Music to my ears!

I love it when I see this headline on the Houston Chronicle's website: "The Texas hurricane season is over." That is pure music to my ears! It was close with Hurricane Isaac (which hit our neighbors in New Orleans), but we made it another year without a major hit. Thank. You. Jesus. Not that we didn't need the rain, because we do, but the fact that Ike was just four short years ago... I could do without a hit for a little while longer.

In case you're wondering, to date we're through the "N" name on the list. Let me refresh your memory on said list.

Alberto
Beryl
Chris
Debby
Ernesto
Florence
Gordon
Helene
Isaac
Joyce
Kirk
Leslie
Michael
Nadine
Oscar
Patty
Rafael
Sandy
Tony
Valerie
William

Now, that's not to say that the 2012 hurricane season is over. It does run through November, officially, after all. But because of a couple cool fronts that have come through Texas over the last week, and a couple more this week, plus the jet stream, and the fact that after Sept. 24 our odds go down significantly - that pretty much does it for us. Hallelujah!

So until next season, I leave you with this...

Good luck to my family and friends in the North with the coming winter season. I hope it's as good to you as our hurricane season was to us!

And so it begins...

The official start of the 2012 hurricane season is still weeks away, but the Atlantic has its first named storm - Alberto - off the coast of the Carolinas. While it doesn't appear to pose a threat to the U.S., it's still a reminder that those of us who live along the coast need to start preparing.

I went to a pre-hurricane season meeting earlier this week, and the folks from NOAA are predicting not as many named storms as we had last year, which is good, but Texas needs to take heed. Because of the weather pattern and the warm Gulf of Mexico (remember that mild winter we had? yea, not so good for hurricane season) there is the potential for rapidly developing storms in the Gulf. That means we may only get 48 hours notice, rather than 96 or more. Remember Humberto a few years ago?

So, get your water supply ready (I will be picking up several cases tomorrow at the grocery store), get those batteries handy, and have a plan in place. Having been through Ike, and through a couple other tropical storms, it's serious, so please be ready!

In case you're wondering, here are the 2012 hurricane names.

Alberto
Beryl
Chris
Debby
Ernesto
Florence
Gordon
Helene
Isaac
Joyce
Kirk
Leslie
Michael
Nadine
Oscar
Patty
Rafael
Sandy
Tony
Valerie
William

Happy hurricane season, y'all!

Enough said

And just like that...

there's a disturbance heading toward the Gulf. And we're not even 24 hours into the 2011 hurricane season! Granted, if this hits us, or near us, I will not complain. I might actually go out and sit in the middle of it. As in the middle of the pouring rain. It won't be anything major that requires evacuation, and we.need.rain. Desperately. Desperately actually is an understatement. I think the last time it rained at our house - like a major rain - was in the days right after we had our landscaping put in. And that was Martin Luther King Day. In January. Yes, January. As in 4 1/2 months ago. So...

BRING IT ON!

Oh, and in case you were wondering... this is what I saw as I got out of my car this afternoon heading back into the office. Yes, that's 3:12 p.m. Awesome. Summer has arrived. And so, too, has hurricane season!

Happy Hurricane Season

It's that time of year again. No, it's not Christmas. It's officially hurricane season. It started today and runs through Nov. 30. Not my favorite season, but one that I definitely pay special attention to. As has been the case in the last few years, the folks at NOAA are predicting a fairly active season. I'll leave it at that. I don't want to jinx anything.

In case you're wondering, here are the names for 2011.

Arlene
Bret
Cindy
Don
Emily
Franklin
Gert
Harvey
Irene
Jose
Katia
Lee
Maria
Nate
Ophelia
Philippe
Rina
Sean
Tammy
Vince
Whitney

SNOW DAY!!!!!

This is still really funny to me. A snow day in Houston, Texas. But yes, pretty much the whole city - hell, the whole state of Texas - is shut down today because of "Snowpocolypse." Ha! What that means for me is a three-day weekend, folding laundry, and catching up on work that I wouldn't have been able to get done in the office. So I kinda don't mind it. But it's still funny to me. Snow day.

