Sorry its taken me so long to reply!
Its REALLY hard to get an internet connection on my Sidekick right now. Everyone is hoging up the bandwith or whatever this technology is use for their internet.
Laurie,
Thank you so much. Really theres not much anyone who's not Centerpoint, Comcast, a gas station WITH gas AND electricity or FEMA, can do. That lady did leave with her babies so its all good :o) We go for drive in the car to stay cool. Sunday (I think it was sun cause everything is merging together now) it rained again and gave us a river in the front yard and the street in front of my house. So we couldn't get out till the water went back down. Its actually cold at night now YAY!!! Its 61* at night and 85ish* during the day. We still have high humidity but at least its cooler!
{{{{{Laur}}}}}
Doz,
After I asked "whoever is out there" to please spare me please please let my family be ok. I donno, I may have to rethink my prior religion. *shrug* Thanks for thinking/wishing me good thoughts though :o)
{{{{{DOZ}}}}}
Bri,
We go for drives and stay cool that way. Like I told Laurie though, its a lot cooler so we're ok with the heat situation. For now anyway lol. Thanks for the idea!
{{{{{Bri}}}}}
Our biggest problem right now is ice and gas. We went to our local FEMA POD day before yesterday and we were given two 10lb bags of ice, a 24 pack of water and get this... a tiny bag with two Andes mints and a small bag of peanuts. I'm not *no genius* here but I'm thinkin that's a SNACK! Not a MEAL(.R.E.)! Yesterday at our FEMA POD a policeman told me they had the MREs and I should be excited. So when we FINALLY get to the front of the monsterously long line, that I'd already WALKED back home to to take care of something and came BACK to our place in line when its like 10 blocks away, they shove ONE 7.5 lb bag at us then a 24pack of water and said "GO GO GO GO GO" and were bangin on my car and shit. I wanted to ask for my MRE but Matt was nervous because they were being so pushy. I wanted to get out and yell at them but Matt wouldnt let me cause they do make him that nervous. The thing about the ice that makes me mad is its supposed to be 1 bag of ice for every PERSON (not family... PERSON) and they gave us ONE 7.5lb bag! We SHOLUD get THREE because there are three of us! Well I was like "We ARE TWO FAMILIES!!!!!!" so they threw me another bag so I'd shut up and leave. We have to share what we get with our in laws. One 7.5lb bag of ice isn't gonna cut it. What pisses me off more than that (I'm half mexican so I am not being mean just observant) every hispanic person I see comin out of there has a wagon, that should have kids in it, FILLED with ice, MREs and water! Its like they have some sort of info on how everything works and how to get around FEMAs rules.
So today we went and I made Matt stop long enough for me to say "look, we're getting ice for my inlaws too who are elderly and one just had major surgery. My mother in law is watching our daughter so we can go thru the line easier. Is there ANY way you can give us enough ice for 4 people (even though there's five of us!)?" So they gave us four bags of ice. Four ten lb bags! Tomorrow we aren't even going to use the FEMA lines cause I found a Krogers that has ice now. We can just buy ice and leave the FEMA ice for people that need it more than us. Since Krogers is also fully stocked now too we don't need any MREs either. My neighbor brought me two MREs today though lol. Everyone was probably just sick of me bitching about it hahahaha.
I found two cell phone chargers that are battery opperated today so when Matt is gone to work I won't run out of cell phone juice. That would make me me a total wreck!
I think this is the longest in my entire life that I've been without TV!! I HATE IT!!!!! I doubt the cable will work once we get power again. IF WE EVERRRR GET POWER! They said they MAY have the lights on by tuesday. There is still a giant tree laying in the middle of the street a block away. I PAID someone 260$ to clear a tree from my yard/street (my crape myrtle) and clear the huge limbs from my backyard that I can't carry. The city will do it for free EVENTUALLY but WHEN? I've not seen ONE power company truck yet!!! I am begining to believe they simply don't care! I'm SICK of this. I don't live in a third wolrd country for a reason!
