I’m finishing up here, and will be heading out in the next 20 minutes. Running late, as usual. After posting this blog update, I’ll be packing up the CPU and throwing it into the car. Then, I’ll wrap the TV with plastic bags to hopefully protect from water damage (since it sits next to a window). I’ll pack up the cats and then brave the insane traffic jams.

I have to say, this hurricane scares me. I’m feeling a little panicky, but I think mostly from having to leave my home to fend for itself. I love this house.

I’ll try to post updates from where I’ll be. I hope to god that my little home withstands this storm.

Bye everyone - take care, and I’ll catch ya on the flip side.

I’m almost finished with the evacuation prep, and will be heading north tomorrow morning at 7am. The cats are going to a shelter that opens at 8am, and I want to give myself enough time to get up there. All day, the highway cameras at Transtar showed insane traffic jams all over the place.

I went to five stores today in search of water, batteries and tape. Everything was sold out. Lowe’s was a madhouse. But, I did buy a portable charcoal grill. mmmm…..grilled SPAM.

Both my parents work in hospitals, so they’ll be sticking out the hurricane at their respective workplaces. The Li’l Bro is heading up to Bryan, TX with his cat. The Sis is staying home on the westside.

My oft-anxious boss gave me an evacuation checklist which has actually turned out to be quite useful. My evacuation activities so far:

• Filled one of my bathtubs with water. The other bathtub will be filled before I leave tomorrow morning.
• Put duct tape on all the windows. Even if it doesn’t really do anything, it makes me feel better.
• Packed up important documents.
• Took down all my plants and birdfeeder.
• Loaded the car with dry foods - bottled water, soda, chips, crackers, canned food, etc.
• Packing 3-4 days worth of clothes.
• And most importantly - two bottles of wine, and a six pack of Negra Modelo. mmmm….Mexican beer.

Taping up my windows, I began to understand the homeowner’s urge to ride out these sorts of storms. I’m having separation issues with my little condo, and I started wondering if I should stay here after all. I’m worried about windows breaking and rain coming in and damaging my stuff. Not that I could stop it, though. But, I guess it’s better that I leave - even though my block isn’t in the 400-year flood plain, the areas around me will flood and I’d be stranded. I dunno. I guess it would be really boring being here by myself, with no electricity or water.

I’m also hating leaving the cats at a shelter. Skokie’s never been boarded before, and Blossom is still nervous about being newly adopted. But what can I do? My parents won’t take the cats, and according to AC all hotels are booked from here to Oklahoma. *sigh*

I’m making some rice and bulgogi. mmmm…comfort food.

By the way, Happy Belated Chusok, everyone.

Wow, so things are getting pretty hectic around here.

We’re packing up the office, and doing massive server backups. I just burned all my work files onto several CDs, and am packing things up to go. We have the option of taking off now. I may stick around for a while, to make sure things are cleared up and shut down.

The Mayor has announced that non-essential City employees shouldn’t show up to work in Thursday or Friday. The County Commissioners, on the other hand, are meeting as we speak to decide whether to give us paid time-off for Hurricane Rita, or make us use our vacation time. I guess us County Employees are more expendable. It totally sucks that we might have to use vacation time in order to evacuate. So what happens if someone doesn’t have any vacation time to use? Their paychecks get docked. That’s right. In fact, that’s what they did to people when Allison hit…..people had to use vacation time, and if they didn’t have any vacation hours in the bank, it came out of their paychecks.

The Li’l Bro is dropping off his cat at my place today. The parents are refusing to take her in, so I’ll be towing three unhappy cats with me up to North Houston.

My sister is contemplating driving up to Denton, TX (north of Dallas) to stay with her bf/fiancee, but he’s apparently got 9 family members and several large animals staying with him in his tiny 2 room apartment.

My coworkers voted me “Least Prepared for Hurricane Rita,” so I was given the office first aid kit to take home. Thanks, guys.

Spoke with someone in Kingwood, who said that all the gas stations he went to tonight had signs saying their pumps were empty. People are filling up with gas.

Now I’m wondering if I should board up my windows.

The Li’l Bro just put plywood on his windows.

1. Adopted a new cat on Sunday from the Houston SPCA. Blossom is 5 years old, and the vet said she’s full Siamese with seal point coloring. Beautiful, very sweet and affectionate….when she’s not in hiding or hissing at Skokie.

2. Got into a car accident. Was on my way to the vet, both cats in the backseat in carriers. I was in the left hand lane on a 2-lane one-way street. Suddenly, the woman next to me decided she wanted to turn left FROM THE RIGHT HAND LANE. After crashing into me, she plowed down a fence and ended up in the front yard of one of those swanky West U houses. When the world stopped spinning, I immediately checked on the cats. They were both huddled in their carriers, looking very scared, but OK.

The other driver and I were OK. Turns out, she was a City of Houston employee, driving a City of Houston vehicle. HPD took statements from 3 witnesses, found the other driver at fault and wrote her a ticket.

My Monday had started out pretty badly, and this was just icing on the cake.

3. Hurricane Rita. She’s coming. I wasn’t really paying attention to the news, but all of a sudden I’m hearing about evacuation routes and duct tape on windows. Crap. If she does hit Houston, I’m staying in Kingwood with a friend. I can’t keep the cats at his place, so I made plans to board them at a shelter up there. They require proof that the cats are up to date on their shots, so I rushed to the vet (no accident on the way, thank god) to get their paperwork in order. Mandatory evacuations in Galveston start tomorrow, so the Li’l Bro is driving up with his cat, Kirby.

Distance: 12 miles, yo
Time: 2:47:25
Pace: 13:47
Avg Heart Rate: 168
Max Heart Rate: 184
Location: Memorial - Heights - and back. Click here for a map of the route.

(more…)

In 5 minutes, I hop in the car to head over to the Park for the dreaded 12 mile run.

Ok, ok, not “dreaded” - though I woke up a few times during the night, I’m feeling pretty rested and a lot more positive about today’s run than I have all week. The anticipation of this run has become a mental speedbump in my training (mental and physical) this week, and I know I’ll feel much, much better once I get through it.

It’s true how they (”they” being those marathon-y people) say that preparing to run a marathon involves both physical and mental training. This week was the first time I’ve felt this negative and insure about doing the marathon - but I also know that overcoming these thoughts is part of the training and the overall journey.

Anyways, I’m off to Memorial Park. JPP often includes hilarious pictures in his email messages - this one made me crack up so here it is.

I’ll write a report when I get back!