The city and state just aren't used to this. I'm from the midwest, and went to school there, so I know what a snow day is like. And it ain't this. Turns out we didn't get any snow, but we got the ice. And people.tired.to.drive.in.it.this.morning. Seriously, Houston? Are you people that dumb? STAY HOME!!! The whole city is shut down. Schools are closed. Most of the businesses are closed. The county and city are closed. WHY do you need to be out on the roads? It's not worth it! The local media is having a field day with this. People who tried to drive and got stuck on the bridges and overpasses make for good entertainment. I'm not going to even call it news. It's entertainment. Dumb people make for good entertainment. Give it a couple hours, people, and it will warm up enough above freezing to melt and then you can get out.

It's amazing to me how dumb some people are. As one of my employees said to me earlier this week, "God takes care of dumb people." After today, he's got a lot of work to do.

Stay warm. Be careful out there. And don't go out if you don't have to.

Here are some pictures from around the city today.

From the Houston Chronicle

Words I don't like this week

tropics
tropical disturbance
Bonnie
Colin (no offense Robyn!!!)
flooding
rain
high tide
uncertainty

Feel free to add to the list. Have a lovely week.

Hurricane Alex

It's kind of ironic that Hurricane Alex decided to strike this week. One year ago on Sunday Jay and I moved back in to our house after rebuilding it due to Hurricane Ike. Watching the Alex coverage on TV the last few days brought back a lot of memories. I didn't cry this time (at least not yet... Sunday isn't here yet), but it did make me think back to our experience going through Ike. All I kept thinking about earlier this week when Alex's path was still a bit uncertain was, "Oh no. Not again." But, we were spared this time. Although we are getting a lot of rain and really high tides (part of the island is under water), and the storm ruined our trip to South Texas, I'm glad it hit South of us. I don't know that I could've handled going through another storm so soon, even though it's been almost two years. Hard to believe, but it doesn't seem like it. Probably because we haven't even been living in our "new" house for a year yet, and not to mention the fact that my parent's house is totally tore up... it's weird how things happen and evoke a variety of feelings.

Anyway, thoughts and prayers to those in Mexico and South Texas who were affected by Alex. I can sympathize and empathize with you, having been through it myself.

Tis the season!

No, not the season to be jolly (like the song says), but the season to keep one eye on the Atlantic. Yep, it's the start of the 2010 hurricane season. Yippee! (NOT!!!) It's the reality I live in, and I happily accept that for getting to live where I live.

Forecasters say that this year is trending to be an active year in the Atlantic, calling for 14 to 23 named storms (mind you, there are only 21 storm names because not all letters of the alphabet are used.. I'd rather not run out of letters again this year), with three to seven being major storms. They say this season could possibly ranking among the top-10 most active. Grrrreeeeaaat. Not that it means any of them are going to make it in to the Gulf of Mexico, but still... grrrreeeeaaat.

So why do they think it's going to be an active season? For exactly the opposite reasons that 2009 was so quiet.

• El Nino is supposed to change to La Nina, which apparently ramps up the hurricane activity.
• The waters off the coast of Africa (where a majority of the storms form) is already really warm. Not a good sign.
• The sea level pressure is apparently favorable to storms.

I'm not freaking out (yet). That does me no good at this point in time. But I will tell you that I will always have one eye on NOAA and The Weather Channel, and I will say a prayer every night that Jim Cantore is not in my neighborhood again. Yes, I said again because he was here for Ike, and you know that if he is in your town during a major weather event, you're basically screwed.

In case you're wondering, here are the names for this year's Atlantic hurricanes:
Alex
Bonnie
Colin
Danielle
Earl
Fiona
Gaston
Hermine
Igor
Julia
Karl
Lisa
Matthew
Nicole
Otto
Paula
Richard
Shary
Tomas
Virginie
Walter

So, welcome to the 2010 hurricane season. Here's to an uneventful one.

Yippee! Wahoo!!!!

