Post Ike

Well, the damage was minimal...almost amazingly so since the eye walked right up Galveston Bay. The house did suffer some minimal damage. I lost small sections of shingles on the north side of the house...in two different locations. I don't think there was any water intrusion. I did notice a water spot in the garage...but i can't recall if that had been there before or not. So, i'll be getting a new roof, i suppose. That's not that bad...i can still live in the house!!

I lost nearly all of my fence. The fence between my side neighbor and the fence between my back neighbor are nearly all gone. Well, not gone...just laying on the ground. Most of the fence on the street side is down too. Oddly enough, the neighbors on the side street have no fence damage at all.

Here are a few photos of the area...



I'm guessing there were some tornadoes spawned out in our area. There were houses that were seemingly untouched...and then there were houses with substantial roof damage...the untouched and the damaged houses stand next to each other.

Mom & Dad came with me to inspect the damage. Those people that stayed or already had come home were outside busy with chainsaws. There is a lot of tree carnage. But it was neighbors helping neighbors...

The area around the house has been cleaned up and the protective window coverings were placed in their holding area (in hopes of never being used again). The refrigerator was cleaned out...ugh. There was some nasty funk starting to develop in there.

According to neighbors, the power is supposed to be restored in our area today. There is power on the north side and power on the south side of me...hopefully the gap is filled in today. But there was not power when we left.

The house did get aired out by a glorious north wind. My favorite time of year is nearly here...that first cool front sure made the clean up tolerable.

Despite getting some minor damage, i consider myself lucky. It could've been a lot worse...or worser.

The Waiting Game

Well, we survived Ike here in EB. Turns out going 80 miles west of Friendswood was just enough distance. We received some wind and a little rain last night/this morning. Lost power for about 6 hours...but that has since been restored.

Now comes the waiting game. When do I travel back to inspect things? Not much use in going home if there isn't going to be power for several weeks. Perhaps i'll drive home (assuming the law officials are letting people in the neighborhoods) inspect the houses and secure anything that can be secured. Then drive back here to EB where there is power? Hmmm...what to do? Hopefully power is restored much more quickly than anticipated.

The word from the Friendswood fire department is that there was no flooding in homes...so that's good. But there were a lot of trees downed...hopefully not on my house.

There are reports of my friends' houses and most of the news is good. Minor damage is all that has been reported. I bet my fence (one that i have been wanting to replace) is gone...

Hurricane Run

This morning i went for a run. I needed to calibrate my new Nike+ Sports band. Although the Nike+ Sports band is quite a nifty gadget, they are poorly constructed. The display went out on my old one. Evidently they aren't as waterproof as once thought. Nike is aware of this...but i'm not sure they'll do anything about it. The good news is that it is an easy return to the store.

Anyway, i went for a run this morning. I went to the local school track to calibrate with known distances. It's been a just over a week since my last run and this one was a little tough. My knee was giving me problems again.

So, it appears that the eye of Ike will be going right up the I45 corridor...peachy. I guess I'll know how much damage there is on Sunday or Monday.

Hope all are doing well...where ever you are.

Here I Am...

...in EB. After saying goodbye, i packed up a few things and Bowie and I headed to EB. There will be some wind (possibly hurricane strength) and rain here...but no storm surge.

I'm really hoping that Ike keeps tracking east. Right now, the eye is supposed to be heading over the galveston area. The further east Ike goes the better off we'll be west of I45. The storm surge won't be as bad.

The drive here was easy. In fact, the most traffic I encountered was on the main drag going into EB. Normally i could zoom around the slow cars, but the train of cars was too long.

I hope that you are safe where ever you are. Hopefully we'll all be home soon...home with little or no damage.

Be safe. I'm thinkin' about you.

Snot-Freezing

Today, i was told, was the coldest day in the Russian winter so far. While i can attest that it was down right cold, i cannot confirm if it was the coldest day so far. But that is irrelevant in this post. The main point is that it was COLD. Snot-freezing-to-your-face-cold. Today was the pilgrimage to the out door market, Izmailovo. The best finds are found on the weekend and give two days to choose from, we chose today. Tomorrow was, according to the forcasts, supposed to be the colder day. Which is why we chose today. When i woke i checked the current temperature, which was a stunning 17 degrees F, with a windchill of the loneliest number, 1 degree F.

