Category: Orphans

I am back.

I took a little break although it was not on porpoise. It rather is that I had somewhat of an accessibility problem. Those nasty hurricanes will do that (meaning “Ike” and not the drink so famous on Bourbon Street, although the best I recollect, too many of those hurricanes will definitely give you an accessibility problem as well).

But yes, despite the fact that the DHL folks doubly got the delivery address wrong this morning I still managed to take possession of my new inspiron and it works like a charm. Likewise I am impressed with the speed of my new Verizon USB air card.

However, one thing this new laptop will not do is cook, so I must eat something. Chow. Yes I need to eat some chow.

Greetings again from Ike-land.

More and more establishments are opening. I have just finished lunch at McAlister’s Deli on Dowlen Road in Beaumont (Texas). During normal times (whenever that may be) the place serves an extensive menu but it is limited today, because of the Ike aftermath, to turkey or ham box lunches with chips and a cookie. Their big ol’ iced tea isn’t even available because they depend on local water and it is under a “Boil Water Notice” due to salt water intrusion from Ike’s storm surge. At a total of $7.79 for the box lunch and a small bottle of water, it’s hardly a great deal but I had to eat and find wifi somewhere.

One thing I noticed after Hurricane Rita and I see it raising its ugly head again is hurricanes give businesses an excuse to not do their jobs. I am not talking about this restaurant but rather the larger companies that are already inept which find even more latitude for incompetence after a natural disaster occurs.

Oh well, what say I can? It’s the weekend even though it has kind of been all week long. Happy motoring.

Which way you going Billy? Ike reroutes traffic at the Bank of America building on Calder Avenue in Beaumont, Texas.
Hideho! Or as they say in somewhere: IOhedih

I have been Iked since Friday evening. About mid-evening Friday, Ike started blowing in and the ‘lectricity went out and stayed out until early Tuesday night. I likewise have had a difficult time finding wi-fi about town. My new laptop is in the DHL place in Houston and hopefully they will deliver it to me tomorrow. I finally purchased another broadband card, this time from Verizon, so hopefully I will be back up and running even better.

Beaumont (Texas, where I live) was Iked pretty good. In some respects the damage (since I am writing this at home and will be sending from Starbucks, I hope to have a photo or two but if I don’t, sorry, I will later) didn’t appear as bad as from Rita in September 2005. But that is just in Beaumont and plenty of places and things did get hammered here.

Ike did demolish a lot of other places worse than Rita such as Orange and Bridge City, in neighboring Orange County. I imagine Sabine Pass and Cameron also took a pretty good pounding. And I have seen the destruction on TV of Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston. It’s sad because I have such fond memories of those places in my younger and wilder days. But they will be back albeit probably much different.

That’s it for now. Happy birthday to my favorite northern Pole, Sally in Pittsfield, Mass. We’ve been friends for more than 30 years and have lived many miles apart for all but a couple of those years. Thus, a little morality lesson: Friendship knows no geographical boundaries.

Some new sidewalk will be needed by the historic McFaddin-Ward Home in Beaumont’s Old Town Section.

It is 1153 and only 12 hours or so from welcoming Ike to Southeast Texas. Welcome! Make yourself right at home.

This morning has featured a light breeze and clouds from time-to-time here in Beaumont, Texas. Only 20 or so miles to our south Jefferson County area the storm surge has started rolling in and could get quite nasty.

Most likely this will be my final dispatch until sometime after landfall. The more I hear about Ike, the more anxious I become. But I am determined to ride it out safely.

So long and thanks for all the fish.

The big storm Ike is down there in what we call the “Gulf of Mexico.” Nuts? Wild Hickory or Pecans?
Surprise! Our county dads called for a mandatory evacuation in Jefferson and Orange counties in Southeast Texas this morning bright and early. Nothing like having plenty of warning, but I don’t know enough about their decision to criticize. Besides, I am not going anywhere.

We may not be as lucky this time as with Gustav. The forecast, for the moment, puts landfall somewhere around Freeport, Texas, some 107 miles down the coast. The enormous wind field of Ike extends its tropical storm blows 200-something and about 110 miles for hurricane force winds. So we will likely get hurricane force winds here tomorrow. Don’t expect any postcards. I figure I will do a lot of reading and sleeping and probably listening to the radio or TV as long as power is available. No word on freelancing opportunities yet.

Ta. Talk to you when I can.

Mr. EFD