LMRC

there was a gust to 71 at the airport just a bit ago
we still have power where we are but many people have lost power already
i did just hear a transformer blow nearby
people are calling the tv station freaking out
others are very calm
the people i am with are all pretty loaded
i am drinking coke
of course if i were to drink while on all the meds i take i'd pass out
we can barely hear anything inside here
but ive gone outside a couple times and it really isnt bad here yet
the people calling in are further south than here, but the eyewall is still well offshore
it isnt supposed to get here till daybreak now
the storm has slowed down in its forward rate of speed
winds have dropped now to 120 mph, hopefully this trend will continue

winds are only about 37 mph
earlier mike griffin(weatherman) was out at the lake being overly dramatic and acting like he couldnt stand up, but he is a total idiot
i went outside with gabriel and the wind wasnt blowing at all
anyway we are still okay

we went in the church part awhile ago and i turned on all the chandeliers,etc in there and plugged in the pipe organ and had a good old time

now marty briggs is out by Bennigans and some huge tree has just been knocked down

mel just told me that maryclaire is staying in her apt right next to contraband bayou
at least she is on the 2nd floor

i am hunkered down downtown with mel
winds are tropical force, about 60mph at this time
obviously we still have power
i had to set their office network back up to get online; their secretary had unplugged everything before she evacuated
note to self: put things as you found them before you leave
*me waves to allison if she is reading this*
linmbs are coming down and it is difficult to stand up outside
no i didnt go out there, i am watching local weather people doing the weather channel thing

there are quite a few animals up here
my 4 dogs, mel's 2 cats, her boss's two dogs and cat who she was housesitting for while he vacations in canada
*me waves to ryan in case HE is reading this*
yes melodie has shared this site with her coworkers so they know more about me than they need to

anywho, we are still okay

dave just came in the office yelling he was freaking out
that he shoulda left
whatever
deal with it dave!

i am evacuating to mel's

worst case scenario is happening according to local news

someone isnt praying hard enough!!

love to you all

jeff

my older brother stopped by to make sure all was ready here for the storm
my little brother called to tell me to go meet him; he's a little furhter north, but only a few miles
i thanked him but said i'd stay here
mom called
they have been driving all nite
they went north on US171 until they were allowed to go west
they went thru Lufkin to Waco and are now in austin
they should be in san antonio in about an hour if traffic allows
thank god they will be there and i will know they are safely there
mother is no longer calling but stupid
instead we are all crazy
lol
if you only knew my mother you would realize that is the pot calling the kettle
anyway
i have my ladder open at the attic door
we placed plywood up there to have a floor
i have a batterypowered saw and hammer up there to cut through the roof if need be

i have water up there too
i didnt put food becau i dont need that kinda nature calling up there if you know what i mean

oops, older bro just called me and told me i might better go to lil bro's house as he just got a call that all the sheriff deputies were being told to leave
i told him that they were planning to do that all along
them and the state police
they have a safe place a few parishes north of here and will come back as soon as safe
he says still i should go
this is the brother that doesnt(hasnt) believed rita would even hit here

if it looks badenough, my alternative i have saved as last resort is to meet melodie at her place of employ
her catering company is located in an old stone church
its wall are megathick
there is an upstairs with no windows in case of flood
i would have to keep my babies locked in crates there though so that's the last resort

i had the pleasure of being awakened in the middle of the nite by a strange but wonderfully sexy voice; yes that coolcat in dallas called to say i could bunk with him
thanks again to jazz and ken for their sweet offers

love to you all
jeff

i was able to speak to mom once more
she, dad, and my sister left about 3
they had a heck of a time getting out of the city
there is still gridlock on I10
i told her i wanted to tell them i love them in case things dont turn out the way i think
i didnt want her last words to me to be something mean
the guilt would surely eat at her for the rest of her life

many thanks to ken for the offer of refuge
it is truly amazing the generosity of people that met only in cyberspace
after this is all over i still hope to meet so many of you

