The Calm Before Hurricane Gustav

Well, it's Sunday night and it's eerily calm.

I spent this morning picking up my plants and kids toys off the front porch. And making sure everything was hunkered down in the backyard and carport. Oh, I just remembered I need to take my windchime down and my mailbox too! The kids have hit it so many times with the football and soccer ball, it's hanging by a thread and I'd hate for it to fly off and break a neighbor's window!

I went out around lunch today because I needed some Benedryl from Walmart. I was shocked when I got there and it was closed and blockaded. Instead we went to Albertson's and the whole parking lot was full! People were everywhere, spending 100's of dollars on food and water and such. Lines spanned the entire store. They didn't have benedryl, but I did get some toilet paper and ice. The roads were packed and there were lines blocking the main roads to get into the gas stations. Crazy.

At 4 today we went across the street to our neighbor friend son's 1st b-day party. They played outside in the bounce castle in 95 degree heat with little to no breeze at all. We did get a quick little shower but only for a minute.

Now we just got done eating dinner and we're watching the weather channel. They were showing pics of New Orleans how they were already getting some nasty bands. And as they were talking the Tornado sirens went off. Unfortunately, we will be catching the northeast quadrant which is known for tornadic activity. I DO NOT like tornado's! This same band is on it's way to us in Baton Rouge right now. So I'm going to go bathe the kids and take a shower and get ready for all this. I doubt I'll get much sleep tonight because I'll be up watching and listening! The worst is supposed to hit in the early morning hours and throughout the day Monday and even Tuesday.

I'm sure we'll lose power like we have through every other hurricane so I'll update as soon as I can.

Here's a pic before I go, guess I could have gotten closer, LOL! But if you look at the door area they were stacking huge crates of pressed cardboard to block it. Wish me luck!

Yikes! Gustav is coming!

Well, this is the 11 p.m. EST track for Saturday, August 30. Not looking too good. I'll be honest, I was hoping it would come close enough to take a few roof shingles because I am really in need of a new roof! We had an estimate done in June and it will be about $7000. I don't have that on hand. So if the hurricane takes them off it's paid for. But never did I expect a Cat. 4 to come this close! Yikes!



The interstates were bumper to bumper today, and New Orleans has already started getting people out by bus and train. And they called for a madatory evacuation of all the low lying areas. They say 1 million people left the coast today. And they expect another 2 million to leave tomorrow! That's a lot of people! Tomorrow morning at 4 a.m. contra flow starts. For those who don't know that means the interstates will be one way only! And I've already noticed the increase in people in our city. It's crazy out there so I'm staying home until after the storm passes!

I went out today and got a few more things. LSU was playing so the roads weren't too bad. Or maybe it was because everyone was at the store and gas station? Those were packed. Thank goodness I could get what I needed at the Dollar General.
This evening Eddie, the kids & I went out to get some 'D' batteries, some cash and some dinner. We did find the batteries at Albertson's but the bank in there was out of cash. We did end up getting cash at another ATM. Then we wanted Pizza so we went to CiCi's Pizza and they were closing? At 8 p.m. Then I looked next door and realized the Party City had been boarded up! So we decide to go across the street to Petco to get our bearded dragon some food and they were all boarded up too, but they were open. Conn's was also boarding up. I expect many other places to do this tomorrow too but doubt I'll go out tomorrow to see.


Since it was getting late we just got nasty Burger King and went home.
I still have a few more things to get done before tomorrow night. Like clean the alcove by the back door and move all light stuff in there. Then we have to go up in the attic and put up some plastic sheeting because we have a leak! Tomorrow afternoon is my friend across the street son's first b-day. It's supposed to be outside, hmmm, don't think that's gonna work since the rain and wind is said to be coming tomorrow afternoon. Guess we'll see.

Gustav and LSU

Well, they upped the LSU game from 4 p.m. to 10 a.m. Saturday morning. I bet that pissed a lot of people off! They want everyone out of the stadium and off the roads as soon as possible after the game.
We went to get some gas tonight. They were out! But we did find another station. Then went to Walmart for a few more things.It's a madhouse out there and I think it's just going to get worse.

Tracking Gustav...

This picture is from the 5 p.m. EST forecast and shows landfall just a few miles west of us. That would put us on the bad side. There is still a huge margin of error, but people are freaking out even more now! I'm going to venture out today to get a few things, not because I'm panicking but because all of the people from lower lying areas will come here and then I'll never find the food I need. That is what happened after Katrina & Rita. Our store's shelves were empty for weeks after because of the influx of people. We were lucky to find diapers, bread, toilet paper, or chips!


Update-
I did go to Target & Albertson's today. It wasn't too bad. It wasn't packed, but you could tell what people were stocking up on. The same thing I was! Almost all the bread & peanut butter was gone. Tuna was gone. And they were re-stocking the water. The gas stations were still full with people filling up containers. No propane left. No generators left. They did have batteries at CVS!
I think I'm good for now. Just need toilet paper & paper towels and some juice and maybe some Sprite. Oh, and gas but I'll do that this weekend!

I belong in 1984! What year do you belong in?

