Hey Texas people

[Guest]

Update: We just got our power back.

I went to my home teacher's home to get my work done.  They also had some room in their freezer for some or our frozen food.  So, I made a couple of trips there.  While there, I heard some very impressive parenting.  They are wonderful people.  I wish I could be like them.  They also got a phone call from the other end (from my house) of the ward.  They saw some streams and ponds going higher than they ever have before.  They got scared. He left to go rescue them or at least calm them down.  I left before I heard the conclusion.

Mrs. Carb went for a walk in the rain.  A neighbor on the other side or our loop believed her to be distraught and invited us over for dinner.  She was just going a bit stir crazy being stuck in a home with no light.  She had to get out of here.  This neighbor is the one who hosts the neighborhood party every year.  

As we got ready to go, we discovered that there was a leak in the roof of our maxi-van.  It ran to the carpet, generating a mephitic redolence.  So, we split into our other cars (with the visiting relatives).  On our way out we saw the repair truck from the power company coming into the neighborhood... And there was much rejoicing... (Yey...)

After an evening of fun (the other side of the loop was not affected by the downed power line) we returned to what appeared to be some wil-o-wisps manifesting through the trees enclosing our property.  But behold, our wonder was lacking for the miracle wrought before us.  For it was not the lights of the netherworld we saw.  Nay, it was the light of modern technology that we had lacked these 24 hours.  And behold our joy was full.

Yes, we certainly gave praises and prayers of gratitude tonight for our family prayer.

Now, if this rain can stop...

Thanks for all your prayers and well wishes.

Edited August 29, 2017 by Guest

[askandanswer]

In Texas de rain is deranged.

[pam]

14 hours ago, Still_Small_Voice said:

This is one of the reasons why I do not like letting my gasoline tank get below half level in our cars.  I try to keep them over half full.  In a bad situation like this if the gasoline stations run out you may not have gasoline for your car and lose your ability to travel.  It is a way of laying up in store.

I do the exact same thing.  As soon as I'm at 1/2 a tank I fill up.

[Grunt]

8 hours ago, pam said:

I do the exact same thing.  As soon as I'm at 1/2 a tank I fill up.

Your vehicle can also power a refrigerator at intervals to keep food fresh.

[Sunday21]

11 minutes ago, Grunt said:

Your vehicle can also power a refrigerator at intervals to keep food fresh.

Did not know!

[Grunt]

8 minutes ago, Sunday21 said:

Did not know!

 

[Grunt]

Inverters aren't expensive.  Get one 800 watts or greater and you can run many things in your house off your car in an emergency.   Also, you can charge your car battery with a chainsaw if you run it down.   

I spend far too much time prepping for a heathen.

[Guest]

The Houston Temple was closed for regular maintenance this past weekend (at the beginning of the storm).  They were scheduled to open again in two weeks (just after the storm is over).  I think they'll need just a little more time.

[Still_Small_Voice]

I am starting to pray Carborundum that these rains be stopped.  Please everyone reading this petition the LORD that the rain will stop in Texas.

[Guest]

12 minutes ago, Still_Small_Voice said:

I am starting to pray Carborundum that these rains be stopped.  Please everyone reading this petition the LORD that the rain will stop in Texas.

I don't know what to think about things like this.  On the one hand, lives have been lost and many people have lost property, businesses will have troubles because of this.  My office is under water and the servers aren't working.  So I can't work remotely.  We'll be feeling the effects of this for years to come.

On the other hand, it is disasters like this that remind us that our petty differences don't matter.  We come together to help one another.  We rely on the Hand of the Lord to make it through.  Every disaster has the brighter side.  Have you seen the pictures?

• A guy with a confederate flag on his truck was helping black people to safety.  Neither side cared about the flag or the color of anyone's skin.
• A newscaster gave up on her report to wave some rescue crews over to help a guy stuck inside his truck that was sinking in the water.
• Independent boaters are helping rescue workers to save lives.
• A Catholic priest was canoeing between refuge sites to give rites to those who wanted it.
• People are opening up their homes to complete strangers so they can be more comfortable and safer than at a refuge site.
• Communities are working their plans.  Our ward is in communication with everyone.
• Friends who haven't gotten together in months are getting together.

Don't you wish we could always be like that?

[zil]

2 minutes ago, Carborendum said:

I don't know what to think about things like this.  On the one hand, lives have been lost and many people have lost property, businesses will have troubles because of this.  My office is under water and the servers aren't working.  So I can't work remotely.  We'll be feeling the effects of this for years to come.

