Oh My!

I thought I had the handheld GPS products fully figured out and had decided what I wanted to buy. That was what I thought before I checked Amazon.com yesterday and saw a new Garmin Nuvi 350. It will not start shipping until sometime in November. I am really glad I had not made a purchase. The Nuvi 350 sounds like Garmin read my mind and put everything that I ever wanted in a GPS into this model. It comes preloaded with all the U.S. city details. There are optional travel guides that will take care of Europe. These are sold on SD memory cards so there is no complicated downloading process from a pc. This model includes a suction cup mounting kit so it can be used in the car. It is no bigger than a deck of cards so it can fit in a pocket or purse. This one gives voice directions like the expensive navigation systems that are being installed in new cars. It also has an optional subscription service that gives traffic conditions. If this thing delivers on all that is promised, I have to have one. I am not going to be the first kid on the block to buy one. I will wait to see reviews from actual users. This will delay my purchase, but I think it will be worth the wait. nüvi

Update

The FEMA inspector came to my house yesterday afternoon. She spent about 45 minutes looking at my house. I gave her the same tour and list that I had given to the insurance adjusters. I am not sure what her visit accomplished, but I am following the rules.

I surprised myself yesterday evening by successfully completing a “very hard” level Sudoku puzzle without even taking one peek at the solution. This was a first for me. I just finished checking the solution, and it is all correct.

I finally finished reading the book I started before the evacuation and am making good progress on another book. Now that I have the “library” back to normal I enjoy sitting in my recliner and reading.

Henry is getting back to normal too. He is playing with his ball, but he apparently wants some attention. He just called my name. I need to go pet him on his head and tell him he is a good boy. I did that. He played the Aibo happy tune in response. If he does not get attention, he gets bored and goes to sleep.

I just realized that it is an hour earlier than I thought it was. Guess who forgot to turn her clocks back one hour last night. It is going to be a long day.

I am still considering buying a handheld GPS. I have been reading about geocashing. Geocashing is a treasure hunt with GPS units. There is a website: Frequently Asked Questions About Geocaching. You can put in a zip code and find cashes that are hidden in a given area. I was surprised to find there are quite a few in the Beaumont area. Now that the weather is cooler this might be something to do that is fun and will get my mind off of the damage done by Hurricane Rita.

FEMA Inspection

Last night at 9 PM I got a phone call from a woman who said she is with FEMA and would like to come out today to give my house an inspection. Earlier in the week several of my neighbors received the inspection. I registered with FEMA right after Rita hit. I am not certain what the purpose of the inspection is. She said she would need to see my driver’s license to prove I live in the house and the registration on my car to prove that I own it. For a moment I was taken back because the title to my car is in the safe deposit box in the closed Bank of America branch that was damaged in the hurricane. I then realized I have the receipt from the annual auto registration.

Debris Removal is a Mess

I mean that both figuratively and literally. After I listened to the news last night, I realized how lucky my neighborhood was to get the debris picked up yesterday. FEMA funding for private contractors to pick up the debris ended last night. Texas Gov. Perry’s request to have the FEMA funding extended was denied. Rep. Poe is still fighting for the funding. Now the county will have to pay 25 percent of the cleanup costs or request the Army Corp of Engineer to come in here. They say that will cost taxpayers an additional 18 million dollars. County Fighting for Full Federal Funding of Debris Removal

The other reason the clean up is a mess is that the street was full of glass, nails and shingles after the contract trash crew left. There was a big pile of rocks still on the common area. I do not have a clue who put those rocks out there. I finally went to the grocery store. When I came back, three of my seventy-plus year old neighbors were out there cleaning up the mess.

We have little medians planted with flowers and shrubs at the entrance to each street. There were big gas lamps in the medians. Hurricane Rita knocked the gas lamps down. The homes association has decided to replace the gas lamps with electric lamps because natural gas is going to cost so much. A neighbor told me the gas bill for the two lamps was running $100 a month already. I did not realize it was that much. Anyway one of the elderly gentlemen was out yesterday trying to dig up the concrete slab in which the lamp pole was set. I stopped and told him I thought we should hire someone to do that hard work.

I am Trapped

I was going to go to the grocery store but changed my mind when I tried to turn out on to the mail street where all the debris have been piled up. The city, county or somebody else is finally removing the accumulation. I hope they do a good job of cleaning the street. I am afraid to drive my car through it.

Debris Removal and Traffic

Two of the biggest problems that Hurricane Rita has left for our community are debris removal and maddening traffic on our streets. KFDM aired the following on the debris removal status and cautions: Poe Asks President to Extend Funding for Debris Removal . The Beaumont Enterprise had the following on the traffic problem: Traffic out of control

Sudoku in the News

Last night the CBS Evening News had a story on Sudoku: Sudoku Addicts Unite. It seems as though there are lots of people sharing my addiction.

Update

A technician from Efficient Systems gave my heating system its fall check yesterday. I asked him to take a thorough look around the attic. He said the ducts looked like they were straight with no damage and all the insulation seemed to be in place. He said everything was normal with the heating system. Although it was not part of the fall check I asked him to put his gauges on the air conditioner and check the coolant pressure. It was a little low and he added some coolant to it. This was the first time in four years that coolant has been added. The coil in the attic has been replaced multiple times in this house. I hope that will not have to be done again before I move.

Marguerite called again last night. She finally made direct contact with local employees of the Del Webb Frisco Lakes development. She confirmed the earlier information that houses will not be ready for occupancy until August. She said they are going to have a grand kickoff in late January or February. I will go up there when that happens. I called the Super Shuttle and asked if they would be providing service to DFW from the Frisco Lakes area. I gave them the zip code, and was told that it is within their service area. Yesterday’s American Airlines NetSAAver fares had me drooling. It would be wonderful to be able to get those cheap fares.

My package from Buy.com departed Houston in the wee hours of this morning. It should be in Beaumont and on the van for delivery shortly. Tomorrow morning there will be lights in the living room when I go downstairs. I figured out that the motion detectors in the master bath and kitchen are still working. The X-10 receivers apparently are not as sensitive as the old Stanley transceivers that Rita destroyed.

There was a rather sad story on the news last night about Hurricane Katrina evacuees in Southeast Texas, who are being evicted from rental properties. The Southeast Texas Planning Commission had told them their rents would be paid for one year. Now the Planning Commission is saying due to Rita things have changed, and we must take care of our own first. I am really concerned about how the community is going to be able to pay the costs associated with Hurricane Rita.

The Den and the Library

These are pictures of my two front bedrooms where Hurricane Rita damaged the sheetrock around the windows. I loaded my old ironing board in the trunk of my car. Many years ago I bought two tie-down straps that I use to hold the trunk lid down when there is something sticking out of the trunk. They held securely, and I managed get take the ironing board to the Goodwill donation station without incident. I stored the new ironing board in the old one’s place and got it out of the library.

I also have a Yamaha electronic keyboard on a stand and a little bench that were taking up space in the library. I bought the keyboard right after I retired with the intention of learning to play it. It hasn’t happened. I folded the stand and little bench and managed to find a place to store them. I then cleaned around the window and put things back in place. The sheetrock damage probably would not be obvious to someone who walks into either of the rooms, but I know it is there, and it bothers me. There is no need to rush to get it repaired. It is probably best to wait for the chaotic situation in Beaumont to settle.

Inch by Inch

I do think I am moving forward but at a very slow pace. The shopping trip to Sam’s felt normal yesterday. The traffic on Washington was normal except for the missing traffic light at Langham. I got an email from a friend who said that she encountered the terrible traffic yesterday afternoon. I guess I was just lucky. Sam’s had a normal feel to it. There were so many people in the store during my first two trips after the evacuation. There were a normal number of cars in the parking lot and the normal number of checkout lanes open.

