Happy New Year!

Here's wishing everyone a very happy 2009. I am glad that 2008 is behind us, and am looking forward to what 2009 has to offer. Thank you all for your love and friendship. It means the world to me. Jay and I are so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends in our lives, even if many of you are thousands of miles away. Hopefully, we'll see more of you in 2009. We love you!

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We're home

Jay was finally discharged from the hospital tonight around 9:30. What an ordeal! We had to wait all afternoon to be discharged, and at about 5:30 we started getting pretty annoyed. The neurosurgeon said that on his end, we were good to go home. That was at about 11:30 this morning. So the nurse called the attending, who said she would be by in a few hours. Fine. Ok. We'll wait a few hours. Well, 3 p.m. came around, and still no sign of her. Then, the next thing we know, a neurologist shows up for a consult, at the request of the attending doctor. Um... we have a neurosurgeon who came in and did an evaluation this morning, and said we were good to go home. I'm sure the look on our faces was priceless when she told us she was from neurology. And when I mentioned that we had already been ok'd by our neurosurgeon - who did Jay's four previous back surgeries - her response was, "Well, I guess this visit will be quick then." And, sadly, my only thought was, "And quite expensive, I'm sure."

So, she gives Jay the ok (I think she was more afraid of what we would have done had she not given Jay the ok), says she's going to write the orders for the attenidng so we can leave. The nurse comes in, takes Jay's IV out, and says she's going to call the attending with the list of medications we wanted to go home with. She calls, and comes back in to tell us that the attending won't release us until we see the pain management doctor, and he won't be up for another two hours. And then we have to wait to see the attending (who, if you remember, was going to be by in the early afternoon), and she had no time frame for when she would be up.

By this point in the day, it's 6:30, and this is where we both went a little ballistic. "You're telling us that we have to wait to see a guy who spent 15 seconds with us last night, never introcuced himself, let alone discussed treatment options, and then changed the meds without telling us, and now we have to wait two hours to see him. Are they out of their f#^&@!* mind?!?!?!?! They wouldn't wait two hours for us! Heck, they wouldn't even wait 30 minutes, I'm sure. Can the attending not make a decision on pain medicine, of which she consulted with the pain management doctor on, to discharge us?" That's pretty much how the conversation with the nurse went. And I feel sorry for her, because she was just the messanger, but by this point in time we were back to the ridiculousness that began his whole ordeal. We were told we could leave, but we wouldn't have any meds, so it was a catch 22 situation. Very frustating. Obviously, both the pain management doc and the attending got to us so we could be released, but again, it was after 9 p.m.

The whole experience was a blessing in disguise, now that I look back on it. And a nasty rollercoaster ride, too. Had they released us after the first MRI on Saturday, and then Jay had the spasms, etc., at home, what would we have done? But who knows if that even would have happened. He was so congested from laying in bed for two days straight, which made him cough and have the spasms in the first place, but would he have been that congested had he not been laying in bed? It's all a "what if?" game, and I could sit here and play it all night, but I won't. It'll only drive me crazy. I'm just glad that he is home and not in as much pain and resting comfortably. The neurosurgeon said no surgery for the herniated discs, that 85 percent of the time they heal on their own, but Jay is a unique situation, and he could be wrong, and for us to check back with him in a few weeks. Jay just needs to take it easy, which (like me) is easier said than done. Especially with everything else going on in our lives at the moment.

Thank you all for your concern and well wishes. I really appreciate it!

It's time for some action

That's my motto for today. We need some action with Jay and his treatment so that we can get out of this joint.

I'm happy to report that Jay finally got some stronger pain meds and muscle relaxers (after asking for these for over 24 hours) from his attending doc, as well as a steroid (shock! something I suggested a few days ago), and is able to sit up and walk to the bathroom. This is very good news, as the spasms had pretty much crippled him to the point he couldn't move at all. He literally laid in one position in the bed for probably 18 hours straight. So when he said he wanted to try to get up yesterday, I was relieved.

His attending doc (not the neuro doc) has assigned a pain management doctor to Jay. I'm not overly excited about this, as we'd like to fix the problem to get rid of the pain, not "manage" the pain. He came in last night right after Jay sat up for the first time in a day, didn't even introduce himself other than letting us know he is the pain management doctor, asked Jay what his pain level was (a question he HATES), said he would come back to discuss treatment options with us, and then disappeared. And the next round of meds were prescribed by him, to which Jay and I had a lot of questions (because it was different than what the attending prescribed, and Jay had only had one dose of thossee meds so we didn't have a chance to find out if they really worked or not) that the poor nurse couldn't really answer. The drugs pretty much knocked Jay unconcious, to which he said he doesn't want anything that strong again. So, that doc has already pissed me off. Have the respect and courtesy to talk to us before you go pumping drugs in Jay's system. Which I guess is the difference between us and a lot of other patients. I've noticed that a lot of people just lay there and take whatever is prescribed without asking questions. That seems crazy to me. Jay wants to feel better, but he also doesn't want to be drugged up on so many meds that he barely knows who he is and is afraid to move because he doesn't know if he's hurting or not. He wants to be treated to fix the problem. If it's just a herniated disc or two, then what are our options? PT? A shot? Chiro? Laying in a bed for four days certainly can't be a viable option.

We're now waiting on the results from the second MRI that Jay had done yesterday. Hopefully this will give us some answeres. If not, it's time for some action!

So that's why I say we need some action. And I'm going to ask the docs what their plan is and how soon we can get started. If we're just going to pump drugs in his system, I can do that at home, where a) Jay can be more comfortable, and b) it won't cost so much. God only knows how much this hospital visit is costing us. We may have to take out that second mortgage after all...

hospital update

Ok, so my post yesterday was a little harsh, ok a lot harsh, and I apologize. It's just that this entire process has been so incredibly frustrating. And such bad timing on so many levels for so many reasons.

Here's the latest. We are still at the hospital. Jay coughed yesterday evening and felt something pop again in his back, which set off his back into massive spasms every time he tried to move. So bad at one point that he passed out. That's when I kind of had a feeling we weren't going home. For those of you that know Jay, you know that he has a very high tolerance for pain, so I'm sure this pain was excrutiating if it caused him to pass out.

