Cleaning Up Because Life Goes On

This whole hurricane thing has been an interesting experience. Leaving for Rita was a lot different because nothing really happened. We had one bush get blown sideways, but that was it. It was a good exericse in what to do pre- and during the storm, but nothing could have prepared me for what to do after the storm. I am so very lucky to have not sustained any damage to the house. I did lose one piece of plywood (which admittedly, I had a hard time getting up). It splintered when it was ripped off the window frame. Two or three other pieces fell off and crushed some plants, but didn't splinter. Other than having to completely throw away a lot of food because we lost power for 3-5 days, there was not much else to clean up except to pull down 2 tree limbs and clean up the front yard from all the limbs and brush that fell down. My yard is still a mess - partly because of the dead grass in spots and partly because it hasn't been mowed, but that's something I'll deal with this weekend or when T gets home next weekend.

The real mess in all of this has been my office. We still don't have power there and are working remotely as best we can. I didn't realize until today how much easier it is to work at the office. I've been able to log on and check email and stuff remotely before, but now I have several motions and things that need to be filed and mailed out. I think I'm going to end up at Office Depot or someplace to make copies and get stamps. It's frustrating to be able to complete something but not get it mailed out. On top of that, my boss is worried about the financial side of running an office. I understand his concern - he has about 30 people to worry about and if we're not there to work or mail out invoices, there's no money coming in. No money means no payroll, which could mean laying people off temporarily. Of course, most of our clients are not working at 100% either, but that often means they need us even more. It's very frustrating. On the one hand, I am so grateful for what I have. On the other hand, I'm annoyed about the complications with work and worried how that will turn out. The office is in the part of the grid that is projected to get service "sometime after Monday, September 22". That's not comforting - they can't even give us an estimate of the timeframe. I know the power people are doing everything they can and have brought in crews from all over the country. I can't imagine how much worse it would be if others weren't willing to help. There's another blessing!

As best I can tell, most of my friends have fared ok. Many are still without power, but their homes are intact. I have one friend whose roof collapsed into their living room. She and the kids have gone to FL to stay with her family while her husband tries to get stuff cleaned up at the house. They have 2 boys - 4 years old and 2 months old. I'm glad she's somewhere safe, but I wish I was closer to help her out a bit. The church had some damage and doesn't have power, but it' still standing. I'm looking forward to seeing people Sunday to see if I can help. I feel selfish having 2extra bedrooms with people needing a place to sleep. So far, my offers have not been accepted, but all I an do is offer.

Life is somewhat back to normal (work issues aside), but driving around town isn't fun. For starters, most of the traffic lights are blinking red if they're there are all. Most of the gas stations and grocery stores in my area are back up and running. A few are still on generators, so perishables are not available, but most are back up as normal and are relatively full stocked with no lines. There are still a lot of buildings and places you can see damaged. A few neighborhoods between my house and office have been blocked off with concrete barricades. I love that area of town, but am so thankful I don't live there at this time. I had a client who used to live in that neighborhood, but after Rita, his wife made them move to the complete other side of town because she was tired of dealing with hurricanes. One of T's favorite places is now gone. The roof was torn off and I think at least 1 wall is missing. It was a neat place - probably the only bar I've ever actually liked. It was an old building that had a lot of NASA memorabilia on the walls. They didn't serve anything but hamburgers & fries, but they were so fresh and good. The owners were really nice people. I'm sad it's gone.

So, life will continue on. I'm lucky to not be one of the people on tv having to file FEMA claims and deal with being homeless or having their lives shattered and their "treasures" destroyed. As I've told many people, it's just stuff, but it's my stuff. Memories attached to things make life better sometimes. Hurricane Ike has changed a lot of lives. Life will go on, but it won't be the same.