Once-A-Monther

Why is it that when a crisis happens, I have to deal with it?

Don't get me wrong, I am competent and smart. But I am not a plumber. Therefore, when the hot water pipe burst under the sink and flooded my kitchen this afternoon, it meant that I couldn't fix it right away.

Which means that I spent my afternoon with a shop vac, mopping up the lake in my kitchen and dining room. And that I had to turn off the water in the house until it's fixed. And under my sink smells musty. Yuck.

I don't have time for this.

On the good side, though, I got my errands finished early, so I was actually home when this happened. It could have been SOOO much worse. Imagine coming home to a completely flooded house... umm... yeah. No, thanks. I definitely do not have time for THAT.

So, thus begins my preparations for our Christmas trip. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Hell in a Hand Basket

I can't stand to watch the news anymore. Thank goodness I don't watch TV. Because honestly, even going into the gas station and seeing the news there makes me want to vomit.

I'm thinking the direction our country/world is going is a recipe for a horrible ulcer for me. I can't get into it, because I'm tired of my blood pressure skyrocketing.

Neglectful

Wow, my poor blog. It has gone so unattended, that the weeds are waist high now. And it's all Facebook's fault. Because it's just so darn easy to be nosy on there, and see what everyone's doing, and let everyone else know what I'm doing. Minute to minute. Status updates. You know.

I'm sorry. There's really too much to write about. Remodeling, staying at friends' for a week, sickness and more sickness, organizing and cleaning, and the death of a friend. And that's just in the past 3 weeks, I believe. I'm so busy I really shouldn't be typing this, I've got a million things I should be doing.

So come find me on Facebook, it's easier to keep up with me there!

Where have all the bands gone?

Or cowboys, whatever...

Is it just me, or have marching bands taken an artistic twist? It's cool that they're playing classics and more contemporary genres, but really...

I'm used to marching bands ENTERTAINING. Most were very... well...

You'd have to be a musician to appreciate what they were playing.

I am, thankfully, but I couldn't help but feel for the people in the football audiences who aren't. I mean, Lizst is something they make before grocery shopping for a tailgate party, not a composer. But maybe I just came from a totally awesome marching band. In high school, our shows were things like the Beatles, Santana, things people would recognize from the stands.

Although band directors are still, very predictably, making the guard run cross-field on a whim. That's a comfort to know that some things never change.

That aside, I really enjoyed all the performances tonight, and I'm endlessly proud of my students. Such good form! Yay!

So this is what it means to be a soccer mom

Mom told me my life would change when Izzy was in school. Boy, did it!

I no longer have my precious angel around during the day. Instead, I have a to-do list about a mile and a half long, and obligations almost every night of the week. Yikes!

On top of everything else, our remodel is taking up a lot of time. Who knew I would spend a week looking at bathroom lighting fixtures? I feel like the stereotypical housewife spending months trying to pick out the perfect drapes. It's not that far off of a comparison, you know.

I'm also starting a Girl Scout troop with my fabulous leader Jenn (yeah, that's going to be interesting). Jenn... Jen... (two heads turn) What? And who knew how much work THAT would involve as well?!

I'm also training to be a "Money Map Coach", or one-on-one budget counselor, for Crown Ministries. It takes up more time than I thought it would on studying and research. It has also prompted me to reevaluate my financial situation, take new stock of our assets, and make some changes hopefully for the better. But this also involves time!

So my week consists of Fort Bend ISD Band Night, teaching, Girl Scout leader meeting, Girl Scout Parent Meeting, iScrap (if I can get it together before then), Izzy's birthday, and Izzy's birthday party, which are not on the same day. And somewhere in there I have to make room for maintenance like laundry and straightening, and I'd like to get our master bedroom cleaned out. Oh, yeah, and I'm making our costumes for the Harvest Party. Because I'm picky. And I honestly thought I would have time to make them myself.

Ha.

I need a drink. Tommy, anyone?

Let there be light!

And... *sigh of relief* we have power.

We escaped for the weekend to my Mom's, because the heat in Houston doesn't mix well with tempers because of a week with no power and no A/C. And no hot baths. And no cooked food. I, for one, blame the sodium levels in all the canned food. That stuff's just not healthy.

It was an interesting ride. I'm glad it's over.

But I'm still praying that those in Houston who still don't have power get it soon, because frankly all of Houston has lost its friggin' mind. I'm tired of people with short tempers, venom spilling from normally reasonable mouths (or keyboards), and drivers with a death wish.

But Izzy's back in school and things can return to semi-normalness. Which means busy. The two weeks of lessons I had to miss because of the hurricane I now have to schedule makeup lessons for, they rescheduled everything I had planned to take place within the next 2 weeks. Oh, joy.

