Snow days

Let's talk about Ike. I'm not particularly happy with Ike or his behavior at the moment. Just this afternoon, I sent a big informational email out to my family telling them what's going on and what our evacuation plans are (currently not to evacuate). I felt the need to let everyone know my point of view because the national and especially the local media/meteorologists tend to get overly excited about these things and blow them out of proportion.

However, now here is my dilemma/problem with Ike: 1)Ike is huge. Although it is not as of yet, nor is it predicted to be a really strong hurricane, the span of it is enormous, so no matter where he makes land fall, we will feel it. How much we feel it depends on where landfall is. Not to mention that we are on the "sloppy" or "dirty" side of it, so we're looking at a lot of rain and wind most likely. 2) He keeps jumping all over the place. He is being pushed by fronts and troughs and stuff so that he isn't just staying on one track. Currently, he is supposed to go to the southwest of us, but if he is pushed or moved, it is usually to the northeast. And that 'IF' would bring him right to us.


So, the big question is: do we evacuate? When we evacuated for Rita in 2005 (that's a story for another day if you haven't already heard it), she was a CAT 5 barrelling right for Galveston. We high tailed it (it was just me and four children). At the last minute, Rita shifted to the northeast, and we barely got our lawn watered. However, I'd still do it again.

Now with Ike, right now I don't FEEL like we are in any sort of danger. We are stocked with food, water and batteries. We are in a 100 year flood plain (which means it would take a lot for us to flood), and we're a pretty good distance inland. BUT, stranger things have happened. And the biggest issue of all, for me, is power outage. Yeah, I can handle being cooped up for a few days and eating all the junk in the pantry by candlelight. But I'm sorry; I can not go without air conditioning for any amount of time in this place!

So now Kelly calls me to tell me that my school district has closed for the next two days. (There is a chance that I wouldn't have known until I went to drop the first group off at their bus stop and noticed there was no one around, so thanks, Kelly!) Now. granted, a good part of our district is in low-lying areas or nearer to the coast, but dang it. Two days! I didn't tell any of my people. We just had normal homework/bedtime routine. I have to prepare myself mentally before I can let them in on the snow days and see the glee shining in their eyes. I did, however, turn off every one's alarms so they won't be woken up so early -- here's hoping...

I'm so confused. I will make my final decision as to weather we stay or go by tomorrow early evening. I've reserved a hotel room up north just in case and hope to/plan on canceling it. (I have learned to do that because for Rita, there were no hotels in Texas and we had to drive to Oklahoma City for a room!) Anyway, if we were to leave any later than that, we'd be stuck on the freeway for hours on end anyway, and I'd much rather be stuck at home with no air conditioning than on the hot pavement with car fumes and a few million of my closest friends.

I'll let you know. I need some serious chocolate. Maybe I should head to Target before the flood waters rise and I can't get there...

Dang you Ike!!!