You Belong in 1984

Wild, over the top, and just a little bit cheesy. You're colorful at night - and successful during the day.

What Year Do You Belong In?

Rain, Tropical Storms & Hurricane's, Oh My!

First, we've had an unusual amount of rain for August. So much that it's ruined our swimming days and the ph of the pool! Then Tropical Storm Fay came through this past Sunday & Monday. It started raining around 3 a.m. Sunday morning and continued through Monday evening. Now, we're watching Hurricane/Tropical Storm Gustav. Honestly, I hadn't even heard of it til yesterday and I really don't think much of it because it's still so far away and has been downgraded. But people around here are freaking out! One of Eddie's employees had to leave early today to go down to the gulf to bring a trailer back. I went to the grocery just for some crackers and butter and almost all of the water was gone! Then I heard some people talking about how all the batteries in town are gone. Then I went to the gas station for some cigs and I could barely get in. There were lines of people getting gas! Not just getting gas, but filling up many containers with gas in the back of their trucks!
I do understand that we need to be prepared. And I really did realize this after Hurricane's Katrina & Rita. But I don't think we should all panic and run out and buy everything up either. So I will keep an eye out, see what the track might be come Saturday and then go from there.
We were trying to figure out what would be the easiest thing to eat if we lose power and Brenden thought of it tonight...Peanut butter & Jelly sandwiches! So that's what we'll stock up on, LOL! That and some canned goods, crackers, chips, poptarts, grain bars and water!

Happy 13th Birthday Brenden!

I am officially a mom of a teenager! Today was Brenden's 13th birthday. Usually we do a big party with lots of people but this year he opted for a big present and a small party. So I took he and 2 of his best friends to Celebration Station to ride the go-karts. They rode for almost 2 hours straight! Eddie came and met us when he got off work and we all went to dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant, Fernando's. At the end of the meal the waiters came out and sang something in Spanish and brought him a fried ice cream with lots of whipped cream. When they started to sing one of the waiters had a napkin full of whipped cream and smushed it in his face! It was too funny! After dinner we went back home and my sister and her kids and Eddie's parents came over for some ice cream cake.
While we cut the cake he opened presents. He got a gift card and lots of cash! Eddie & I got him the bike he's been dreaming of for the past few months. It's an Eastern- Ace of Spades. He was so happy and went right out to go ride it =)
Here are some pics-

Funny Things That Kids Do!

I swear I could write something everyday about something silly one of my children has done! So here is today's.
Bren, my oldest *he will be 13 this month* comes to me saying ouch. He has a pair of fingernail clippers hanging from his hair! He asks me to remove them without pulling his hair so I do and then I just bust out laughing. Don't ask, I have no idea how it happened and don't want to know!

No More Dumb Blonde!

Ha ha, okay so now I'm just a dumb Brunette! That's what my husband jokes with me about. My natural color really is dark blonde but I've either been a very light blonde or hi-lited light blonde for most of my life. Every now and then I get an itch to do something different. I've been platinum, yellow blonde, bleach blonde, strawberry blonde, dark strawberry blonde, auburn, dark brown, light brown, pink and one time I was even army green after a bad mishap! (don't ever try to color over bleach blonde with an ash brown!) And for those who don't know I am a hairstylist, for the past 17 yrs. so that's why I play around with color so much.

So this time I decided on a color that was supposed to be a light caramel brown. Well, it came out orange! Or what most people were calling strawberry blonde, ick! So the next night I went with a medium brown. At first it seemed too dark (maybe not but I'm used to being a very high blonde) but after swimming and washing it turned out quite nice. I'd call it a light brown with a hint of reddish? I have a lot of red undertones. It's just the 28 day color since I'm not one to commit for too long, but since I colored over bleach blonde it won't wash all the way out. I think I might stick with this color through the winter though.

Summer Daze

Wow, has Summer gone by really, really FAST! We have been so very busy since we returned from Canada. I had promised the boys that if they were good while we were gone that we would buy them season passes to the water/amusement park here in town. Well, they were good so we got our season passes on June 23. We go there about 3 times a week and we usually stay for no less than 6 hours! It's exhausting to say the least. But we have a blast when we go. It will be open during the week for 3 more days and then only on weekends because school here starts on Thursday Aug. 7. (Well, not for us since I homeschool, thank goodness!) So we are going to go 1 more time on Tuesday. They will be open on the weekends only until Sept. 1 but I doubt we'll go much because it's always SO busy on the weekends.
In between going to the water/amusement park we go swimming 3 days a week at our friends house. They are the ones with the salt water pool. For beautiful pics of their pool and backyard see back to posts from last Summer titled "Fantasy Island".
And in between the water/amusement park and swimming and cooking and taking care of the house and yard and my husband & kids I manage to watch 2 little girls, Kaiden & Torie about 2 days a week. The girls are 3 yrs. and 5 months. And every now and then I have the 14 yr. old neighbor boy from down the street and my 10 month old neice Chelsea. Nah, I'm not busy, LOL!
I hope that everyone is enjoying their Summer and is not half as busy as I am =)