Thursday morning Jessica and I decided to pack up our dirty clothes, which smell of charcoal, sweat, and trees, and drive to Austin to her parent’s house. We have enjoyed the power, the internet, and television and ended up celebrating our 2 month “anniversary” at Primizie during lunch yesterday.
Our house is still without power but we are heading back today so that Jess can prepare for work on Monday and I can plan the next few days as far as repairs go.
We appreciate everyone’s kind words, thoughts, and prayers. The days and nights have been stressful but knowing that people care makes it bearable.
We are on our fourth day without power and though the lack of light does not bother us, the everyday things that we take for granted, like a blowdryer or coffee grinder, are sorely missed. It is a longing for “normal” that fills our day.
Our neighbors are in good spirits and keep us company when the days drag on. What an odd set of circumstances to set in motion the meeting of neighbors.
I think the nerves of some area residents have worn thin. We hear reports of people pulling knives at gas stations and threatening people while waiting for ice, though we have not witnessed such an occurrence. Our frustration with Centerpoint Energy has grown but we understand that their task is daunting.
The roof is in the first stages of getting fixed. If the recent beautiful weather, which has been a blessing, stays the roof may be finished in time for Jess to return to work.
That is all for tonight from a candlelit porch in the hurricane weathered town of Houston.
We do not have power so I am making this update from my phone. Jessica and I are fine but had a tree fall on our garage and make it unusable, thankfully neither car was in it.
I think we will head out today to try and find some more ice but I am guessing it will be a futile search.
Every year the Gulf Coast prepares itself for hurricanes, the people here having weathered them for centuries. But every year the forecasters and news teams seem to become even more over the top than the the year before. This year is not any different.
Hurricane Ike has created havoc in Haiti and Cuba and has set its sights on Texas. The newscasters could not be more thrilled. The city news has not actually shown happenings in the area in the last week, instead opting to show nothing but forecasts of Ike. Maps like the one below have flooded (no pun intended) our television screens.
Even before that image was taken, the forecast “cone”, or “cone of ignorance” as I like to call it, was massive, stretching from Florida to northern Mexico. The meteorologists on T.V. call it the “cone of uncertainty” which I think is their way of conceding that they I have no idea where the hurricane is going.
So, Houstonians will do what they have always done, purchase some canned goods and hunker down for a wet weekend.
The news is a little bittersweet for frequent travelers to London. Gatwick is a much better alternative to Heathrow in terms of room and passenger loads, losing it means arriving at a much more congested airport and clearing immigrations with a larger number of people.
We live down the street from a very large farmers’ market and there is a fruit stand nearby that sells mangoes. Outside of this mango stand is a large, white sign that gives the current price for half-a-dozen mangoes. Last month the price was $4 for six mangoes, over the past few weeks the price has risen to $5, and as of yesterday, the price is now $6 for six mangoes. Jessica and I have this a mass media name of, “Mango Inflation 2008”, but we could have gone with something more along the lines of “The Great Mango Inflation of 2008”, which is a little more classic and a throwback to the 1960’s and 70’s.
A little over two weeks ago Jessica and I were married in the company of our friends and family. The ceremony in downtown Austin was perfect, with a fantastic reception following. I wanted to say thank you to everyone who was able to make it and share in our day.
We are also back from our honeymoon in San Pedro, Belize. The water, beaches, and resort were wonderful and Jessica and I had an amazing time. I will be posting pictures from both the wedding and the honeymoon as fast as I am able to edit them.
There will also be some changes on this site and the http://stephanandjessica.com site, hopefully for the better.
Continental airlines has loaded the schedules into their reservation system for a few new routes and one that they have not flown in a long time.
They will fly EWR–ITH, EWR–MDT, EWR–AVP, and they are bringing back EWR–PHL.
The announcement is great news for the smaller markets and a welcome relief from US Airways customers in Philadelphia. And while this move looks great for the customer it’s partially a strategic move so that Continental secures their take-off and landing slots at Newark.
A state of flux has come over the airline industry. The CEOs are panicking about the price of oil and the necessity to keep their respective companies afloat, and even profitable. They are moving to tactics such as charging customers to check a bag or pay for a soda on the plane.
These tiny charges do not seem like much on the surface but over time the irritation level of fliers will grow. People will start carrying as much as they can on the plane, then bags will have to be checked on the jetway. It is ineffective to try and nickel and dime people to stay out of the red. The airlines should temporarily reduce capacity and raise fares to make up the difference. They will go out with fuller planes and a better profit for each.
All of these charges are coming at the same time as a reduction in frequent flier benefits permeates the different programs. US Airways is the most obvious offender, taking away a lot of the benefits of being a frequent flier with them and potentially driving away the only group of people that can help them stay out of bankruptcy, business travelers.
The only real perk of lots of flying for a business traveler are the miles and elite status that comes with them. If airlines devalue the status and the fact that a customer has been loyal, they are bound to lose that customer. Airlines should be doing all they can to cut costs without passing them along to the customer outside of the price of a ticket. If they can do that, they will stay in business and keep a base of frequent fliers.
64 years ago today Allied forces began the largest invasion the world had ever seen. Their mission was to break the beachhead and establish a foothold on the European continent. They succeeded.
My Fellow Americans:
Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our Allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.
And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:
Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.
Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.
They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.
They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest — until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men’s souls will be shaken with the violences of war.
For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and goodwill among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.
Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.
And for us at home — fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas, whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them — help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.
Many people have urged that I call the nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.
Give us strength, too — strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces.
And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.
And, O Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in Thee; faith in our sons; faith in each other; faith in our united crusade. Let not the keeness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment — let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.
With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogances. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace — a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.