After much pleading and prodding from us and the nurse, his neuro doc finally came to the hospital at 11:15 last night (I think we paged him four times). He was none too pleased, but I won't go into that. I'm afraid I won't say anything nice, and my mom always taught me that if I can't say anything nice about someone, I shouldn't say anything at all. So I'll keep my mouth shut about that part of the evening. Anyway, I digress. The neuro doc said the MRI revealed two herniated - not ruptured - disks, but given the events of the day with his cough and subsequent pop, he ordered another MRI. Jay is having that done as I type this. This one is on the entire spine. He was able to sleep (mostly drug-induced) for about eight hours last night (off and on with them coming in to give meds and take vitals), which means I was able to get a little shut eye as well.

Hopefully today's MRI will tell us something new. If not, I'm not real sure where we go from here. Any suggestions are appreciated. I just know that I'm tired of being at the hospital (I know, I know... no one really likes hospitals anyway). Never in my wildest dreams did I think that going to the ER for an MRI would evolve into this big, huge, expensive ordeal. But I do know that he is in an incredible amount of pain, and we have to find an answer, so I'll be by his side the whole way. He would do the same for me.

Still at the hospital

It's after 8 p.m. on Saturday, and we are still at the hospital. Yes, this has reached the highest point of ridiculousness. I have lost my patience, and so has Jay.

The nurse this morning told us that it may be today or tomorrow for the MRI. That was not acceptable as that is the sole reason we're in this joint to begin with. For a stinking MRI. So I called down to MRI myself, and surprise! they were up within 30 minutes to get Jay to take him down. When we got back up, I asked the nurse what we needed to do to get discharged. That was at 12:30 p.m. Again, it's now after 8 p.m., and we're still here.

Apparently, nobody wants to "be responsible for discharging Jay if something is seriously wrong." Um, hello?!?! We've been telling you something is seriously wrong. We KNOW something is seriously wrong. That's why we're here. For you to send the MRI report and films to our doctor, who is aware that something is seriously wrong, so he can handle it. Not for you to sit here and continue to give him pain pills every 4 hours in an uncomfortable bed while charging us out the ass, when he could be resting semi-comfortably at home.

This is absolutely ridiculous! This is why I despise hospitals (no offense to those of you who work at them), but I've never had a good experience at one. This isn't our first rodeo with his back problem. It's not even our second rodeo. It's the fifth. And it's no different than any of the other four, except that it all happened over a holiday when the doctor was out and no imaging plaes were open, so we had to come to the ER for imaging, which in turn put us in this position. Yes, I'm pissed. This is the most ridiculous experience I've ever been through.

surgery update

So Jay was supposed to have knee surgery on Monday, but it looks like that is going to be postponed. He fell earlier this week and "tweaked" his back. While he was getting dressed today, he felt his back pop, like it's done prior to the four previous times he's had back surgery. We called his doctor's office. They instructed us to come to the ER for imaging. We've now been here for almost 7 hours, only to find out that they can't do an MRI through the ER, so Jay has to be admitted. And we have no idea when we'll be able to actually get an MRI. So, we'll be spending the night tonight for sure in the hospital, and that's about all I know. If I were a betting woman, I'd bet a good amount of money that Jay will be in for his fifth back surgery in the near future. However, this one will probably be the worst, as his doctor told him after the last one that if this happens again, he won't operate unless it's to do a fusuion. So, we'll have to wait and see what happens. I'll try to keep updating as much as I can. Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated.

Merry Christmas

From Jay and I to all of you... A Christmas Story.


It's a romantic full moon, when Pedro said, "Hey, mamacita, let's do Weeweechu."

"Oh no, not now, let's look at the moon!" said Rosita.

"Oh, c'mon baby, let's you and I do Weeweechu. I love you and it's the perfect time," Pedro begged.

"But I wanna just hold your hand and watch the moon," replied Rosita.

"Please, corazoncito, just once, do Weeweechu with me."

Rosita looked at Pedro and said, "OK, one time, we'll do Weeweechu."

Pedro grabbed his guitar and they both sang...

"Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year."

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

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All I want for Christmas...

Is a green piece of paper!!!! For the love of God?!?! Is this seriously happening? Many of you probably think I have lost my mind right about now, so let me explain. The Clear Lake Shores building permits are printed on a green piece of paper. That's all I want. A building permit. Nothing more. REALLY. And it seems to be a much more difficult process than I ever anticipated. It's so frustrating to have the insurance money sitting in a bank (albeit, earning interest), and to have the contractor lined up, and nothing happening. So, Santa, if you're out there... please bring me the friggin' green piece of paper!!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy holidays to all!

Military Thanks

So I may not have my house to live in right now, but I do have a roof over my head and am surrounded by my family and friends. There are thousands of people in our country who aren't so lucky because their loved ones are fighting oversees for this great country of ours. I just want to take a moment to say thank you to those folks and their families. Thank you for sacrificing for us. Thank you for believing in and loving this country so much that you put your life on the line each and every day. I can't imagine what it's like being away from your family and friends, especially this time of year.

If you would like to say thanks to our military personnel, click here. This organization, called "Let's Say Thanks," provides a way for individuals across the country to recognize U.S. troops stationed overseas. By submitting a message through this site you have the opportunity to send a free personalized postcard greeting to deployed servicemen and women. The postcards, depicting patriotic scenes and hometown images, were selected from a pool of entries from children across the country. All you have to do is click on your favorite design and either select the message that best expresses your sentiment or draft a personal note. Xerox is behind this. They print the cards which are then mailed in care packages by military support organization Give2TheTroops.

Finally, watch the video below. It shows just how much our military personnel are missed by their families (you might want to grab a tissue). Please remember to keep these folks in your thoughts and prayers this holiday season. I know I am. When I'm feeling down and depressed about my situation, I think about these folks, and I realize it might not be so bad.

