Studley's Blog

Another quick update....

I'm back in Dallas now. There are contingency plans that are in place in case Mom needs to leave again.

Power is still not restored, but the crew are back on the corner at present, and hopefully they can finish up and get it back on today.

I'll rest up and get caught up on some things here, and I'll try to recap all of the events from the last four days when I can.

A quick update. I lost power to the laptop battery, just purchased an inverter to hook up to the TT and charged the battery to 50% capacity.

What's On The Menu:  Outback Steakhouse re-opened, so I bought dinner for Mom from the Take-Away Menu.

Today's Number: 2.  That's the number of bucket trucks on the corner working on the transformer as I type.  It's raining, and they were still up there.  I think I have new heroes to look up to.  They just took the last person down, as it's raining very hard now.

With power restoration being worked on very quickly, it looks like things will be back on by Monday.  I'll be driving back to Dallas on my own, and Mom has decided that she will stay here.

Going to do this as a Mini Blog.  I'll leave the broad, sweeping prose you're accustomed to for later.  Natch, battery power is at a premium at present.  

DAY 1 (Friday, August 5)

Arrived in Houma at 15:00 Hours Central Time, no problem with traffic enroute.  Precursory examination of the house reveals NO DAMAGE to structure.  Backyard has tree damage, and need to examine structure in detail tomorrow while taking pictures of it.

Power is still out, no word on its restoration.  And I wanted to watch the final episode of Swingtown tonight, darn it.  I'll watch it on Monday.  Water is on and good for bathing, gas is on, the land phone lines work (I'm using Dial-Up to post this blog), I found a Chevron with power to fuel the TT Roadster, and the grocery store down the street is open, so there's lots of ice to keep the beer cold.  And lots of beer to put the ice in.

Curfew started at 20:00 Hours.  The street has been the quietest I have EVER heard it.  Oh, and a police helicopter is patrolling the skies overhead.  Okay, I feel like I'm at home in Dallas now.

I've never been on curfew before.  Well, there's a first time for everything.

What's On The Menu:  Let's just say that Beluga Caviar, Foie Gras, and Cristal are out.  Gumbo is also shelved, at least for us. 

Today's Number:   26.  That's the number of Wal-Mart tractor-trailers seen on the highway on our trip.  We made this into a spotting game.  Parked units at truck stops count, but parked trailers by themselves at stores don't, unless you see a tractor without one heading to the store.  I forecast that there would be 30 seen on our trip, Mom had 25.  She won.  Should have bet the Under.

Not a bad day at all, given the damage we saw elsewhere on the way in.  If power is not restored by Sunday evening, I'll take Mom to relatives in another part of Texas before returning to DFW.

My hometown took a direct hit from Hurricane Gustav on Monday.  My mother left there on Saturday and has been with me here in Dallas ever since then. 

From all accounts, her home did not receive any storm damage.  On Friday, I am going to drive her back home and assist with inspecting the house for damage, and help her get things back on track.

I decided to blog about this experience, which you will see here, so watch this space for updates.  When possible, I may even take a few pictures.  It is possible that the blog may not be updated in real-time, due to the fact that power may not be fully restored to the area, so please bear with me.

"ATM! ATM fix everything!"  Remember that commercial for VISA a few years back?

Evidently, thieves in Dallas sure remember it and think so, because these things are being hit with exponential frequency.  As soon as some of the folks stealing ATM's get caught, others rise up to take their place. 

*WARNING!  SARDONIC SATIRE FOLLOWS.  TONGUE FIRMLY PLANTED IN CHEEK.* 

I say it's time for Homeland Security to get involved.  They could set up checkpoints before you enter the parking lot of the 7-11.  Your vehicle would get searched for large chains and cutting devices.

Inside the store, full body frisking and scanning for weapons would be in order before entering the "Sterile Area" where the ATM is located. 

The shop managers could stand at the ready with M-16's and German Shepherd dogs, ready to fire if anyone breaches the perimeter or pulls out weaponry.

*END OF SATIRE*

Seriously, let's hope no one innocent gets hurt or worse.  This is some pretty dangerous stuff at present, when you think about it.