Finally Returning To Normal

As the Houston area returns to normal after Hurricane Ike, scores of Electrical Workers still hit the streets everyday. Hundreds of trucks parked all over town, serve as a reminder to what was for me, only a few weeks back, an adventure that I hope to never repeat soon.

What have I learned? Well...

• One really needs a fully stocked hurricane kit. Flashlights, candles, canned goods, water and all the things that we take for granted on a daily basis. I'm about to order my portable propane stove from Amazon.com.
• It's not possible to go to Home Depot a day before a storm and find anything of value on the shelves.
  
• There is no reason to say in town when a storm approaches. With today's forecasting technology there is plenty of time to leave. Next time, I'm gone.
  
• Canned SPAM isn't fine dining by any means. That's all I was able to find at the local supermarket. Underwood chicken spread rounded out the menu. Yummy.
  
• Texan's can't figure out four way stop signs when the traffic lights are out. They just don't have what it takes to get the hang of it. Seems simple to me, however I had more than one close call.
  
• Nothing good happens when the power goes out. My list of "hurricane adventures" includes gun shots during the night, rowdy neighbors with no power but plenty of cold beer, battery operated boom boxes and so much more.
• Technology is not as bulletproof as I'd thought. My Blackberry network went down, however I was able to get messages OUT on Twitter and Facebook. (Seems odd, doesn't it?). Text messaging worked great and never went out. T-Mobile cell network went down. Good old, twisted pair, copper telephone line provided by the telephone company stayed working throughout the ordeal.
• I was lucky. Although I experienced some discomfort while living without electrical power for one week, I know of people who suffered major losses. Of course, some even lost their lives. The photos turning up on the internet really tell the story.

Until next time.........