Ike's impact

Ref:http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/09/13/us/20080913-ike-map.html

I was introduced to The New York Times while at BYU. The Times still does a great job telling a story in very few words. This map is case-in-point. It is the best picture I've seen of how the winds and storm surge affected the Texas coast.

What are the chances that the eye of the hurricane would travel up Galveston bay?

(Shawnie's parents live about where the white line on the inset box and the shading meet up one the western edge of the storm.)

Going to school; Baseball, and soccer stars; Chocolate saleswoman

Hector Hawk Halloween Leonard

It was a rainy Halloween night. The full moon peaked through the clouds as the ghost and goblins tricked for treats. A young boy returned home early from a short jaunt around the neighborhood with his father.

Excitedly the youngster showed his distracted mother the bounty he'd acquired. Although a small catch, it was sufficient. The short-lived excitement of the candy would soon be replaced by a different excitement. Something more lasting.

As the boy fiddled around with his chocolates and hard candy treats, he didn't notice his mother's discomfort or the concerned look in his father's eyes. The pains were getting closer. The candy tasted sweet.

The recent visit to the doctor had provided a sense that the baby would not arrive for at least another week. But it was obvious that the baby knew better. It was getting late. Soon the young boy would need to be put to bed.

Finally, a knock at the door announced the arrival of the expected guest. Stepping in the home she quickly took charge of the young boy. It was time to go.

If that night was like nights years later, the young boy was rocked to sleep in the arms of the loving grandmother. The song she sang named the most important people in her life. The tune has long faded from memory, but the words were the names of her children and grandchildren.

Names are important. They have meaning. They describe. They provide structure and permanence. Order is important for a Leonard. The child must have a name.

Whether determined that night or at a later date, the boy knew he must help provide a name for his new little brother! Hector Hawk Halloween Leonard!

Scroll forward many years. The little boys now grown. A new technology beckons users to become anonymous. But for a Leonard, names are important. They have meaning. While rejected for the proper given name by loving parents, the original name fits much better in the new virtual world. A world where you can describe yourself in a way which hides you from the unknown while providing meaning to those who know.

Hunker Down II

I feel I should add to Kyle's previous post. While watching or reading some coverage of Ike, I noticed that a reporter referred to "hunker down" as a peculiarly Texan phrase. As a native Texan (from the Houston area), I didn't know that; it simply seemed to be the perfect phrase to use given the circumstances. I asked Kyle if he thought it was Texan, and he agreed that it definitely was.

As far as Ike goes, yesterday we had light to moderate rain on and off throughout the day, and it was windier than usual. But it wasn't a significant event for us here in Mansfield.

My parents fared well. They have a few missing shingles and a few loose pieces of siding. Ike's move towards Galveston was good for them, putting them on the "better" side of the storm.

Hunker Down

For those who have watched the coverage of Hurricane Ike from outside of Texas, I thought I'd provide a definition of the words hunker down. It seems this is the phrase most used to describe the action taken by those who have stayed in Houston.

Googling the term it means:

squat: sit on one's heels; "In some cultures, the women give birth while squatting"; "The children hunkered down to protect themselves from the ...

take shelter; "During the sandstorm, they hunkered down in a small hut"

hold stubbornly to a position; "The wife hunkered down and the husband's resistance began to break down"
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

We plan on hunkering down here in Mansfield where the forcast is for tropical storm winds and 2-4 inches of rain. The hurricane force winds will be about 75 miles south and east of us.

Tomorrow should be great for flying a kite. ;-D

Hurricane Gustav

Hurricane Katrina was bad enough, but what about Hurricane Gustav ? I have seen photos and
other stuff about the Hurricane Gustav. It doesn't look that bad yet. So I think that is good. But my
question is, will it be as bad as Katrina,or worse?

--by Brittany