Texas

Highlights of Houston: CJ and Eli came to our hotel for a visit. Our student teachers were all fantastic. The HR directors took us to Papasitos for lunch and the next day we took our student teachers and their spouses to Papasitos for dinner. We were Mexicaned out! We took in a session at the Houston temple and met Jay Hamilton’s nephew (the temple recorder). It was a drizzly rainy day and one of our student teachers commented that she loved to see clouds in the sky. She got tired of constantly having blue skies and sunny days! Well, well.

We always enjoy our trips to Houston. I always say, “It’s not the place, it’s the people.” (Also: “It’s not the school building, it’s the teachers inside.”) Simple, but true! The people in Aldine School District are awesome, and I can truthfully say, Texans are the friendliest people ever!

The home above has obviously not been repaired. However, Hurricane Ike’s destruction was evidenced everywhere by freshly sawed logs from downed trees stacked next to homes, disheveled billboards, and blue tarps spread across roofs -- a temporary fix while waiting for new shingles. Our hotel’s roof was partially covered with a large blue tarp and each guest room, as well as the halls, had new paint, carpet, and/or tile. Water damage caused by flooding and broken windows took its toll on the Holiday Inn!

Nate Boughton, an HR Director in Aldine, wrote a 60-plus page document about his experiences with Ike. He printed a copy for us. Nate and his family were without electricity and water for 2 weeks. Interesting info:
1. “…At 2:17 a.m. we lost power. My universe instantly shrunk. A television, such a common, everyday item, ceased to provide me with information and comfort. We watched as 5 million people lost electricity tonight. Ours is now off too. My new world is now limited to what I can see out my front door.
2. “…5:15 a.m. I turned the radio on and KTRK 740 was alive with reporters in the field.”
3. “Before the storm hit, gas stations were running low or out of fuel…the radio was reporting only one gas station was open in Montgomery County…Cars were backed up onto I-45. We circled around and came toward the gas station from the rear. We were shocked to see a line, well over 200 people, standing, waiting for a pump with 5 gallon, 1 gallon, and 2 gallon containers in hand . . . waited in lines well over four hours to get 5 gallons of gas.”
4. “There was another line waiting to enter the grocery store. Michele looked at me, “I am so glad we have a three day supply of canned food in the pantry. We don’t have to worry about the lines.”
5. “Kroger was open…no lines…shelves of dry goods and canned goods were empty…see nothing but shelf…not a single loaf of bread, bagel, or bun…meat isle even worse…frozen food isles were taped with yellow caution tape.
6. One of Nate’s neighbors had a generator. Four neighbors pushed their refrigerators into the generator neighbor’s kitchen. He kept their refrigerators operational by rotating power.
7. Neighbors pooled their food and ate together each night using Nate’s grill.
8. Another neighbor’s baby was due the night of the hurricane. Luckily, she had the baby one week later. However, the baby came home to a house without water, lights, and air conditioning. The one neighborhood generator was moved to her home to give power to a portable air conditioner and light for the new baby.