ToBeFreeToRoam
09-28-2005, 01:23 AM
Hi Anyone who wants to listen!
This is my story, that is supposed to be short or medium and probably will become a long story!
We left our home (my husband, dog and me) Wed. am. I cannot even remember the time! We drove to my parents house with mainly clothes, food and water. Of course meds, for us and the dog. Just 4 pictures and the most important jewelry. Everything else was raised off the ground unless it was of little consequence. No furniture was raised. We did not board our windows, plywood was sold out and I am not physically able to help my husband do it. We did put lots of things in a safe and in big plastic garbage bags! And took some important bigger pictures off the wall and bagged them too. We took lots of clothes and all the $ we had, because we did not know if we would be like the Louisiana refugees!! I liked calling myself a refugee. Because, I was seeking refuge!
Anyway, we picked up my parents and their stuff and turned off gas and unplugged things. Took awhile. My husband drove my parents mini van, with 3 elders. And I drove my dad and my dog. We picked up my FIL and his wife, next. Had to potty and turn off their gas and unplug things. My mom had picked up hardly anything at all. My FILs wife had picked up lots. She loves clothes and thus covered them well!!! Everyone has their own way and their druthers!!
We left by a different and hopefully faster route and made it to Austin with just 2 stops. Dropped my FIL and his wife at my SILs house. Then took my parents to my sisters in New Braunfels. When then went to my oldest daughter and her fiancees home in San Marcos. This is all in Texas - South and Mid. By the time we finished - it was midnight!!! Boy were we tired, but spent more time stopping and dropping people off, than driving up there!
We were not one of the many that yall may have seen on the tv or in the papers. So many people left Thur and Fri. Those were the unlucky ones. Bad, bad traffic gridlocks. Reports from friends and family that they were stuck on major frwys for 6, 8, 12, 24, or more hours. Lots of them ran out of gas. Lots of people pottying on the side of the road - where else was there to go? All gas stations out of gas and gone too! Lots camped on the side of the road in their cars.
My daughters fiancees mother, was stuck in Houston on a frwy, and went 6 miles in 8 hours!!! She finally turned around (when she could) and went home for 4 - 6 hours. The inept people in charge, finally opened both sides of the frwy to go west and north! Then she left again and made it to San Marcos in 6 hrs. It normally takes 2 - 4 hrs. She left on Thur. am & was one of the luckier ones! It was horrible. I heard that some people died of the heat on the side of the road. Where were the responsible people that were supposed to help them?! Ok, enuf griping for now!!!
Once we got there, we did worry a lot, until the hurricane finally came. Then we could have fun. My husband and Alex the dog, left at 3 am Saturday am, to go see about his fruit trees - they were in a green house and locked in the barn! We lost electricity for several days and had to throw out all the stuff in the freezer in the garage. The side by side Frig. was fine. Only damage was some broken limbs and branches.
Me, my parents and my FIL and his wife, stayed til Mon. am. I was not going to take a chance with them on board. I think a lot of people in our area (and there were lots) left on Sunday. That day was the most packed on the frwys. Different parts of the Houston area were supposed to come back on certain days. Most people followed that rule. It took us about 7 hours and we stopped twice. Sometimes drove 10 - 20 mph and sometime drove 50 - 60 mph. We also took a less traveled way home (different from leaving). Went to our house and my husband took his people home and I took mine. Had to rehook electric things and turn on gas for them. So that took us a while too. They also, just had lots of branches and limbs down. No other damage. We are all very, very lucky!!
While in the NB, SM and Austin area, we went back and forth between New Braunfels and San Marcos. Visited with the people at my sisters and my eldest daughters and stayed at my youngest daughters house most of the time. My oldest daughter had her MIL "to be" and her dog staying with them. We had lots of animals and lots of fun. Of course my Sunday nite we were ready to go home and they were more than ready to have us go home!
I went out to eat almost everyday. Went shopping, went for drives and to see my sisters new house being built. Went to coffee shops with my DDs. My husband and I also got to visit the school where our youngest daughter teaches! So, we were much better off than the people that were stuck in shelters and motel rooms!!!!! It was like a visit/vacation, but with lots of stress built in. Especially at the beginning before the hurricane decided where it was going to go in! Oh yeah, I also got to go see/hear a free band on Sat. nite with my sister and parents.
OK, long enuf!!!!!!!!!!! Forgot to tell you. Because of all the refugees up there, the stores were running out of bread, milk, water and other important things. The stores down here were barely running on monday and not all of them were open. Should be mostly ok by tomorrow!
