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Surfing to catch up on the news (still really wet here in Houston) and I came across The “If…” Project. I have already started thinking about what my answer will be to this month’s topic – “If you had all the money you would ever need…and more, what would you do with your life? What would be your motivation to get out of bed everyday?” Join in the collaboration.

Today my motivation to get out of bed was to check on my car. UGH. There is about an inch of water in the car. It already has the nasty funky flood smell. *sigh* Well, I am thankful I have insurance. I called in to Farmers Insurance this morning bright and early and was fortunate to get through right away. The claim rep asked for my phone number “in case we get disconnected” – which we did, about 2 minutes later. After a few calls back though we already have my claim under way and now I just have to wait for the insurance adjuster to call me. Then the woman from Farmers called Enterprise Rental cars and lined up my car rental even. Fortunately I had called one of the local branches before and found out that they had a few cars left – so when Enterprise said that none of the local branches had a car I told them that the branch 20 minutes away did, and she called them and they still had one. I had to get over there right away to pick it up, they closed at 12 (it was 11 by then) and they were holding my car only because of their agreement with Farmers’. People were calling every few minutes trying to hold cars with a credit card and they wouldn’t do it – first come first serve – except me! I got the royal princess treatment! I got their to pick up the rental and they were going to give me a Lumina at first. I wasn’t too thrilled – that is what my dad owns & when I drive it it feels like I am floating in a boat. They then offered to let me have an Acura Integra for the same price (under $35 a day, my insurance limit). I was *thrilled*. It drives just like my Civic except it is an automatic (mine’s a manual) and it even has a sunroof and CD player.

The Honda dealership told me to not even start my car. I haven’t figured out yet how I am going to get the water out of the car if I can’t drive it anywhere. The claim adjuster will call me on Monday. Ummm… yeah, right. The whole city is under water. Interstate 10 has 18-wheelers floating down it, over the submerged cars. Oh, guess what? We are still going to get more rain. Hopefully not as much as last night, but then again they weren’t expecting that storm – you never know what will happen here when it comes to weather. And the storm could restrengthen over the Gulf of Mexico and come back through again.

Thank goodness I was able to reach Chelsey on her cell phone – she was at a shelter not to stay but rather to volunteer if she was needed. She lives in the Friendswood/Pearland area and they have had rain all week. She said that she hasn’t flooded but that everything around her is. I was really worried, I thought for sure her horses were learning how to do the backstroke by now after 4 days of rain.

You can watch the news live at ABC 13 – KTRK. I will post a few pictures in a little bit.

“A Big Money Decision Against Big Tobacco” – A dying smoker says Philip Morris lied about the risks of cigarettes — and a jury awards him $3 billion. OK. News flash. In 1975 I hijacked all of my mom’s cigarettes and hid them. I was *six*. Did this man not figure out in the past 25 years the whole “smoking is bad” campaign? $3Billion??? What’s up with that? Man I am at a loss for words.

Here is my apartment, my parent’s house & Wal-Mart. Just in case you were wondering. *wink* Aerial shots from Mapquest.com.

I can’t believe the people that are calling 911 right now. Since they can’t get through to 911 (thanks to the others who are calling it when they shouldn’t be) they are calling the news station. “The bottom of my house is flooded. I have been trying to call 911 but can’t get through. I just want to make sure they know I am upstairs.” The news anchor asks, “Are you sick?” “No, I just don’t think anyone knows I am up here.” UGH! No wonder you guys can’t get through – you are fine. Sure, it sucks your house is flooded, but you are fine. You aren’t in danger. You are on the second floor. Granted, the woman that called because her neighbors were in wheelchairs and they are in one-story houses and she can’t help them evacuate – SHE should have called. THAT is a legitimate reason. Not just because you want to get out. I am extra edgy, it’s almost 4am. People are trying to get through the flood water – like they didn’t notice it’s flooding all over the city! Geepers.