I don't know what the temperature was at the open market, but my guess is that it was a little colder...due to being kinda out in the middle of nowhere. I lasted nearly 2 hours before i had to head back to the relative warmth of the Metro. Wow...it was cold. I spent my money...didn't do much bargaining, for i figured those people deserved what i was paying just for being out in the cold. This one guy i was talking to (the guy who tolded me it was the coldest day so far) said he had to stay until sundown. Ughh...it's wicked cold here. Current temp is 9 degrees F with a windchill of -2 degrees F.

We were also able to meet up with Shannon and a few others from Houston. So far, i have done pretty much everything i have set out to do while i was here. The one lingering box that i need to check off is going to see the impressionist paintings at the Pushkin. I think Al and I are going to cover that tomorrow.

Needless to say, i'm having more fun than i thought i would out here. But i'm eager to get back and play some guitar...

The Perfect Storm

So...you take dreary cold rainy weather...combine with a club environment (that makes you stress your vocal chords)...combine that with dry air from your home heating system...and you've got the makings of a perfect storm...er sickness.

You see, the dreary weather already stresses your immune system...you try to keep warm and the heat dries out the air...making your throat sensitive...add in the elevated voice...and the beginnings of a sore throat.

Now, to top it off, throw in a lack of sleep and you have a grumpy Todd. I've decided i'm taking tomorrow off from work. I need time to get well. I can't really afford to take time off, but it's gotta be done.

I hope to do a lot of sleeping tomorrow. I've got the orange juice flowing and the meds to ease the irritation...i hope to be back to my old self in a few days.

Stay healthy...

Debs Visit

Ahhh...it was good to see you again Debbie! Debbie and I go way back...almost 10 years now...or something like that. You see, Debbie was my professor in college...and has since been a good friend. She contacted me the other day saying that she was going to be in town for the weekend. It was great to see her. It was also great to see Al, her husband. He's a really cool guy. We spent the rainy day walking around the large...ok GIGANTIC Saturn V rocket at JSC. I wish she would've given me a bit more notice...then i would've been able to get her and Al visitor badges and we could've have a real tour. Next time though. Ethan is a friend of mine who i knew at A&M and i see him every now and then on site and and Freebirds.

We braved the weather and headed over to Boondoggles for lunch. Had some great conversation. Alas, time is too short. I think i need to plan a trip to the D.C. area.



Well, i think i'm off to take a short nap...nothing else to do on a rainy day...

What a Day!

First of all, i welcome the cooler weather!

I was fed well today. The first feeding was at work. Several members of management delivered food to the entire flight control team. Good stuff. Peggy, the station commander, had some starbucks treats sent in a big basket...with a giant turkey balloon. I think i might be able to find some pictures of that tomorrow.

The second feeding was with some good friends. Erin and Branelle put together a very yummy feast. Thanks girls! It was much better than the first feeding...

With all the food in my belly, i'm not sure i know how i'm not face first in this keyboard...

I'm grateful...

Sonic Drive-through?

Seriously? Why does Sonic have a drive-through? My brother, sis-in-law, and I contemplated this very question while we sat at the outdoor picnic area of East Bernard's new Sonic. You really don't get your food faster do you? If you decide to park, you still get your food in your car. So, i think i have an answer...Sonic has a drive-through for the reverse-challenged. Those that are afraid of R go through the drive through at Sonic.

And who rocks your face off?? Sonic Radio...that's who! (This was heard at the sonic...i wonder if that channel is on satellite radio?

Really, the weather is really nice in the evenings. It was enjoyable to sit outside and not be bothered by bugs or humidity.

Petey Update: BTW, PeTey is the name of my cruiser...I know, not very original...I figured i'd give it a name before i got rid of it. So, Petey had the radiator cooling fan replaced and the overheating issues have gone away. However, the tech uncovered some other issues that may require attention. In the eyes of the tech, it almost requires immediate attention. Money-hungry basters... Anyway, he's not completely out of his mind, the issue at had would leave me stranded. Now, i turn the evil eye toward Chrysler for making a part so cheaply that it isn't even servicable...you have to buy the entire component if this piece breaks. I was kinda bummed when the auto shop told me this and then gave me the estimate of nearly $500 to fix the problem. Well, in my wallowing in self pity, i did some research on the internet. Some other PT owner encountered the same problem...but designed his own fix for around $3. Yep that's three dollars. In fact, i think his fix is probably how the thing should've been designed in the first place. Once i have a little time, i'm going to employ the fix and then i'll post the results. What should i buy with the $497 i'm going to save?