The ball is rolling

Yesterday was a big day for us in moving towards getting back in our house. We've decided (ok, we're 90% sure) to go with our neighbor, who is a contractor, to remodel the house. He came over yesterday and was at the house for over three hours. That was the first thing that impressed me about him. Aside from that, he thinks outside of the box. He's not just your general contractor who will install sheetrock, carpet, cabinets, etc. He's also a builder, so he has the knowledge and the "eye" for certain looks. And I loved that about him. For instance, in the master bath, he says to me, "What about an arch above the tub?" Um... I had never thought about that before. Simple, yes, but a great way to class up the bathroom a little. The other thing that I am very excited about is the ceilings. We wanted to get a quote on what it would take to sheetrock the ceilings (the current ceiling in the living / dining room is that old-school, 70's, particle board type tile, that I hate). He got up in the attic and looked around, and says, "There's nothing really for us to stick the sheetrock to, but why don't you just open this up and make this a vaulted ceiling? You have all the boards here, and it wouldn't take much. We do this type of thing all the time." Hello?!?! A vaulted ceiling!!! Holy cow! Who knew? Not to mention, he's going to be able to drop the floor in the back room rather easily (which we weren't so sure about). It was like that throughout the rest of the house. But he wasn't over the top. He knows that we don't have all the money in the world (otherwise, he'd be building us a new house rather than remodeling this one), but he knows what little things to do that can make a big difference. And, while we were there with him, he got his electrical / HVAC trades guy (who happens to also own one of the best A/C businesses in League City) to come to the house to look at the electrical and HVAC since we have to replace all of that as well.

So, we're pretty sure we have a contractor in place. Now all we need are the building / construction permits. But that's a whole separate issue that I won't go into right now. I'm just happy that the ball is rolling (albeit slowly). I did get a homework assignment out of all of this... I need to figure out what look I want in the house. I have lots of decisions to make, everything from cabinet door fronts and countertops, to what type of wood beams, and from windows to french doors. Decisions, decisions... I'll be looking at a lot of magazines in the near future.

Snow pics

Here are some pictures of tonight's snowfall. It was beautiful!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it SNOW!

It's snowing. In Houston. On the Gulf Coast. On December 10, 2008. And it hasn't stopped for several hours. It's starting to accumulate on cars and boats. Jay told the guy at the convenience store tonight that it's some funny looking rain. Ha! In all reality, it is kinda cool. For a few hours. And then I'll be longing for the 79 degree weather we had yesterday. Yes, that's right. You read correctly. It was 79 and partly cloudy and muggy here yesterday, and it is now 31 and snowing. That's Texas weather for ya!

On another note, enjoy the video below. It's our way of saying Merry Christmas!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Good news, bad news and good news again

I'll start with the good news. Jay and I are Aunt and Uncle again! YIPPEE!!!!!! Our friends, CK and J, had a baby boy this morning, and we hear he is healthy and beautiful. We are so happy and excited for our friends, and we can't wait to see pictures of AJK and eventually meet him! CK and J went through so much to bring him into this world, it truly is a blessing that he is finally here with us. We love you guys so much and can't wait for you to come home next summer for good!!!!!! CONGRATS!!!!

And now for the bad news. We found out yesterday that Jay has to have surgery on his knee (his sixth since we've been together... mind you, he never had surgery before he met me. I'm not implying anything, just sayin'). Apparently, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, on the first day we were back at the house to clean up, when we were moving the refrigerator, the door opened (it was full of water and face down on the floor) and hit him on the left knee. At the time, he didn't really think anything of it, plus adrenaline was in full swing for a few weeks, so he didn't really notice it. It's been bothering him since then, so he finally gave in to see an orthopedic doctor out of UTMB. Turns out he tore the cartilage all the way down to the bone. The doctor likened it to a pothole in the road. Nice, eh? Surgery is now scheduled for the 29th. They'll do a scope for sure, as well as an OATS procedure, and most likely a regrowth procedure. The one that his doctor prefers involves drilling holes into the knee bone itself to allow the stem cells to regrow. Sounds painful just thinking about it. He'll be out for six weeks, on crutches, and then extensive rehab and PT.

And this is where I get mad. Not at Jay, but at Ike and our whole situation. Let me preface this by saying again, I am thankful we have a place to live. However, there are no full bathrooms on the bottom floor, so if, after surgery, Jay wishes to take a shower while he is on crutches and has to stay off of his leg, or if he wishes to sleep in bed with me, he must literally crawl somehow (probably backwards on his butt) up the stairs and then back down again (although, not backwards). At our house, he could simply hobble his way to the bathroom as there are no stairs. We were hoping to get started on construction on the house after the first part of the new year, but this may now be put off. We were planning on doing some things ourselves, but now it looks like we may have to rethink that plan. Actually, I know we'll have to rethink that plan. When does the madness and ridiculousness stop? Really. I'm tired of the continued fallout from the storm. It's really starting to piss me off.

And, because I don't want to be "Debbie Downer" today, I'll end on some good news. It may not be good news to all of you, but it's the little things in life that make me smile, and Chuy's jalapeno sauce makes me smile. I just happen to be going there for lunch today. I'll be sure to think of all of you (you know who you are) while I am stuffing my face with chips and jalapeno sauce.

Have a great weekend!

Best first dance ever

Ike Reminders

First of all, today is the last official day of the 2008 hurricane season. Hooray for that.

There are so many reminders around here of Hurricane Ike, both good and bad, and it makes it very difficult for me to move on. Everyone says I need to move on. But that's easier said than done.

It does make it a little easier when our favorite restaurants are opening up again, one by one. This week, for instance, T-Bone Tom's opened up again, and we were there the day they opened. They got hit pretty hard. Had water almost to the ceiling. But they're back and better than ever (and still have the BEST fried zucchini around!). The Hoagie Ranch is very close to opening (another fav of ours... especially on Friday nights for steak night), and our Sunday morning breakfast spot, Skipper's, is slowing beginning to rebuild. Plus, our "little slice of paradise" we like to call Clear Lake Shores is slowly coming around. We had our annual Thanksgiving dinner last weekend, and we've gotten to know our neighbors a lot better. Especially since we're not around all the time. They keep an eye out on things at the house for us. However, there is still a lot of people not living on the island (like us), and waiting to find out what they are going to do or what the city will allow them to do.

But the negatives sometimes outweigh the positives. Another fav restaurat of ours, Tookie's (yes, the best hamburgers ever) is not going to re-open at all. The owner doesn't want to put anymore money into it, which is a bummer, because that was a popular place in Seabrook. Oh how I'll miss the bombshell and a 98. Little did I know the last time I ate there would be my last!

