108+ hours with no power

Today, thanks to my great aunt, Circuit City came by and brought lots of ice, water and some neat backpacks with MREs, whistles, glo sticks, and first aid kits. They asked if there was anything else we needed but we are doing well. Ice was our only concern as the fridge was gone (nothing like a hurricane to make you deep clean your fridge!) and the deep freeze is not frozen all the way anymore. I also found some gas and filled up.
We are surviving and it's a pretty cool ride to see how God works. According to the latest projections we won't be getting power until after Monday so this thing ain't over yet.
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72 hours with no electricity

Since there is only so much one can do without lights one resorts to finding amusement in anything.

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Coping with no electricity

After 48 hours of no electricity: Did you know if you boil a pot of water and run it through the basket of your electric coffee maker that it makes something very similar to the beverage you usually drink? So similar that with creamer and splenda you can hardly taste the difference!
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Hurricane updates

We are alive. Power is still out for most of the area (the power company estimates still 81%). Here are pictures of the tree that landed on our house and one that was across the street.

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Most accurate forecast model for Hurricane Ike

Hurricane party @ my house on Friday & Saturday! :-)

Well as we have watched today it just seems that Ike is getting closer and closer to coming straight through my back yard. I have a hard time balancing my multiple personality self about it. For several years, I would guess from when I was 8 to age 14 I diligently listened to my weather radio for every update and plugged the coordinates into the simple computer program I had. Then for awhile I used a computer program that would simply download the coordinates for me and I'd watch the animation as it plotted the storm across the ocean. I had such a great time studying storms of all kinds and even went to Weather Camp at the Weather Museum in Houston. Seeing the complexity of the storms always amazed me at God's handiwork and yet I have a healthy respect for what these things can do. I've always wanted to be a meteorologist and a storm chaser, following storm systems and observing them and yet keeping a healthy distance. I think one of the things that I love about storms is that they are predictable and yet unpredictable all at the same time.

As I think about the hurricane coming one side of me is excited to actually live through one, to experience it first hand (to completely fulfill this dream I would like to stand outside in the middle of the eye and watch the sun shine down and see the eye wall coming). And yet knowing the power that could be packed into this one, knowing of the destruction that would be caused I feel almost dread at what could be around the corner for many people I love. Storms are part of God's creation just as the flowers, a mountain, even a volcano. In a storm you can see God's power and glory that he could create such an intricate thing that seems to almost have life, to even 'breathe' and respond to the forces around it. So while I am concerned I am excited that I will possibly have a front row seat to one of God's most amazing creations.

As Ike approaches check this out. It's pretty cool. :-)