letting us stay with them, and to everyone whose been calling and texting.



Update: Just tried to make a run to HomeDepot, about a mile from here. The water is receding in the little neighborhood lakes, and a couple of more cars emerged. Boats are still in the streets. A construction trailer-home office was upside down. The army is camped out in the grocery parking lot.

Hurricane Ike

Hey all,

We had a mandatory evac from our home. We live about a mile from Kemah, just inland from the west side of Galveston Bay. Our neighbor told us we are about 17 feet above sea level. We don't think our house flooded, but there are flash flood warnings all over because there was heavy rain last night. Many areas are flooded already. We have heard some roofs in our area had shingles blown off, so we are also a bit concerned about leaks. I boarded up the whole house, so broken windows shouldn't be an issue.

We spent the night with our friends, Brad and Ruben, in their high rise condo Thursday and Friday night. They lost power during the storm, so we spent the night with my sister and brother-in-law, Anne and Mark, last night. They have power, but very little water pressure. We're hoping to get a look at our home soon, but really don't know when that might be. Hopefully tomorrow. Some of the roads and highways are flooded and blocked with debris, and branches and power lines are also a concern. I think cops are also blocking entrance to some of the neighborhoods in our area. So, we are HUNKERING DOWN until further notice.

Andrew Sullivan

"The one thing I always thought I knew about him is that he is a decent and honest person."

Tracy

Dez's friend, Tracy, came out from Los Angeles and spent a few days with us. Jameson fell in love.