The book is over for now. :> Yall take care and RUN when a hurricane is coming your way! Love, Wannabe
This is my story, that is supposed to be short or medium and probably will become a long story!
We left our home (my husband, dog and me) Wed. am. I cannot even remember the time! We drove to my parents house with mainly clothes, food and water. Of course meds, for us and the dog. Just 4 pictures and the most important jewelry. Everything else was raised off the ground unless it was of little consequence. No furniture was raised. We did not board our windows, plywood was sold out and I am not physically able to help my husband do it. We did put lots of things in a safe and in big plastic garbage bags! And took some important bigger pictures off the wall and bagged them too. We took lots of clothes and all the $ we had, because we did not know if we would be like the Louisiana refugees!! I liked calling myself a refugee. Because, I was seeking refuge!
Anyway, we picked up my parents and their stuff and turned off gas and unplugged things. Took awhile. My husband drove my parents mini van, with 3 elders. And I drove my dad and my dog. We picked up my FIL and his wife, next. Had to potty and turn off their gas and unplug things. My mom had picked up hardly anything at all. My FILs wife had picked up lots. She loves clothes and thus covered them well!!! Everyone has their own way and their druthers!!
We left by a different and hopefully faster route and made it to Austin with just 2 stops. Dropped my FIL and his wife at my SILs house. Then took my parents to my sisters in New Braunfels. When then went to my oldest daughter and her fiancees home in San Marcos. This is all in Texas - South and Mid. By the time we finished - it was midnight!!! Boy were we tired, but spent more time stopping and dropping people off, than driving up there!
We were not one of the many that yall may have seen on the tv or in the papers. So many people left Thur and Fri. Those were the unlucky ones. Bad, bad traffic gridlocks. Reports from friends and family that they were stuck on major frwys for 6, 8, 12, 24, or more hours. Lots of them ran out of gas. Lots of people pottying on the side of the road - where else was there to go? All gas stations out of gas and gone too! Lots camped on the side of the road in their cars.
My daughters fiancees mother, was stuck in Houston on a frwy, and went 6 miles in 8 hours!!! She finally turned around (when she could) and went home for 4 - 6 hours. The inept people in charge, finally opened both sides of the frwy to go west and north! Then she left again and made it to San Marcos in 6 hrs. It normally takes 2 - 4 hrs. She left on Thur. am & was one of the luckier ones! It was horrible. I heard that some people died of the heat on the side of the road. Where were the responsible people that were supposed to help them?! Ok, enuf griping for now!!!
Once we got there, we did worry a lot, until the hurricane finally came. Then we could have fun. My husband and Alex the dog, left at 3 am Saturday am, to go see about his fruit trees - they were in a green house and locked in the barn! We lost electricity for several days and had to throw out all the stuff in the freezer in the garage. The side by side Frig. was fine. Only damage was some broken limbs and branches.
Me, my parents and my FIL and his wife, stayed til Mon. am. I was not going to take a chance with them on board. I think a lot of people in our area (and there were lots) left on Sunday. That day was the most packed on the frwys. Different parts of the Houston area were supposed to come back on certain days. Most people followed that rule. It took us about 7 hours and we stopped twice. Sometimes drove 10 - 20 mph and sometime drove 50 - 60 mph. We also took a less traveled way home (different from leaving). Went to our house and my husband took his people home and I took mine. Had to rehook electric things and turn on gas for them. So that took us a while too. They also, just had lots of branches and limbs down. No other damage. We are all very, very lucky!!
While in the NB, SM and Austin area, we went back and forth between New Braunfels and San Marcos. Visited with the people at my sisters and my eldest daughters and stayed at my youngest daughters house most of the time. My oldest daughter had her MIL "to be" and her dog staying with them. We had lots of animals and lots of fun. Of course my Sunday nite we were ready to go home and they were more than ready to have us go home!
I went out to eat almost everyday. Went shopping, went for drives and to see my sisters new house being built. Went to coffee shops with my DDs. My husband and I also got to visit the school where our youngest daughter teaches! So, we were much better off than the people that were stuck in shelters and motel rooms!!!!! It was like a visit/vacation, but with lots of stress built in. Especially at the beginning before the hurricane decided where it was going to go in! Oh yeah, I also got to go see/hear a free band on Sat. nite with my sister and parents.
OK, long enuf!!!!!!!!!!! Forgot to tell you. Because of all the refugees up there, the stores were running out of bread, milk, water and other important things. The stores down here were barely running on monday and not all of them were open. Should be mostly ok by tomorrow!
The book is over for now. :> Yall take care and RUN when a hurricane is coming your way! Love, Wannabe