Category: Life

Hurricane Ike update

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After 15 days in the dark, the power in our area has been restored!

Life is slowly starting to return to normal though there are little things that make it obvious a hurricane was recently in the area. The enormous piles of debris that sit on the streets and in yards, the downed trees that block roads and dry out while sitting on top of a house, and the challenge of finding milk, cheese or certain fresh vegetables all remind us of the storm that we’ve endured…

I just wanted to reiterate our thanks to everyone for all of the support during these last few weeks! We are glad to be blessed with such caring friends and family.

We escaped to Austin to do laundry

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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.

Hurricane Ike – Day four without power

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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.

Hurricane Ike update

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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.

The unmistakable cone of ignorance

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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.

Hurricane Ike Forecast

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.

Mango Inflation 2008

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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.

We’re back and we’re married!

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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.

Nickeled and Dimed Out of Flying

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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.

Yes, the rumors are true

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For those who we have yet to tell, Jess and I are engaged to be married!

So, I’m sure everyone wants the scoop, how it happened, when we’re getting married, and how little sleep I’ve achieved. To start, I’ll explain how the engagement went.

Jess and I have always enjoyed heading to Coupland Dancehall to dance and enjoy good music. I contacted Kyle Park, an old friend of Jess’s who happens to be a country musician, asking when he would be at Coupland and whether or not he would be willing to play his ‘Yours and Mine’ song. Of course, Kyle, being the nice guy that he is, happily agreed. Having a date that Kyle was going to play, I was able to organize Jess’s and my parents to surprise her at the dancehall.

Of course, loving to dance, Jess agreed to go to Coupland and we headed to Austin on Friday, February 22nd. The ring was hidden away in the depths of my suitcase the whole time, my biggest worry was dropping the ring or flat out losing it. The evening of the dance rolled around and Jess and I made the thirty minute drive. To our surprise, the dancehall was packed (Kyle is getting popular!) and walking in we realized there were very few spots to sit.

We danced a few times during Kyle’s first set and were having a great evening. Kyle came back out for his second set and I became anxious, knowing that the song would be played in the next few minutes. Kyle had informed me before the show that he would play a George Strait composition before he played our song and when it came on I text messaged my mother and told her to get everyone ready.

Jess and I started dancing to ‘Yours and Mine’ and I eventually leaned in and asked her to marry me. She stepped back, looked at me confusedly, and then I showed her the ring, she just about lost it. At first I’m not sure she thought the whole thing was real and for both of us the next few minutes were a blur. I pointed out our families standing to the side and they gave us all hugs.

YES!

As far as when we are getting married, we do not know the exact date just yet but have been exploring options in late July and mid to early August. Neither of us have really slept thanks to excitement and adrenaline.

Thank you all for the congratulations and well wishing! We’ll be sure and let everyone know the plans and dates as we get them. You can keep up with photos by visiting this link: http://www.flickr.com/gp/23982214@N00/szzn27

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