Driving to work this morning went much better than expected. The major roads were cleared of any debris, and dark plump bags of refuse lined almost every street. Through the thick dusk, I was able to make out silhouettes of trees - snapped one here, fallen one there, and even one that was bent in a perfect "U" shape. It felt a bit eerie to drive slowly to work and as the dawn began to break, bear witness to the devastation that moments before, laid hidden under the mask of darkness.
The power is still out near my office building and I almost felt a bit guilty for enjoying "running" the dead lights. My usual coffee stop shop looked desolate and lonely without a single car to fill her lot. Damn, I knew I should have had my bowl of Cheerios this morning. Nothing was open to serve my selfish needs. I pulled into my parking garage without coffee or breakfast. Good grief. How dare I complain? Me. One who has power, water, food, and gas. I shook the negativity off and went inside to face yet another storm.
After work, I headed to my storage unit where everything I own lies within. For the past few days, it wasn't easy to shrug my concern away regarding the fate of my material belongings, but I managed to refrain from contributing to the mass hysteria going on outside my front door. I prepared my emotions for the worst, imaging that looters had a field day with my stash, or perhaps everything was bloated from water absorption. Thank goodness I found the unit and all my possessions in tact. Whew! I tilted my head and looked at a passing cloud, mouthing the words "thank you".
Traffic was horrendous and it nearly took me 2 hours to drive 20 miles home. When I approached the mall near my home, traffic was moving at a snail's pace due to the power outage and all the brilliant drivers were left to fend for themselves in a 4-way stop every 2 friggin blocks. As I neared the freeway underpass, I saw a homeless woman standing on the corner with a squeegee sponge in her hand. I was mortified. The woman approached the cars without fear and without consent, began to wash and squeegee the windshields of each car that stopped on her corner. As I inched closer and closer, I watched her. Fearless. Where did she seek shelter during the storm? Did someone reach out to her and offer a bit of comfort? Or did she suffer alone? She finished cleaning the windshield of the Honda coupe and smiled at the driver. The driver just drove off without so much as a smile back. All the moisture in my mouth evaporated and I felt sick. It was my turn to go and I... well, I too, drove away without a smile.
My mother looks out of the upstairs window to the rapidly flowing flooded drainage ditch this morning and yells excitedly, eyes wide and pointing at the ditch, "Oh my gosh! Come quick! It's a giant fish!" Everyone drops what he/she is doing (which is nothing since we had no power) and runs to have a look-see. "Where?" we all chimed in perfect sync like children looking through a toy store window. "Over there!!" my mother points to a floating tree branch. Sigh.
In the 34 years that I've lived in Houston, I've experienced 2 hurricanes. The first was Alicia in 1983. I recall awakening to the sound of the wind, howling wickedly through the cracks of my bedroom window, demanding entrance. Bravely, I pulled my pink chiffon curtains aside to see a large piece of my fence whiz by in what seemed to be slow motion. It's funny. Just as I'm now thinking back to that dreadful night in the 13th year of my life, seeing my fence float past brought on thoughts of Dorothy and Toto inside the belly of the funnel that would change everything.
Last night was long and intense. The anticipation of Ike was slowly building up. I spent the better part of my evening watching the repetitive news on almost every channel that offered such horrific eye candy. We were prepared for 3 days of misery with food, water, and some weak entertainment (cards and boardgames). I popped into KFF to take my mind off the excitement for a short while, knowing that at any moment, the power will shut off and intensity would be experienced through the dim glow of candlelight. At midnight, I said goodnight to everyone and within minutes... complete darkness and silence. We lit candles, inspected the windows and doors, then all agreed to try and get some sleep.
Two hours later, I awoke to the screaming wind, pounding at my window, whipping sheets of heavy rain as if begging for entry. I looked through the wood slat of the blinds at the one thing that concerned me the most - the transformer affixed to the pole right outside my window. There was no movement at all and only after eyeballing it for a good 5 minutes, did I feel confidant that it was fastened securely enough. The night was pitch black and it was hard to see anything through the thick curtain of wet wind so I went back to sleep. I awoke every hour for the next 4 hours. I dreamed of being sucked up into a funnel, spinning round and round, and jerked wide awake at 6am and lit a couple of candles.
After walking through the house inspecting everything and everyone, I began to boil water for instant coffee. Fortunately, we have a gas range and water heater. The wind was still howling outside, but I felt secure. The dawn set in and I began to faintly see the backyard through the slats of the blinds. I went back upstairs to get a better view of the neighborhood. Aside from our ravine and holding pond being full and a few roofs missing pieces of shingles, everything looked fine. Now, all we needed was the power to come back on and we're home free.
Around noon, it finally stopped raining. We all took cold showers to cool off. We had boiled eggs and cereal for breakfast; bibimbap for lunch, and budae chigae for dinner, then the power came on. I'm glad I was with my loved ones. There is no better comfort. My cell didn't work most of the time, but when i finally got signal, I saw that my closest KFF friends had called. Thanks for your concern kornio, october, kat, ren, and frenchy. I love you guys!
You didn't arrive till 2am and without so much as a warm kiss on the cheek, you wrestled me to the ground and left me in the dark, sweating and unsatisfied. Damn you.
A man walks into a restaurant, sees albatross on the menu. With excitement, he orders the albatross. The albatross comes out and he takes a bite. Then, he puts down his fork and knife down, settles the bill, drives home, and kills himself.
Why?
(You may ask as many "yes/no" questions only or guess the answer. Good luck!)
Over the past 7 years, I've met a countless number of people, mostly good-natured while some are not. Many of you have become dear friends while there are yet many that I would like to get to know better. Let's have a little fun and see just how well you know me! He He
1. What is my nickname?
2. What month was I born?
3. What is my favorite ice cream flavor?
4. What musical instrument(s) do I play?
5. What musical instrument(s) do I own?
6. What is my birth city?
7. What is the name of my first pet?
8. How many siblings do I have - 3, 2, or 1?
9. What is my favorite food (ethnically)?
10. Name at least one KFF person I have met in person.
11. What city do I live in (what's on my profile is incorrect so don't bother lol)?
12. What is my favorite snack?
13. How do I like my steak - rare, medium rare, medium, or well done?
14. What is my favorite color?
15. Where did I vacation in 2007 - Japan or Canada?
16. Name one of my past occupations.
17. What was the last concert I attended - Iron Maiden or Metallica?
18. Which rerun would I watch - Friends or Seinfeld?
19. What is my favorite cable tv show - Top Chef or Take Home Chef?
20. What is my area code - 281 or 832?
21. Where would I rather vacation - Ocean or Mountain?
22. Which wireless provider do I use - Sprint or AT&T?
23. What is my niece's name - Ashley or Nicole?
24. What languages do I speak fluently, other than English?
25. What perfume do I wear?
26. What is my chinese zodiac?
27. How do I like my coffee?
28. What is my favorite boardgame - Monopoly or Backgammon?
29. Name one mole location on my body.
30. If I was with YOU, which would I choose to do - see a movie or go for a walk?
I'll post the correct answers in a few days. Good luck! LOL
I'm glad I was with my loved ones. There is no better comfort. My cell didn't work most of the time, but when i finally got signal, I saw that my closest KFF friends had called. Thanks for your concern kornio, october, kat, ren, and frenchy. I love you guys!
