Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Monday, September 26, 2005
Daughter of Rita the Post
Things are getting back to normal. Only half the stations had gas on the way to work this morning, probably 80% had gas on the way home.
This is a map from Houston Transtar showing traffic speeds for 1:30 am(!) on Thursday morning. Transtar uses signals from toll road EZTags to estimate overall speed for a road. The stretches in gray on I-45, I-10 and 59 outbound mean "no data" - the speeds were so slow that the system would not register them! See all the neat things on the website http://traffic.houstontranstar.org/layers/ or on your mobile device at : http://traffic.houstontranstar.org/mobile/ - you can see real time pictures from all freeway cams and see what each message sign displays.
Now for some lack of damage pics. We were just sideswiped by a hurricane and I am watering my lawn as I type!
Minor twigs, etc., on the front lawn...
One bigger branch on the side...
Rough looking back yard. A neighbor moved the chiminea into the corner - I had left it alone with the though that if the chminea moved the house would have already moved.
Here you can see of the classy window boarding jobs we put up in Willowbend. I am talking with Jewels and Todd about having a window board making day when the weather cools down - cut to exact diminsions and sized for window clips.
This is a map from Houston Transtar showing traffic speeds for 1:30 am(!) on Thursday morning. Transtar uses signals from toll road EZTags to estimate overall speed for a road. The stretches in gray on I-45, I-10 and 59 outbound mean "no data" - the speeds were so slow that the system would not register them! See all the neat things on the website http://traffic.houstontranstar.org/layers/ or on your mobile device at : http://traffic.houstontranstar.org/mobile/ - you can see real time pictures from all freeway cams and see what each message sign displays.
Now for some lack of damage pics. We were just sideswiped by a hurricane and I am watering my lawn as I type!
Minor twigs, etc., on the front lawn...
One bigger branch on the side...
Rough looking back yard. A neighbor moved the chiminea into the corner - I had left it alone with the though that if the chminea moved the house would have already moved.
Here you can see of the classy window boarding jobs we put up in Willowbend. I am talking with Jewels and Todd about having a window board making day when the weather cools down - cut to exact diminsions and sized for window clips.
Rita the Post Part IV
Posting this for the second time - post at 10am did not go through. Most of Houston lost cable and cable internet last night right when Pittsburgh was completing a pass play at the end of the Steelers/Patriots game. Barbara and I met Kerry at one of the few open pubs in town for dinner. They had 1) 1/2 pound burgers, or 2) chicken breasts.
Houston was quiet. Downtown was almost like the late 80's, nobody around on the weekends. Only about 10% of restaurants open between home and downtown and almost no gas stations with gas.
Houston was quiet. Downtown was almost like the late 80's, nobody around on the weekends. Only about 10% of restaurants open between home and downtown and almost no gas stations with gas.
Saturday, September 24, 2005
Rita - The Sequel
Just a short post to let everyone know we are back in Houston. Absent the lack of a reverse-evacuation plan this morning all the Pastalaniecs left Kerrville. We headed south to Victoria, NE on Hwy-59 and then cut east by Brazos Bend park to avoid the traffic. The unenforcable staggered reverse-evacuation plan will be a disaster! We saw only one station with gasoline within 100 miles of Houston. Houston was a ghost town. No paper has been delivered in two days, and all stores are closed. Channel 2 interviewed the crowd at an open HEB, where one Katrina refugee commented on the lack of "lootering" here.
The house was fine and Barley was glad to be home. We had dinner at the Johnson's with the Carters - all in the 'hood was well.
Just now got the computer hooked up and running, more and pictures tomorrow.
The house was fine and Barley was glad to be home. We had dinner at the Johnson's with the Carters - all in the 'hood was well.
Just now got the computer hooked up and running, more and pictures tomorrow.
Friday, September 23, 2005
Lovely Rita - Post 2
When the going gets tough, the refugees get pedicures! Barbara, Joanne, Margie and Kathleen went and got evacuation pedicures this afternoon. We had a nice lunch of hamburgers, dinner at the new Mamacita's and then settled in to watch the storm come in.
Right now we are all watching on KHOU, a Houston station that has been put on a Time Warner Cable channel. Talking to the folks sitting the storm out, our neighborhood has yet to see rain or much wind. We plan to stay up until the eye hits - more or less.
Right now we are all watching on KHOU, a Houston station that has been put on a Time Warner Cable channel. Talking to the folks sitting the storm out, our neighborhood has yet to see rain or much wind. We plan to stay up until the eye hits - more or less.
