Call me Tina, I don't like Ike

This photo is post clean-up. It's our car port at work. I was out of town for the truly ugly views, but have seen plenty of downed electric lines and trees elsewhere. Some trees outside my office window are snapped right in half. I can't believe there wasn't broken glass coming into the building.

I have no electricity at my apartment, and our little segment of town is going to be one of the last on the list to be fixed, according to the schedule they've posted (probably at least another week before we're up). The apartment across from me that has south-facing windows apparently took on major damage. Crews took out the carpet and sheetrock, and are replacing it now.

Things could be worse, I've figured out how to get my basic needs fulfilled. I am now:
- a member at the local gym (hot showers!)
- a local at the laundromat (clean clothes!)
- a frequent and lengthy visitor of Panera (free wi-fi and electricity for my toys!)

Good thing I joined the gym, I have to eat out for most meals!

A Stench So Fowl...

Flew into Austin from Atlanta, and then drove home to T.W. Most of the town has power, but not my segment of town.

So I walk into my apartment, and it hits me: that HORRIBLE STENCH. I expected it to smell, but this was unbelievable.

Once I make my way through the dark into the kitchen, I notice the fridge and freezer are wide open. I find a note letting me know that management needs me to keep this open until power comes back. They did not, however, take the food out.

And the top popped off the milk. I've been gone six days.

As for Atlanta, the convention was a yawn, but I got to meet some of my vendors and move some projects forward. At least that was good. Took part of a day to goof off around town, but since it was Tuesday, there was no excitement. Ate good food (thanks for the input, everyone), and did some necessary shopping as well as window shopping. Not sure I'd go back on purpose, but it was good to see a new city all the same.

I'm burning battery power, gotta go!

KR

Blessing or Curse?

So I'm in Austin shacking up in a friend-of-a-friend's spare bedroom (THANK YOU!!), and my boss tells me this afternoon that the CEO has decided to forgo a conference in Atlanta so he can focus on cleaning up HQ, and would I like to take his place at the conference.

OMG, really?!? YES!!

So I frantically run around for two hours buying business attire (left mine in The Woodlands), booked a flight, threw everything in a bag in a minute or less, and headed for the airport. I borrowed my boss' duffle...which is apparently an expensive camping/skiing bag.

I am therefore dumb.

My luggage didn't show up. From a direct flight. With a few hundred bucks' worth in brand new clothes/shoes stuffed in it, tags attached.

SON OF A...

May be shopping again in the morning, but hope that the world is good as it should be and my bag shows up at the hotel by the time I wake up.

Everyone: Any suggestions on food/shopping in Atlanta? I've never been. Shoot me ideas, I want to make best of my time.

KR

Me and Ike

Since Ike was on path to go straight over the town I live in (30 mi. North of Houston), I left Friday and came to Austin. I've been hanging out here for a couple of days now, and we've had absolutely no real indication of that storm...no rain, only slight wind. Austin is about 2.5 hours away, to the W/NW.

My cohort has been getting pics from a co-worker who stayed in The Woodlands. The office parking lot ports (metal) are flattened, and there are plenty of trees down. No electricity, and the office phone lines are down as of this morning. We haven't heard if there was any damage to the building itself, which is all glass. There were trees outside my windows on the fourth floor, and it was on the south side. Those trees used to sway with a slight breeze, so I hate to think...

I'll go back when the town gets electricity back, waiting to hear!

KR

Stepford

Started walking and biking through town. There are spots so meticulously "perfect," it's almost scary. Stepford.

La Jolla!

My job rocks. I was on the short list for a strategy meeting with the CEO. He sent a small group of us to La Jolla, CA, mid-week last week for three days, two nights (apologies to the distant fam, I had no time to visit).

No, we did not stay in a hotel, but in a rented mansion a block from the beach!! A personal chef came in to fix us lunch one day.

This picture sucks, but hey, palm trees and a bit of ocean in the shot:


What little time we had outside the house was spent, well, eating. Absolutely one of the top meals of my life was found at Hash House a Go-Go. Cheap, comforting food.

This is my boss. She thought she was ordering one little pancake and a scrambled egg. The plates were the size of a small tire.

My meal was far more elaborate (I'm no salad-muncher). Check this out: waffles with strips of hickory bacon stuffed in the middle, topped with pecan crusted chicken, fried leeks on the side, rosemary branch stuffed in the middle (signature on every dish), and all covered in reduced maple caramel sauce. THE BEST!

This is the mutilated view of the dish...it literally had two FULL chicken breasts in it. I almost ate half the dish and almost exploded. The rest of our crew was so jealous, they helped eat the rest.

This tree in the neighborhood reminded me of Dr. Seuss.