Texas hotels were instructed not to charge state and local taxes to Hurricane Rita evacuees. The Hampton Inns that I stayed at in Frisco and Richardson had the tax exemption forms for me to sign. The FourPoints in Texarkana charged taxes. I found the forms to get the tax refunded on the State of Texas websites and am going to send them to the hotel in Texarkana and request a refund. Every little bit helps.

Today I am going to work on restoring the other front bedroom to better than pre-Rita condition. I am ashamed to say this, but I have left my ironing board standing in that room for almost a year. I bought a new ironing board last year and have not got rid of the old ironing board. If I place the ironing board in the trunk of my car, it sticks out the back. I want to take it to the Goodwill collection point but hate the thought of transporting it. I am going to get it done. Then I can store the new ironing board out of sight. I am thinking about making the house presentable for sale.

The Beaumont Enterprise had an article that said Wal-Mart is not able to stay open 24 hours a day because they are sixty employees short. The Outback Steak House is serving a limited menu because they are short of employees. The area’s McDonald are sharing employees to fill gaps. People have not returned from their evacuations. Some of them have homes that were destroyed. Others have found employment elsewhere and are not coming back. I have no idea when Beaumont will return to something that resembles normal.

It is a good thing that I am the world’s champion mail order shopper. Buy.com sent my X-10 controller via UPS. This will be the first package to be delivered by UPS since my return. It is supposed to be delivered by tomorrow. I placed another order with L.L. Bean. I checked the FedEx tracking information and see that this package successfully made it through the Connecticut sorting facility that returned my first package to Bean. So long as the mail order firms can take care of my needs I can ignore the crippled businesses in Beaumont except for groceries.

Hurricane Season is Over in Texas

That is what I heard a local TV weatherman say. I really hope that he is correct. The temperature is 45 degrees right now. That is a winter-time temperature. The high for today is forecast to be 67. I turned the heat on before I went to bed last night. I am going to love winter.

I turned on CNN’s coverage of Hurricane Wilma last night and had to turn it off after a few minutes. It brought back too many very painful memories of lying awake in the bed in the hotel room in Texarkana and the next few days when I had no idea if I still had a house to go home to.

I put everything back in one of the front bedrooms as it was before the storm. I use the room as a den. I have a sofa bed and usually watch TV in the room and keep my computer in there. This morning I am working on the computer in the room and letting Henry run around and play as I am writing for my blog. This is my old routine. The first time I have done this since September 21.

I am going back to Sam’s Club this morning. This will be my third trip over there since I returned from the evacuation. I have not been able to get everything restocked. During normal times I go to Sam’s approximately every two weeks.

Insurance Adjuster

I did not hear from the insurance adjuster so around ten yesterday morning I called him. He was over in Louisiana. He said he got my file around midnight, and there was nothing in it, and he would come by and take the information for the report in the afternoon. I said fine I will print out all the information I gave the first adjuster. I printed all of the receipts that I had from the evacuation.

I had scanned and saved everything into my computer. There were 15 pages of receipts. When I looked at the receipt from the hotel in Texarkana, I was dismayed to see that my name, address, full credit card number and expiration date were on the receipt. I wondered where the first adjuster lost my paperwork. What a jerk! I took a pair of scissors and cut out the credit card information from the new set of receipts that I had printed. I am at risk from the first set. I was not going to place myself in double jeopardy.

The adjuster arrived around one-thirty. He had another man with him. I showed him the damage. He said he was recommending that sections of sheet rock be removed, the rooms painted and the carpet cleaned after the sheetrock and painting. The first adjuster did not give me a clue as to what he would recommend. The first adjuster was a contract employee of USAA. The second one was a regular employee of USAA. He had much better people skills. Now I will just have to wait to see if they are going to treat me fairly or if I will have a battle on my hands.

Two Simple Tasks

Yesterday I spent a good portion of my morning doing two things. I had to deposit a check at the bank and mail a letter at the post office. I went to the West Beaumont branch of the Bank of America. The repair work is still in progress. Yellow hazard warning tape prevented me from entering the parking lot. I parked a considerable distance away and walked back. The tent was still there but was empty. The mobile bank was there and a group of men were standing in front of it. There was a sign on the front of the bank that said the West Beaumont branch was closed out of consideration for the safety of the customers, and customers should go to the Broadway bank for banking services. I talked to the security guard about when I could get into my safe deposit box. He said there was a phone number on the door that I could call to make an appointment to be escorted to my box. I may do that next week. I do not really need any thing from the box but would like to check it out for my peace of mind.

I then drove to the Broadway banking center. This is Bank of America’s big bank in the area. The lobby and ATM are operating. I am not familiar with this location. I had only been inside once before, and a couple of times in past years I had tried to find the ATM and could not. Well this time I parked my car. They had cardboard signs up that pointed to the ATM and lobby. I deposited my check in the ATM and got a receipt. It felt rather good to be able to do my normal type of banking even though I had fought my way through the horrid traffic to get there.

I then drove back to West Beaumont. I hate to drive around. I am watching one of my new tires. I am not sure if I have picked up a nail. I could not tell if it is a nail or just a little rock in the tread. Flat tires are a real hazard. The nails that held shingles and siding in place blew off during the hurricane are everywhere. I think back to June when my new fence and roof were installed. Both contractors had rolling magnets that they ran through my yard after they completed their work. I think that is an extra touch that is not being performed by the current crop of workers.

I made my way to the post office and mailed my letter. I have a birthday coming up in a few weeks and will be going on Medicare. I was mailing the application to my former employer to enroll in the Medicare supplemental policy. I wanted to make sure that letter reaches them.

I did not hear from the insurance adjuster yesterday. Late in the afternoon I called. He was still attempting to get the report from the contract adjuster. He did not call me back. He said if he cannot get the report he will be out today and collect the information again. I would like to get this over. I want to go ahead and have the sheetrock repaired and then resume using the front two bedrooms. I use one as the den where I watch TV and the other is the library where I like to sit and read. I have stayed out of those two rooms since I returned from the evacuation. I want to get back to normal.

What I have written is full of complaints. It sounds like I am whining. I am trying to keep a positive attitude and be grateful that my problems are so minor, but it wears on me to see things so messed up. The piles of rubble in my neighborhood are still growing. The paper said that Jefferson County has been granted air pollution waivers so that they can burn the debris.

Onward

The service representative called around 11:30 yesterday and said my car was ready. She sent the courtesy van for me. At last my car is back to normal. This problem started in early August and added to the misery of the evacuation. Now the car has new tires and new struts and springs in the front end. I think I deserve a little carefree operation for a while.

I woke up in the middle of the night and thought of a place where I might have put a brand new transceiver for my X10 home automation control system. This morning I looked and found it. That was a big help. Now I can control my ceiling fans with the remote controls. I ordered a new mini timer controller from Buy.com. Buy.com has fallen down in the satisfaction reviews, but I decided to risk placing an order with them. When I get the mini timer, the first floor lights will be controlled automatically again.

I got the current issue of Time magazine that was sent as a test. I also got one more of the back issues. I am still missing one issue. I decided it was safe to resume my subscription and called customer service. It will be four weeks ago tonight that Rita roared in and turned life in Beaumont, TX, into such a mess.

Yesterday I checked Pricegrabber.com for the best prices on the Garmin GPS unit that I want. A new low price popped up from one of their storefront merchants. The merchant had received good reviews, but I am skeptical because I cannot find an address or phone number independent of Pricegrabber. I am mentally too worn out from the hurricane to get involved in a new hassle. I will just wait and watch the price fluctuations for a few weeks.

I received a note from the tour group lady again. Now she is canceling the trip to the Nutcracker Christmas Market in Houston in November. She refunded my money. She said she is still hopeful that the trips to Galveston and Natchitoches, LA, in December will go as planned.

Insurance Woes

I took my car to Mike Smith Honda. Christi, the service rep., told me she had talked to the technician, and the work would probably take longer than she had estimated. She asked me if I would like a ride home. I decided that would be best because I needed to call my insurance company. I am really disgusted with them and did not think the Honda dealer would appreciate me sitting in their waiting room and yelling and screaming into my cell phone.