I once said I'd never, ever again complain about the warm weather. And I'm not. It's supposed to get close to or right at 90 degrees this week, and I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Summer is here! This means Friday afternoons off. More boat rides. More time outside. WAHOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Monday. Enjoy your week! If there are elections taking place where you live, GET OUT AND VOTE!

I'm moving to Mexico

After reading the headline "Another Texas-bound winter storm looming, but Houston should miss the worst" on the Houston Chronicle's Web site today, I've decided that I've had enough. I can't take anymore of this. Even though the snow is going to miss Houston, it's still going to be cold, and that's really what I'm tired of. I just want the temperatures to be normal for Houston this time of year. Is that too much to ask?

I will never complain about warm weather again...

I swear. It is Feb. 23 (dad's birthday, by the way... happy birthday dad!), and it is going to snow - yes, I said snow - in Houston today. Areas to the North could receive 2" to 4" and areas South of I-10 will receive about an inch. But forecasters warn that if the temperatures are slightly off, that could change. WTF? Did I not mention what the date is today? It's the end of February. Our normal highs are in the 60s. Today's high was 45. Notice I say was. It's now 43. And apparently going to fall enough to snow.

Look, I'm not adverse to snow. I'm from Ohio, went to school in Indiana. I've seen my fair share of snow. But that's just it... I've seen my fair share of snow. I live in Houston, Texas. Actually, South of Houston, Texas, on the coast. That would be the Gulf Coast, as in the Gulf of Mexico. It's not supposed to snow here. But today's snowfall will be the second this season. We had the earliest snowfall on record back in December, and today's snow will mark the second latest on record. They say it's supposed to warm up after this. I'm not holding my breath.

Hating South Texas weather right now

This has been a really - and I mean really - odd year for weather in South Texas. We had 100 degree weather in October, it's a balmy 72 degrees now in February (just slightly above average for us this time of year), and the Houston Chronicle has a headline of "Snow a possibility as cold blast nears." W.T.F.?!?!?!?!?! I mean, seriously Mother Nature? The "experts" (whoever they are... I personally don't really believe they exist) say that this is all because of El Nino. Screw El Nino. This is crap! I came back to the South for a reason, and it wasn't the cold and snow! I will never complain about warm weather again. Never. I swear! I would much rather be sweating my brains out than shivering in the cold. I really dislike the cold weather. At least the good news out of all of this is that once this cold blast arrives, the "experts" expect it to gradually get warmer, and the temps returning to normal in March. With our usual Spring showers and thunderstorms. Bring that on any day!

Have a great week and stay warm!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it...

Yea, that didn't last long. It's going to be back up in the 70's by Tuesday. That's Houston weather for ya!

Here are some pictures of our office staff taking a "break" from all of their important work.



The funniest part about these pictures? The ones you see throwing the snowballs are throwing them at the window of my boss's office... where she and I were sitting on a conference call about closing the college. Ha!

Hope those of you that got the snow enjoyed it. I also hope it's the last of the white stuff we see this winter!

Snowball's chance in He... er, Houston

Today is going to be a crazy weather day in Houston. We're under a Winter Storm Warning. Yes, you heard me correctly. Houston, Texas, is under a Winter Storm Warning. And what's even crazier? The coast (like on the beach) is supposed to get 3 to 5 inches, and inland is only supposed to get 1 to 3. SO CRAZY! Especially this early! We got snow last season, but it was in mid-December, not December 4. I'm not complaining. I think it's cool. It's not going to stick for very long, but it just makes for a crazy day at work for me, and let's be honest... people in Houston don't know how to drive in snow.

If you're in Houston, be careful out there today, but enjoy! For the rest of you, well, I don't really want to hear what you have to say, because I don't think it's snowing where you are.

Fall... oh how I love you. Where are you?

Really, Mother Nature? A Heat Index of 109? On October 6? REALLY?