i feel surprisingly calm
and veryveryvery tired
i didnt sleep much last nite and was up early
the constant urging of city, parish, and state officials to evacuate was draining
not to mention the motherly stuff

i have been reading about and hearing about(on tv) the stories of all the people stuck in traffic in texas, those that have run out of gas; the state(texas) has promised to send tankers of gas and to help the stranded motorists but the media claim that this has not happened; to get caught by the storm out in the open like that would be unspeakably horrible

the one thing that has kinda struck a nerve is the governor's request that those not evacuating to please write their social security number in indelible ink on their arm
my neighbor said the forehead would be better

the girls next door arent leaving either, nor is the guy across the street
my friend theresa in georgia called crying
everyone she knows here(she lived here for many years) is staying
she begged me to head to georgia
unfortunately that cant happen on a tank of gas and there isnt much chance of finding more before running out

if i go anywhere at the last minute it will be to meet sweet ken

i'm about to hit the sack
i will update more tomorrow if we still have power
xo
jeff

my mother's last words to me before they left were"you are stupid"
and she may well be right
i am staying put
i just cant make a 24-48 hour car trip
i will update as i can, until power goes out

my older brother is boarding up my house for me
he and my younger brother have both decided to stay in their homes
my lil bro says he will tie himself to a tree
i just told my mom i didnt want to evacuate
she freaked of course
i expect further attempts to get me to leave
the traffic out is so bad we will probably still be in our cars stranded on a state highway when rita comes ashore

i am undecided at this point
i keep saying if it isnt going to be a direct hit i dont want to leave
but now the entire parish is under a mandatory evacuation
i know as many people stay as i do leaving
the difference is most of them have someplace not horribly distant to go to
the circuitous route we ill have to take along twith the slow travelling will take more than a day to get to san antonio, if we ever make it

there will be no rescues after the winds reach tropical storm strenth
there will be no fire protection
of course electricity will be out forever
why cant i make up my mind to just go?

a mandatory evacuation has been called for calcasieu parish south of I10
a decisionfor the rest of the parish will be made later
i am south of I10

the storm started turning north sooner than expected and the track will be much closer
effects here will be much worse than earlier thought
if it doesnt track any further east than they are saying now i may try to stay
there really isnt anywhere to go

my aunt in san antonio said we could all go there, but we are being told NOT to go west on I10
so we may have to go north to shreveport and then west to dallas and then south

gotta get the house boarded today and everything tied down
pray for my family and friends

our school district's buses along with charter buses were used today to transport all the evacuees from katrina; the buses will return to be used again in the event an evacuation is called for our parish, if rita begins her turn to the north sooner than predicted; the buses will evacuate those persons with no vehicles or means to leave on their own

we wait and watch
if you arent prepared to throw your essentials in your car and go then get your asses in gear!
for me, it really is easy; once the dogs in their crates are in the car along with their food, i barely have room for myself and my medications; times like these an suv would be convenient

memo to self: ask santa for a four wheel drive for christmas

today it was announced that schools will be closed for the rest of the week
cameron parish, the sliver of marsh below our parish, is under a mandatory evacuation
parts of calcasieu also are under orders to evacuate

Rita is expected to hit around galveston still
if that happens we can expect tropical storm conditions here
we've been told to expect power outages for up to 5 days, which was how long we were without after an ice storm several years back
its a madhouse in the stores with empty shelves
i was able to get some can goods, baby wipes, snack foods, bottled water, and batteries
i filled my gas tank
i charged my cell phone
i checked with my parents to make sure they have everything they need
i called melodie last nite
she says she already stocked up on what she needed
i went to the vet and stocked up on the prescription food my babies eat
i still need to get cash from the atm
tomorrow i will tie down lose items or bring them inside


the city and state are reassuring everyone we are ready for the worst
the governor is due this afternoon to meet with the local OEP
everyone seems to be trying to avoid a repeat of Katrina

the storm's forward motion has slowed by only 1 mile per hour, but if it becomes a trend that will be very bad news for us as the high pressure steering the storm is moving away and if rita doesnt get far enough west before that happens it will us that gets the direct hit instead of texas