Matts going back to work tomorrow so I'll be all alone. Gabby is staying at my MILs because we have no screens on our windows so I can't open them because the cats will get out and none of them have ever been outside (except Forrest who got out and lost TWO houses down for 4 days in 2001). I'll be really lonely, especially since there is no tv or anything. :o( I really really want everything to just be normal again. Today Matt was saying that when this is all over and everything is back to normal, people will go back to living life like they always do and we will have forgotten all about this. Maybe that's true but honestly, I don't CARE to remember this. Except that it SUCKED and I hope we're more prepared nextime. I'm going to make myself a "hurricane readiness list" for all the things I need and will get after this is all over. So IF it ever happens again we will totally be ready. I'm not going to go out and buy a portable tv as it will be completely useless after they switch to digital broadcasting in Feb. I'll wait till they have them in didital portable tvs. I WISH I could afford a generator that hooks up to the main power, turns on when the power goes out and runs off narural gas. When I get a new stove and oven I'm going to get GAS. We finally found charcoal so we can cook some things on the BBQ pit. You guys just don't know how much we depend on power every day. Someone told me they don't really ever use their power. I think if they actually didn't HAVE it they would realize just how much they actually DO use it. For simple things like charging your cell phone, seeing to pee at night, seeing at night period, cooking food (micowaving and normal cooking), running the frige, drying/straightening your hair, hot water (unless its a gas water heater which thank god we have!), reading at night, watching dvds or tv, vacuuming, air conditioning in 96+* temps, running a fan(!), WASHING CLOTHES etc etc etc..... I could go on and on but you realize when you don't have it just how much you use it and how much it impacts your life not to have it. I totally have no idea what I'm gonna do in TWO days when I have no clothes to wear AT ALL! I can't even find a laundymat with power! I washed all my undies and bras by hand yesterday and hung them on the shower curtain rod to dry. Imma wash a pair of leggings tonight and hang them up with hopes they will actually dry by tomorrow. Doubtful cause my socks, undies and bras weren't this morning :o( I really think people should think a little more before telling me how bad off they are with life right now. Matt can't work at either of his jobs because there is no power and there is a curfew (12pm-6am and until today it was 9pm-6am) so he couldn't work past 8pm. Since he is hourly at both jobs he's not making money. This puts me back an entire MONTH getting a damn car!!!! I'm really sad and angry that everything is so fucked up right now. I'm sure people who went thru Katrina know where I'm coming from. Its just very very very upsetting. My whole life is just messed up right now but, at least I HAVE a life and at least our house is ok (even if the trees aren't). I did a lot of cleaning in my yard today and now my back hurts soooo much. I shouldn't have done it but if I don't who will? Leaves and limbs were everywhere and they were soon going to ruin my lawn if they weren't picked up soon. I'm not sure what I will do tomorrow while I'm alone. I probably will have my MIL come get me to go get some ice and then maybe spend some time with Gabby I hope. I miss her terribly! Nothing in my life is right. I almost want to go to a hospital and tell them I'm not safe right now but I don't want to leave Matt (and my dogs) alone with no power. I know I will probably sit here and cry for 12hrs while he's at work. I donno. I feel just AWFUL! I NEED some sort of phsych meds like whoa! Other than Trazodone anyway. Matt won't have time to take me someplace now that he will be working again. My MILs car battery is dead and she's supposed to get another one tomorrow. If she doesn't I don't even know how I will get my daily ice. When you don't have a frige you HAVE to ice everything and keep adding ice every day or everything goes bad. We have two coolers one with drinks and one with food (which we managed to get TODAY... first day since THURSDAY because FEMA wouldn't give me a fucking MRE!!!!). I'm just super sad that this is what life is for now and I see absolutely no hope of it changing soon. They say we may get power by tues but Matt said there is really only a 50-50% chance we will because he says after tues they predict 50-75% will still be without power by then (that's out of 1.5 MILLION people now). They've stopped round the clock news coverage now and I have no TV to find out where the FEMA POD (but I guess that doesn't matter now cause I'm not gonna use FEMA again) will be or when the power will come back on or anything. I'm listening to AM radio to hear what's going on and when MAYBE there might be power again. I just want some normalcy in my life again. I've lost like 15lbs since thursday (the last day that I'd weighed) of last week. I don't even see how that is humanly possible. I'm not eating well just cause I'm really stressed. But I don't know how that much weight can come off that fast. Oh well though right? Imma heifer anyhow so anything I can lose no is super good :o) I'm probably just super dehydrated from having to be in the heat almost 24/7 since friday. I would LOVE to have just one damn Starbucks right now! I haven't had any coffee since thurs! I'm beginning to jones like whoa!