So, here's some pictures to tide you over until normalcy resumes:

Izzy and Eli got all dolled up for the hurricane party


The boys boarded up the houses for us


I don't think that tree is SUPPOSED to lean like that...


Typical minimal damage in our neighborhood


Hurricane-style transportation


Our chef firing up our meal at Kobe while we were escaping Houston electricity-less heat

Still no power

It's going to be a while, too.

But we're fine! All our friends in the immediate vicinity have offered us all they have. We're staying in our house at night for the most part, it's nice outside and hopefully will stay that way (note to self - while online check the weather).

One thing that really awes me is the generosity of friends and family within our church. We have not lacked for hot showers, clean laundry, or a hot meal since our power went out. That along with people we love to lead us through powerlessness makes it bearable.

But we've become so reliant on TV, movies, etc, that sometimes I'm thankful for the break. While my daughter would normally be playing the Wii or watching a movie, instead we're cuddling and reading books together. The house is immensely more quiet and peaceful.

And thanks to my girlfriends, CLEAN.

We've had countless offers of houses with power to stay in, but there's a comfort in being home in our own bed that can't be beat, even if we have to rely on candles to make it across the house. :)

So we'll be fine, regardless of how long it takes to get the power back. It's stretching our creative muscles a bit, and that's okay with me.

Ike Update

Hello to all! Yes, we're alive and doing well. Ike hit us early this morning. Apparently we rode the west rim of the eye. We lost power about midnight, and Bry says the storm hit early this morning, although the kids and I slept through most of it hunkered down in our bedroom. Thanks to God, we have very little damage. We lost a few tree limbs that thankfully did not hit our house or anyone else's. There is a massive amount of debris in the yard and broken, hanging limbs from all the trees. We even ended up with a few shingles from our neighbor's roof in our yard! A leak in our chimney meant we woke up to a small lake in the livingroom, but we quickly got it cleaned up. Our neighbors lost trees, fences, and siding. 45 is impassable because of high waters, and they don't know when our power will be back on. We are currently taking a break from no power at our friend's house across Hwy 6 that got their power back already. And it gives us all a break from cabin fever. Right now cell phones are not reliable (and they don't want us using them unless it's an emergency anyway). I have been receiving voice messages but have been unable to check them. I have been receiving texts and cannot reply to them. I can't make a phone call at all. Bryan's work cell has been faring better, and he can text and receive some calls. I'll again when our power is back! Until then, thanks for you (very effective!) prayers, they were answered!

Prepped

I'm listening to power tools again. This time, it's the sound of all my neighbors boarding up their windows. My husband along with my two best girlfriends' husbands are going around helping because they have an air compressor and a nail gun, which cuts the time down by three-quarters. Bry managed to get the last of the plywood before they shut down Home Depot, and we're keeping the 2 sheets we need and passing the rest out to others that need it.

It's surreal driving through the neighborhood and seeing all the boarded-up houses. Even though it's supposed to get bad here, it seems everyone's prepared, and we were not in an evacuation zone. In fact, they urged us to stay here so the Coast residents wouldn't be hindered in their flight.

We've got ample supply of water, nonperishable food, and the like. The laundry is completed, and all but a small few of the dishes are done. Our mp3 players have radios on them, we've got candles and flashlights, both cars have full gas tanks, and we've got an emergency plan. We're well prepared, so please don't worry about us.

But, keep us and all others in the storm's affecting range in your prayers. It can't hurt. And I know a few people who are a little too calm and a little too nonchalant about it, and I pray for their safety and the safety of their families. I don't intend to run because I think we can weather it out, but we're playing it safe and erring on the side of caution.

As far as I know, no one in our area has left. In fact, traffic was heavier than normal, and Home Depot's parking lot was insane. Our Kroger is ahead of the game and has a constant supply of batteries, toilet paper, canned goods, and ice.

We both have cell phones, and Bry's laptop has wireless. I hopefully will be able to update you after the storm passes if his battery lasts. I'll post here as soon as I can. I know not worrying is a tall order for the Moms, but really, we'll be okay. It will be an experience.

Take care of yourselves, and if you're in the Houston area and reading this, please stay safe this weekend.

Love you all!

Stand Fast! Secure the Riggin'!

You know, I can't think of hurricanes without thinking of the hurricane scene in The Little Mermaid. Which just proves what a Disney girl I was/am.

I can't bring myself to get too worked up about this storm. I feel kinda silly, but maybe it's because of all the false alarms I've been through. I mean, even Rita, which until the last minute looked like it was heading straight for us, only caused a slight drizzle, and I evacuated for that. And felt like a total dummy. But at least I got to see my folks.

And, of course, it WOULD come right after we're finishing the exterior work on the house. My poor insurance company must be sick of hearing from me today.