of course i hate to wish it on anyone, but i cant help but pray it doesnt hit us

schools will be closed here tomorrow
the city needs all the school buses to evacuate Katrina's evacuees that are staying here
we may be off the rest of the week, but the announcement on the news only stated for tomorrow
my principal called to see if i had heard as she walked in on the tail end of the announcement and was not sure if employees had to show up
i assured her that we all had the day off
use it wisely people
prepare!
its better to be safe than sorry

to keep up with what's happening here check out our local newsteam's weatherblog
http://www.kplctv.com/Global/link.asp?L=159592&nav=menu66_3

and so now there is Rita
expected to be another major storm
lake charles is just east of the middle of the cone of uncertainty
if the storm does hit the houston galveston freeport area, it puts us in the right quadrant of the storm which is the area of worst weather
worse case scenario of course is a direct hit here
louisiana what will become of you
i cant even imagine the horror that the evacuees from katrina are facing
their refuges here and in texas are under the gun now
its too early to panic
but not too early to start preparing
the city and parish just held a press conference about possibly having to evacuate the area
tomorrow i will hit the stores for supplies
i have no place to evacuate to
i would never leave my family
i would never leave my dogs
at least the home i just bought is sturdier and further from the river and lake than the previous one; unless it becomes a 3 or 4(or 5) i should be okay
the tension is thick

Simple Truths
> >10 TRUTHS BLACK AND HISPANIC PEOPLE KNOW, BUT WHITE PEOPLE WON'T ADMIT:
> >> >1. Elvis is dead.
> >> >2. Jesus was not white.
> >> >3. Rap music is here to stay.
> >> >4. Kissing your pet is not cute or clean. (Hmpf! You're right! i wont admit it--jeff)
> >> >5. Skinny does not equal sexy.
> >> >6. Thomas Jefferson had black children.
> >> >7. A 5 year old child is too big for a stroller.
> >> >8. N'SYNC will never hold a candle to the Jackson 5.
> >> >9. An occasional BUTT whooping helps a child stay in line.
> >> >10. Having your children curse you out in public isnot normal.
> >> >(i agreed with all but number 4)
> >> >10 TRUTHS WHITE AND BLACK PEOPLE KNOW, BUT HISPANIC PEOPLE WON'T ADMIT:
> >> >1. Hickey's are not attractive.
> >> >2. Chicken is food, not a roommate.
> >> >3. Jesus is not a name for your son.
> >> >4. Your country's flag is not a car decoration.
> >> >5. Maria is a name but not for every daughter.
> >> >6. "Jump out and run" is not in any insurance policies.
> >> >7. 10 people to a car is considered too many.
> >> >8. Buttoning just the top button of your shirt is a bad fashion statement.
> >> >9. Mami and Papi can't possibly be the nickname of every person in your family.
> >> >10. Letting your children run wildly through the store is not normal.
> >> >
> >> >10 TRUTHS WHITE AND HISPANIC PEOPLE KNOW, BUT BLACK> >PEOPLE WON'T ADMIT:
> >> >1. O.J. did it.
> >> >2. Tupac is dead.
> >> >3. Teeth should not be decorated.
> >> >4. Weddings should start on time.
> >> >5. Your pastor doesn't know everything.
> >> >6. Jesse Jackson will never be President.
> >> >7. RED is not a Kool Aid flavor, it's a color.
> >> >8. Church does not require expensive clothes.
> >> >9. Crown Royal bags are meant to be thrown away.
> >> >10. Your rims and sound system should not be worth more than your car.

this message is one of many posted on the petfinder's katrina message board

Message: 18
Date: Mon, 05 Sep 2005 03:34:18 -0000
From: "pup992000"
Subject: Anyone interested in fostering a pet from Hurr. Katrina?