I'm sorry really sorry that I've gone on wayyyyy too much. I'm just super distressed and drepressed.
Again I'm super sorry this is so fucking stupidly long and bless you for reading thru me babbling my fool head off for probably a good chuck of your day lol.
BTW, if you're gonna IM or text me PLEASE PLEASE don't tell me how awful your life is because you have to pay 4$ or whatever for gas while I sit here and CRY because I have no power, no way to cook food except a fucking BBQ, no lights to read at night, no car no ANYTHING. I am living in an actual disaster area. Don't you realize the fucking trauma I'm going thru? Why would you keep asking me why "MY" hurricane made YOUR gas so high. I CERTAINLY would trade places with you. If one more person says this to me I might rip a head off. Honestly I'm thinking that saying this to me is selfish. Stop thinking of yourself. I realize I'm thinking of myself too but I'm also thinking of 1.5MILLION people sitting here with me with no food, no water, no power ... NOTHING but themselves. Thank GOD I have my life, my families life and my home still. I know eventually this will all end sooner or later. I PRAY it will be sooner though. Just please realize how selfish, self centered and really PETTY it is for people to continually mention to me how awful paying 20 cents or whatever more a gallon for gas is when I sit here wondering if I will get my next meal. That my child and my animals will have food and water to actually LIVE. I'm trying to LIVE! I'm not just being "poor me I can't watch TV" I WANT TO LIVE and all people care about is gas price? I just can't stress how obserd I think that is. Maybe you think that its just a slight inconvenience not having power... or water which we finally got back yesrterday but it wasn't SAFE till today. I am still giving my animals bottled water cause I don't trust it. But I'm just trying to make you understand its just not an inconvenience. *cries* These people may never understand cause sometimes people are really really self absorbed. I'll get off my stupid high horse now. I'm sorry your gas is high but I'm more sorry for the people in my area who are in the same boat as me and just trying to actually stay alive till everything is somewhat normal again.
PSS FEMA is the WORST organization EVER! I thank them greatly for my one-two bags of ice and 72 20oz bottles of water. But I DO NOT appreciate not being able to have food when they decide not to give us MREs. I don't understand how this happens. I don't understand how they continually promised us food and never delivered. While they sit fat and fed we starve and the gorvernment does nothing. FEMA is their own organization and we leave distribution up to the communities. If FEMA delivered the food my neighborhood church would hand it out! Thank god for the water and ice but we are (were cause Matt and I do have money) literally STARVING!!! I just really cannot put into words ho completely awful this situation has been and is.
If you are in the Houston area I pray to god you are still safe. Let me know how you are doing if you read this. Nina and Mandy mostly.... I know you are safe Mandy but I don't know how you are getting along. Give me a call or text if the phones still aren't working right ok?
You guys probably don't even have power either :o(
Imma read some journals tonight so maybe I'll read some about Nina? If not Aly can you let me know? Thank you :o)
Sorry again for not "shutting up"
ETA: I forgot a story I wanted you guys to know. My moms neighbor was at a convenience store out in a lil town about an hr outside of Houston to the east when she was jumped standing in line trying to get milk and bread for her family. What happened was she was standing there and two big huge guys guys tried to cut in front of her. She said "hey now ummm you really need to get behind me cause its not fair for you to cut." They were all "CRACKER BITCH we'll do what the fuck ever I want. You can't do shit!" Then they grab her hair and start punching her. Then they left and she was shaken. They decided that she wasn't taught a lesson so they went back and punched her in the stomach, threw her down, stomped on her temple, kicked her in the stomach, kicked her back, ripped her arms backwards and nearly out of socket and just totally beat her up. They sent her to the hospital all because she said they couldn't cut in line. WTF is WRONG WITH PEOPLE?!?!?