I got a tour through the downtown area of Beaumont during the trip home in the courtesy van. This was the first time I have seen downtown since the hurricane. I did not see piles of rubble like we have in the residential areas. They are making progress. On the other hand one lane of Phelan was partially blocked because the piles of tree limbs are overflowing into the street. It is going to take a long time before this is all cleaned up.

Yesterday I called my insurance company to find out the status of my claim. It was a week ago Tuesday that the adjuster came and made his inspection. I was told they had received no report from the adjuster. I switched from the nice mode to the tough mode immediately. I told them my neighbors who are insured by State Farm are just taking their receipts to their agent without even seeing an adjuster and are being reimbursed on the spot. I told them I have been with USAA since 1965. I have been a homeowner since 1972 and never filed a claim. I told them I expected better treatment. I said the least they could do was immediately reimburse me for the expenses I incurred during the evacuation since I charged everything on my credit card and the bill is due.

I had made a copy of every single receipt and tallied everything on a spreadsheet and had given it to the adjuster. I read off the expenses. This nasty old hag that I was speaking to said we cannot pay for gasoline. We pay mileage. We cannot pay mileage for the initial trip to Texarkana. We cannot pay for the bottled water you bought at Wal-Mart. We cannot pay for the bottle of Tide that you bought at Wal-Mart to do your laundry. We will pay the $1.50 you paid for the coin-operated laundry. I was ready to scream. She said she would have to turn it back to the adjuster. I said how long will that be. She said three or four days.

I had my cell phone turned off yesterday. When I turned on my cell phone this morning, there was a message from the adjuster who is the USAA employee I was temporarily assigned to while they played their games with the contract adjuster. When I got home from the Honda dealer, I called him. He seemed very nice. He said he is going to attempt to get the report from the contract adjuster. I told him my feathers really got ruffled yesterday when that awful woman started nickel and dimeing me on my expenses and I needed to be soothed. He said if he cannot locate the first adjuster’s report he will come out here on Saturday and do the whole thing over. He said he would do the best he could to soothe me.

Short

My time is rather limited this morning because I have to take the car to the Honda dealer. I hope they do good work.

Today I think I know more about handheld GPS devices than I did yesterday. I read reviews and forums on the internet yesterday for various models of Garmin and Magellan GPS units. From reading the two companies' websites I thought the Magellan Explorist series would be what I need. I also called Magellan and talked to a sales rep. The Magellan Explorist can use SD flash memory cards and in theory can store unlimited map details. However, when I read the customer reviews on Amazon.com, I found that the Garmin GPSMAP 60C and 60CS were definitely preferred by those who had bought them. The Garmin units apparently have a much better method of transferring detailed maps from the pc to the unit; and there were several people who reported buying Magellan units, returning them and buying the Garmin unit. Now I want Santa to bring me a Garmin GPSMAP 60C, City Select software and windshield mounting bracket with a suction cup.

My friend, Marguerite, called yesterday. She finally got some information on the Del Webb Frisco Lake development. She said it would probably be August of next year before houses are ready to be occupied I was hoping to leave Beaumont before June 1 when hurricane season begins.

175 MPH Winds!!!

I looked at Wilma’s tracking map released at 5 AM. I saw the maximum sustained winds of 175 mph. I thought something was wrong with my eyes or that it was a typo. I went to another site and saw it confirmed. What has happened to our planet? We are in the second half of October. The hurricane season officially lasts through November 30, but usually by late October I am beginning to relax and think hurricanes are not a threat for the remainder of the year. I absolutely have to move to Dallas.

I got some good news yesterday. The service representative from Mike Smith Honda called and said they received my Acura parts. They want me to come in tomorrow morning at 8 AM to get them installed. I will be so happy to have my beautiful car back in good shape. It is an Acura RL with only 20,000 miles on it. I bought it right after I retired and have put very few miles on it.

Acura was one of the first cars to have a navigation system. When I bought my car, the navigation system was only available for cars being sold in California. The software was not ready for the rest of the country. I have felt no need for a navigation system in Beaumont. I know my way around this town. Now that I am seriously thinking about moving to Dallas I think a navigation system would be a big help. I would like to have a little handheld unit that I could carry with me when I travel that has detailed maps available for cities throughout the world. I like to visit big cities and walk around the central city where the tourist attractions are located. I do not know if these little units would be suitable for walking around big cities or not. I have looked at Garmin’s and Magellan’s websites and really do not understand just what I should buy. We have a Circuit City and a Best Buy in Beaumont. I usually am not impressed with the knowledge of the sales staff when I go in those stores. If anyone is reading this blog and can give me some pointers, I would appreciate your advice.

I went to Sam’s Club yesterday. Washington Blvd. was open all the way between Major Drive and the freeway. There was still debris in the center land and one of the westbound lanes was barricaded. There was a four-way stop at Langham. It looked strange at that intersection, and I realized the poles and traffic lights were no longer there. Entergy says they have restored 100 percent of the power to Beaumont, but there are still people with damaged homes that do not have power restored. I noticed the house on the corner of the street behind me is one in that category. The circuit breaker box and electric meter on the side of the house were ripped off and have not been repaired. Every time I go out I see something that reminds me how lucky I am.

The price of premium unleaded gasoline at Sam’s was down to $2.649 yesterday. I am still seeing premium unleaded at $3 at gas stations near where I live. Sam’s seemed to be fully stocked. In fact there were pallets with merchandise sitting in the aisles that made it difficult to get to the shelves. I was able to find everything that was on my list.

I want to run away from home

I think most people around here are on the same emotional roller coaster ride than I am. Tempers are on the edge of flaring. The bills are coming in, the insurance companies are being obstinate, not showing up, not sending checks. Many are behaving in ways they would not during normal times and adopting an everyone for himself attitude. The neighbor helping neighbor bit did not last very long. Fences are being put up with no regard for property lines. I am trying to withdraw into my house and avoid it all. An outfit from Houston has moved into our street. They are installing roofs and fences. The boss is an American of Hispanic origin. The workmen all speak Spanish. I suspect they are illegals.

My FedEx package from L.L. Bean was supposed to be delivered by 3 PM yesterday. It came at little after 5 PM, which was not bad considering they are still working on their backlog. The driver held out the package and said you may want to open it before you accept it. The plastic bag had been caught in a conveyor belt and ripped open and taped back together. I opened it and my shirt was not harmed. I was relieved because I did not want to have to call L.L. Bean, arrange a return and have them ship my order a third time.

Another trip to Sam’s Club is on the agenda for this morning. My kitchen still is not fully restocked, and I have a fairly long list of things I need.

I received an email from an old friend, who is still working for the company that I retired from. He said the plant received extensive damage, and they are putting in twelve hour days. I do not know how people are managing to put in the long hours on the job and cope with the problems at home. I am so fortunate to be retired.

My Car

I took my car to the Honda dealer today. I found out the Acura service manager used to work at the Honda dealership and is a good friend of the service rep that I was dealing with at the Honda dealer. They are both women. The Honda service rep called her friend, and they worked things out so that the parts I need will be sent directly to the Honda dealer. The car needs new struts on the front on both sides. The struts include a spring assembly. After they are put on, the front end will be aligned. It was a relief that I did not have to go to the Acura dealer, buy the parts and take them back to the Honda dealer. The parts should be in by Friday. My goal for this week is to get the car repaired by Friday. Every thing I attempt seems to be so complicated post Rita.

More Trouble

Another potentially devastating storm is preparing to enter the Gulf of Mexico. It looks like Southeast Texas will be protected by the high pressure area that has brought us beautiful weather, but some place to the east of us will be in the path of Wilma. I am praying that there will be no more devastation such as we have seen with Katrina and Rita.

I think I have stood up fairly well through this ordeal, but for the first time I found myself shedding a few tears yesterday. It is wearing on me.

