UNCLE.

Just. Freakin'. Uncle.

I was awakened at 6:34 am with wind and rain gusts that sounded as if they were about to blow in my bedroom window. (My bedroom's on the back end of the house. The back half that's still standing and has a roof over it.) My first thought was "Shit!" The storm's turned and it's HERE!"

By the time I threw on some clothes (when a storm's going to hit in the middle of the night I usually sleep with regular clothes on -- makes running for you life easier, but this storm was going to be a TX storm. Right?) Anywho, I threw on some clothes and ran to the tv. I soon figured out that Ike was still headed to TX and we were just getting the first of those rain and wind bands. We're on the wrong side of this storm. Again.

As I was figuring out that Ike was still going to TX I heard the water dripping into the ruined rooms. The wind had torn the tarp in two. Even with all that happening my only thought was to turn on the coffee maker before power went out -- again. But, I didn't. I collapsed onto the sofa wondering if I should wake up J so he could try and save the tarp before the next band arrived in 45 minutes or so. Before I could decide the power went out. Again.

J woke up and said he needed a cup of coffee before he tried to do anything with the tarp. What I responed is not fit for print. For the next however long, J was outside saving what was left of the tarp and I moved more stuff from the ruined rooms inside. We spent the next ten hours waiting for the power to come back on and holding our breath as winds had the tarp billowing like sails on a boat.

The winds are still gusting 30+ mph but should die down by tomorrow evening. The rains come in bands. For a TX storm Ike sure as hell is covering the entire state of Louisiana. UNCLE!