The amount of destruction still around is unbelievable. We ran into some folks last week who were just now beginning to get back into their homes to pull out carpeting / flooring, sheetrock, furniture, etc. The hurricane was two and a half months ago, and they are just now being able to get back into their homes! Most of La Porte and Shoreacres (where Jay's mom lives) is still in shambles. Galveston Island has major damage, as do all of the small towns in between.

The long road ahead is very draining and depressing. And yes, it's going to be a long road. We finally got some money from insurance, but we can't do anything with said money because we don't have any building permits yet. We can't get building permits until we have quotes from contractors as to what it's going to cost to repair our house, so that they city inspector can make a determination with regards to the 50/50 rule. We're trying to get quotes from contractors, but all of the contractors around here are so booked up, they can't even get to us within a reasonable amount of time to get us a quote. So... very discouraging.

And then there's the fact that we don't have much. I know, I know, we have our lives and each other, and I am so thankful for that, believe me, but we're living in a place that isn't ours (but again are thankful to have a place), with stuff that isn't ours, and we feel like it's a burden (even though it's not). I know that probably doesn't make much sense unless you're sitting here in my shoes, but just trust me. It puts a damper on the holidays (yes, I am Scrooge this year, I know it and I admit it).

The rebuilding of this area is getting there. As I said earlier, it's a slow process for everyone. Reality sets in more and more each and every day. I try to go to the house as much as I can, for my sanity and therapy if nothing else, but it really is so hard. Especially given our circumstance. I'm not sure how I'd be feeling right now if we hadn't just closed on the house 10 days before the storm hit. I've never been through such a range of emotions in the span of two weeks. I guess I'm just so used to being able to get things done myself, and I can't fix this one. Very frustrating.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Here's wishing everyong a Happy Thanksgiving. May tryptophene and football rule your day!!

I have many things to be thankful for, especially in light of what has happened in recent months. My friends from Michigan to California and everywhere in between, and especially those right here in Texas, you guys are the best. I couldn't make it through each and every day without you. My family - my rock - I love you and am so incredibly thankful for you. And, of course, to Jay. I'm thankful for his sound mind (most of the time), for letting me cry on his shoulder, for listening to me vent and try to figure things out.

We're at mom and dad's house in The Woodlands today, and I'm already smelling the turkey. Hopefully we'll be back in our house this time next year and can host Thanksgiving like we normally do.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Brain Teaser

See if you can figure out what these words have in common:
1 Banana
2 Dresser
3 Grammar
4 Potato
5 Revive
6 Uneven
7 Assess

No peeking at the answer below. Have you already given up? Give it another try. Look at each word carefully. (You'll kick yourself when you discover the answer.) Scroll down for the answer.













Answer: No, it is not that they all have at least 2 double letters. In all of the words listed, if you take the first letter, place it at the end of the word, and then spell the word backwards, it will be the same word. How do you feel now?

College football

Is there anything better this time of year? I think not! It's rivalry week! And yes, I am very excited about Ohio State / Michigan, and IU / Purdue (and the fact that I actually get to watch them... the one good thing about being away from home - cable TV), but I'm also excited about A&M / Texas later this week, Rice / Houston next weekend, and all of the other good match ups, like Texas Tech / Oklahoma tonight, and Michigan State / Penn State today. I may not "give a damn about the whole state of Michigan" but I have to pull for Sparty today!!

So hopefully you are somewhere warm with a cup of hot cocoa, or a pumpkin spice latte, and can sit in front of the TV like me, and watch a great day of college football.

GO BUCKS!!!!!!

Big Purchase

We made our first big purchase to replace some stuff that was lost. This is by no means the biggest purchase of my life (although at the time I wanted to vomit), but for a single-item purchase, it's pretty big. What did we buy, you ask??? Drum roll, please... a 52" flat screen Samsung 650 LCD TV!!!
Isn't it pretty? We debated and debated and debated. This is a big purchase. But we knew we were going to buy a flat screen (we lost all of our TVs in the hurricane), and we got an advance on our content money, so we figured why not? So, I'm excited to watch football on it this Sunday!!!!!!!!!

On another note... I'm off to Council Bluffs, Iowa, for the NJCAA volleyball national tournament. Besides freezing my ass off (yes, it's supposed to snow there Friday night), I'm looking forward to watching some good volleyball.

Have a great rest of the week everybody!

Support Breast Cancer Awareness

This is a big deal for me. Although I haven't been directly effected, nor has anyone in my immediate family, I have many friends who have been effected by the disease. So, I do everything I can to help fund research. Here are a couple sites you can visit, and just by clicking once a day, you can make a difference. I strongly believe that. So please join me in making a difference, and if you know of any other sites, I'm happy to add them to this list!

• Pepperidge Farm game
  
• Help fund mammograms
  

As most everyone knows, last month was Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The San Jacinto College volleyball team held a Dig Pink match, in which they raised over $600 to directly benefit the Side-Out Foundation. That may not seem like a lot, but for a community college to step up and raise that much is pretty significant. Our women's basketball team does it in February as well. Here's a picture of the girls wearing their pink jerseys. It was a pretty cool event.

Inner Peace

I haven't been dealing well with things lately, and could use some inner peace, so I thought I would share this with y'all.

It's been said that the way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started and have never finished.

So, I looked around my house to see all the things I started and hadn't finished, and before leaving the house this morning, I finished a bottle of Jack Daniels, a bottle of Vodka, a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream, a bottle of Kailua, a package of Oreos, the remainder of my old Prozac prescription, the rest of the cheesecake, some Doritos, and a box of chocolates. You have no idea how good I feel right now!

I wouldn't seriously take it that far, but I'm close!

Thank you!

Consider this your personal thanks for voting (hopefully you did!). I think that is one of the easiest things we could ever do, and it's also one of the most important. It's one of the many reasons I love this country... because we can vote... and yesterday proved what a powerful thing that is. It was an historic election in many ways. Not only did we elect the first black president, but the number of people who turned out to vote was amazing. And the number of new voters, and young voters! I think that says volumes for where this country is going. I do have to admit that I am very pleased with the result, and am looking forward to the next four years.

With that in mind, here's a great photo. This came to me in an e-mail (again, thank you PB!), with the title "Dancing with the Stars, Next Season." Enjoy!