Continuing to Recover

Yesterday morning I finally washed my car. The weather was just right for the task. I managed to get most of the bugs from the highway driving cleaned off. It is not perfect, but is certainly better than what the car wash would have done. Tomorrow I am taking the car to the Honda dealer. Then I will go to the Acura dealer and buy or order the parts. I hope I can get this problem resolved by weeks end.

Toward the middle of the week I am going to contact the man who is going to do my sheetrock repairs. The sheetrock is almost dry. I have my doubts about the quality of the repairs being done on my neighbors’ houses. They are desperate to get work done and have little choice in who they can get and are paying exorbitant prices.

I talked to one friend yesterday. They had a problem getting electricity back. They had to hire an electrician to reconnect their house to the pole. Then the air conditioner would not come on. They had to get a new compressor. They have a hole in the roof. They put their freezer in the backyard. Someone from Houston was collecting the freezer while we were on the phone. When I get discouraged, I tell myself it could have been so much worse. My friend is saying the same thing. Her troubles are worse than mine, but there are so many who are in worse shape.

A neighbor from the street in back of me called last night. The chimney from the house next door to her fell on her house. She finally got that removed. She needs a new roof. The woe goes on and on. The problem is there are at least 250,000 people all having these problems ranging from rather minor like mine to catastrophic. The euphoria of returning home is wearing off and the magnitude of the damage is starting to be very depressing.

What a Relief!

I had a moment of panic this morning when I looked at my PDA. On November 4 the new Harry Potter movie will be released. The Hollywood Theater was destroyed. All of Beaumont’s movie theaters have been closed over the last few years and replaced with just two large multi-screen theaters. I had noted that the Cinemark Tinseltown 15 theater had been closed since the hurricane. I just called their recording and found that Tinseltown reopened yesterday. The children of Beaumont and I can relax. We will get to see Harry Potter.

On a sadder note last night on the news the Julie Rogers Theater in downtown Beaumont was shown. It has extensive damage from the hurricane. Mold is growing on the walls and seats. The entire fall and winter season has been canceled. Broadway plays and concerts are performed at the theater. This is a real loss for the community.

Yesterday and Today

The mailman delivered the first magazines and catalogs post Rita. I got the September 26 issue of Time. It appears the oldest bulk mail is being delivered first. The Wall Street Journal was in my driveway at 5 AM when I got up this morning. Little by little things are approaching normal.

The weather is absolutely beautiful. We are having the nicest weather of the year right now. It is still difficult to comprehend that just three weeks ago tonight the weather was so violent and brought so much havoc and destruction. Either today or tomorrow I am going to attempt to wash my car. I have not washed the car myself in several years. There are bugs on the windshield and front grill and bumper from the highway driving.

I called L.L. Bean customer service back yesterday afternoon after I found out that it was an error on the part of FedEx that cause my package to be returned to Bean. The customer service rep. placed a new order and is having it shipped FedEx second day air, and they are not charging me for the second order. L.L. Bean is among the very best when it comes to customer service.

I called several financial institutions where I have accounts yesterday looking for free advice on how to line up my finances while doing the minimum damage tax wise in order to be ready to purchase a new house. I learned several things. New legislation has been passed to aid Katrina victims, but I doubt if it will be extended to Rita. Rita was not as severe as Katrina. In Beaumont most people are able to go back in their homes although that does help the ones whose homes cannot be inhabited. Port Arthur had a large portion of the city flooded so they are in much worse shape. In Cameron, LA, nothing is left standing except the courthouse. I am afraid they would not accept the idea that Rita was not as bad as Katrina.

I have managed to successfully solve the SuDoku puzzle every day since I returned home. I just printed the current puzzle. It is the "very hard" level. This is the first time I have attempted to work a very hard level.

Progress?

I got my hair cut this morning. I no longer look like I was hit by the hurricane. Poor Julie, my hairdresser, went through the hurricane in Lumberton. They initially thought they were far enough north to be safe. Then when they realized that they were in Rita’s path it was too late to evacuate. She said it roared for about twelve hours like a freight train.

I called Mike Smith Honda’s service department to see if they could check my Acura and replace the shocks and struts. The service rep. transferred me to the parts department. I was told they could not order Acura parts even though they are both a part of Honda. The parts man told me I could go to Classic Acura and buy the parts myself and take them to Mike Smith Honda to have them installed. I was transferred back to the service department and made an appointment to have them look at my car on Monday. This is turning out to be a real hassle. Beaumont does not have Lexus or Infiniti dealerships. Acura is the only Japanese luxury car that has a dealer in Beaumont and now I have found that dealership has its limitations.

My Wall Street Journal was delivered after 7 AM this morning. During normal times I think it is delivered around 3 AM. The last issue of Time magazine that I received before the hurricane was dated September 19. I called the customer service number and had a difficult time getting through the menu to a human being. I finally did. I explained that the post office is only delivering first class mail. The lady was very nice. She extended my subscription to cover the missed issues. She is sending the current issue out as a test to see if I receive it, and she is putting my subscription on suspension until I call back after I start receiving bulk mail again.

While I was at the beauty shop, a lady told me she received a package from FedEx. I called them when I got home and was told they are delivering in Beaumont. I told her about my package being returned to L.L. Bean and gave her the tracking number. She put me on hold and came back and told me the package was indeed going to be delivered back to Bean today, but it was due to an error in the sorting hub in Connecticut. She said right after the storm all packages to my area were automatically returned to the shippers. For some reason the scanning computers at the Connecticut hub had not been updated and rejected my package. She said the problem would be corrected.

It appears that every day is going to present new challenges. I will just have to handle each obstacle as it comes along.

Shopping Problems

This morning when I checked the FedEx tracking information for the package I was expecting from L.L. Bean, I saw that the package had been returned to the shipper. I called L.L. Bean to discuss my options. The customer service representative said they would send it priority mail as a courtesy, but since I have received nothing but first class letters since the hurricane I decided it was too risky to send the package through the mail. L.L. Bean will credit my card when they process the package. I feel like my wings have really been clipped if I am deprived of mail order shopping.

In 1972 when Parkdale Mall was built there was a two floor Joske’s department store in the mall. Sometime in the early 80’s Parkdale Mall was expanded and Dillard’s department store opened a store in the new section of the mall. In the late 80’s Dillard’s bought Joske’s. Dillard’s walled off the second floor in the old Joske’s store and used the first floor for men’s clothing. The newer Dillard’s store became the women’s Dillard’s. They continued to operate two stores until Hurricane Rita arrived. The women’s Dillard’s sustained heavy damage and will not reopen until next year. Dillard’s is removing the wallboard they used to conceal the escalators in the old Joske’s store. The escalators are still in place and work. They are going to carpet the second floor and put the women’s clothing there. The newer store will remain closed for repairs.

The Target store was expanded and remodeled one year ago. It has sustained major damage also and will be closed for several months. I am glad that Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club survived. I am sure as the days go on I will be learning of more and more businesses that I depend on that have problems because of Rita.

Next week I am going to find out what my options are for getting the shock absorbers and struts replaced in my car. My car is an Acura. Before Rita I took my car to Classic Acura. They are a small dealership and do not have the facilities to install the shocks and struts. They referred me to a local shop that I would rather not go to. I am going to see if a Honda dealer will work on my car since Acura is a division of Honda. I would think the Honda dealers should be able to obtain Acura parts. It is going to take patience and perseverance to live here.

Beaumont is Busy

The amount of activity going on in this town is amazing. I do not know where all the people that are working on houses came from. This afternoon I went out to get my flu shot and could hardly weave my car between the workmen’s trucks that are all over the streets. The pile of rubble down at the end of the street has quadrupled. There are some strange looking things on the rubble pile. One thing really had me stumped. My neighbor explained that it was the steps from one house’s swimming pool.

My damage is not really visible to me unless I open the drapes and look for it. It is easy to settle into my house, resume my life and forget that Rita happened. However, I am not going to do that. I am starting to clean my house and figure out what I want to get rid of. I have accumulated stuff that I definitely would not want to pay to move.

