Here we go again...

Except we really aren't "going" anywhere! At least I'm not! I'll talk about Greg's plans later!

Tracking Hurricane Ike at www.stormpulse.com

So often when any post-Katrina/Rita storm appears to be heading for the Gulf, especially towards Galveston, when the media talks about possible evacuations they often refer to "The Rita Factor"...which is basically referring to people like me! After evacuating for Rita, all though the normally 6 hr drive only took 11, I figure unless it's a category 10+ I'm gonna "hunker down" with the generator we bought and never used during Rita! I'm not boarding up any windows, taking any pictures off the walls, cleaning out the bottom of closets or underneath the beds...and I'm definately not getting in a car or truck unless it's to drive around and be a "look a lu" at the creek levels and wind damage. Since school is cancelled for the next two days I am doing all the laundry so if we loose power we will all have clean clothes for a while.

My "Rita" story: Greg left for work on Saturday night with plans to leave Sunday morning (after he showered at work of course) and catch a flight to head out on his annual hunting trip (more like a glorified and expensive camping trip)in Mt. Shasta California with his cousin and friends, knowing there was a "distrubance" in the Gulf of Mexico. He said to me "what are you going to do if a storm hits?" My reply was "what are you going to do if there is an earthquake in California while you are hunting?" We both laughed it off and away he went to work. By Tuesday afternoon the schools closed for the rest of the week, I went home, removed pictures from the walls, etc., packed clothes for a few days, and grabbed our 72 hour kit so we would be ready to leave Wednesday morning. Well, that would have been fine except I was also helping pack up my grandpa, my mom, and my aunt who all decided Wednesday morning to put boards on their windows while I was taking a quick video of all the contents of all the houses for insurance purposes, packing there important stuff in the back of the truck, etc.

Since I couldn't get Greg on his cell phone while he was on the mountain, I contaced his mom to tell her what my plans were. We finally got on the road at 4pm Wednesday afternoon. After about 7 hours on the road I got a call from Greg. I think his words were "Some hunter on the mountain said Houston was evacuating. What are you gonna do?" So I explained what I had already done and where we were headed and told him to call me every day so I could keep him up to speed on our plans since he didn't have access to the weather.

Fast forward to Saturday morning after having already spent 2 1/2 days entertaining the boys in a strange town and in a hotel with the rest of my family (luckily we had 2 adjoing rooms) and watching the weather channel 24/7. During the night Friday the storm looked as if it was turning more north and east of us, the media speculating on how we may have "dodged a bullet this time" and might be able to start returning home late Sunday or Monday.

The phone rings and it's Greg asking for an update. Excited at the thought of getting out of the hotel and back home I start rambling off the weather update and plans on returning home, etc. and all I hear Greg say is "So aren't you gonna ask me if I got a deer?" If I could have jumped through the phone I think I would have but instead I calmly said I was a little preoccupied with other things and that wasn't the first thing on MY mind. (Yes he got a deer...his first one ever!)

The drive back home was only 7 hours. And by the time Greg got home from California all the pictures were back on the walls and if it weren't for the guy on the mountain telling him Houston was evacuating he would have never known what a crazy and stressfull week I had while he was gone! But that's ok! He got his first ever deer and shipped the meat home. It was his third year to go hunting and so I think we figured out that deer meat cost about $100 per pound! Only to be lost when we had a power surge and the freezer went out and we lost all the meat...which didn't bother me too much because I'm not a big deer meat eater...unless it's sausage!

SOOOO...know you know if you ask me what the plan is for IKE, I am staying! But I think it would be good for Greg to experience an evacuation with the boys, his mother in law, and my grandpa!!! What do you think?

Disclaimer: I am not bitter (anymore)LOL...it has been 3 years since that happened. I just like telling the story! Almost as much as I like to tell the story of how we met! My version is always the better version! Love ya, honey!