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The Same Old Seven-Hundred Square Feet
Sep. 27th, 2005 12:42 amHome again, and the computer has been restored to it's rightful place on the desk. The home seems not only to be perfectly intact, but it doesn't even seem that power had been lost here. Pretty amazing, really. Things are still strewn about the house a little, so it will take a few days to get everything back in it's place. I guess it's a good opportunity to do some fall cleaning and dusting before putting the last book on the shelf.
It does seem that the cable was out during Desperate Housewives. This, of course, is a tragedy.
Now, if it only felt like fall around here. I'll comment more on Austin city Limits Festival later, but let me tell you, yesterday it was 108° and dry as it could be today was yet another record breaker, far over 100°. Thankfully, before I left my evacuation location, CJ (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
prowlerbear) and Charlie's south Austin home, I had a chance, along with Chris (f__k), to enjoy our host's great pool.
Everyone who was there would agree, CJ and Charlie were the greatest hosts you could imagine.
People had begun to leave just after the last concert was over. This continued on through this morning as one by one our little concert group left for their area of origin. A lot of the stuff I had brought laid untouched in a corner and needed to be repacked. While at this moment it all seems so unnecessary, when you look back on having news that the probabilities of a strike are in your favor, then I would think most people would take some sort of action. Would I have left as early had I not had plans to attend ACL on Friday? Maybe not. I remember hearing the mayor telling people Thursday night that if they hadn't gotten on the road, they should stay and hunker down in Houston. This was two hours into my trip down the freeway, and even if didn't have plans in Austin, was almost impossible to turn around from with the contraflow lanes implemented.
I had placed all of the stuff I had carried in CJ and Charlie's living room. A large iMac box sat in a corner. See, there is a reason to keep these boxes. I used Chris' computer to access news across the wireless network, trying to find more information on whether gas had ever been delivered to the stalled cars, or where the storm would eventually land. I never saw the coverage on television, and given the stories of more reporters being blown over in windy stand ups and Geraldo pulling a stunt of trying to pull out a disabled woman from her home, it didn't seem like coverage was very good.
I spoke with Jeff (jeffbear63), who had a late Monday flight about the storm and evacuation routes, and how they didn't implement all of Houston's freeways, nor were they truly able to coordinate everything that was in the plan, because it was mostly theory, and never truly put into action. When evacuation was less than orderly, and as those in mandatory evacuation zones met up with all of the people farther north and west of the city who were evacuating voluntarily, it was total gridlock. the state didn't know how to implement the contraflow program, or the gas delivery plan that was already requested in the evacuation plan.
If nothing else, it was a dry run that proves we started early enough, getting the the evacuation going with more than 72 hours before landfall, but there's problems with getting the most vulnerable out first, making sure everyone is ready before they start, and that there's adequate resources both in and out of the city. I noticed that there was questions from those responding to blog entries on the Houston Chronicle website were asking why people didn't get gas while in the city before trying to escape? Well, many gas stations ran out, very quickly, and some people just started driving hoping to find gas on the way. Other's started out with a full tank, but with distance and time, they just ran out. You have to remember that from Galveston to The Woodlands is almost 100 miles, and when it takes 12 plus hours to make that trip, you end up on empty.
One helpful blog from the Chronicle was one that had several citizen journalists reporting about their trip back home, telling you where the trouble spots were, and where gas could be found. The chronicle's use of blogs was great, allowing them to have reporters across the city and in several evacuation sites, all dropping their notes. The best one was a guy who during the storm kept taking pictures of a port-o-john that he was sure would blow down, but by dawn's early light, the blue john was still there.
Jeff and I spoke about the fact that events like this and Hurricane Katrina really show that the nation can't, and shouldn't count on the government to provide competent leadership for emergency events. Despite the best of plans, there just may be too many variables that haven't been counted on to make everything work. I think the Bush administration's election year salesmanship of security and homeland defense has vanished like a mirage with the missteps, blame games and ineffectual photo ops.
As I was trying to find news about landfall, I noticed that there just wasn't as much as you would think there would be, but certainly the landfall between Beaumont, Texas and Lake Charles, Louisiana was harder for the news to cover with the small towns locked behind tiny roads, trees and bayous. It's also just not as sexy as seeing a hurricane rip through a large city, with more visible and recognizable signs of destruction. Certainly it wasn't as as newsworthy as the news that New Orleans was receiving more unneeded rain.
