LIPS Ride

Saturday, October 11, 2008
Kemper and I...well first let me just say we took the day off from work so we could get our chores done and got into the vodka pretty early while decorating our bike for the Halloween season...Boney on the back and Skull on the front...we started out from our house at about 8:30am...so hoping we'd get to wear our leathers...but you guessed it...too warm...yuck, we've had chilly mornings all week and this morning was warm again...so we decided to just pack our Rum Punch and leave the leathers at home...stupid...yeah about 30 minutes down the road I was freezing...but I managed, the sun was warm in places...you can bet the leathers are on the bike now...I won't take 'em off until about July next year.
We met Monica and Dusty at their house and rode to Crazy Frogs Saloon, that's where the ride starts. They wait until we are there to tell us Bennett won't be there for an hour and a half...so we eat and sit around visit Ross and Rhonda from the Rally last year...it was good to see them. Speaking of Rally...IKE took care of that this year...it was still advertising that it would go on as planned even though Galveston is destroyed...but last week they announced that it would rescheduled for December 12th. Not good for any of us. So I guess we'll miss it this year. Anne's house did okay some damage of course...but it will be fine, still no power in that area, a month later.
By now we are getting pretty antsy to ride so we go to Bennett’s work and wait for him. I wasn't long and we took off. First stop the Thirsty Parrott. Okay the way this ride works is that we have these poker chips we show each time we go into the bar and the give use tickets good for door prizes at the end...we please keep in mind that I'd had a lot of vodka the night before...not feeling so hot by now...and when we waked in the Thirsty Parrott these chicks sitting at he door were dressed as Pirates and screamed Arrgggg, come in matey...several times if I recall...okay enough already...well then I could tell I was getting edgy...maybe I needed a MIDOL or something...so I have some on the bike...so I go out to get them...I walk back through the door and you guessed it...all the Pirate Shenanigans again...by now I'm ready to pop this girl in the mouth...I go to Kemper he has a beer waiting for me and I can't get the freaking pills out of the #*&king child proof wrapper...now I'm making Pirate grunts and noises...I tell Kemper I want my camera but if I walk past the girls again I'm gonna smack ‘em. He gets the camera for me...here are some pics.
We're off again...next stop Harley and Horses...we had fun here...I was badged an Official Ass Kisser...duh. Knew that. Kemper brought his smuggled Cuban Cigars to share with Dusty and Bennett...so we got a table to ourselves... Dusty made a snide remark to Monica while looking at her through his bad eye...something to the effect she didn't look too bad. So Monica sat giving Dusty the stink eye for the rest of the time there anyway.
On to the next place...Cypress Saloon...we get to eat our $25 dollar sandwich there we are all starving...we hang out there until all the drawings are done Monica had to leave to go to her volunteer thing Angie met us there to pick her up. She also had bough tickets for the drawing to be held later...so we had to wait around to see if she won anything...she didn't. But I think I did find my mom's next husband...
Well the four of us aren't really ready to give it up yet so we decide we'll go out to the Farm and Ranch club to hang out while Monica works. So on the way they Bennett is crazy tired and many beers and on one little tiny $25 sandwich, not to mention the girls in the cars are very distracting to Bennett as this time. So he's having a bit of trouble remembering to put his bike in first gear at the MANY stop lights...we laugh lots on the ride there. Once at the Farm and Ranch club Monica advises us NOT to come in it's boring...so the boys drink rum punch in the parking lot...Dusty is wanting to ride to Galveston at 6 pm and it's gonna get cold...and you know who....didn't pack leathers...so before that got outta hand (meaning he could have talked Kemper into it) Kemper and I decided to go home before the sun went any lower...it was a long day...but a really fun day...any day is good day to hang out with them...

Up to Date...

