The positive side of Ike
-we had absolutely no damage done to the house other than a leaves and twigs in the yard. We have a part of our fence that about to fall over but even it survived the storm. I have to say I feel EXTREMELY lucky and covered by God's grace that nothing happened to us. I did wake up from the rain and wind the morning Ike moved in and moved to the closet to finish my sleep (it is on the opposite side if the house where the rain and wind were coming from). And my sweet husband even let me sleep there until 8:45!!! Which in my house is a luxury considering that the boys wake up about 6:30 EVERY morning.
We ventured out Sat afternoon to see if our roof had any damage and I found a single shingle on the driveway and informed John. He went out and surveyed the house and didn't see any missing tiles at first glance so he stepped into the street to look at the house. On his way back in he glanced at the houses down the street. One poor house had a huge section of it's roof gone. Not gone gone like a hole in it - but gone as in no shingles. So we figured the shingle I found belonged to them.
-I went to work on Friday on Monday and was compensated triple time for working while the school was closed. I almost made more in 2 days than I normally do in 2 weeks!
-John ad I went out to get milk for the kids. We had to wait for them to unload the truck with the 2% milk. While waiting we met a couple to have been attending the 5:30 service at Ecclessia. We asked if they new our friends there and they do! And they had dinner with y'all last time you were here. I don't remember their names.
-The cooler weather is perfect for running!

The negative side of Ike
-Most of the people we know who live in town do not have power - this includes both of out parents. John's parents are at the previously mentioned brother in Katy and my parents, well there are at my house. Now don't get me wrong, I do love my parents are are grateful that they are here to watch the kids while John and I go back to work, but I have my way of doing things and they just don't do them that way. For a lot of things. At first they had water but no power. WHen they went back to check on the house today now they have no water. We have been hearing on the news that it could take 2 weeks for some people to get power back - I think I'll go crazy by then.
-They have canceled school thru Wednesday. So not only do I have my parents here but all 3 kids as well. Again it's not that I don't love all of them, but the kids tend to misbehave when my parents are here thinking they can get away with more - uh uh no sir no way. So they get in trouble whuch in turn gets me mad which in turn gets me upset with my parents. I know this yet I cannot control my part of it.
-On Saturday afternoon after a slight sense of cabin fever (remember 3 kids) we decided to venture out to look for some place to eat. What's the first place we go? OF COURSE Bellaire. Oh we were SO disappointed. no power. drove down to Hong Kong market - no power. We knew that Katy had power since a friend and John's brother live out there so we drove over there. The 4 places we saw that were open had people waiting to get into the parking lot so we ended up at my brother in laws.
-gas lines are ridiculous! and grocery stores are closing at 7 or 9pm
-one of my friend's husband went to Bellaire to get some lunch. a few places were open to eat. While he was waiting for his food he ate some of the dim sum food he ordered. It was bad as in rotten. He told the person at the counter who refunded his money and also asked him not to say anything to the rest of the customers! Apparently they were cooking food that had been in their non powered fridge over the weekend.
-since my lab has been closed I have been bringing work home. no further explaination needed.

Here's hoping that we fare as lucky after the next hurricane.