Austin had not a drop of it, where earlier we had been expecting some had Rita made landfall closer to Matagorda Bay, as expected earlier.
Once I left Chris, I headed down to the San Marcos outlets, hoping to burn some time to try to miss "rush hour" getting back to Houston. The city asked people from different areas of town to come back on different days, but that was already broken as people have been jamming up the freeways to get back, and finding that much of Houston is still without gas. My day was Monday, luckily, but no one was checking anyway.
I moved from San Marcos on a small road to I-10, but hearing that a wreck at the merge of Highway 71, that I took to go to Austin on Thursday, and had backed up the freeway for miles. I took out the trusty Texas map and moved through some of the small towns that were a ways off the freeway. It was pretty easy going for the most part, and included a trip through Shiner, where the beer is made. I topped off the tank about half way and I ended up on US 59, the southwest route into town, and was able to make it in rather easily, although the traffic picked up the closer I got into town. All in all, the trip took about four hours, and took me several miles off the normally quickest path.
After getting some food at Whataburger, I stopped by Randall's for some needed groceries (thought not being too smart, I didn't know if I had power at that point) and found the store empty of many items, including anything frozen or refrigerated. I needed milk, but the only thing left in the dairy section was buttermilk and chocolate milk. I chose the latter. They still hadn't been restocked and several shelves were only filled with air. It was interesting to see how long it really takes to deplete a city of both gas and foodstuffs.
It took a bit to unload the car and bring everything up the three flights of stairs, then to get the stuff out of the bathroom and to get the internet connection to work again, but things are getting back to normal here, for better or worse.
Chris and I talked on the phone when I was stuck on the freeway. I know I was very worried about getting out of the city, and worried about being stuck. One of the things we spoke about is what would happen should I actually lose everything in Hurricane Rita, and it came down to the fact that I had a home in Dallas. I could re-start my life there. It was very reassuring. Now I was glad that the city was spared this time, and that my life will return to normal, but there's a little bit of me that was ready to start over, and this could be the little push I needed. Still, as people ask why I couldn't just do it, just couldn't cut ties in Houston and make the move, and it's the fact that I don't want Chris to have to pay for my ass sitting on a couch as I try to look for a job. I need to pay my own way to Dallas.
Luckily Houston was spared, so my appointment to take a test for a potential employer to try to get to an interview has been saved. Now I just need to persevere and get this opportunity.
It does seem that the cable was out during Desperate Housewives. This, of course, is a tragedy.
Now, if it only felt like fall around here. I'll comment more on Austin city Limits Festival later, but let me tell you, yesterday it was 108° and dry as it could be today was yet another record breaker, far over 100°. Thankfully, before I left my evacuation location, CJ (
prowlerbear) and Charlie's south Austin home, I had a chance, along with Chris (f__k), to enjoy our host's great pool. Everyone who was there would agree, CJ and Charlie were the greatest hosts you could imagine.
People had begun to leave just after the last concert was over. This continued on through this morning as one by one our little concert group left for their area of origin. A lot of the stuff I had brought laid untouched in a corner and needed to be repacked. While at this moment it all seems so unnecessary, when you look back on having news that the probabilities of a strike are in your favor, then I would think most people would take some sort of action. Would I have left as early had I not had plans to attend ACL on Friday? Maybe not. I remember hearing the mayor telling people Thursday night that if they hadn't gotten on the road, they should stay and hunker down in Houston. This was two hours into my trip down the freeway, and even if didn't have plans in Austin, was almost impossible to turn around from with the contraflow lanes implemented.
I had placed all of the stuff I had carried in CJ and Charlie's living room. A large iMac box sat in a corner. See, there is a reason to keep these boxes. I used Chris' computer to access news across the wireless network, trying to find more information on whether gas had ever been delivered to the stalled cars, or where the storm would eventually land. I never saw the coverage on television, and given the stories of more reporters being blown over in windy stand ups and Geraldo pulling a stunt of trying to pull out a disabled woman from her home, it didn't seem like coverage was very good.
