OMG- I just got an email from the head of the grad school and he says we won't be back to class until the 20th!!!
I really hope I can get back into the lab before then.

Photos of UTMB

I was recently sent an email with the link to photos taken during and after Ike in the areas surrounding UTMB. http://www.utmb.edu/gallery/4.asp

I still do not have access to the island so I cannot tell you first hand how it all looks. Currently, they are still saying class will resume Oct 6th, but still much of the island is without power etc. (still 25% of Houston is as well!).

Looks like I will catch up on some home projects. I think I will paint the master bedroom and bath, put new cushions on our kitchen chairs and get started on my brothers' scrapbooks.

Miss you all!

Ike's toll on our house

The damage that we found when we came home. Luckily there wasn't much. We pray that everything returns to 'normal' soon.

We spent a few days after the storm in Lubbock and finished up Ryans golf tourney. (yeah he finished tied for 12th). We then started home and decided to stay in Austin because we would have gotten back into town after dark and at this point were unsure whether there would be power. Unfortunately there were few hotels that would take our cats so we headed to San Marcos for the night. Tuesday we returned home with 3 coolers filled with ice. Luckily, we didn't need it and were able to donate it all to others. We had power, water (questionable for drinking for a few days) and gas! The local stores and gas stations were up and running at minimal levels. We were thankful that Home Depot was open and had most supplies everyone seemed to need. There were stocks of plywood, cement, generators, cleaning supplies, 4x4's etc stacked out the in parking lots. Man I have never seen that place so packed!

It looks like school won't start until the Oct 6th, but many of the students won't have living accomadations. I plan to house a few friends, but I think that it is going to be tough for many. I think that many of the apts and frat houses are destroyed. I think that every building was flooded on the 1st floor. My lab, according to my boss, is fine and the freezers were all going. I'll let you know how it looks when I get the chance, as of now only residences of the island and emergency personel are allowed.

Wish everyone in the gulf coast area luck that this will be the last hurricane of the season.

One destroyed screen,

A handful of missing shingles...but not nearly as bad as many homes around us. Luckily we have not found any water damage and we home it stays that way.
One of our two trees has fallen over, but we don't know yet if we can right it. It may have to go...then the homeowners assoc. will be on our case because we don't have 2 trees in our front yard!
Our gate blew off. One two by four was ripped off at ground level and this one chipped off where the hinge was. So we began replacing them.
My honey, the handyman...with his new tool kit, Thanks mom and dad!

Ike Aftermath

Becky liked this photo...her style of fishing.
Harborside Dr, one of the main roads I take to work. Just as you arrive on the island
I-45, the route I take to work everyday. Looks like I wont be getting to work anytime soon.
Murdochs, a great giftshop on the Seawall...well it was!

A great day for a run on the Seawall!

Evacuation time

FYI- I am heading up to Lubbock. I decided to leave when they began evacuating patients in the hospital at UTMB. Its still predicted to hit west of us, but it shifted this way a bit last night and I don't find comfort in staying here if it moves a bit more. We will likely get hurricane force winds and much rain.

So far the roads look clear. Wish us luck and safety.

Ike take a Hike!

Well you may or maynot have heard, but we have yet another storm on its way. We have luckily missed the past few, namely Edouard, Gustav and Hanna, but Ike is forcasted to hit Freeport, which isn't too far from here. It may end up west or east of the projection, but we will likely be on the dirty side of it, meaning that we will get much more rain than if we were on the west side of it. Only a portion of Galveston is under a mandatory evacuation and I don't think that they will call for the whole island to evacuate at this late stage. My house is about 20 miles inland, but the bay into the port of Houston is east of us and could flood this way with a large storm surge.

Ryan is in Lubbock at a tournament. I am still undecided whether I will drive up there to watch him there and escape the storm with the cats or not. I've packed for it, but am not sure whether the traffic will allow me to make a quick get away tomorrow morning..without traffic it will be a 9 hour drive. ( I have to stop in at the lab for a few hours before taking off) This afternoon we bagged most everything up in the lab(for the 3rd time this year and let me tell you we are getting quite proficient at it). I boarded up our front window...which is quite difficult with only one person doing a two person job. I brought everything in from outside.

I think that I will wait until I see the new projections in the morning. The best website is http://www.wunderground.com/ The hurricane updates come every 6 hours.

Pray for us on the Texas Coast. Luckily there isn't another storm brewing. I'll keep you updated. I miss everyone!

If this turns out to be a dud like the last few, I plan on painting our master bath and bedroom this weekend. I'll send pics when I have completed it.

Tropical Storm Edourard

Hurricane Gustav