Road to Recovery from Ike
 

This is a report - NOT A COMPLAINT. There have been lives lost. There are people who have no home and no money. I'm staying fairly positive and only get depressed that I can't help Hubby cleaning.

We don't have electricity, but have a 10K generator that costs us $40/night to run. We have water from 6p to 9p. Hubby had to get a new chainsaw, so I got a small window air conditioner for our bedroom. The first few nights were cool (60s), but it's getting warmer.

My doggies seem to be doing OK, but are in a constant panic from all the loud noises (generators, chain saws) and quietness/darkness of the house. I have two that need to go to the vet for their yearly, but she hasn't reopened. That's no biggey!

We have food in three different people's freezers. My oldest daughter (has power) took our dirty clothes and washed them for us. My son's family got power on Friday. Two youngest daughters still have no power.

Lots of gas stations are still down, but finding gas is getting better. My house stinks! I had not watched TV in 9 days. We found an antenna for the TV in our bedroom and actually watched TV last night. I had started enjoying listening to the radio talk shows. Lots of traffic lights are still out, so the roads get very backed up.

Of course, we have no internet or cable, so I can only get on 4WT at work. I MISS INTERNET. I love my Blackberry, but I'm not patient enough to log in on it and cell usage is still hit and miss. I do have pictures of our tree damage. I brought my camera to work, but forgot the cord.

I haven't had a margarita in a couple of weeks. If each of you have one for me, that would almost catch me up!

I am so sorry, my Mom, Sisters and Brother got all of their power back on. Hopefully yours will be soon too.

I don't know if you have ever seen Gary Smally. But I call times like what you are going through Gary Smally moments. Years from now, you will sit around the table with family and have some laughs about it. But, not now.

I will keep you in my prayers.

I know about having the water and electricity off. We had that when we had the flood here last summer. We didn't have a generator just oil lamps in the evening. Thank goodness our electricity was only off two or three days. Our water was off for some time and when it did come on we were very limited on what we could use because our water plant was damaged (it's still being worked on). I'm glad that you and your family are all safe and sound. Like Michelle said one day you'll have some great stories to tell.

Sandy I could only imagine what your going through. I am sorry this is happening, thank God your family is safe and sound.. Stay strong. I will keep you in my prayers...



This is for you my friend :cheers:

I'm so sorry you are having to deal with all of this. It must be so difficult. The pictures of Galveston and other areas are just heart breaking!

Sandy, so glad you are safe and being taken care of. Hopefully your power will be on again, soon. We haven't been to Houston since the hospital fiasco, and don't know when we will need to go there. I'm sure parts will look different.

We heard that some of the schools reopened yesterday, but not all of them. We certainly did not wish the storm to move north, south to King Ranch or a very lowly populated area was our prayer, but looking at what happened in your area, we are thankful that it did not hit here.

We still have refugees in our area waiting to hear they have power before returning home. Take care and keep us posted on progress.

STILL NOT COMPLAINING - JUST UPDATING - No power and the mosquitos are so bad you can't sit outside. Hubby saturates himself in Off to work on cutting the trees up. TV's new season is starting and we're missing a few of our favorites. We did get to watch Dancing and Boston Legal last night. I brought my camera cord, so I'll post pictures shortly. Coming to work is actually a relief!!!!

After what you've been through and still going through, I would never think you are complaining. I hope they get your power back on soon. Have they given you any idea when that might be? Maybe someone can record the shows for you that you're missing.

The map for my zip code shows power to be restored by Thursday. That's only two more nights! Don't they usually rerun the first show anyway?!

YAY....you've made it this long....two more nights will be a piece of cake. Can't wait to read the excited post from you saying "LIGHTS ON" :D

Pictures
 

Here's an attempt at some of our pictures! Hopefully they'll come out backyard before, backyard after, big oak down, and little oak down.

Pictures
 

These should be the tree on the garden, front yard before (Fall 2006) and front yard after.

SAndy, so sad that you lost so many trees!!!

I was in Corpus Christi today and they have 10 tons of debris a day floating up on Corpus Christi Beach. The debris is people's lives, toys, clothes, boards, all sorts of things. Someone found a 3 wheeler off Matagorda Island. It's supposed to be the same a Port O'Connor. No bodies yet, but lots of stuff. So sad!!

Thank goodness none of the trees came down on the house. That would have been a real mess with all of the rain. Besides losing a few trees it looks like you'll be in good shape soon. Thanks for the update!

12 nights without electricity and running water - I am drained!

Not much longer Sandy. You're doing good. You have a very nice place. I so happy that your home was spared from the falling trees. This fall would be a good time to plant some more....you'll always remember what year you planted them and what hurricane caused you to do so. I'm just glad you and your family are okay and you're still here with us.