Air Show

We went to the air show at Ellington Field last weekend as a way to kind of get away from everything going on in our lives right now. We love the air show mainly because a) Jay's life has revolved around the Air Force, since his father was a high ranking officer; and b) both of our grandfathers were in the Navy, and were around planes their entire lives as well. It was really cool to see. Some of those pilots who do crazy stuff in the air are crazy for doing what they do, but it puts on a good show. I got to see my favorite plane, the F/A 18... what a beautiful sight in the sky! And the Thunderbirds put on an amazing show. And, after a beautiful day, Jay and I are oddly tan and peeling... one more reason I love living in Texas! It's November, and we're sunburned! So, here are some pictures from the air show. Enjoy!

To middle initial, or not to middle initial?

Ok, so my last post was a little harsh, a little blunt, so I apologize. But thanks for the words of encouragement. I really appreciate it.

Have you ever wondered why some people insist that they (and everyone else) use their middle initial in their names, and others don't? More times than not, I include my middle initial. I have no idea why. I just always have (as far back as I can remember, at least). It's in my e-mail signature. It's how I sign my name. It's included in my byline when I write and distribute press releases at work. When I initial things, its always ALB (as is evident by the title of this blog). Yet, other people don't. PB (notice, no middle initial there), and I had this conversation the other day. Random, I know, but an interesting thought nonetheless. Don't ask me why these things pop in my head. Because I have no idea how that happens. It just happens.

If you haven't voted yet, please do. Early voting ends this week in Texas, so if you can't make it, please make sure you find the time on November 4!

Weekend

I don't know about you, but I'm glad it's finally the weekend. It's been a long week. Lots of late nights at work, and not much sleep at home. This week wasn't so good for me. I hate not being in my house. I just want to go home. But that's not possible right now. And I probably won't ever get to go back to that house. It looks like I'll be going back to a house on our property, but not the house that we've lived in for the past three years and fell in love with and went through so much to buy. It's hard. Very hard. I know I should be thinking on the positive side, so don't even go there, because I keep telling myself that's what I should do, but I don't want to think on the positive side right now. I want to go home. I keep asking why, and I don't get any answers. I keep wondering when things will return to "normal," but I'm not sure I know what normal is anymore. There is nothing normal about our lives right now. And we're not the only ones in this boat (no pun intended). We talk to our neighbors every night, and we see them going through the same things we are, and nothing about that is normal. Waiting on insurance, trying to decipher FEMA speak, wanting to wear a certain piece of clothing or outfit, and then remembering it got washed away in flood water, looking through floor plan after floor plan after floor plan, wondering how in the hell we're supposed to pay for a brand new house, searching all over for the mixer to make whipped cream for a piece of pie, and then remembering it took a swim... NOT NORMAL. So if you're wondering why I've been the way I've been this week, that's why. And that is also why I'm glad it is the weekend. Maybe I can at least try to salvage something out of the weekend. We'll see. Maybe a Buckeye win will help things..

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

So, I love this time of year, for so many reasons. For one, the weather here is finally resembling fall (sort of), and I love the fall. It invokes many childhood memories. We're able to have the windows open at the townhouse (mainly because the A/C is out, but we probably would have had them open anyway).

For two, it's a busy time in the sports world. Volleyball and soccer are in full swing, basketball is getting ready to start, and the World Series starts this week. How about the Rays?!?!? What a story that is! I think I might have to pull for the underdog!

For three, we're right smack in the dab of football season, both collegiately and professionally. It just so happens that the first BCS rankings came out this week, and while I'm a little disappointed with where the Buckeyes stand, we're not out of it just yet. We've got a HUGE game coming up this weekend against Penn State that could have national championship implications. I swear, if my Sports Illustrated comes this week with a Buckeye on the cover, I might strangle somebody at that organization. (Yes, I'm a firm believer in the SI cover jinx.) In addition, three NFL head coaches have been fired thus far (including Mike Nolan of my beloved 49ers), and Wade Phillips of the Cowboys is probably next, and we're not quite to the halfway mark of the season yet. Man, I love this stuff!

And, of course, it's a big election year, in which we'll all be voting on the next president of the United States. I hope you're all registered to vote and exercise that right!

With that said, my good friend PB found this column on ESPN.com, titled "BCS candidates make their pitch." It combines politics and BCS rankings (if you can imagine that's even possible), and is a good, funny read.

Enjoy!

TMJ and random thoughts

Quick Ike update... nothing new. Still waiting on insurance and fighting with FEMA. They did approve us for some housing costs, but in my opinion, it was a joke, so we're appealing. I mean really, 2 months of rental costs? That's it. You've got to be kidding me. And then they tell us that we're going to have an interview to determine whether or not we can have a trailer. Um, are you people serious? It's been over a month since the storm. Where the hell do you think we're living? In a tent somewhere? You approve us for 1 month in a hotel, and the closest hotel we could find was Austin, and you question us as to why we went out and found a place to sub-lease, and then tell us a month later that we might be approved for a trailer if we conduct an interview. It's a joke, really. FEMA is a joke. You hear all the horror stories of this shit happening to other people, and then it happens to you, and you see why everyone else bitched and complained. Once I make it through all this without killing someone, you can bet my senators and representative will be hearing from me. Something has got to give.

Anyway, back to the headline of this post... TMJ and random thoughts. I've been having a lot of pain in my jaw, and it gets worse as the day wears on. I guessed that it was TMJ, Jay thought I might have tetanus (which wasn't a bad guess considering all the crap we pulled out of our house... literally). So, I decided to go to the dentist today, and he confirmed TMJ. For those that don't know, TMJ stands for TemporoMandibular Joint, or the jaw joint. It's just as painful as it sounds. It gives me an earache and it's hard to hear out of the right ear, and I get headaches and sometimes blurry vision. So that's lovely. The doc says that it's likely due to a lot of stress, and given my circumstance over the past 5 weeks, I can't say that I disagree. He says the number of TMJ patients he's seen since the hurricane has increased three fold. So I'm glad to know I'm not alone. Nothing he can do about it, really. I'm not severe enough to have surgery, which he says for him is a last resort. We may try muscle relaxers down the road, but what I really need to do is learn how to relax. For those of you that know me, you know that's not an easy thing to do. So we'll see.

And now for the random thoughts...