And on another subject, i'm excited. This post comes to you from my parents house. While you may think that's not unusual, you've posted from there before...you'd be right. However, i was able to link up with a wireless network. No, EB is not WiFi...that i know of. But this wireless link is much faster than that darned old phone line. Let's just say, the neighbors are nice around here...probably too nice.

Tonight we had 'show and tell' night. Mom dug out all of the artwork that me and my brother did over the years. Some of it's pretty good...i kinda remember doing some of it. I just wish i could remember the book that i used to make that one drawing from...it was an awesome book.

I have run out of things to say...other than, hello to melissa wallace...she's working one of the worst shifts in all of flight controller land...i know she frequents this blog from time to time...wake up...the sun will rise soon enough. :)

Death Kitty

Ok, this is one cat that i definitely would not want near me. Death Kitty.

Man, i'm tired. It's been a long week...and there are still two days left of the week. Less than 13 days away from the mission...so much to do. The good news is that i'm "proficient" now. It's really a relative term, but i'm supposedly proficient at my job now. Another 18 months shall pass before i have to go through that again.

The rains return...

The Rain Continues

Things aren't quite as hot, but the humidity is killer. The air was so saturated yesterday that i could wring out some water droplets from the piece of paper i carried from one building to another. The same has been occurring on a daily basis for quite some time now. When do i find the time to mow my lawn? I don't. The yard is getting quite tall. The forecast doesn't look too great for the next week or so. Rain, rain, and more rain. Seattle called...it wants its weather back.

Now, the rain, while gloomy, is keeping the temps down a bit. And my electricity bill appreciates that.

Well, i've got an early day tomorrow...console calls. I hope to relax tomorrow after putting in my 50+ hours. Then it's back to more reading. Seventeen days left before we launch. I'm making good progress on my planning, but there is much to finish.

I'm starting to look forward to the end of the mission. Then i can relax ... A LOT. I've got some shoes to buy! And a brother and sister-in-law to visit! Perhaps an old buddy to visit near Tahoe. Guess we'll see how things go in a month.

A Very Long Day

Well, the day is over...and it was a very long day. I didn't get to see everyone that i wanted to see, but it was a rather interesting day nonetheless.

The day started off around 6:30am. I wanted to watch the Soyuz landing to close out my increment. I made a pan of cinnamon rolls for breakfast and watched NASA TV for the landing footage. As the previous post stated, the crew landed safely and was in good health.

The first stop was the regularly scheduled saturday morning football fun. This week was a little different...we had visitors. The Tobin's, Jim and Jenny, were in town for a wedding. Jim is the originator of saturday morning football and that is where i met him and his wife. I had only known them for a few months before they moved to D.C. So, it was nice to see them again.

My original plan was to leave football around 10:30 go home and get cleaned up and then head to Boondoggles. Well, that didn't quite work out. I decided to go straight to Boondoggles from football...yes, i was unclean and in my football clothes. I had just pulled up and Ginger had a Jack & Coke on the way. Thanks Ginger. For a while it was just me, Ginger, Al Drew and Joan Higginbotham. Little by little more and more Increment 14 members arrived at the party. Part way throught the celebration, Mike Lopez-Alegria called Ginger's cell phone to say hello. Wow...talk about surreal. It wasn't a few hours earlier that i watched a recovery crew pull him out of a Soyuz capsule. So very cool.

Just as the party was getting into full swing, i had to bail to get to Luke's b-day party. I flew home took a quick shower and headed out to the park. The weather was great, the food was great, the entertainment was great, the birthday boy had fun. Josh, the photographer took some pictures of the event. if you ask nicely, maybe he'll post some?

