Same Old...

The 1 p.m. coordinates for IKE arrived, and really nothing has changed. Maybe we will see only a category 2 instead of a 3? Who knows.

As far as our preparations go, all of the loose items in the yard have been secured in the garage, with the exception of the garden cart, the wood pile, the chiminea and the old timie washing machine that Leslie plans to convert to a fountain. The only casualties were the three tiered pot that I accidentally dumped from the wheelbarrow (oops), and a wasp sting that I sustained while moving a garden thingie that had an unknown wasp's nest inside it. Oh, and I also got a few ant bites while trying to dismantle Henry's play house. I think I'll live, but I'm dying for a shower.

We emptied the laundry room/pantry of all of the non-essential items that were on the floor. Our pantry includes a small half room that is the space under the landing of our stairway that is on the other side of the pantry. That is where we store all of our extra kitchen appliances and such. All of this hadn't been moved since hurricane Rita in 2005. So, who knew preparing for a hurricane would involve vacuuming and mopping. Anyway, our safe room is cleared out. We still need to move in the essential items (like the TV).

Our bookstudy overseer (from our congregation) has called and checked on us and offered words of encouragement. He and his family are also hunkering down in the city next to ours.

There isn't a whole lot more to do other than wait. And that's the hardest part.

We are all in the process of showering which the thought that it may be a while before we have that luxury again (worst case scenario thinking). Afterwards, we may go for a walk before the winds kick up too heavily or before it starts raining. It's already overcast.

Before retiring for the night, we'll fill both bathtubs with water, gather all important documents for safe keeping, and move any precious items to the interior of the house.

And as far as Henry, he's hanging in there like a trooper. I keep watching for signs of stress, but overall, he seems to be taking everything in stride with the normal curiosity of a typical 5-year-old. Dolly (our dog) seems more stressed than Henry. We have been careful to only watch the news for necessary updates. Not leaving it on all of the time has really helped all of us to maintain our calm. Plus, it really ticks me off to see people who were mandated to evacuate, chose not to, and now expect people to come and rescue them. On a funny note, Henry asked this morning if we needed to "jackuvate".

Stay tuned for updates...I'm sure the laptop will join us the safe room.