I just wanted to share that.
Laurie,
Thank you so much. Really theres not much anyone who's not Centerpoint, Comcast, a gas station WITH gas AND electricity or FEMA, can do. That lady did leave with her babies so its all good :o) We go for drive in the car to stay cool. Sunday (I think it was sun cause everything is merging together now) it rained again and gave us a river in the front yard and the street in front of my house. So we couldn't get out till the water went back down. Its actually cold at night now YAY!!! Its 61* at night and 85ish* during the day. We still have high humidity but at least its cooler!
{{{{{Laur}}}}}
Doz,
After I asked "whoever is out there" to please spare me please please let my family be ok. I donno, I may have to rethink my prior religion. *shrug* Thanks for thinking/wishing me good thoughts though :o)
{{{{{DOZ}}}}}
Bri,
We go for drives and stay cool that way. Like I told Laurie though, its a lot cooler so we're ok with the heat situation. For now anyway lol. Thanks for the idea!
{{{{{Bri}}}}}
Our biggest problem right now is ice and gas. We went to our local FEMA POD day before yesterday and we were given two 10lb bags of ice, a 24 pack of water and get this... a tiny bag with two Andes mints and a small bag of peanuts. I'm not *no genius* here but I'm thinkin that's a SNACK! Not a MEAL(.R.E.)! Yesterday at our FEMA POD a policeman told me they had the MREs and I should be excited. So when we FINALLY get to the front of the monsterously long line, that I'd already WALKED back home to to take care of something and came BACK to our place in line when its like 10 blocks away, they shove ONE 7.5 lb bag at us then a 24pack of water and said "GO GO GO GO GO" and were bangin on my car and shit. I wanted to ask for my MRE but Matt was nervous because they were being so pushy. I wanted to get out and yell at them but Matt wouldnt let me cause they do make him that nervous. The thing about the ice that makes me mad is its supposed to be 1 bag of ice for every PERSON (not family... PERSON) and they gave us ONE 7.5lb bag! We SHOLUD get THREE because there are three of us! Well I was like "We ARE TWO FAMILIES!!!!!!" so they threw me another bag so I'd shut up and leave. We have to share what we get with our in laws. One 7.5lb bag of ice isn't gonna cut it. What pisses me off more than that (I'm half mexican so I am not being mean just observant) every hispanic person I see comin out of there has a wagon, that should have kids in it, FILLED with ice, MREs and water! Its like they have some sort of info on how everything works and how to get around FEMAs rules.
So today we went and I made Matt stop long enough for me to say "look, we're getting ice for my inlaws too who are elderly and one just had major surgery. My mother in law is watching our daughter so we can go thru the line easier. Is there ANY way you can give us enough ice for 4 people (even though there's five of us!)?" So they gave us four bags of ice. Four ten lb bags! Tomorrow we aren't even going to use the FEMA lines cause I found a Krogers that has ice now. We can just buy ice and leave the FEMA ice for people that need it more than us. Since Krogers is also fully stocked now too we don't need any MREs either. My neighbor brought me two MREs today though lol. Everyone was probably just sick of me bitching about it hahahaha.
I found two cell phone chargers that are battery opperated today so when Matt is gone to work I won't run out of cell phone juice. That would make me me a total wreck!
I think this is the longest in my entire life that I've been without TV!! I HATE IT!!!!! I doubt the cable will work once we get power again. IF WE EVERRRR GET POWER! They said they MAY have the lights on by tuesday. There is still a giant tree laying in the middle of the street a block away. I PAID someone 260$ to clear a tree from my yard/street (my crape myrtle) and clear the huge limbs from my backyard that I can't carry. The city will do it for free EVENTUALLY but WHEN? I've not seen ONE power company truck yet!!! I am begining to believe they simply don't care! I'm SICK of this. I don't live in a third wolrd country for a reason!
