Worries

Yesterday afternoon I called my mom. Morgan and I are usually news junkies, but I hadn't been paying much attention the last couple of days. I was scanning Weather Underground from time to time, but that was about it. My mom was complaining about how the post office was closed and she had 8 Paperback Swap books to mail. As I said, "Really?" She said, "Well we are under a mandatory evacuation, but not until noon and it was only 10am."

Wow. Teach me not to watch the news. My mom was still at work when this conversation happened. My brother was boarding up the house. Sort of. He decided not to bother with the front windows. He figures the storm is coming from the other way. I called to educate him on hurricanes. He told me his help had left and it was drizzling so it would have to do.

He did say that I can tell him, "I told you so" after it was over. I hope I don't have to , but I think I might. Jason is going to the fire station so Mom will be alone in the half boarded house with her three dogs, five cats, and four guest cats from the animal shelter.

Mom and Jason got stuck overnight on the side of the road trying to flee from Hurricane Rita. It was bad. Mom said then that she would never again leave for a storm. She meant it.

I've talked to her several times. At this point it is what it is. She has a radio but no batteries. I bought her a plug in phone after Rita. She has food and water. Like I do before a storm she has been baking and doing laundry.

She is in Friendswood. It is in the mandatory evacuation zone. I know this warning is about Galveston, but this:

“coastal residents refusing to evacuate face imminent and certain death.”

is not making me feel very good. In fact I feel a migraine coming on. They are not on the coast, but still. And they keep repeating that phrase on the news. Over. And over.

I guess the estimated 125,000 houses that they think will be destroyed are out of 1.5 million buildings in the area. That's a lot of houses. Houses that I have driven past. It is strange to look at the coverage because it is all in places I've been. It is horrible no matter where it hits, but it is so much harder to watch it hit people and places you know. (I think I might actually be calmer when the storm hits here!) I just read that MSNBC has a correspondent at the hotel in Clear Lake where our class reunion was held a couple of weeks ago. We ate at the Kemah Boardwalk on our way to the airport. The usual weather forecasters are in spots around town that I know so well.

But, I know that there is nothing I can do but say my prayers. My phone has been ringing all afternoon. Everyone has been calling to make sure my mom evacuated. (Except that she didn't.)

I've put on my most comfortable pajama pants. (The ones the hosts of "What Not to Wear" would destroy on sight) The Irishman is making me chicken Parmesan. I am going to crash on the couch and watch Ike rip into my hometown...

Lots of prayers!

P.S. Worm update this weekend - I promise! = )