Next it was home for another quick shower and a shave. I had another party to attend. By now it is about 5:30pm. The Merancy's (saturday morning football friends) were throwing a BBQ for the Tobin's. After several hours of eating, drinking, and socializing, i decided to call it a night. I started to get a headache and it kept getting worse. I don't normally get headaches, so it is really an annoyance when i get one. The night ended about 11:45pm. If you do the math, that is about an 18 hour day.

Call me crazy, but i still managed to spend some time writing you this update. I hope you had a productive day. For those of you that i saw today, it was good seeing you. For those that i missed...well, i missed you. Have a good Sunday.

I'm off to bed...

Greetings from EB

As promised...an updated post.

It’s April and it’s nearly freezing outside; another example of crazy Texas weather. Although, I don’t think this weather system is just affecting Texas. Anyway, i didn’t really take a look at the temperature before going out doors. I knew that it was going to be a cold day so I dressed appropriately. It was very cold on the football field this morning…yes, I joined 11 others to play some Saturday morning football.

When we started the day, there was a brisk wind that made it even more chilling. But as we got moving around, it wasn’t so bad. Then the rain came…luckily it was only a slight drizzle. It wasn’t until I got in the car on the way home that I realized what the temperature was; 44 degrees. At first I thought my temperature gauge was broken…but no, it was really that cold out there. I’m sure to get sick now…

As stated earlier, I’m in EB for the weekend. The fam and I were supposed to travel to Austin to spend Easter with other family members. But mom had an allergic reaction to some penicillin she was taking…so we’re not going anywhere tomorrow. The weird thing is she was taking the penicillin for a week now with no ill affects until the last day on the drug. She broke out into some serious hives…The hives are still there, but diminishing.

As I write this, the rain trickles in a soothing and relaxing rhythm. I should sleep well tonight…as I normally do when there is a slow rain outside.

On another note, the Expedition 15 crew lifted off from Baikonur today. The crew is on their way to the ISS. Monday afternoon the crew will dock and begin to handover to the Expedition 14 crew. That will mean that my increment is over and Tarik’s increment is just beginning. Good luck there Alex.

Everyone stay warm...

Melange

Ok, so there are quite a few things to talk about tonight, hence the title of this post. Melange.

1) Today i got the opportunity to talk to the ISS crew one last time before the end of our increment. Ginger assembled the Inc14 Flight Control Team Leads and we each got an opportunity to say a few words to the crew. For some reason, that never gets old.

2) Ever wonder how long it would take to read my entire blog? I have...and i have an answer. One of my newest readers read the entire blog in just under 5 hours. So, if you are new to my blog and you want to read it all...block out about 5 hours. Enjoy.

3) My artwork has been framed. I got a call today that my pieces were complete. I wasn't expecting them until early next week. Nonetheless, i was pretty much useless at work, so i left early to pick up my art. I think the pieces turned out well. Now, i need to hang them. Unfortunately, i have a lot of blank wall space and these two prints will barely make a difference. I'll need some accent pieces to compliment the bigger pieces to fill the space on the walls. At least i'm making a step in the right direction.

4) Since i don't have a social life at the moment, Finding Reason decided to take advantage of the free friday nights and get in some quality rockstar practice. Tonight was a really good night for Finding Reason. We came up with a new song...one that we needed badly. That brings the songs in flux to 17. Yep, Finding Reason has 17 different ideas. If we could just complete those, we'd have enough to do a full show. I think we're supposed to get together tomorrow for our regularly scheduled rockstar practice time slot...but being Easter weekend, i'm not sure we will.

5) Get ready for some cold weather this weekend. Lows are expected to be in the upper 30s/lower 40s this weekend. Dress warm for that egg hunt.

Well, i think that's all i have to post about tonight...i think there is something i'm forgetting, but i can't recall right now.

Have a good weekend and a great Easter!

I Love Wireless...

Today's weather is unbelievable. Absolutely gorgeous. In fact, this post comes to you from my backyard. I decided that i would take advantage of the good weather, come sit out on the back patio and play a little guitar. I brought the laptop along so that i could play through some music. Ahh...wireless...it is so nice. I brought the acoustic outside and worked through some material. It's actually very relaxing out here. Too bad this weather won't stick around very long. It reminds me very much of San Diego. Ahhh...i love San Diego.

Anyway, i hope that you got out to enjoy the weather today.

BLAH...