• Be sure o get out and vote, regardless of which candidate you choose. I know early voting in Texas starts Monday. I'll be at the polls next week. I'm a big advocate of the saying, "You can't bitch, if you don't vote."
• Why must female sports reporters feel the need to get all dolled up to cover a football game? I truly don't understand this. I mean, I understand looking professional, but wearing a summer dress and 5-inch heels ain't gonna get you an interview before anyone else. I promise.
• Cool fronts (notice I didn't say cold fronts)... we had our first significant one come through this week. And thank goodness for that, because the upstairs A/C unit at the townhome went out. Luckily we can open the windows and get some fresh air.
• Tina Palin, um, I mean, Fey... love her. Need I say more?
• Baby showers at a beer garden. Thank you CK for having yours at the Gingerman. What a great time we had. And I'm so glad we got to see you. Next time we see you you'll hopefully be back home for good with Cooper, er, Peep. Yea! We can't wait!
• To the Rice crew... I love you all. We really shouldn't wait so long to all get together. I could eat creamy jalapeno dip on a regular basis.
• Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte's... they're back, and I can't get enough of them. Especially now with this cool front!
• High school football... does it really get any better anywhere else other than Texas? I don't think so.
• 7-year-old kids... they say the funniest things sometimes, and you wonder where they get it. For instance, our "nephew" tonight says to us at dinner, "So, my girlfriend (what 7-year-old has a girlfriend?) wasn't talking to me, so I had to take care of business. I dumped her." That's just about as good as a 4-year-old cussing. Love it.

I could go on and on (that's why they're random thoughts, right?), but I won't. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Analog to Digital TVs in February, 2009

As we all know, everyone's televisions are going digital in February of 2009. This video gives you a good explanation of how to handle it all. Thanks for sharing, RM!

Mullets

One of the most fun topics to talk about, and even more fun to look at, is the mullet. Such an icon in history. Very 80's. Why am I writing about the mullet, you ask? Well, that would be because as Jay and I were sitting in the FEMA line yesterday (yes, we actually went somewhere to speak with someone face-to-face, and actually got some good information and answers... but that's for later), check out what we saw in line next to us!

Now that's a good mullet if I've ever seen one!

Water view of Ike damage

Curiosity got the best of us this weekend. We haven't been able to get into Kemah to see the damage (because it's still closed off to non-residents), so we had to get in the boat and see everything by water. Three weeks later, it's still horrible. I can only imagine what it was like after the storm hit. Wait, I lived that, so I KNOW what it was like after the storm hit. Here are a few photos.

Ike Break

Nothing new to report on the Ike front (still waiting on FEMA... shock!), so I thought I'd post a little political humor. Tina Fey (one my favs!) does an amazing Sarah Palin, and since the new season of Saturday Night Live (another fav) started three weeks ago, she's been on twice. Here she does an "interview" with "Katie Couric" (aka Amy Pohler), and here she and "senator Hilary Clinton" address the nation. They're both worth watching, no matter who you support. Enjoy!

Finders Keepers??

We all know the saying "Finders Keepers" right? I always say that when I find money in Jay's pants pockets after I've just washed them; or if find something laying around the house that I might be able to use. You get the point. Well, the last couple of days we've been working on getting all of the debris out of the back yard. This has been no easy task. Besides a bunch of trees and branches, here's a list of what else we found. I'll let you decide if finders should be keepers.

• Office chair (the kind with wheels and arm rests)
• Flip flop (just one. And no, Melissa, it isn't mine!)
• Igloo cooler, complete with the Texans logo
• Buoy
• Oyster basket
• About a dozen plastic oyster containers
• Pieces (yes, multiple) of Maribel's (for those of you who don't know, this is... er, was... a bar in Seabrook. It used to be an old whore house, so the whole outside was painted bright pink. Unfortunately, Ike wiped out the whole thing. There literally is nothing left.) We did keep a couple boards to hang in our new house. We had to. It's not every day that part of a bar you frequent ends up in your yard!
• A lid to something with a return address label for a lady in Seabrook (two towns over)
• Plastic inflatable floaty ring (like the kids use in the pool)
• A piece of a pier

We continue to wait on FEMA and insurance. We understand from our adjuster that he is submitting our preliminary claim to the insurance company this weekend, so maybe (fingers crossed!) we'll hear something this week.

Goodbye stuff; waiting game

The debris removal contractor for the island finally got to our house on Monday. It was quite exciting. A nice break from our now normal, everyday clean up routine. I thought I might cry when the big machine scooped up our belongings, but I didn't. Instead I breathed a big sigh of relief and snapped some photos (see below).

Now we're playing the waiting game with insurance and FEMA. We're supposed to hear something from the insurance company about the claim on our house within two weeks. Then, we can move forward with FEMA, although FEMA is also supposed to be sending out an inspector within 10 days of us filing our claim. We're at day 7 now, so hopefully by this weekend we'll have some movement on that.

In the meantime, it's the same ol, same ol. We got most of the yard debris gone in both the front and back, and we still have some work to do on the stuff from the garage, so that's the plan for the rest of the week.

As always, thank you to each and every one of you who continue to pray for us, and call and send texts. That helps us get through each and every day, and we can't thank you enough!

Ike Humor

A friend of mine sent this to me today (thanks, PB!), and I can't help but post it here. If we can't find a little humor in this mess left by Ike, then what do we have? Just a mess, so enjoy!

Top Ten Reasons That Hurricane Season Is Like Christmas:

Number 10: Decorating the house (with plywood).
Number 9: Dragging out boxes that haven't been used since last season.
Number 8: Last minute shopping in crowded stores.
Number 7: Regular TV shows pre-empted for 'Specials'.
Number 6: Family coming to stay with you.
Number 5: Family and friends from out-of-state calling you.
Number 4: Buying food you don't normally buy . . . and in large quantities.
Number 3: Days off from work.
Number 2: Candles.
And the Number 1 reason Hurricane Season is like Christmas:
At some point you're probably going to have a tree in your house!

The Latest

I don't really have all that much to report today. We've been working our asses off at the house, like we have for the past week. The insurance adjuster did come out yesterday. Didn't say much. Just did a lot of measuring and taking notes. He said he hopes to have our flood claim on the house (not contents) done in two weeks, and then he'll be back to do the wind claim. We have to make a very detailed inventory list of all the contents, which we have started, but it's going to take some time as they want make, model, price, etc.

