Ike Aftermath

Today I learned the tricks of the roofing trade: your butt is a useful third foot when it comes to steeply-pitched roofs. I helped my neighbor repair his roof (tarping) and it was a challenge. We had to make steps out of 1x3's as we went, then we ended up hauling up the ladder and using it (in a very non-recommended manner) to lower ourselves down a steep pitch to hammer boards. Don't tell Mrs., this will make her yell at me for being Less Than Prudent. ("But Mrs., you gave me the ladder for Christmas!") Also, when you take up the steps, go back and fill the nail holes with roofing tar. It's a Good Thing. His roof is far worse than mine: he lost the entire ceiling of his upstairs playroom when the sheetrock collapsed from water weight. We got his done, and then we got mine done. And then it was Happy Hour.

Power is still on here and probably will be for the duration. Many of my friends now have power, but that's a drop in the bucket for the area. My campuses took moderate to severe damage, and we will probably be taking the whole week off. The people in SE Texas are reliving all of their Rita nightmares in full Technicolor, only worse.

My family used to have a beach cabin in Gilchrist. Used to. Satellite imagery shows the entire town has literally been wiped from the face of the Earth. Not even a slab remains of the foundation. In fact, if I read the image correctly, there's now a tiny tidal inlet there now. I'm glad we took the Wee One earlier this year.

Insurance adjuster called me back today, yay! With luck I'll have on-site assessment within a week.

Running local joke: we should all get our FEMA checks, road-trip to New Orleans, and spend all our money on booze and gambling, while criticizing the locals for not being "understanding." It's OUR turn now, damnit!