Matts going back to work tomorrow so I'll be all alone. Gabby is staying at my MILs because we have no screens on our windows so I can't open them because the cats will get out and none of them have ever been outside (except Forrest who got out and lost TWO houses down for 4 days in 2001). I'll be really lonely, especially since there is no tv or anything. :o( I really really want everything to just be normal again. Today Matt was saying that when this is all over and everything is back to normal, people will go back to living life like they always do and we will have forgotten all about this. Maybe that's true but honestly, I don't CARE to remember this. Except that it SUCKED and I hope we're more prepared nextime. I'm going to make myself a "hurricane readiness list" for all the things I need and will get after this is all over. So IF it ever happens again we will totally be ready. I'm not going to go out and buy a portable tv as it will be completely useless after they switch to digital broadcasting in Feb. I'll wait till they have them in didital portable tvs. I WISH I could afford a generator that hooks up to the main power, turns on when the power goes out and runs off narural gas. When I get a new stove and oven I'm going to get GAS. We finally found charcoal so we can cook some things on the BBQ pit. You guys just don't know how much we depend on power every day. Someone told me they don't really ever use their power. I think if they actually didn't HAVE it they would realize just how much they actually DO use it. For simple things like charging your cell phone, seeing to pee at night, seeing at night period, cooking food (micowaving and normal cooking), running the frige, drying/straightening your hair, hot water (unless its a gas water heater which thank god we have!), reading at night, watching dvds or tv, vacuuming, air conditioning in 96+* temps, running a fan(!), WASHING CLOTHES etc etc etc..... I could go on and on but you realize when you don't have it just how much you use it and how much it impacts your life not to have it. I totally have no idea what I'm gonna do in TWO days when I have no clothes to wear AT ALL! I can't even find a laundymat with power! I washed all my undies and bras by hand yesterday and hung them on the shower curtain rod to dry. Imma wash a pair of leggings tonight and hang them up with hopes they will actually dry by tomorrow. Doubtful cause my socks, undies and bras weren't this morning :o( I really think people should think a little more before telling me how bad off they are with life right now. Matt can't work at either of his jobs because there is no power and there is a curfew (12pm-6am and until today it was 9pm-6am) so he couldn't work past 8pm. Since he is hourly at both jobs he's not making money. This puts me back an entire MONTH getting a damn car!!!! I'm really sad and angry that everything is so fucked up right now. I'm sure people who went thru Katrina know where I'm coming from. Its just very very very upsetting. My whole life is just messed up right now but, at least I HAVE a life and at least our house is ok (even if the trees aren't). I did a lot of cleaning in my yard today and now my back hurts soooo much. I shouldn't have done it but if I don't who will? Leaves and limbs were everywhere and they were soon going to ruin my lawn if they weren't picked up soon. I'm not sure what I will do tomorrow while I'm alone. I probably will have my MIL come get me to go get some ice and then maybe spend some time with Gabby I hope. I miss her terribly! Nothing in my life is right. I almost want to go to a hospital and tell them I'm not safe right now but I don't want to leave Matt (and my dogs) alone with no power. I know I will probably sit here and cry for 12hrs while he's at work. I donno. I feel just AWFUL! I NEED some sort of phsych meds like whoa! Other than Trazodone anyway. Matt won't have time to take me someplace now that he will be working again. My MILs car battery is dead and she's supposed to get another one tomorrow. If she doesn't I don't even know how I will get my daily ice. When you don't have a frige you HAVE to ice everything and keep adding ice every day or everything goes bad. We have two coolers one with drinks and one with food (which we managed to get TODAY... first day since THURSDAY because FEMA wouldn't give me a fucking MRE!!!!). I'm just super sad that this is what life is for now and I see absolutely no hope of it changing soon. They say we may get power by tues but Matt said there is really only a 50-50% chance we will because he says after tues they predict 50-75% will still be without power by then (that's out of 1.5 MILLION people now). They've stopped round the clock news coverage now and I have no TV to find out where the FEMA POD (but I guess that doesn't matter now cause I'm not gonna use FEMA again) will be or when the power will come back on or anything. I'm listening to AM radio to hear what's going on and when MAYBE there might be power again. I just want some normalcy in my life again. I've lost like 15lbs since thursday (the last day that I'd weighed) of last week. I don't even see how that is humanly possible. I'm not eating well just cause I'm really stressed. But I don't know how that much weight can come off that fast. Oh well though right? Imma heifer anyhow so anything I can lose no is super good :o) I'm probably just super dehydrated from having to be in the heat almost 24/7 since friday. I would LOVE to have just one damn Starbucks right now! I haven't had any coffee since thurs! I'm beginning to jones like whoa!
