Rita...bottom shelf

Here comes Rita. As Cary noted, this is one of the few natural disasters that gives you lots of warning. We've tried to think of everyone we know in Houston, Corpus, the coastal towns. I wrote my friend Mickey, an attorney, who maintains an office here and in Galveston. He spends his summers in Galveston where at least mornings and evenings are cooler than here. He is safely back in Austin, as is his family. Everyone is taking it much more seriously in the wake of Katrina.

Cary has offered our home to his coworker counterparts in the Houston office. They are still trying to decide if they will evacuate. We went to H.E.B. to get some supplies just in case, and to have groceries and tp for possible weekend guests. It was ABSOLUTE MAYHEM! They were already completely out of water, except for flavored water. Every register had lines stretching to the back of the store. We bought things we will use anyway, canned goods, dry goods. It felt silly, really, but Austinites go nuts whenever there is the slightest inclement weather, so you can imagine their hysteria now. Actually, the latest forecast said we may encounter 75 mph winds on Saturday, and that's nothing to sneeze at. (You'd likely get a face full of snot!)

Knowing how Houston flooded a few years back, and how Austin flash floods easily, I can see that the potential for disaster exists. I have taken Friday off, just to unwind, and now I will be able to wash and cook and clean and watch the news, and oddly, this is probably exactly what I need. The state of my home has been causing me stress.

My daddy is driving a van in a caravan to Houston to pick up assisted living and nursing home residents and bring them to Granbury. My greatest concern is that he doesn't blow a gasket in the returning traffic!

I am praying praying praying for God to bless Texas once again.