I spoke with Jeff (
jeffbear63), who had a late Monday flight about the storm and evacuation routes, and how they didn't implement all of Houston's freeways, nor were they truly able to coordinate everything that was in the plan, because it was mostly theory, and never truly put into action. When evacuation was less than orderly, and as those in mandatory evacuation zones met up with all of the people farther north and west of the city who were evacuating voluntarily, it was total gridlock. the state didn't know how to implement the contraflow program, or the gas delivery plan that was already requested in the evacuation plan. If nothing else, it was a dry run that proves we started early enough, getting the the evacuation going with more than 72 hours before landfall, but there's problems with getting the most vulnerable out first, making sure everyone is ready before they start, and that there's adequate resources both in and out of the city. I noticed that there was questions from those responding to blog entries on the Houston Chronicle website were asking why people didn't get gas while in the city before trying to escape? Well, many gas stations ran out, very quickly, and some people just started driving hoping to find gas on the way. Other's started out with a full tank, but with distance and time, they just ran out. You have to remember that from Galveston to The Woodlands is almost 100 miles, and when it takes 12 plus hours to make that trip, you end up on empty.
One helpful blog from the Chronicle was one that had several citizen journalists reporting about their trip back home, telling you where the trouble spots were, and where gas could be found. The chronicle's use of blogs was great, allowing them to have reporters across the city and in several evacuation sites, all dropping their notes. The best one was a guy who during the storm kept taking pictures of a port-o-john that he was sure would blow down, but by dawn's early light, the blue john was still there.
Jeff and I spoke about the fact that events like this and Hurricane Katrina really show that the nation can't, and shouldn't count on the government to provide competent leadership for emergency events. Despite the best of plans, there just may be too many variables that haven't been counted on to make everything work. I think the Bush administration's election year salesmanship of security and homeland defense has vanished like a mirage with the missteps, blame games and ineffectual photo ops.
As I was trying to find news about landfall, I noticed that there just wasn't as much as you would think there would be, but certainly the landfall between Beaumont, Texas and Lake Charles, Louisiana was harder for the news to cover with the small towns locked behind tiny roads, trees and bayous. It's also just not as sexy as seeing a hurricane rip through a large city, with more visible and recognizable signs of destruction. Certainly it wasn't as as newsworthy as the news that New Orleans was receiving more unneeded rain.
Austin had not a drop of it, where earlier we had been expecting some had Rita made landfall closer to Matagorda Bay, as expected earlier.
Once I left Chris, I headed down to the San Marcos outlets, hoping to burn some time to try to miss "rush hour" getting back to Houston. The city asked people from different areas of town to come back on different days, but that was already broken as people have been jamming up the freeways to get back, and finding that much of Houston is still without gas. My day was Monday, luckily, but no one was checking anyway.
I moved from San Marcos on a small road to I-10, but hearing that a wreck at the merge of Highway 71, that I took to go to Austin on Thursday, and had backed up the freeway for miles. I took out the trusty Texas map and moved through some of the small towns that were a ways off the freeway. It was pretty easy going for the most part, and included a trip through Shiner, where the beer is made. I topped off the tank about half way and I ended up on US 59, the southwest route into town, and was able to make it in rather easily, although the traffic picked up the closer I got into town. All in all, the trip took about four hours, and took me several miles off the normally quickest path.
After getting some food at Whataburger, I stopped by Randall's for some needed groceries (thought not being too smart, I didn't know if I had power at that point) and found the store empty of many items, including anything frozen or refrigerated. I needed milk, but the only thing left in the dairy section was buttermilk and chocolate milk. I chose the latter. They still hadn't been restocked and several shelves were only filled with air. It was interesting to see how long it really takes to deplete a city of both gas and foodstuffs.
It took a bit to unload the car and bring everything up the three flights of stairs, then to get the stuff out of the bathroom and to get the internet connection to work again, but things are getting back to normal here, for better or worse.
Chris and I talked on the phone when I was stuck on the freeway. I know I was very worried about getting out of the city, and worried about being stuck. One of the things we spoke about is what would happen should I actually lose everything in Hurricane Rita, and it came down to the fact that I had a home in Dallas. I could re-start my life there. It was very reassuring. Now I was glad that the city was spared this time, and that my life will return to normal, but there's a little bit of me that was ready to start over, and this could be the little push I needed. Still, as people ask why I couldn't just do it, just couldn't cut ties in Houston and make the move, and it's the fact that I don't want Chris to have to pay for my ass sitting on a couch as I try to look for a job. I need to pay my own way to Dallas.
Luckily Houston was spared, so my appointment to take a test for a potential employer to try to get to an interview has been saved. Now I just need to persevere and get this opportunity.