I stepped out the door today to take out the trash, and the only word I can use is gross. The air is so thick that I wonder why I even did my hair in the first place. With weather like this, it's no use. These are the days that I am envious of my friends and family in the great Midwest who get to experience the seasons, especially fall, because it's my favorite. Now I won't lie, come Winter when y'all are digging yourselves out of 8 feet of snow, or Spring, when it's still cold up there, and I'm on the boat, I won't be so jealous, but for now, I wish fall in Houston were like the fall seasons I experienced in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. Enjoy it while you can, guys, because Winter is just around the corner!

Happy fall!!

And the tropics heat up...

Well, today turned out to be an interesting day in the tropics. Excuse me if I'm a little more keenly aware of what's happening out there (yes, the National Hurricane Center's Web site is my new favorite site). I figure I have reason to be. Tropical Storms Ana (pronounced Ah-na, in case you're wondering) and Bill have formed, and there's another low not far behind. It is indeed the beginning of the peak of hurricane season.

Happy 2009 hurricane season!?!?

Although I'm still living the nightmare of the 2008 hurricane season, I can't help but mention that today officially begins the 2009 hurricane season (never mind the fact that we've already had our first tropical depression last week). I'm keeping my fingers (and toes!) crossed - and knocking on wood and doing whatever else it is that you do for luck - in hopes that we don't even have the threat of a storm this season, but living where we do we know that it is always a possibility. The prediction (and I use that word lightly, as we all know how accurate predictions are these days) is that this will be a near normal hurricane season with nine to 14 named storms, four to seven that could become hurricanes, including one to three major. I find it interesting that because of Ike, the National Hurricane Center is rethinking the way they categorize storms, and will use the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale on an experimental basis, basically removing all references to storm surge, as the storm surge that happened with Ike was not what was supposed to happen for a category 2 storm on the old scale. And, in case you're wondering, here are the names for the storms for this season. Here's to hoping I don't utter one of these names whatsoever in the next five months!

• Ana
• Bill
• Claudette
• Danny
• Erika
• Fred
• Grace
• Henri
• Ida
• Joaquin
• Kate
• Larry
• Mindy
• Nicholas
• Odette
• Peter
• Rose
• Sam
• Teresa
• Victor
• Wanda

The house is coming along

A lot - A LOT - has happened since my last post about the house. We've painted the entire outside. We have electricity. The AC is hooked up and running. The cabinets and trim are installed. The granite counter tops are in (and beautiful!). The cabinets have been stained (gorgeous!). The painters are painting as we speak. The carpet will be installed this week. The plumber will be in tomorow to install faucets, etc. We've picked out the backsplash for the kitchen and the tub surround for both bathrooms. We've decided on hardwood flooring (we just have to go order it), but we still need to pick out the tile flooring. And that should be about it. The light at the end of the tunnel is becoming so much brighter... Just in time for the start of hurricane season, which, by the way, is less than a week away. But who's counting? Here are some pics from the action at the house. Hopefully later this week I'll have some of the entire inside of the house, freshly painted and carpeted.

Insulation and Flooding

The insulation in the house went up this week. As you saw in the previous post, what a different house it is! It's very weird. For the past almost eight months we've been able to see through the walls in our house, and now, we can't. That's not a bad thing whatsoever, it's just very strange. However, it means progress, and I can't complain about that.

Sheetrock was also delivered this past week, and will begin to go up on Monday. I've had many people ask if the sheetrock is from China, and no, I'm happy to report, it's not. It's made in the good 'ol U S of A! They'll float it on Tuesday and apply the texture Wednesday and Thursday. If all goes as planned (and we know how lucky we've been about that with this house, ha ha), we should be able to start painting this weekend. Please keep your fingers crossed!



On another note, we have had some pretty nasty weather the last couple of days, with an insane amount of rainfall. Many areas around here flooded, including parts of our little island, and I have to admit that it brought back some not-so-good memories for me. I was having flashbacks of Ike, and a minor panic attack. Nothing major, but let's just say I'm glad to see the sunshine today! Here are some pictures from what the National Weather Service is calling "an amazing rainfall event."