So, today we're hoping to get the house pressurewashed one last time, finish cleaning out the garage, and get everything from the front yard to the street for pick-up.

Friends are bringing the best lunch in the world... TEXADELPHIA... and I couldn't be happier about it.

That's really it. Like I said, more of the same. Hopefully sometime this week I can begin to get our lives somewhat back to normal at the townhouse, so we're not living out of suitcases and trash bags. I'm still off work this week. They're hoping to get us back on the 29th, but not so sure with the damages that the College suffered.

Thanks to everyone, again, who has called or texted. We can't tell you how much that means to us. If anyone know of a good contractor, we're looking for one!!!! :)

Ike Pictures

Bad News and Really Bad News

So another day down. Today was easier. Not great, but easier.

First, the bad news. We started to gut the house today. Our insurance adjuster still hasn't come, but if we have any hope of saving the house, we had to get into the walls. And what a mess we found! Gross, gross, gross, gross. Wet insulation is nasty! Our house is old (from the '70s) so it had the old-fashioned paneling on most of the walls, so that made it easier. The sheetrock... now that's a different story. We learned a lot a lot about our house today. That's the bad news. It's a little worse than we initially thought.

The really bad news is that they found two dead bodies in the debris rubble in our neighborhood. One of them was in the park across the street from us. So, not only are we dealing with the loss of our house, but we had to witness that. Just when I think I've seen it all, I haven't.

That's the latest update from us. Tomorrow is more of the same. Thanks to everyone who has sent messages and called. Your thoughts and prayers mean everything to us.

Ike's Fury (Long Post)

I finally have Internet access at my parent's townhouse, so I'm able to update you all on the latest news. I'm not sure where to start, so I guess I'll pick up where I left off.

We had a mandatory evacuation from Clear Lake Shores last Thursday, and headed North to mom and dad's in The Woodlands (about 50 miles North of Clear Lake Shores, and about 75 from the coast). Hurricane Ike started to come ashore on the east end of Galveston Island late Friday night. We started feeling the winds in The Woodlands early Saturday morning at about 4 a.m. The really strong winds came at about 6 a.m., and lasted for several hours. We lost power in The Woodlands at about 6:20 Saturday morning. We brought a generator, so we fired that up and were able to watch the news and run the refrigerator and some lights.

Mom and dad had minimal damage. A branch hit the roof and ripped off some flashing which caused a little leak in the roof, but nothing major. The winds were pretty fierce and there was a lot of debris down all over the place.

It was about late Saturday before we started seeing pictures from the Kemah area, and I immediately lost it. The suspense of not knowing what happened to our house was killing me. What we saw on the news was everything under water, so we knew it wasn't good for us.

We got a call on our cell's Sunday from our City Administrator who said residents could enter the City to assess damage, so we immediately headed down. I was prepared for what I was going to see, but at the same time I wasn't. We could barely get down the roads because of trees and boats and crap.

We pulled up to our house and saw a cedar tree down in the back yard across the fence and street. We closed the gates on either end of the driveway before we left, and the amount of crap that was up against those gates was unbelievable. As we walked up to the house, we could barely get through the yard. There were more trees in our yard then we had before!

The house was a mess. I cried the whole way through as I walked around to see the damage. The water had just receded, because the carpet was so soaking wet and muddy. There was still about an inch of mud in the kitchen. We could see the water line, which was about chest high on me, so roughly 4-5 feet. So we figure the tidal surge was about 11 - 12 feet (our house sits at about 8 feet above sea level). Surprisingly, no windows were broke.

Furniture had been tossed around like toys. Shit from the kitchen was in the bedroom and stuff from the guest room in the living room. The trash can in the bathroom ended up in the sink. The TV trays (a set of four plus the stand) from the dining room was in the office. The refrigerator had floated up and landed face first diagonal in the kitchen. Everything in the bottom cupboards was a wet muddy mess. About half of the stuff in the pantry was ruined, including all of my small appliances (Cuisinart food processor, mini processor, hand mixer, sandwich maker, waffle maker, etc.). Nothing in the garage survived, and Jay is sick about that. All of his tools, big machines, etc.

The bedroom was just as bad. We lost every television in the house (not that we're going to complain because we've been wanting a plasma flat screen). We pretty much lost everything that we didn't bring with us. Jay had some clothes up high that weren't touched, so we were able to save those. We tried to save pots and pans and some bowls, but the smell was so strong that it stays with stuff and pretty much ruins it. It's a smell I'll never forget, that's for sure.

We started to pull the carpet out on Sunday in hopes of preventing mold, etc. We got the living room cleared and then had to leave because of curfew. We've been working from dusk to dawn since then, and finally got everything out of the house yesterday.

So, we've now got everything piled up in the front hard, waiting for the insurance adjuster to get here. We filed our claim on Saturday right after we saw the pictures on the news (pretty much before the hurricane was even out of the area). We filed with FEMA yesterday (it took me that long to get through to them). The National Guard is here handing out bottled water, ice and MREs (meals ready to eat). Funny story... the National Guard unit that is here at the Target in Clear Lake Shores is from Lima, Ohio. That's where most of our family lives. Small world.

I feel so helpless. Usually I'm the one out there helping people, and now I'm the one who needs help. It sucks. Don't get me wrong... I'm thankful to be alive. That's what's most important, and I know that. The rest is just stuff, and that's what we have insurance for, but for all that we have been through to buy this house, and to have a major hurricane hit 9 days later is a pretty sick feeling.

I drove around the island for the first time yesterday and everyone else is in just as bad a shape as we are. There are boats from nearby marinas tossed around in lawns like toy boats. A 60 foot yacht ended up in between two houses on the north side of the island. How it didn't hit one of those houses I have no idea. Boats in the marinas are on top of each other, sinking, flipped over... it's really an unbelievable sight. But, we're going to pull through this as a community. We're a small community and pretty tight-knit, and were all in the same boat (no pun intended). We've had great support from our neighbors. They have power and brought us soup yesterday and let us use their powerwasher.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. It means a lot to us. And thanks to those of you that have offered your help, furniture, clothes, food, etc. I can't even begin to tell you what that means to us.