Wow...A lot has happened since the last entry...where to start...
I guess to keep from boring everyone...I'll tell you about IKE.
Man...I've never been through anything like this before in my life...I've been in this area a long time, but have been fortunate to not have experienced a bad Hurricane until now. Now keep in mind we are 100 miles from the coast.
BUGGING OUT - Thursday, Sept 11. Everyone was leaving town, securing their property, etc...traffic was already really bad with people trying to evacuate from the coastline...so in the slacker fashion that we are...Kemper and I went home too. We went to the grocery store which was already striped of everything...then after an hour and a half we made to the liquor store near our house and bought vodka...the big bottle! While in the liquor store many where there buying the hurricane provisions...as leaving I announced over my shoulder to some other ladies in the store "Happy Hurricane!". They giggled and said "Same to ya!" Little did I know I'd eat those words.
Anyway, Kemper and I got home I made soup to have for our hurricane guest (Kemper's sister and brother in-law, two kids and a dog planned to evacuate to our house from Clear Lake.) We started drinking...that's kinda all I remember about that day...and Friday...oh well Terri, Garland, the kids and the dog arrived sometime after noon. Soon after they got there Kemper and I went to mom's to help her secure her place and the patio items at Joann and Bill's place...
Back at home...with the TV on with nothing but hurricane coverage...remembering that we have 3 tubs of frozen Margarita in the freezer we are drinking still and playing games...watching TV...eating...oh I have to tell about Cory...Kemper's nephew...he's funny...The guys went to the grocery to get snacks...and brought back several half gallons of ice cream...that was Cory's hurricane food...while sitting around waiting on the storm, eating ice cream...Cory said "the TV guy just said not to scare you or anything but...if you are still in Galveston you should leave or face certain death”...Cory said "I think that's pretty scary"...he's a funny kid, cracks me up...
Later that evening Mom and Kevin came over and we played Rummicub...I got it now Garland!!!! Ready when you are!
Alright, skipping ahead to 2 am Saturday morning...all hell is breaking loose...by now we have no power and the wind and rain are pounding us...we were all up and down all night just watching portions of the fence come down...I'm scared by now...but if this is as bad as it gets it's fine...Kemper tells me at one point we are in the eye and have about an hour before the other side hits...we go back to bed and get up to more pouring rain...OMG! the rain...no power...no water...I cook breakfast. (that's what I do when I'm nervous)
The street is flooded, our front yard is flooded, the back yard is flooded, the water is about 8 feet from our back patio...we sit in the garage just watching it rain...the ice cream is melting so I think they ate ice cream a couple more times...in the garage...I cut up some cheese and set out crackers.
As time passes...the water is about an inch from coming onto the back patio and Garland is in the garage with a broom sweeping water out of the garage...this is not good...no end in sight...the rain just keeps coming...this is when Kemper decides something has to happen...the water is gonna get in the house. He and Garland go to the back yard and started knocking down portions of the fence that didn't go in the storm...at this point Kemper is in water above his knees in our back yard...I'm scared now, the neighbors are going to shelter and we have minnows swimming in our garage...I can't stand the thought of our house being ruined...I made a veggie tray...the neighbor comes over secures our side gate open to allow the water to run out and Kemper and Garland have broken down the back fence so the water could flow out within about and hour or so the water was receding...thank God and Kemper and Garland...now the rain is slowing quite a bit...Still no power, water or cell phone service but we are okay...Terri and Garland are wanting to go home...they are terribly worried about the condition of their house...so early afternoon they loaded up and took off back to Clear Lake, we were scared for them but totally understood them wanting to get home and assess their own damages...It's over...Kemper and I are rattled but okay...I wanted to go check on mom and Kevin...the damage between our house and mom's was sickening...so many huge trees down...so much debris. They are fine...mom's fence even stayed in place. I was good just to put my eyes on them! We didn't stay long we didn't want to get caught after dark. so back home we go to bed really early since we have no power and we are exhausted. Thank God this is over...
What??? the Lightening and the Thunder???? Why??? Yep another storm coming through more rain...NO MORE RAIN!!!! Needless to say...We all (Me, Kemper and Rhed) slept in the closet...I can't take it anymore.
Sunday, we wake up it's over, really it's over now...the air is cool and the sun may try to come out today...wow...it's over. Still with no power or water...we stike out to see if we can see the kids for a few minutes…they are with friends in a heavily hit area…we don’t get to see them but the nightbor says they are fine…just out sight seeing…after that we sit in the garage and drink...eating everything we can in the freezers cooking all sorts of crazy stuff...mom and Kevin come over we sit in the garage and play Rummicub for the next few days, going out from time to time to look for ice and water...oh...and the pigs...we have pigs now, 6 pigs...so we cleaned out the freezer and feed the pigs for a whole week...Kemper fed them bacon...they were fun...kept my mind off the fact that this could last for a while and the hummingbirds...we had more hummingbirds that week than I've had all season...so that was my bright star...the ray of hope I needed. Wednesday mom went back to work...Thursday I went back to work... Kemper had no power till Monday. Mom got power back on Friday...after 1week without power or water Kemper and I move into Joann and Bill's house down the street from mom...it was nice to live a few doors down from her for a while...thank God for Joann and Bill's kindness. Kemper and I got power back on at our house 14 days after IKE and water 20days after IKE was safe to drink again.
Whew! Needless to say...we are having some work done to our back yard...had some drainage issues for sure. Still have pigs....they aren't as welcome as before...they have torn our yard up pretty bad and have wallowed the hole out even more that the storm did...now they are just nasty things in my yard...BUT the ray of happiness still remains just in watching Kemper chase them around and throw rocks at them...heehee...it's funny...makes my smile to write about it!