This morning I looked out the window, and there was a newspaper in my driveway. I went out and picked it up and found it was The Wall Street Journal. From the conversation I had with them earlier in the week I did not think home delivery would be resumed so soon. It seems all the services are coming back sooner than predicted. It has been three days since I had to unplug the cable modem and wireless router. RoadRunner and cable TV appear to be back to normal.

I thought I would wait a couple of weeks for things to settle down before I took my car in to get the shock absorbers checked. If the service department is open, now may be a good time to get that done while people are occupied with their houses instead of their cars.

Beaumont has been forgotten by the national media. I think it would be a very interesting story to see how the people are so hard at work rebuilding their lives. These people are not sitting on their butts waiting for FEMA to come bail them out.

Update

The insurance adjuster did show up yesterday and made his inspection. He went up on my roof and confirmed that not one single shingle is damaged. I showed him all of the damage from water inside the house. He took pictures. He had several high-tech toys. He had a laser measuring device that he used to measure the bedrooms. I assume that is used to calculate painting costs. He also had a moisture meter that detected the presence of water in the walls and carpet. He said it would be a week to ten days before I hear back from the insurance company. Some of my neighbors are insured by State Farm. They are going ahead with repairs and just taking the receipts to their agents and are being reimbursed without even seeing an adjuster. It is going to be at least two weeks before I can have any work done because the man who is going to fix the sheetrock wants it to be completely dry. My damage is so minor I may not satisfy the deductible.

I am going to get my flu shot this afternoon and haircut tomorrow morning. L.L. Bean shipped my order yesterday via FedEx, and it is supposed to arrive on Friday. It will be reassuring if it arrives on schedule. The first class mail seems to be arriving without delay. The post office delivered on Monday which was the Columbus Day holiday for the rest of the country. They have not delivered any magazines or catalogs. The deposit I made under the tent at the Bank of America yesterday showed up online this morning. My life is slowly returning to normal.

Confused and Tired

About 9:45 I left home again to go to Sam’s Club. My cell phone rang, and it was the contract adjuster for my insurance company (the one I thought had been fired). He told me he had my case back and wanted to know if I would be home this afternoon. I told him I had been given the name of a new adjuster last night and wanted to call the insurance company and get things clarified. After I got home from Sam’s, I called and found out I indeed was back with the first adjuster. I called him and hopefully will see him this afternoon.

My usual route to Sam’s Club is to go south on Major Drive to Washington and then east on Washington to the frontage road. I traveled about a mile on Washington and came to a road closed sign. I had to turn my car around and go back to Major Drive. I then went east on College which is U.S. Hwy. 90. There were lanes closed by police cars and tie-ups because of big trucks delivering building materials. The traffic was worse than rush hour. One thing I like about Beaumont is the traffic is normally quite tolerable. I can usually go almost anyplace within the city in 15 minutes.

I got to Sam’s and went to the gasoline pumps. The price was $2.769/gal. for premium unleaded. Every place that I have looked premium has been a little over $3/gal. I thought maybe the pumps were not working and still had pre-Rita prices. I was able to fill my car and actually paid $2.769.

When I got inside the store I heard someone calling my name. It was a man I worked with when I first came to this area. Then his friend walked up, and he was another one that I had worked with long ago. We had to trade evacuation stories and play a little catch up. I finally completed my shopping and headed back home. I got D-size batteries and my old radio works just fine now. It is ready for the next power outage. I was able to get three of the four newly released paperback books that I had on my list. I feel like I have put in a full day.

Primative

I went to Wal-Mart this morning. I can tell that progress is being made on removing rubble and debris. The Wal-Mart lot had several RV’s with insurance company logos on them. I guess the adjusters are camping there. The Wal-Mart store seemed to have lots of employees at work stocking the shelves. There was still no frozen food but seventy-five percent of the refrigerated shelves had food. I was able to get everything on my list and get my shopping card replenished so I am ready to shop at Sam’s Club. The self-checkout scanners were operating. When I walked up, a supervisor came over and said I will check you out. They are operating the scanners in the supervisory mode and not the do-it-yourself mode.

I then went to the Bank of America branch. It is a beehive of activity with the repairs to the building. I could not find a parking space so I went into the adjacent shopping center parking lot which was full of big trailer trucks. I hiked back to the bank. There was a tent set up with folding chairs in front of the mobile bank. Two-thirds of the chairs were filled with people and it was only five minutes until nine. I asked what the procedure was and a lady told me they were waiting to see a teller. I asked if you had to wait in line to use the ATM. They said no I could go right over to the ATM. I did that and asked another BOA employee if I could make a deposit into the ATM. He said no that I had to see the teller. At that moment they asked if anyone wanted to just make a deposit and not get cash back. That was what I wanted. They told me to go right to the front. I felt bad going ahead of all those who were sitting there waiting. I had my check sealed in an ATM deposit envelope. The teller asked me if I had a deposit slip. I pulled one out of my checkbook. I write so few checks that my checks still say NationsBank on them and have 19__ in the date space. I have fully entered the digital age. Then the teller carefully examined the check and wrote out a receipt for me. I will be checking online to see how many days it takes the system to acknowledge the deposit. I am so used to making deposits into the ATM and then coming home and seeing the transaction online. Instant gratification is gone for the foreseeable future.

I Feel Good

Life is no longer dull. It is funny how pre-Rita everyone scurried around and never had time to stop and talk. Now everyone is overwhelmed with trying to put their lives back in order, but now they all stop and talk and care about one another.

Yesterday I talked to the insurance adjuster at 11 AM. He said he would leave Lake Charles at 4 PM and stop in Beaumont on his way home. At a quarter to six he had not shown up so I called his cell phone and asked him if he was getting close to Beaumont. He answered and sounded very upset—almost like he was crying. He told me my file had been pulled and reassigned, and he would not be seeing me and that he was sorry and hung up on me. I immediately called the claims number for my insurance company. They are manning that number 24/7. The woman pulled up my file and gave me the name and telephone number for the new adjuster who has been assigned to my case. He is working out of the disaster center they have set up in Pasadena, Texas. The first adjuster was a contract employee. The new adjuster is an employee of my insurance company. The woman said she had an email that said the first adjuster would no longer be handling claims for my insurance company. I am making the assumption that they fired him. This is just plain weird but probably will work out for the best.

Today I have to go out and purchase more groceries. I have consumed what I purchased on Friday. I hope Wal-Mart is getting more refrigerated and some frozen food. My old nemesis, the self-checkout scanners, were not operating on Friday. I hope they are back. I am ready to do battle with them. I have a check that I need to deposit at my bank. I know the mobile bank that operates from a trailer has cash dispensing ATM’s, but I do not know if they are able to accept deposits. Life’s simplest little tasks now are quite complicated.

Several of my neighbors work at the chemical and petroleum refineries. They are working ten plus hour days in addition to struggling to get their homes back in order. I am very lucky to be retired but still young enough to cope with the challenges. Several of my neighbors are elderly, and I marvel at how they are coping.

Haircut and More

I just talked to my hair stylist. She said she had tried to call me several times. Anyway I am going to get my hair cut on Thursday. I normally get it cut every three weeks. It will be six weeks Thursday since my last haircut. The shop is going to open complete with the hole in the roof.

The mailman delivered the missing pension check deposit notification. I also got a check from the tour group lady. She is canceling the trip to Tyler, Texas, on October 14 and refunded my money. I have signed up for three more little trips, and she said they are still on. I have something to look forward to.

The Wall Street Journal

I subscribe to the print edition of The Wall Street Journal. The day before I evacuated I went online and put my subscription on vacation hold. The Wall Street Journal has a regional printing plant in Beaumont. The newspaper copy is received by satellite. The papers for Houston and surrounding areas are trucked out of here. I do not know how Houston has received their papers since the hurricane. I called to find out if they had resumed home delivery in Beaumont. They have not. They said they can mail the papers, but the post office is not accepting bulk mailings. Anyway I made a note to call them back in two weeks.