SUPER URGENT - PLEASE HELP THE ANIMALS - HURRICANE KATRINAWoman in Norwalk, CT is helping the animals in Jackson, MissisippiShe has asked for our help, networking or otherwise. PLEASE SEND THIS ALL OVER, IT IS EXTREMELY URGENT - TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR THE DISPLACED, LOST, CONFUSED, STRAY AND FORMER PETS WHO HAD HOMES AND OWNERS.There are over 200 dogs and over 150 cats so far that is from Hurricane Katrina. They have been put in one TEMPORARY place for now. I am told every one of them has had vaccinations and are in fine health, other than some scratched up some, lost, sad, confused and hungry. There are people there who are ready and waiting to drive these dogs and cats to ANYWHERE they need to go, I repeat, ANYWHERE, they will transport them ANYWHERE.Please, I know every one of us are overloaded, over whelmed, totally filled up and then some, especially during the holiday weekend and all. But those animals are all homeless - some are strays - but most of them were ones left behind and some their owners have died.I am told there are dogs and cats of every single color, every kind, including 2 poodles who are huddled with each other, many, many more animals that need places to go.They said they can hold on to them for a bit longer, not sure how much longer and said MANY of them will have to be EUTHANIZED if they are not taken somewhere soon.PLEASE SEND THIS ALL OVER, PLEASE -CONTACT THIS PERSON DIRECTLY, it does not matter what time, middle of the nite, it does not matter, please help these poor precious animals. PLEASE SEND THIS ALL OVER FOR DAYS, JUST KEEP SENDING IT EVERYWHERE. DO NOT STOP. THANK YOU.They are also asking for ANY kind of donations for the animals, money, dog / cat food, etc.REMEMBER THESE ANIMALS WILL BE TRANSPORTED TO YOU - TO YOUR FRONT DOOR JUST ABOUT. PLEASE HELP - they are trying to send some photos.Contact Lynda V. at 203 515 3024 (cell)her home 203 227 5308her email is Lynda@portone.com


i am gonna try to adopt two chihuahuas
if anyone else can help, i urge you to do so
other places that need help can be found at the petfinder's site
link is on the right side of this page

hi honies!
if ever you've wanted to take advantage of me in a sexual way, NOW is the time!
i've switched one of my meds and it makes me very amorous AND f'd up
call me

btw
i've added a new album to my photos link on the right hand side of the page
if you are too lazy to look for the link, i'll add it here
http://photos.yahoo.com/jsthibodeaux

I have never heard of this organization. Melodie called to tell me about it when she came across an article about them. If you can help with a donation, this organization is truly worthy!

Noah's Wish Home Page

how much more can they bear?

CNN.com - Evacuees anguished at leaving pets behind - Sep 4, 2005

we have always heard about Hurricane Audrey, the the cat 4 storm that hit in 1957 and caused the same destruction Katrina has and the same horrors
now our generation has katrina, the bitch
and it is ever so much worse because it has destroyed such a large urban area
the refugees, omg
there are thousands here and tens of thousands going to texas; i hear there are a 100,000 in baton rouge(so glad durly is safe!!)
i find myself crying and it isnt happening to ME
but i feel as tho it is
i am surprised when i go outside and there isnt water everywhere
what does that mean jj?

our civic center is full, and they are now filling the coliseum south of town with refugees and trying to figure out where we can house more
and all these children have to go to school
guess whos district the civic center lies in
yep
we had quite a few registrations today and that is only the tip of the iceburg
i cleaned my closet of shoes and shirts and such to donate
i'd give money but right now i am in a state of financial uncertainty
i have direct deposit and my bank's home office is guess where
if you said new orleans you are correct
the local bank cannot verify if my deposit is actually there
the said not to worry though, because if it couldnt get through, then any checks i write wont go through either
yeah, that made me feel ever so much better. not.

they are moving there base to houston and sometime next week i should have money
i hope

that is the only way that i have been actually touched by the storm, other than the price of gas
of course the price of gas will also cause everything else to go up too as everything must be shipped from point A to point B

i really need to talk about my new job and the monsters and bitches that are now in my every day existence
it isnt horribly horrible
at least BD isnt there