Dodged a bullet named Gustav

Well that was fun. Not.

But it has been 3 years since we have had to evacuate, and this time there was no comparison to what we came home to. So I am not complaining. If Gusatv had not downgraded right before land fall, my beloved city of New Orleans and its surrounding areas would have take a major hit. Again.

But we had to go. You have to go if you are in the potential hit zone. Hurricanes are so unpredictable; they can change course on a dime, strengthen or weaken. You just never know what is going to happen until it happens. So you have to go.

My hubby is a hospital administrator, so he always has to stay at the hospital. In the past the boys and I have always gone there with him. But the Katrina experience was so awful, I vowed never to do that again. So for the first time, we separated for evacuation. I had reservations in Point Clear, AL. But by the time we left early Sunday morning, the interstates going east (and west) were shut down due to overloaded traffic. So we went north to the first place that had hotel rooms available. Little Rock. An 8 hour trip that took over 11 hours due to the outpouring of evacuees and contraflow. Bumper to bumper, 5 miles an hour, for nearly the first half of the trip. Not fun.

My oldest son D was truly my hurricane hero. I was so exhausted from having little sleep the 2 nights before I was unable to drive. D took over the wheel and got us there safely. He was truly the man of the family while we were gone. He kept little brother J occupied and happy, got him to eat (a real challenge), and just generally took care of us while we were gone. He again handled the drive home. (I was once again exhausted from lack of sleep the night before. The hotel lost power and we had no A/C, making for a fitful night's sleep.) The drive home was met with nearly non stop heavy rains and wind, but he handled it like a pro. We got a bit punch drunk on the way back. We were stir crazy in the hotel for 3 days (constant rain in LR made it hard to get out and do stuff.) We were repeating the same long drive we had made just 3 days before. So towards the last 3 hours we were rather goofy and delirious. We did coin a new term though:

Hurricanoids: (her-ack-in-oids) A medical condition to the posterior area of the body caused by sitting in 12 hours of bumper to bumper hurricane evacuation traffic.

My hurricane hero with his little brother at his high school graduation this past May.

We got home late last night. Thankfully our house did fine. I lost all my fridge and freezer food, but since I don't cook much, it wasn't much of a loss.(grin). Our wooden fence gate is trashed, and 2 ornamental trees in the back yard were uprooted. But my saddest loss is my iron arched trellis with pink rose vines. I am hoping when hubby gets home we will be able to salvage the plant.

My sister and I did a switch off last night, and I took in my 94 year old Aunt last night until her nursing home reopens. Those of you that knew me 3 years ago may remember my Katrina evacuation adventure with Aunt Ursula, my MIL, et al. But that's a really long story for another blog, LOL.

The lovely Ursula enjoying her canned soup.

(The grocery stores are wiped out). 94 years old and sharp as a tack.

So I have cleaned my fridge, am washing clothes and mopped the floor. Now we wait for the rain to stop so we can work in the yard, and the grocery stores to restock so we can go get food. But the gas station down the street is open, and the soda fountain is flowing with Diet Coke. So all is right with the world. I thank God for the minimal impact this storm had. It could have been so much worse. We are very grateful to Him for that.

I also want to thank you all for the outpouring of messages of concern, well wishes and prayers while we were gone. It is very much appreciated and means more to us than you can know.

So now I am going to nurse my hurricanoids with Diet Coke, and check out what Ike and Josephine are doing.

Yikes.