Progress

The freezer is clean. I detect a little lingering odor. I placed my only box of baking soda in it and expect it will clear up. The day before I evacuated I found the batteries in my old, big shortwave radio had corroded. I could not even get the battery compartment door opened. In addition the day before evacuation, I could not find D-size batteries in any store. This morning I worked on the radio. I got into the battery compartment and cleaned out every trace of corrosion. I still need to buy D-size batteries.

I called Kroger and was able to make an appointment to get a flu shot on Wednesday. I got my flu shot there last year. I really like the way they make appointments. There are no lines and no insufferable waits like the doctors’ offices inflict.

I also reached my insurance adjuster and confirmed that he will be able to see me this afternoon. He is working in Lake Charles and goes through Beaumont on the way back to his home in the Houston area. He has a rough job.

I called the air conditioning/heating contractor who has my service contract. As I suspected, they are not doing their routine fall maintenance checks. There are so many people with damaged systems. They are busy making estimates for insurance and making repairs, but they said they intend to start scheduling the fall checks in about two weeks.

There is a light rain today which is raising the humidity. This is not helping my garage ceiling dry out. The sheetrock in the bedrooms is drying; and as it dries, a brown stain is becoming more noticeable.

A year from now I will be in my new house, and all of this will be fading into the past.

Slowly Returning to Normal

Today the insurance adjuster is supposed to come see me, and I cannot avoid cleaning the freezer any longer. After that, I am going to try and get back to my normal routine. I need to get a flu shot and have the fall checkup of the heating system. I have a service contract for my heating and air conditioning system, but I am reluctant to call them. I know I am lucky to still have a heating and air conditioning system. So many are damaged. I also need to have my car checked. I think it needs new shock absorbers. I need to do my normal housecleaning. Those of you who read my blog know I am an avid reader. I have not read one page of a book since Hurricane Rita came into my life. I was half way through a book and would like to finish. Later in the week I want to go to Sam’s Club. It is 6.5 miles from my house. I have not driven that far from my house since I returned home. I read that Sam’s Club had waived the membership requirements since the hurricane and was letting everybody shop there. I know the one thing I am not going to buy there again is chicken pot pies.

Day of Rest

The picture above is of the damaged decorative vent that let the water into my attic which ran down between the walls and damaged the sheetrock.

I have done no work today. The freezer will be waiting for me tomorrow. I went to the post office to mail some letters. It was nice to see that place without the lines of people. Then I drove around the perimeter of Parkdale Mall. The mall appears to be in very good shape. I took pictures of the destroyed Hollywood Theaters multi-screen complex with the damaged McDonald’s golden arches behind it The Parkdale Mall parking lot is still being used as a staging area for various construction crews and relief workers. It was really odd to see the rows of porta potties in the parking lot.

I have posted some pictures to Smugmug: My Neighborhood Two Weeks After Hurricane Rita. The first four pictures are of my house and yard. Mine is the pinkish colored one. Then there are two pictures of the movie theater and other buildings near Parkdale Mall. I walked around the neighborhood and took pictures at random. I was not trying to show the worst. There are so many piles of trash. It is really awful. After comparing the pictures of my house and the rest of the neighborhood, it is easy to understand why the neighbors told me my house was unscathed.

I have spent more time talking to my neighbors over the past three days than I have over the past three years. It is good to be able to share information and trade war stories.

Just Awful

The Beaumont Enterprise has this article with information on the force of Hurricane Rita from the National Weather Service: Measuring the force. After reading this I consider myself extremely lucky to still have a house.

Funny

I copied this off another blog. I hope they don’t mind. I think it is funny but true.

(thanks to Jack Fitch for this one):
YOU KNOW YOU LIVE ON THE GULF COAST WHEN...

You have FEMA's number on your speed dialer.

You have more than 300 C and D batteries in your kitchen drawer.

Your pantry contains more than 20 cans of Spaghetti Os.

You now know the meaning of the word 'contraflow'.

You are delighted to pay $3 for a gallon of regular unleaded.

You own more than three large coolers.

You can wish that other people get hit by a hurricane and not feel theleast bit guilty about it.

You have 2-liter coke bottles and milk jugs filled with water in your freezer.

Three months ago you couldn't hang a shower curtain; today you can assemble a portable generator by candlelight.

You catch a 13-pound redfish. In your driveway.

You can recite from memory whole portions of your homeowner's insurance policy.

You have had tuna fish more than 5 days in a row.

You can rattle off the names of three or more meteorologists who work at the Weather Channel.

Someone comes to your door to tell you they found your roof.

Ice is a valid topic of conversation.

Your new "drive-thru" meal consists of MRE's and bottled water.

Relocating to Missouri does not seem like such a crazy idea.

You spend more time on your roof then in your living room.

A battery powered TV is considered a home entertainment center.

Your child's first words are "hunker down" and you didn't go to OleMiss!

Having a tree in your living room does not necessarily mean it's Christmas.

You know the difference between the "good side" of a storm and the "badside."

You go to work early and stay late just to enjoy the air conditioning.

When Things Get Tough – Go Shopping

I had an even better night’s sleep last night than I have had since the threat of Rita came into my life. I am eating normal foods. Yesterday I even did a little online shopping at L. L. Bean. I ordered a long-sleeve T-shirt that was a sale item. I thought it would be a good test to see if FedEx can still find me.

I will work on the freezer today. Aaron, the young man who is going to do the sheetrock repairs, said the sheetrock has to dry out before he can work on it. I noticed last night the taping between sections in the garage ceiling is coming off. The walls in the bedrooms are drying out, but the water has ended up in the garage ceiling. A neighbor two houses down has a similar ventilator grill in their attic and has similar water damage to mine, but they already have a big hole in their garage ceiling. I am keeping a close eye on the garage ceiling. I do not want anything falling down on my car.

RoadRunner is still erratic. I find if I unplug the cable modem and my wireless router, wait a few minutes, plug the cable modem back in, wait for the lights to come on, and then plug the router back in my pc can connect to the Internet. So many people complain about their cable service. It used to be bad here; but after Time Warner did the fiber optic upgrades, it has been wonderful for the past several years. I am sure they are working hard to get back to normal.

One more good thing came out of this ordeal. I checked my Hilton Honors account. My stays at the Hampton Inns were enough to qualify for the lowest level elite status with Hilton. Maybe I can enjoy some room upgrades next year.

This Afternoon

The young man who my neighbor recommended for the sheetrock repairs came out this afternoon. He gave me a very reasonable bid. I immediately shook his hand and said you have a deal. I feel good about getting a local guy. On every street corner there are signs for various types of repairs. The vultures have moved in. The man I hired works for building contractors during the day. He is going to do my work in the evenings. My neighbors say he is a perfectionist.

The missing water bill finally arrived in today’s mail. The due date on it is October 24 so the city must be giving people extra time to pay their bills. I also got a CD-ROM from Del Webb’s Frisco Lakes. It was the standard Del Webb sales pitch. I have seen their sales propaganda for 30 years. The media changes, but the message is the same. They have given the price range, but there are no floor plans yet. I am ready to mentally start arranging my furniture in my new house.

I managed to work a hard SuDoku puzzle. This is only the second time I have successfully completed a hard level puzzle.

The lights dimmed several times a few minutes ago. The aberrations continue. The Beaumont Enterprise said power is restored to 80 percent of the city as of yesterday. I will be glad when all of the traffic signals are functioning again. The four-way stops are dangerous.

I Feel So Stupid

I spent a good part of the morning cleaning the side-by-side refrigerator freezer in the kitchen. I cleaned every shelf and surface. There is rust in the cracks down at the bottom. What makes me feel stupid is that I cannot get the grill off at the bottom so I can clean the drip pan. What kind of engineer am I if I am stumped by grill latches? I got the manual out and read it. It did not help me. My nose may be desensitized to the smell, but I cannot detect any odor in this box. The freezer in the utility room is the one with a problem because of the chicken pot pies. I think when I clean the shelves and the pan-like shelf in the bottom of the freezer it should be in pretty good shape. I am afraid that job is going to have to wait until tomorrow because I am exhausted. Maybe I will revive after I eat lunch.