ACK! Tonight’s storm could make the Top Ten SE Texas Weather Events! Along with the Great Storm of 1900 in Galveston, Hurricane Alicia (’83), Hurricane Carla (’61) and the Floods of ’94. Scary thing is … this is the *first* Tropical Storm of the season!

I am still up (obviously), watching the non-stop news coverage of the floods here in Houston. Cars are completely under water on some roads. I just went outside in the rain (ugh) to check on my car and the water is up to the bottom of the car almost. I can’t decide if I should wade out there and walk the route over to the parking lot across the street to see if it gets even deeper or if I should just leave it where it is at. I won’t drive it across without walking it first because I have no idea how deep it will get in the street. Probably deeper since you go up a driveway to get into the apartment lot. I should probably just leave it where it is at instead of risking it.

Sorry, the delirious rantings of a flood victim at 3am…

I have spent a long time tonight reading through Rachel’s Daily Diary which I stumbled across thanks to Nicole. I was quite amused when I came to her 14 May 2001 post. This made me think of Kymberlie:

Those who know me will be shocked to read that I am fond of finding one phrase I like and repeating it ad nauseum (yes, I am being sarcastic). My favorite thing to say now is “Oh la la. Pas possible!” which is pronounced “Euh leuh leuh. Pah poh-see-bleh.” It’s French and means, “Oh my goodness. That’s not possible!”

Kymberlie, being the great pal that she is, met up with me today and we went to eat lunch together. I gave her back “Bridget Jones’s Diary” and she brought me the second book in the set. (Sorry, it’s on the counter, don’t remember the name right now) She also burned a copy of a CD that she bought at Hallmark a few weeks ago, “Music for a Stress Free Day”. I had a copy, but it disappeared a few months ago at the last job – since she really liked it she got one the day I was fired and hooked me up. Now I have a copy to take to the new job. See? What a pal. And only we can spend 2 and a half hours in the afternoon at Chick-Fil-A, huh Bella? Oh la la. Pas possible! Yes, 2 and a half hours. Last weekday without a job, had to take advantage of that long lunch.

After I left Chick-Fil-A I went in to Wal-Mart, “just to buy batteries.” I want to know what it is that they put in the air in that place. Instead I wandered all over the store, tried on shoes, jammies, picked out fake flowers (have to decorate the new desk – bright sunshine-yellow daisies). I could hear the rain start up, and I could tell it was a hard, heavy rain. I was just going to stay in the store & kill time … until I heard them page “the owner of a gray car with license plate G– —, your car is in dangerously high water” Hmmm. My car is silver, and the plate is D– —, just 1 letter off. (you didn’t think I was going to put the whole plate number, did you?) So I hightailed it up to the check out, bought my daisies, and went outside. Sure enough – I had to wade through the water to get to my car, and the water was about 2 inches, if that, below the door. ACK! There was a car 2-3 spots over, but otherwise the poor Honda was out there alone, about to drown. Now, if that wasn’t enough – I live right across the street from Wal-Mart. I go across 1960 to go home, and turn on to my road … and it is totally flooded. It had only been raining for an hour! Ok, I’ll try the other route. Nope, that way was flooded even worse. Here I was just telling someone yesterday how that subdivision never floods. So I back out of the flood waters and go to my parent’s house. (They are in the same subdivision as my apartment, about 8 blocks away.) It wasn’t flooded there, so I hung out there for over an hour. My Dad & I decide that he will drive me up as close to home as he can and I will just walk the rest of the way. Probably not too smart – fire ants, snakes, whatever else. Fortunately though the water had gone down for the most part, so we went back and got my car & I drove home. Well, I was supposed to drive home. I am really sharp though … I realized that I left Wal-Mart earlier without buying batteries. “Gee, I’ll run back over there.” Good idea – until it started pooring down rain again! Oh la la. Pas possible! (grin) I ended up having to drive through some water right in front of the apartment, deeper then I would have liked, but I made it at last.