{ c'mon, Irene }

We survived the "big storm" (that wasn't).

My daddy was here visiting, which 100% took the stress off. We ended up stocking up on lots of booze, cooking big pots of yummy food ("just in case..."), and enjoying some cooler temps and beautiful showers.

Thankfully here on the New Hampshire Seacoast, the extent of our hurricane effects was brief gusts of wind (that cleaned out the "loose" tree branches) and some moderate rain -- nothing but a good ol' fashioned thunderstorm.

storms are a-brewin'

After a quiet hurricane season so far, several tropical storms are churning out in the open waters of the Atlantic, just waiting to make their leap into the Gulf.

My post-traumatized-stressed-syndromed-self still has occasional heart palpitations whenever the lights flicker during a big thunderstorm, so just thinking about dealing with another major tropical event of any kind makes me want to crawl into a fetal position in the corner with a strong cocktail. Hurricane Ike still lingers in my brain ... not as a distant memory, but as a recent monster.

So as Gulf Coasters always do, we'll be watching, monitoring, and waiting as things begin to unfold.

unsung heroes

As Hurricane Gustav currently pounds away at New Orleans, I, along with the rest of the country, am following the coverage closely on the news.

Once again, as was the case three years ago during Hurricane Katrina, the men and women of the United States Coast Guard have stepped up and are admirably serving without hesitation. A runaway barge was just secured, in chaotic conditions, by the swift and heroic actions of the USCG. FOXNews' Shepherd Smith went as far as saying that it could've been a definitive move in saving the city.

I've expressed my frustration time and again over some of the sometimes random and seemingly unnecessary operations and trips that Ty has been forced to endure, at the expense of distance away from our family -- and Lord knows I've been vocal about the shortcomings and "wrongs" that we've felt from this branch of the military.

But when push comes to shove, it's times like the current state of things that remind me why he's doing what he does what he does, and why it's very much needed. Even though most folks don't even realize the Coast Guard does anything but board boats checking for life jackets and alcohol, I'm glad they're out there doing what they do, day in and day out.

the calm before the storm

Looks like we're about to get hit by our first storm of the season tomorrow. Tropical Storm Edouard is churning in the Gulf, right off the coast of the Louisiana. And current indications have the dude pointing squarely in our direction, as far as landfall. So the Houston/Galveston area is currently scrambling to prepare (this one really snuck up on us).

I headed out to Kroger and Costco this morning to stock up on the essentials, which I hate to admit, I hadn't done yet this hurricane season. Costco was a mad scene, of course. I dreaded even going inside, but surprisingly, people seemed to be much more friendly and helpful than usual. People were patient, helpful with one another, and smiling.

Times like this always make me proud of my neighbors, and proud to be a Houstonian and a Texan. Tough times seem to bring out the best in us.

Anyway, it doesn't look to be too fierce a storm. But a hurricane is a hurricane. You just don't mess with 'em. Hopefully we won't even need our batteries, flashlights, and bottled water. But as those of us who've been born and raised on the Gulf Coast always remember, it's better to be safe than sorry.