| so my real blog is sick and won't let me update my entries. i gave it a few days to see if it was just a fluke, but it's still giving me errors. so i'll just post my latest entry here:
So we survived Hurricane Gustav. Or gus-TAV'. Or Guss'-tuv. Depending on which newscaster you happen to be listening to. Why it's so difficult to pronounce Gustav the right way every time, I have yet to figure out. Ah well. At any rate, it was very rainy and very, very windy, but survivable, over all. I took a video or two with my phone that I'll have to upload later. I pondered writing a lengthy narrative filled with description and drama for everyone to read, but I nixed that idea in favour of a Hurricane Ten:
10) Wind is very loud and very strong. During a hurricane you will grow tired of the incessant sounds of the wind and rain. But the occasional *crack...smash* of a falling tree will alleviate it.
9) Expect to lose electricity. Don't expect to know when you'll get it back.
8) Hurricanes black-outs are a good time to sit on the front porch and marvel at the power of nature. Just make sure you stay on the porch. They are a bad time to wander around. You get hit in the head by shingles and sticks and stuff. My sister's bf discovered that.
7) Hurricane black-outs are also a good time to sit around the table and play card games as a family. You'll have a great time, and you might discover that your typically acquiescent mother becomes a very competitive player when she's playing against your dad. lol
6) After the storm is over, you will cross your fingers for not-so-hot weather since your power will still be out.
5) Generators, while a little on the loud side, are quite a wonderful thing to have.
4) Cleaning up the yard is quite a task. There will be limbs, branches and leaves everywhere. Thankfully, we didn't lose any trees this time. Weirdly, it isn't just limbs, branches and leaves that get tosses around and down by hurricane winds. There is also a layer of shredded leaves that gets left on the ground. Yes. Shredded leaves.
3) Oscillating and box fans, and an old tv and N64 make the lack of power livable.
2) Governor Jindal has shown himself to be a very capable leader in times of anxiety and emergency. I'm glad to have him. Mayor Ray Nagin is a moron and I'm glad I don't live in his city.
1) This is a more serious point: I cannot begin to express my gratitude, and the gratitude of most everyone around here, to the electric workers and the Red Cross volunteers and the National Guard soldiers who have come down here to help get things back to normal as quickly as possible. You are all most appreciated and much thanked. There aren't really words to express how much.
So there you go. Hope you enjoyed. 
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| For those of you who are my regular readers, you know that my brother is currently undergoing his second phase of military training, Advanced Individual Training, after his successful completion of Basic Training. He's doing well. But this round of training has more classwork involved. And tests. And both tend to be difficult for him. If y'all could keep him in your prayers, that he would do well and have a calm spirit in the tests, I would appreciate it.
He also has a big decision to make. His good friend and fellow guardsman is going to Iraq in December, and my brother is seriously considering volunteering to go on the tour with him. Right now he's waiting for his sergeant to find out if the paperwork can all get through by then, which may cinch the decision if it won't, but just be in prayer that he'll know what he should do either way. And that he won't let that decision get in the way of doing an excellent job in his classes.
Thanks, guys.
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| So here's what I did this week. |
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| so my dad showed me something interesting
today. |
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