On the other hand, it is disasters like this that remind us that our petty differences don't matter.  We come together to help one another.  We rely on the Hand of the Lord to make it through.  Every disaster has the brighter side.  Have you seen the pictures?

• A guy with a confederate flag on his truck was helping black people to safety.  Neither side cared about the flag or the color of anyone's skin.
• A newscaster gave up on her report to wave some rescue crews over to help a guy stuck inside his truck that was sinking in the water.
• Independent boaters are helping rescue workers to save lives.
• A Catholic priest was canoeing between refuge sites to give rites to those who wanted it.
• People are opening up their homes to complete strangers so they can be more comfortable and safer than at a refuge site.
• Communities are working their plans.  Our ward is in communication with everyone.
• Friends who haven't gotten together in months are getting together.

Don't you wish we could always be like that?

So what you're saying is, heaven will be a natural disaster of epic proportions?

Still praying for you guys.

[Guest]

Here is the before:

[Guest]

Here is the after:

That large "bush" you see in the center of the photo was not there before.  You may also note that the sky is a bit more visible.

A tree fell down because of a clay layer about four feet below the surface.  Sand in the top four feet.

Edited August 29, 2017 by Guest

[Guest]

Here is the neighbor's tree that fell on the power lines.

The neighbor on the other side didn't fare so well.

That was one massive tree that fell on his house.  They got it tarped up real well.  A tree guy is there working on how best to remove it without further damaging the house.

 

[zil]

So sorry for your neighbor.

[Guest MormonGator]

I'm just glad you are okay @Carborendum. Keep updating us and be careful please. The hurricane being doesn't mean the danger is. But you know that. 

[Guest]

Today, we saw something that brought both light and warmth to our hearts and minds... the sun.

We haven't seen the sun AT ALL for the past four or five days.  Amazing what it does to your mind to not see the sun for even a moment for several days in a row.

 

Edited August 30, 2017 by Guest

[Guest]

8 hours ago, zil said:

So sorry for your neighbor.

He's ok.  They've got plenty of dry spots as well as a place to go to sleep.  They're also very, VERY wealthy.  They'll get it repaired pretty quickly.

[Guest Godless]

My best friend lives in Galveston. Her home and immediate vicinity is above water, but there's a lot of flooding in nearby areas. Today she reported that she encountered a very unusual roadkill sighting. It was a fish.  

[Sunday21]

@Carborendum

Praying for you! So hope the rain stops!

[Guest]

Had myself a mighty close call with flooding on Monday night!

Apparently I was the victim of some controlled flooding.  Everything had been fine until Monday afternoon when lakewater started rising out of the storm drains and covering the streets.  The water slowly rose up my front lawn at a rate of about six inches an hour.  With six inches to go, I said a prayer: "Heavenly Father, please deliver me from the flooding if it be in thy will, but if it be in thy will that I should experience a flooded house for my experience, then bring on the water!"  Well, the water came to my front doorstep and stopped rising with four inches to go!  It has since receded back down.

[Ironhold]

The stake president around here has asked that people gas their cars up as soon as possible and limit the mileage they drive until such time as regular gas deliveries can continue. A lot of stations are completely out of gas, while others only have diesel and perhaps the high-end "premium" grade. 

[Ironhold]

The gas situation is getting worse, but reports are that one particular refinery hopes to be back online sometime Sunday. 

[Guest Godless]

1 hour ago, Ironhold said:

The gas situation is getting worse, but reports are that one particular refinery hopes to be back online sometime Sunday. 

From what I understand, the refineries aren't even the issue. The fuel shipments were delayed and people freaked out. Prices have gone up 30 cents in the past week. Once again, I got lucky and filled up a few hours before the madness started yesterday.

[Ironhold]

20 hours ago, Godless said:

From what I understand, the refineries aren't even the issue. The fuel shipments were delayed and people freaked out. Prices have gone up 30 cents in the past week. Once again, I got lucky and filled up a few hours before the madness started yesterday.

I use my personal vehicle for work, so I have to keep the tank filled. 

Cue me trying to run to the station yesterday to fill up. The station in question only had diesel and premium, and the pumps were dispensing the premium so slowly that I lost grip strength in both arms holding on to the fuel nozzle. I finally gave up after a mere 3.454 gallons, at which point the station workers were already mothballing pumps to conserve what was left. 

After this morning's run, I went in to gas up again. Turns out that at some point after I left, they finally got a shipment. They had everything and in quantity, such that I got a full 5+ gallons without issue.