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