Aberrations

I woke up around 2 AM and several lights were on all over the house. I have most of my ceiling lights, lamps and ceiling fans on X-10 controllers. The lights are turned off and on by programmable controllers and remote controls. One of my controllers was fried during the storm; and as a result, in part of the house the modules are not being turned on and off. I do not know if the power supply is having surges that are causing my lights to behave erratically or if my one remaining controller also has problems.

I used to have a controller than was programmed by my computer. This controller connected to the computer via a 9-pin serial port. When I got a computer that used the USB ports, I could no longer use the computer interface. There is now a computer interface for the X-10 modules that is USB enabled. I would order one, but I do not know if UPS and FedEx are making normal deliveries to this area yet. Two weeks ago today Hurricane Rita complicated everyone’s life in Beaumont, Texas.

Peanut Butter Sandwich

A little while ago I walked into my kitchen, got two pieces of bread and spread some peanut butter on the bread. I usually do not snack in the evening; but after two weeks in a hotel with no kitchen it felt so good to be able to do that.

The television portion of the cable returned about 7:30 and RoadRunner was back about 45 minutes later.

No TV – No Internet

It is a little after 6:30 PM on Friday, October 7. The cable and TV have been out for over six hours now. There may be a significant lag between writing this and posting it to my blog.

I washed a couple of loads of clothes. The washer and dryer are in good shape. I unpacked and put away all the things I took with me when I evacuated. It seems to take so much longer to unpack than it does to pack.

I went through the little stack of mail that the mailman gave me. The water bill and the notification of the deposit of my pension check are the only things of importance that are missing. The pension check was deposited electronically so there is no problem. My neighbor just brought one piece of mail to me that was mixed in with theirs.

I scanned all of the important papers that were in the mail and also scanned all of the receipts for my expenses I incurred during the evacuation into my pc. I made a list of all the food that I threw out. I have a stack of grocery store receipts and estimated the value of the food I threw out. It was only $77 so that is not really a significant amount. I still have to make a list of the damages to the house and property. I should take some pictures. The insurance adjuster is supposed to come see me on Monday afternoon.

All my neighbors were asking when I was going to get my lawn mowed. Jose showed up late this afternoon. I hope the neighbors are happy now.

Since I can’t watch TV I think I will listen to the podcasts I have on my iPod. I am too tired to do anything else.

Status Report

I am too tired to do anything physical for a while so I will rest and write. Last night I fell asleep in the middle of CSI and did not wake up until 2:30 AM. This was the best sleep I have had since about September 19. After that date, I started really worrying about Beaumont and Rita.

Last night I ran the dishwasher. The city has said to run the washing machine through a cycle without clothes and run each faucet 10 minutes. This morning I had a tub bath and washed my hair. The water appears nice and clear. I am assuming my house’s pipes were filled with pre-storm water, and the neighbors all around me have been running water for several days so the pipes surrounding me were already flushed. I am washing a load of clothes now.

I drove to my Bank of America branch this morning. They have a trailer which is a mobile bank with ATM’s in the parking lot. The bank’s roof had major damage. I talked to a BOA employee. He said the damage was mainly over the tellers’ windows. The vault and my safe deposit box suffered no damage. The one important thing I forgot to take with me when I evacuated was the keys to my safe deposit box. The keys are safe. That worry is gone. I then went by the beauty shop where I get my hair styled. It is going to be a long time before I get a haircut there. There is major damage to the strip shopping center where it is located.

I headed to Market Basket near my house. I had read that it is well stocked because they got power back early in the week. It was not open yet. I then went to the post office again and stood in a slightly shorter line than yesterday. I talked to the clerk and told her how I left a yellow hold mail card in my box before I left. I also filled out the hold mail pages on the internet. I had my confirmation number and tried to cancel the hold mail order last night on the internet. It said my hold mail number was not valid. After a long wait the clerk came back and said they had no mail for me for the second time. I was getting quite frustrated.

I then went to the Wal-Mart Super Center. They are open for business but have a very limited selection of refrigerated food and no frozen food. I got another half gallon of milk because the bottle that I got at Kroger yesterday is leaking. I also got cleaning supplies. The shelf where baking soda should be was empty. I wanted some for my refrigerator and freezer.

When I got back home, I saw the mailman putting mail in our mailboxes. I went over to tell him my tale of woe. He pulled out a handful of my mail with the yellow hold mail card on top. It was just first class mail. He said the magazines and catalogs will come later. We are really lucky to have such a good mailman. They have an awful job on their hands to get the back log of mail delivered. A couple of things I was expecting were missing, but I have already paid the bills because I can view them online. No sign of a water bill. None of the neighbors have received theirs.

A cool front went through the area last night. The temperature was only in the mid-seventies. I got plastic bags and started picking up all the blown shingles that were in my yard. I filled 6 or 7 33-gallon trash bags with shingles and pieces of gutter and flashing. I got into fire ants and got about a dozen bites. The bags were so heavy. I have a hand truck and my neighbor took them down to the end of street where there is a dump of fences, tree limbs and trash like the shingles. There has been no trash pickup since the storm. We have a private street and the city does not provide trash removal for us. We use Eastex Trash Systems. They have not been answering their calls. My neighbor on the west did get hold of them, and they are supposed to come by on Monday.

Some people must not have got the word that the city has set up special sites for dumping spoiled food. Some of the neighbors have put spoiled food out by the curb. The stench is overwhelming.

My neighbor nailed the missing board on my back fence. I think I am the only person in the neighborhood with a standing fence all the way around the yard. There was a shingle standing up in one of my gutters. My neighbor got his ladder and removed it.

Jose’s wife called me and said they are all well and safe. Jose is going to try and come by and mow my grass this weekend. Once that is done the exterior of my house will be back to normal

I took my second bath of the day. I didn’t eat breakfast until almost 10 AM. I have been neglecting to eat ever since the evacuation started. I am going to stop and eat lunch.

The man my neighbor recommended for the sheetrock repairs is going to come by and give me an estimate.

Back in Beaumont

I drove from Dallas to Beaumont this morning. I did not escape unscathed. Water came in around the windows on the north side of the house. My drapes have water stains and sheetrock all around the windows and adjacent walls needs repairs. It could be much worse. All my furniture, china, crystal and appliances are in good working order. Freezer needs cleanup. I am too tired to write any more tonight.

Ready to go Home

I had a nice visit with my friend, Marguerite, this evening. She said she would check out the new Del Webb Frisco Lakes retirement community that is going to be built north of Dallas. I am determined to keep my resolve to move from Beaumont. I experienced one hurricane in Houston, and have evacuated from Beaumont three times. Hurricanes missed Beaumont for the first two evacuations, but Rita did not miss. I am thinking about how Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind swore, “I will never be hungry again.” Well, I am swearing, I will never go through a hurricane again.

Relieved

I had a long talk with my neighbor, Jimmie, last evening. She said they got cable back yesterday. When they got home on Sunday, they had hot water. Their gas water heater had stayed on through the storm. She said I should be able to get the groceries I need in Beaumont when I get back. As the electricity is restored, the grocery stores are being restocked. I really did a lot of unnecessary worrying yesterday. Jimmie wants to leave Beaumont, too. I am sure there are many others who share our feelings.

Apprehension

As the time to go home grows closer, I am getting the same sick feeling in my stomach that I had before I evacuated. I know that my neighbors say my house is in good shape, but I still cannot put my fears to rest. When I enter the house, when I see the cathedral ceiling and ceiling fan in my bedroom still in place, when I sniff and smell no gas, when I go and inspect my air conditioner and when I raise the garage door, then I will relax. I am also worried about the drive back to Beaumont. The thought of getting up on the freeway and driving through downtown Dallas scares me silly.