Lovely Rita - Flight to Kerrville
Howdy from Kerrville
Barb and I and my parents and sister are all Rita Refugees in Kerrville, TX at Barb's parents house. For those of you who don't know, Kerrville is located 60 miles NNW of San Antonio.
After spending most of Wednesday helping to secure my plant I left Texas City around 2:30pm. This picture shows all of the Safety and Envr. files, moved out of our trailer office, into drums and into ISP's main bldg.
It took 5 hours for me to get from Texas City to our house in SW Houston taking back roads. I-45 was completely jammed packed with folks leaving Galveston for higher ground. I burned almost half a tank of gas driving 50 miles - gas which was quickly becoming a precious commodity.
Wednesday night late Rita was upgraded to a Category 5 Hurricane and was forecast to hit Galveston. Barb and I decided to leave. We set out in both cars at 9am on Thursday morning, got onto Hwy-90A and made it almost to the Beltway before traffic just stopped. We hung a u-turn over the median, drove to Hwy-521 and headed south, almost all the way to Angleton, and then zig-zagged NW and SW staying off 90 until Halletsville. We saw are share of dirt roads and gas lines. The trip, which normally takes 4 hours, took 9 hours. But, we fared much better than those on I-10 and Hwy-90 closer to Houston.
Barley was miserable for the first 2 hours and then only agitated for the next 3. The last 4 hours she slept on my lap with her head tucked between the seat and the door.
My parents and Joanne left Houston about 1:30pm on Wednesday headed to San Angelo, however their hotel reservations were cancelled so they came to Kerrville. Their trip took about 11 hours.
Barb and I and my parents and sister are all Rita Refugees in Kerrville, TX at Barb's parents house. For those of you who don't know, Kerrville is located 60 miles NNW of San Antonio.
After spending most of Wednesday helping to secure my plant I left Texas City around 2:30pm. This picture shows all of the Safety and Envr. files, moved out of our trailer office, into drums and into ISP's main bldg.
It took 5 hours for me to get from Texas City to our house in SW Houston taking back roads. I-45 was completely jammed packed with folks leaving Galveston for higher ground. I burned almost half a tank of gas driving 50 miles - gas which was quickly becoming a precious commodity.
Wednesday night late Rita was upgraded to a Category 5 Hurricane and was forecast to hit Galveston. Barb and I decided to leave. We set out in both cars at 9am on Thursday morning, got onto Hwy-90A and made it almost to the Beltway before traffic just stopped. We hung a u-turn over the median, drove to Hwy-521 and headed south, almost all the way to Angleton, and then zig-zagged NW and SW staying off 90 until Halletsville. We saw are share of dirt roads and gas lines. The trip, which normally takes 4 hours, took 9 hours. But, we fared much better than those on I-10 and Hwy-90 closer to Houston.
Barley was miserable for the first 2 hours and then only agitated for the next 3. The last 4 hours she slept on my lap with her head tucked between the seat and the door.
My parents and Joanne left Houston about 1:30pm on Wednesday headed to San Angelo, however their hotel reservations were cancelled so they came to Kerrville. Their trip took about 11 hours.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Master Bedroom Redone
Last Sunday things got out of control fast. We went on a mission to replace my 11 year old Gallery Furniture (Mattress Mack really will Save You Money!) mattress. We ended up buying a Restonic viseoelastic foam mattress - essentially a Tempurpedic mattress knock-off.
Then, there was a thought to buy an actual bed frame. We headed to The Dump and found a bed we loved but that came only in a set. We went to many other places and did not find one we liked as much, and, in fact, most solid wood frames cost almost as much as the set at The Dump. So, we bought the set and matching chest of drawers.
Original dresser and bed
New, supersized, "nightstand"
Old bed, no frame
New bed with sleigh style frame
New chest of drawers
New dresser with mirror
Then, there was a thought to buy an actual bed frame. We headed to The Dump and found a bed we loved but that came only in a set. We went to many other places and did not find one we liked as much, and, in fact, most solid wood frames cost almost as much as the set at The Dump. So, we bought the set and matching chest of drawers.
Original dresser and bed
New, supersized, "nightstand"
Old bed, no frame
New bed with sleigh style frame
New chest of drawers
New dresser with mirror
Wild Beasts in the 'Hood
This morning on the way to church Jewels spotted a 2.5 foot long dead bobcat about 0.5 miles from the 'hood.
(Picture slightly edited to render it more palatable.)
The fearsome hunter and his father plan to preserve the skin of the wild beast.
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