We're going to be staying in my parents townhouse until we can get the house remodeled. They are here as well, as The Woodlands is expected to be without power for about another 2 weeks or so. They have been incredible through this, first letting us evacuate to their place, and then standing side-by-side with us in cleaning out the house. It was a very dirty job - literally - and they didn't blink at all. They rolled up their sleeves and dove right in with us. That's not to say there weren't a few tense moments with emotions running high, but that's to be expected when you lose everything. We're thankful to them as well.

I'm off work until further notice. The College had some damage, and I believe there still is no power. That is fine with me, as I'll have my hands full for the next few weeks anyway. Unfortunately, Jay's business is about to pick up like he's never seen as all of the refineries try to get back online and repair the damage, so he's trying to get as much done at the house now before he can't even see straight from work.

I'll try to get some pictures and videos posted later.

Ike Update

We made it to my parents house in The Woodlands, and are hunkering down. It took us 2 1/2 hours to get here the first time (yes, we made two trips... one to bring my car and the boat, the other to bring us, the both trucks, and everything else). The second trip took the normal time. No evacuation traffic at all.

If any of you were watching the Weather Channel this morning, then you saw one of their reporters, Mike Betts, reporting live from the northwest side of our island we call "A Little Slice of Paradise," and that would be Clear Lake Shores. It's probably never a good thing when the Weather Channel is broadcasting live from where you live.

With that said, Ike is now predicted to hit Galveston directly, which is an all-around shitty situation for us. When we left yesterday, the park across the street from us had already begun to flood from the higher tides. They are predicting 17-22 feet tidal surge, and that will put our house in shambles. Add to that 100 mph winds and who knows what else, we're not expecting good things when we return. I know that's not a very good attitude to have, but you know what they say... prepare for the worst, and hope for the best.

I shed a few tears when we left and last night, and I didn't sleep much last night. We're definitely prepared for the worst, so anything other than the worst will be welcome.

Thank you all for your help and your prayers. Jay and I are very fortunate to have such great friends all around this great country. Those of you that are hundreds and thousands of miles away... thank you for your texts, phone calls and prayers. Those of you in the Houston area that have offered your help and a place to stay, that means the world to us. We appreciate that so much. And for those who came over to help us load the trucks and who took some stuffr of ours to their house, you have no idea what that means to us. Thank you all. We are so blessed to have such amazing friends. We love you!

Good news and bad news

I'll start with the bad. We just got our mandatory evacuation orders, so we have to be out of here by noon today. What way to wake up this morning.

Now, the good. Our flood, wind and hail coverage is all in effect (we thought we'd have to wait the typical 30 days after closing), so we're taking valuables and leaving the rest. I didn't pay thousands of dollars for nothing!

Looks like we'll be heading to The Woodlands to mom and dad's. Not quite sure what to do with vehicles, as we have three and only two of us. But again, I guess that's what we have insurance for. We contemplated putting two of them at mom and dad's townhouse, but they are saying we're going to now get 15 to 22 feet tidal surge, which would put their lower level under water (they're at 16 feet).

So, that's the update for now. I'll try to keep you updated as much as I can. Please keep saying a little prayer. I am now officially scared!

Evacuating

We're not under a mandatory evacuation yet, but we expect to be by tomorrow. So, we're packing up and moving to higher ground. I hate this shit. I never know what to take and what to leave. I know we have insurance, but some things aren't replaceable. On the other hand, I have to keep telling myself that they are just things. And things can be replaced. Lives can't. So, I've pretty much got every photo and photo album in this house, plus a few other special things, and the rest I'll leave to insurance. Assuming they'll cover it.

The prediction is for the eye to make landfall in Freeport (for those of you not familiar with this area and Texas, Freeport is about 40 -50 miles southwest of Clear Lake Shores), which really is the worst scenario for us because that puts us on the dirty side of the storm, where all the worst weather is. They're saying we'll have 8 - 12 feet tidal surges in our area, which will flood our house. We only sit about 8 feet above sea level, so any tidal surge about 8 feet would not be good. I'll try to keep you posted on here as to our whereabouts and happenings. Please say a prayer!

Ike

It appears that we're going to take some brunt of hurricane Ike. What that is yet, exactly, we still don't know. And probably won't know until later this evening or even tomorrow. It all depends on what happens as it crosses the Gulf. It's amazing how much meteorology you learn when you live on the coast. Stuff like steering currents, water temps, upper and lower level troughs... who needs to go to school for that? Just come live on the Gulf Coast!! But seriously, we're watching what Ike does, and we'll plan accordingly... plywood on the windows, gas in the tanks, extra batteries, non-perishable foods. We've got it all and we'll use it if necessary. I'll try to keep you posted here as to our whereabouts, etc. In the meantime, if I lose power, will someone please text me updates of the USC / Ohio State game?!?!? (yes, I do have my priorities set straight, but this is a pretty big game, and I don't want to miss out!)

I'M A HOMEOWNER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today was THE big day. And what a day it was. I can't tell you what a relief it is to have this whole home-buying purchase out of the way. For those of you who know how long this has taken and all of the crap we've had to go through, then you know what a HUGE relief this is for us. Now I see why people go postal over this sort of stuff. But, we couldn't be happier to finally have this saga behind us. We've always said that we have big plans for this house, and Jay already has the permit application for tree removal (we have a few that need to come down). So, I imagine that will be handled in the next couple of weeks. And now maybe I can get started on that wish list that has been on the refrigerator for over a year...

Dessert first?

Jay and I went out to dinner the other night, and he ordered dessert first. He asked for bread pudding as an appetizer. It was quite funny the look on our waitress' face. But it got me to thinking... why not? I love dessert. But I'm usually too full by the time I finish eating to even want dessert (I know... hard for some of you to believe). I may have to follow in his footsteps and try this one day. What do you think?

In other news...
Gustav... we're watching it. Nothing we can do about it. Still too early to tell. It is what it is. The only crappy thing is that we're supposed to close on the house Tuesday (FINALLY), and that may not happen depending on what the storm does. It's always something with this darn house!

Wii... still fun. Very fun. Jay has discovered how to download games. So he's using it more than me. This really explains why he bought it before Christmas. I think he had other motives...

Labor Day... Don't know about you, but I'm glad to have an extra day off this weekend. Well, let's hope I have an extra day off. If I have to work, I'll at least be at home.

Have a great holiday weekend. If you have to "labor," try to enjoy it!