I'm sorry really sorry that I've gone on wayyyyy too much. I'm just super distressed and drepressed.
Again I'm super sorry this is so fucking stupidly long and bless you for reading thru me babbling my fool head off for probably a good chuck of your day lol.
BTW, if you're gonna IM or text me PLEASE PLEASE don't tell me how awful your life is because you have to pay 4$ or whatever for gas while I sit here and CRY because I have no power, no way to cook food except a fucking BBQ, no lights to read at night, no car no ANYTHING. I am living in an actual disaster area. Don't you realize the fucking trauma I'm going thru? Why would you keep asking me why "MY" hurricane made YOUR gas so high. I CERTAINLY would trade places with you. If one more person says this to me I might rip a head off. Honestly I'm thinking that saying this to me is selfish. Stop thinking of yourself. I realize I'm thinking of myself too but I'm also thinking of 1.5MILLION people sitting here with me with no food, no water, no power ... NOTHING but themselves. Thank GOD I have my life, my families life and my home still. I know eventually this will all end sooner or later. I PRAY it will be sooner though. Just please realize how selfish, self centered and really PETTY it is for people to continually mention to me how awful paying 20 cents or whatever more a gallon for gas is when I sit here wondering if I will get my next meal. That my child and my animals will have food and water to actually LIVE. I'm trying to LIVE! I'm not just being "poor me I can't watch TV" I WANT TO LIVE and all people care about is gas price? I just can't stress how obserd I think that is. Maybe you think that its just a slight inconvenience not having power... or water which we finally got back yesrterday but it wasn't SAFE till today. I am still giving my animals bottled water cause I don't trust it. But I'm just trying to make you understand its just not an inconvenience. *cries* These people may never understand cause sometimes people are really really self absorbed. I'll get off my stupid high horse now. I'm sorry your gas is high but I'm more sorry for the people in my area who are in the same boat as me and just trying to actually stay alive till everything is somewhat normal again.
PSS FEMA is the WORST organization EVER! I thank them greatly for my one-two bags of ice and 72 20oz bottles of water. But I DO NOT appreciate not being able to have food when they decide not to give us MREs. I don't understand how this happens. I don't understand how they continually promised us food and never delivered. While they sit fat and fed we starve and the gorvernment does nothing. FEMA is their own organization and we leave distribution up to the communities. If FEMA delivered the food my neighborhood church would hand it out! Thank god for the water and ice but we are (were cause Matt and I do have money) literally STARVING!!! I just really cannot put into words ho completely awful this situation has been and is.
If you are in the Houston area I pray to god you are still safe. Let me know how you are doing if you read this. Nina and Mandy mostly.... I know you are safe Mandy but I don't know how you are getting along. Give me a call or text if the phones still aren't working right ok?
You guys probably don't even have power either :o(
Imma read some journals tonight so maybe I'll read some about Nina? If not Aly can you let me know? Thank you :o)
Sorry again for not "shutting up"
ETA: I forgot a story I wanted you guys to know. My moms neighbor was at a convenience store out in a lil town about an hr outside of Houston to the east when she was jumped standing in line trying to get milk and bread for her family. What happened was she was standing there and two big huge guys guys tried to cut in front of her. She said "hey now ummm you really need to get behind me cause its not fair for you to cut." They were all "CRACKER BITCH we'll do what the fuck ever I want. You can't do shit!" Then they grab her hair and start punching her. Then they left and she was shaken. They decided that she wasn't taught a lesson so they went back and punched her in the stomach, threw her down, stomped on her temple, kicked her in the stomach, kicked her back, ripped her arms backwards and nearly out of socket and just totally beat her up. They sent her to the hospital all because she said they couldn't cut in line. WTF is WRONG WITH PEOPLE?!?!?
I just wanted to share that.