This storm was really bad for oaks in our area. Hubby and I are planning to replant, but are debating trying a different tree. We realized last evening that the live oak we planted after Hurricane Rita (2005) is dead too. It's about 12' tall and was blown over. I guess it broke the roots loose or something. Hubby braced it back up the day after the storm, but the leaves are brown and dead.

At least our fruit trees weren't harmed. What's a good shade tree that bears fruit?

Center Point just issued a new map with estimated electricity restoration dates. I don't like the trend it's taking. Last week our date was "beyond September 22nd". Yesterday it was "beyond September 25th". The new estimation is "beyond September 28th". And, that's not the date we'll have electricity to my house - just the date the major line to my area is estimated to be restored.

Oh Sandy I'm sorry things are not looking better for you as far a electricity. Maybe they set a timeframe and hopefully it will be done sooner. I'll keep my fingers crossed for ya anyway.

Its ok to complain.. unless you don't want to! Your family is in my prayers. I hope that things get better quicker. I could not imagine how you must feel. My heart goes out to everyone in Texas and surrounding areas for all the devastation and destruction Ike did. Hang in there, this will all be a nightmare one day. I did hear on the radio today about the mosquitos. Its like just another blow on top of it all. Anyways, heres a margarita for you! Ok, I know its not the same.

THANK YOU FOR THE MARGARITA. It's actually better than the real thing because it's the thought that counts.

Still no electricity at our house, but we did get continuous water supply back and they are finally working in our area. I'm pretty sure we'll have power before Monday. I just want to go out of town this weekend, but Hubby wants to stay close and work on cutting up trees.

He hired a couple of guys to cut up the biggest tree and they finished last night. It's oak, so we're keeping the wood. Hubby's been dragging all the tree tops to piles in the back half acre. We'll have a huge bonfire when my son comes home next month.

I asked Hubby to push (with his tractor) about three huge logs, from the bottom of the tree, over by the kids swing set. They'll get a kick out of climbing and playing on those. I can already see them using them as stages to perform on!

Hi Sandy,
I'm sorry your electricity isn't on yet - hopefully soon!!!

I really don't know a fruit tree that is also a good shade tree. I planted a Monterey Oak tree - sometimes called a Mexican Oak or White oak and it is doing so well. And it is very fast growing for an oak tree. Also, it is like the live oaks, in that it doesn't lose its leaves till spring as the new leaves come out. I highly recommend it.

We also planted a chinquapin oak which has grown very fast but it loses it leaves in the fall. We also planted a red oak - but it is slower growing and is more susceptible to oak wilt, although we don't have any in our neighborhood. I hear on the gardening radio show on Saturdays, the host recommending the lacy oak - but I personally don't know anything about it.

Still no electricity. Still taking COLD showers and the ground is cooling, so I do mean COLD showers. I feel so much better that I was able to climb up onto the tractor (with one foot and crutches) and help Hubby with tree removal. I drive up to the log, Hubby rolls it into the front loader, and I go dump it by the pile that he'll eventually split into fire and pit wood. We won't need to buy wood for a few years.

I'm pretty sure that we'll have power today! I told me boss that I'll be taking a day or two off when we get power, so I can have somebody clean my house. My daughter will come help me give the doggies a good grooming.

I think we've decided to go back with live oaks to match the four we have left from that planting 15 years ago. We'll actually lose one more that is leaning too much towards the garage. But, it can wait until we get the others cleaned up.

Keeping my fingers crossed you get power today Sandy. If I lived closer, I'd come help you do what ever you needed.

I hope that your electricity gets turned back on today. Being without it for a few days makes you really appreciate having it. It seems like everything that you go to do takes electricity! Fingers are crossed. :crossfingers:

Your thoughts and crossed fingers help more than you know. It's been 17 nights and I definitely do/will appreciate the conveniences of electricity. Can you believe I'm actually getting tired of eating out every night!

OK NOW I'M COMPLAINING! 18 nights without electricity - hubby's grouchy, doggies are neglected and dirty, house is filthy, mosquitos are horrid, I need a hot shower, and I'm depressed. I came into work this morning and am working with my door closed. I put a note on the door, "NO POWER - suffering meltdown - open at your own risk". I've had to bite a couple heads off already.

SEND MARGARITAS!

awwww sweetie! Im so sorry! You truely are a trooper! I think I would have gotten a hotel room at this point! I know home is home but no hot shower for 18 days would have done me in by now! Not to mention you need the blender for the margaritas!!! I hope and pray and pray and hope you come home from work today with electricity on at your house!!! *fingers crossed*!!!! I can also see you being sick of eating out at this point.. nothing like home cooking!

