Anti-Climatic

Well Gustav has proved to be gustless, at least as far as east Texas is concerned. I know that Louisiana got slammed. I guess it would be inappropriate to thank them for taking the wind out of his sails. I am thankful nonetheless that it turned out not to be too much for us. House intact. Hubby safely at home in bed, possibly going to work tomorrow. Kids and I spent hours with Memaw Myrtice and Great Aunt Julia playing "Golf" (card game with 9 cards that Lizbeth taught us years ago) and Apples to Apples. There was chocolate. All in all not a bad deal.
I was displaced from my bed for a couple of days. Not growing up in a house of hunters, I laid near the hearth here last night under a deer head and fell asleep worrying about being impaled by the antlers if it fell off the wall in the middle of the night.
I just want to go home. It gives me great compassion for those who are not in their own beds tonight, and won't be "home" for a while to come. I have always wondered why people choose to live in areas that are often ravaged by tropical storms, near fault lines, etc. Now I know - it is because there is no place like home, wherever that may be.
Tropical storm Gustav has not blown through this area yet, but when he does, it is sure to be anti-climatic.

Live Blogging Gustav

It has gotten significantly darker here in the past hour. I am at my mother-in-law's house which is only an hour north from where I live. I can't seem to think about anything but the weather, and yet it seems to be freaking me out. The local radio forecaster's report made my mother-in-law cry - something not easily done. CNN is listing it as a category 1 storm. I just want to go home. To increase the anxiety - I have not been able to reach Travis in the last hour. There is nothing to do but sit and wait for Gustav to show himself.
Update: 3:25 pm - just talked to Travis - he is fine.

A Specific Prayer Request

We still have not evacuated - but the good news is that the roads seem pretty clear - a lot better at any rate than they were yesterday. There is a tiny part of me trying to convince myself to stay at home with my husband. I hate the idea of him being here - and equally the thought of being an imposition on someone else. But I know the way the thunderstorms strike fear in my heart here - and I can't imagine how my poor nerves would survive the sounds of trees falling and things hitting the house.
The good news is that with all of the things going on with the weather, I've barely thought about all the medical things going on with me, except when they stand up and make me take notice.
But right now I have a serious medical issue on my mind. Kullen has not had much trouble with his asthma since starting a new maintenance medication. We have been so pleased with the results. But in the last couple of days I think he has missed a dose or two - keeping late hours and having a distracted mommy who hasn't followed behind him to make sure he's taken it. The results, wheezing. Yesterday, he went to use his inhaler and said words that struck fear into my heart, "It's empty." The pharmacies are closed. I think the obvious question is why don't we have a back-up - and the answer to that question is because it isn't allowed. I have repeatedly asked - and been told repeatedly that our insurance will not pay for more than one at a time. Travis hooked up an inverter in the back of the car to an accessory car battery that he charged up. I sure hope it will work to power the nebulizer, should we need it. Please pray for my boy to be safe and that we can calm his asthma before Gustav visits.

And yes, I am leaving around 2 pm central time. Taking the kids to see Mama Mia in my MIL's town, and then we'll settle in.

Gustav is Keeping Me Awake

Who is Gustav you ask?
He is not my sweetheart, preventing my slumber by whispering sweet nothings in my ear.
He is the horrific storm that is bearing down on us.
I want to get up and head out before the mandatory evacuees to the south clog up the roadways. The wee little town in which I live has seen two lane bumper to bumper traffic all day.
Last night, I was so irritated about how this hurricane preparation hijacked my last few days to hang out with Lizbeth, and punch drunk from lack of sleep, that I started ranting. In an angry.Russian.accent. (Apologies to my dear -Dinskys.)
*insert said accent here*
I will take Gustav and pinch off his nose and stick it in his ear!
I will kick Gustav behind the knees and say "Take that you filthy animal!"
I will bit Gustav on the ear and say, "How do you like that?"

Don't try to make sense of it. There is no end to the silliness. Yes, Lizbeth is gone and Gustav is on his way. Oh the insanity of it all.

Can You Say E-vac-yew-ate

It's official - in light of Hurricane Gustav's direct path to our area, voluntary evacuations start tomorrow around noon. On the radio tonight it stated that if the course remains as it is, mandatory evacuations will follow. If I don't blog for a while - you'll know where I am - likely sitting on the highway somewhere between home and my mother-in-law's house.
We decided that Travis would stay home and watch our house. The people we have talked to about Hurricane Rita which devastated our area in 2005 (prior to our residence) said that most of the damage to their homes was from water that came in after the storm.
I am going for higher ground. Thunderstorms here can send me to my closet for shelter - so I'm trying to play it safe. Please pray for us - this is scary and surreal. The military has shown up on the local highways, and the President declared a state of emergency. Gas prices rose 10 cents per gallon in the course of the day today, and our local station ran out at one point. We were lucky enough to happen by when they were getting refilled. There are tankers delivering gas all up and down the highways. People are swiping the shelves clean of canned goods, including me. My husband gave me a mandate this morning, "Don't think healthy - just stock up!" I am sure there is a limit to the amount of ranch style beans and spam we can eat - but let's consider this our little contribution to science as we do the research to find out.
I think I prefer snow.
If you are a real life friend, my cell phone will be on - call anytime for an update.
Also continue to pray for the Drews family as they remain heavily on my heart. What a chaotic situation for them as they prepare for their baby's funeral. Jesus be their shelter.