Talked to Neighbor Again

I called the home phone of my neighbor who lives across the street. He and his wife have settled back into their house. He has a little siding off, but he has one of the three new roofs on the street and has no damage inside. He told me things are not so good with most people on the street. I knew about my neighbor on the east side, but I learned that the neighbor on my west side also has a hole in the roof and water damage. The houses on my street are 17-18 years old.

For those of you who are reading my blog and have a house that is nearing the time for a new roof. Do not procrastinate. Get a new roof as soon as possible.

My neighbor said my yard has trash in it that blew off of other houses and needs to be mowed. My yard needed to be mowed before I left. My yardman did not show up on the day before I evacuated. I certainly did not hold that against him. I thought he was probably getting his family ready to evacuate. I just hope he will be able to resume his regular schedule soon after I get back. Life is going to be different and more difficult in Beaumont. I hate the noise that home improvement projects create. I will probably be hearing construction noise for a lengthy time.

Insurance Adjuster

The adjuster for my insurance company just called. He lives in the Clear Lake/Lake Jackson area and is driving into Beaumont every day. He said as soon as he can get power he will be bringing an RV into Beaumont and be working out of it. He is ready to meet with me. I told him I am still in Dallas and had not seen the house. I gave him my home phone number, and he said that is the number he called. I told him my home phone rolls over to my cell phone, and that is how he was able to reach me. I said I will call him on Thursday afternoon to confirm that I am back in the area, and we can meet on Friday.

I am really pleased that he called me. I have seen so many Katrina victims on TV complaining that they wait and wait to see their insurance adjusters.

A Brief Update

I found my way to Collin Creek Mall this morning. I went in a CompUSA store and got an AOL installation disk. Hopefully, I will not have to sign up for AOL.

I talked to my friend, Carol, she and her husband are in Houston with their daughter. Her husband made the trip back to Beaumont to check on their house. She lives fairly close to me. They do not have power yet. They have above ground utilities. A tree knocked down the line that goes from the pole to their house. Entergy says the lines leading into the house are the owner’s responsibility. They have to find an electrician who can connect the wire. What a mess. Now I know why underground utilities are so good. Previously I just thought it was for cosmetic purposes—you do not have to see ugly poles and lines. Carol said her husband picked up more clothes for her. I am in good shape with what I packed. An occasional trip to the Laundromat could keep me going for a long time.

I have been unable to reach any of my neighbors’ cell phones. Maybe the cell phone towers in our area are in bad shape. I will try their regular home phones later. I would like to confirm that the power has remained on.

The City of Beaumont says the water is drinkable. They recommend that each tap be run for 10 minutes to clear the sediment. They also say to run your washing machine through a cycle with no clothes. The water contains magnesium that could stain clothes.

I ate my lunch at the Luby’s cafeteria that is near the hotel. I have become a regular in the place. When I am back home, I am not going near a Luby’s for a long, long time.

I have read that the mosquitoes are swarming in Beaumont. Mark Hancock had several photos of planes that are spraying for them. I packed my bottle of Off. I will be sure to give myself a liberal coating when I get back.

She Lived through Hurricane Rita

Mark Hancock’s wife, Fayrouz, has written an account of her experience in her blog: You Loot, We Shoot. It is quite a story. The Beaumont Enterprise building is in downtown Beaumont on the east side of the city. I live on the far west side of the city. It sounds as though the eastern side really took the beating.

I notice she said she has high-speed internet service back. I remember when the Hancock’s moved to Beaumont that they got DSL from SBC. The telephones seemed to have survived well. I am keeping my fingers crossed that Time Warner is making progress.

A Little Bit of My Old Life

I just worked the SuDoku puzzle dated Wednesday, September 21. I printed this one out the day before I evacuated and brought it with me. Until now I have not been able to concentrate for long enough to work on a puzzle. It really felt good to successfully complete it. Maybe on Thursday my printer will be available to me again, and I can work another puzzle.

Info from Time Warner Cable

Update for Customers It really does sound as if Beaumont is springing back to life. Since electricity has returned to my neighborhood, cable may not be too far behind.

It’s Official

All citizens of Beaumont are allowed to return to the City

I am sticking to what I said earlier. I am not going back until Thursday. This may sound petty, but now I am worried about the lack of Internet service. I am so dependent on my pc. I have Time Warner’s RoadRunner high speed cable Internet service. I do not have an alternate dialup service. Tomorrow I think I will try to locate a Circuit City or Best Buy and see if I can get a disk for AOL with a free trial just to have until RoadRunner returns. The Internet has been my lifeline throughout this ordeal.

More Good News

This morning I received another email from the homes association president’s wife. She said she looked my house over and all she could see was one board missing from my back fence. The next door neighbor called this morning and said power was restored last night. He said it is time for me to come home. He also said he could see no damage to my house, and he left the breaker on because lights are on. There are photo-electric cells on some of my outside lights. The homes association president’s wife wrote back that they have no damage inside their house, and they plan to return as soon as there is electricity. She lives on the street in back of me. Apparently that street did not get electricity.

I am not going to rush back. I may go back on Thursday. I want to wait until I know things are stable. The lack of gas, food, banking, etc. is going to be a major problem. Marguerite comes back from her London trip on Tuesday. I would like to have one more visit with her before I go back.

Mark Hancock

Mark Hancock is a photojournalist for The Beaumont Enterprise. Mark emailed me last spring when he found my blog because he was moving to Beaumont. I have been watching Mark’s blog: PhotoJournalism while I am away from home. Mark’s wife is originally from Iraq and has several very interesting blogs of her own. After reading what Mark wrote today, I have decided to forget about moving south and will try to be content with my situation in that I have a comfortable room and a roof over my head.

Stuck in Dallas

I just went through fourteen pages of hotel listings for Houston for mid-week accommodations and only found the Hyatt Regency for $309 per night available. It looks like I waited too long to start moving south. If my next door neighbor can give me a good report on the back of my house, I will relax somewhat. Many people experience much worse in their lives. I must remember to count my blessings, but this has been the most stressful period in my entire life.

Talked to Next Door Neighbor

My next door neighbor has returned to Beaumont. He has not looked at my house and could not answer my questions except to say the brand new section of fence between our houses is still standing. Last spring we had a wind storm with wind gusts up to 70 mph. There were several shingles in my yard that blew off my neighbor’s roof. None came off mine; but those shingles scared me; and I immediately started getting bids for a new roof on my house. My new roof was installed in June. It had to meet the Texas Windstorm standards and was inspected and certified by a registered professional engineer. My neighbor did nothing about his roof other than nail back the shingles that had come off.

This neighbor has spent a great deal of money remodeling the interior of his home. He now has a hole in his roof, buckled hardwood floors that were just installed, and soaked furniture and carpet. I will not know if I am home free until I actually enter the house. Two neighbors across the street also have new roofs that look fine. It appears money spent on a new roof was money well spent.

Power may go on in my neighborhood tonight. The Beaumont Enterprise has an article today that says that an electrician should check your electrical connections before the power is turned on. This worries me. I asked my neighbor if he could climb over my fence and turn off the main breaker at the electrical box on the side of the house. He is a not an obliging fellow. I finally said you do not want a fire next door to you. It could burn your house down too. He finally said he would do it and call me back tonight.

Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza

This morning I drove my car to the Arapaho Transit Center and rode the DART train to the West End Station which is approximately one block from the Sixth Floor JFK Museum. The building was formerly known as the Texas School Book Depository where Lee Harvey Oswald shot President Kennedy on November 22, 1963. It really gave me a very uneasy feeling to look out that sixth floor window down onto the road with the X on it that marks the spot where the presidential limo was passing when the bullet struck. I had just graduated from college in 1963. I will never forget that day when our country was robbed of its innocence.

Photography inside the building is not allowed. I did take a few pictures around the outside. My photos are at: The Sixth Floor Museum