Can't get a hotel with my doggies! Cold showers aren't really that bad - I'm just having a bad day with the crutches and everything. All three daughters have power, so we could get a hot shower at their houses. I just wanted to complain!

Well then Sandy....you just go ahead and complain sweetheart!!! We'll all yell and complain with ya...lol. Hopefully it won't be much longer....darn hurricanes anyway.

I don't blame you! Its a disruption to your life that has gone on long enough Im sure! I would have complained about 15 days ago! haha

Hey Sandy, have ya all thought about moving more inland???? Would it help? I would think as many hurricanes you've had to deal with...it would be a priority for me...lol.


Oh and I wonder why they can't explode a bomb or something inside a hurricane while it's out in the ocean to break it up....I'm sure they've thought of it, but I was just wondering..

I would love to move farther north, but Hubby is velcroed (is that a word?) to this little patch of land. But, as seen from Ike, we'd have to move too far from place of employment to get away from the big ones. Bombing couldn't hurt. Actually, it looks like a bomb landed in my back yard.

The latest report is that they are at our house working today and she promised me that we will have power tonight.

Oh yay!!! I'll keep my fingers crossed!!!

My deepest sympathies, thoughts and prayers are with you and yours! :hug:

Hope your power is now restored!!! Enough is enough!!!!

There are how many million people living in Houston now??? Whenever we go there we can't get over the urban sprawl. There are so many suburbs now that city, the big Houston metroplex, is about 100 miles (N to S) x 100 miles (E to W). City begins well before you reach the Houston city limits in all directions. There are huge subdivisions, apartment complexes, shopping centers, car dealerships all over what used to be fields and pastures. Cities outside of Houston have built-up and all the land inbetween them so that it's just one huge mass of buildings and concrete, now. Lots of people have moved down from the north for the climate, lower cost of living and also their jobs.

Sandy may be near the coast, but she has lots and lots of company!!

Marilyn, is the port and your workplace getting back to normal?

NO POWER - 19 NIGHTS - Different story every time I call them, which is about every 4 hours. Yesterday, at 2p, I was told that they were at my house working and that I would have electricity last night. I blessed the girl that told me that! Not a stick was moved. A neighbor said they did see a truck pull into the driveway, sit a few minutes, and leave. Guess that counted! I wonder if they'll pay for my divorce?!

Really, it's not that bad because it's not steaming hot and humid right now. Maybe the worst thing is that I can't do much to anything on these crutches, like clean house, do laundry, clean trees, cook, etc. No, the worst thing is that they are automatically going to raise our electricity rates to recoup the repairs and I don't understand that.

I'm actually fairly depressed with several things right now - family, finances, economy, etc. and the storm only added to it. My oldest daughter can't get a break on vehicles. My son's coming home from Iraq on Friday, and that is GREAT, but he'll be unemployed, and his wife's job doesn't offer insurance. I miss my Mom so very much. We've taken a royal beating with savings and I won't get to retire next year. I'm not sure my foot is healing up and it stays so swollen, I wonder if I'll ever be able to wear good shoes again.

Didn't mean for this to turn into a vent! I am thankful for my family and what we have.

Sandy,
You have every right to vent, rant, rave, or even commit some evil act upon someone. You've been through so very much these past weeks and the pileup is going to get very very heavy! Saying, "take care of yourself" won't do much good, because you are frustrated that you can't take care of everything and everyone.

This will pass, and you will have some tales to tell for the rest of your life. Right now though, it just sucks!

<<<<<<<<<<<<BIG HUG>>>>>>>>>>>>

I guess I'm going to offer some tips hopefully they'll help. Is your foot wrapped or in a cast or anything? I was having a lot of trouble with my ankle swelling & wearing a brace really helped. The compression was what did it.

Maybe you could buy a camping shower. They have these bags with solar panels on the outside that you fill with water & then leave them in the sun to get hot. It's pretty nice and I don't think they are super expension.

Could you maybe heat up water for the doggies bath in the microwave(using your generator) or something & at least bathe & brush them? Do you have a grill, maybe you could heat on a grill.

I think it's just aweful that your rates are going to go up that's totally crazy.

Pear trees are nice, but I don't think they get much over 7 feet tall.

I'm praying that your son is able to find a job very soon. Did he have a job before he left? Isn't there a law that you have to hold jobs with people serving? If not there should be. Doesn't the service offer some kind of insurance?

I'm sorry if I wasn't much help. But I'm thinking of you & hoping you get electricity soon.