A cold front pushes through today and brings rain. Gilruth sports (softball and football) cancelled. Sorry Erin. Sorry Moose. I thought football was an all-weather sport?

The Astros somehow get swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Yes, you read that right...the Pirates. Not a good start to the season. Perhaps they are getting their typical end-of-season-slump over with early this year?

Had to dig deeper into my pocket to pay the lawyer. I hope this thorn in my side is over with soon. i have things i want to do...

I'm losing sleep for some reason...

Ok, i guess i'm done whining now...

Rainy Day = Zero Motivation

I had zero motivation today. I did nothing. The rain had a lot to do with that too. Of course, with the rain, there was no football this morning. I was okay with that. I must've been tired, for i slept till 10:30am...which is rare for me.
I was supposed to go to a crawfish boil today too...and again, with the rain, i didn't feel like going. I didn't even put in my contacts today. I, at least, picked up the acoustic guitar for a little work...
I sure wish i could've done some household chores...but it just wasn't in the cards for today. Perhaps tomorrow will be a more productive day?
Now, i'm just watching college basketball...

I hope your day was more productive than mine?

Wicked Weather!

Here in southeast texas we experienced some pretty wicked weather! Fortunately, i was in the middle of a windowless building and the only notion of bad weather was everyone walking in with this "shocked" look on their face. There were even some stories of people being pelted with hail. That made me a little concerned with my vehicle sitting outside unprotected. Oh well...it could've been worse i suppose. There were some reports of possible tornadoes. With the low hung clouds and high winds...and hail, i'm surprised i didn't see one. On my way home i was pelted with some small ice pellets...no damage done...at least from what i could tell. Also, i've been convinced that i need a vehicle with a little more ground clearance. I didn't have any major issues going through flooded streets, for i was watching the low camero in front of me make it through...but it's always a little more comforting knowing that a Murano, for instance, would not have any trouble getting me home.

Of course the wild weather cancelled football for tonight. I was a little disappointed, but i'm a fan of laziness too, so it all worked out.

Today was a very tough day on console. With two ADCOs working, for a full 8 hours, not all the work was completed. We did get a lot done though. We even uncovered a bug in one of our console tools (Sorry for creating more work for you Erin.) I sure hope tomorrow is a little more relaxing.

I need a vacation...do you need a vacation?

Wonderful Weather

Today was absolutely a gorgeous day! I took advantage and spent most of the day outside. It was another good day for football. No one got injured and all had fun. The post football grub run was to Freebirds. Sorry, Erin, but Chipolte cannot beat Freebirds. It was so damn delicious today. I'll reserve Chipolte for my pulled pork needs.

Following Freebirds it was straight to Rockstar practice. We need to hit the lotto or stumble upon some money. We need our own studio. It's such a pain to drag all the equipment to and fro and set it up, tear it down, blah, blah, blah. If we had our own studio, we could just show up and go to work...

Well, the weather distracted us from our practice. We ran through our two crowd pleasers and then wandered outside for a bit. Ok, we did try to work on some new material and it started to go somewhere, then it died and went nowhere. Then we wandered outside. We started talking about what we need to do and how we need to get there and such. It was a nice talk. We attempted to go back in and work on some yet unfinished music. The "driving" song is a lot further along than i remembered. The driving song was an old piece of work that was put aside to complete further along works. I think the driving song is nearing completion...there are some lyrics that need to be written, but the overall structure is complete. I guess i'll get to work on this one...

Now, that the sun has gone down, i think i'll just sit here and relax and watch a movie.
Enjoy your Saturday night.

Absolutely Gorgeous Weather

Today was an absolute joy to be outside doing things. This morning was a little chilly, but not terribly so for being about 37 degrees overnight. Saturday morning football lasted for better than two hours and was a good workout. No one limped away with any injuries...even josh.

Following football was supposed to be a little rockstar practice, but for Greg it didn't turn out to be a free-from-injury-day. He got smacked in the jaw at soccer this morning and ended up at the hospital for x-rays. Turns out nothing was fractured and he has some issues closing his mouth all the way, but we cancelled rockstar practice due to his large headache. But that was fine with me...i was able to take a little nap to catch up on some sleep.

I hope you are enjoying the wonderful weather here, and where ever you may be!