Bowman West

On the couch--that's where I've been since yesterday. I was just making the bed, turned the wrong way, and now my back is killing me. I've been here before and have in the past gotten muscle relaxers and huge doses of ibuprofen but no can do this time. So, it's just regular doses of tylenol, heat patches, and stretching.
Oh well, I'm just glad I'm having back issues up here in Lubbock instead of leaving the coast in a 100 mile traffic jam! I know everyone's with me on this--I'm sick of hurricanes! I'm sure we've all got friends and family who are either evacuating or getting ready to ride out the storm. My family's about 90 minutes northwest of Houston and I'm nervous for them.
My brother-in-law has a little different perspective on things though. He's an engery broker for the major energy producer/supplier (LCRA) in Central Texas. His job is to buy, sale, and trade energy with other producers to keep the power grid up and running. It's a really crazy job and he'll be working all weekend to keep the lights on. He's pretty nervous right now knowing what's in store for him. Imagine the stock market floor but he's in a room with phones and computers doing the same with energy instead of stocks. He worries about leaving my sister and niece Jordyn by themselves in Bastrop while he's at work in Austin, but he knows that he's got a big job to do. I'm really proud of what he does, especially during times like this. I think my parents (45 minutes from Bastrop in La Grange) are going to stay with them throughout the storm. That makes me more comfortable too since my parents live in a mobile home. Both their counties (Bastrop & Fayette) are under tropical storm warnings and can expect high winds and flooding. My sister's house is about 200 yards from the Colorado River so we're hoping flooding won't be too extensive.

Lubbock is receiving 2000 evacuees from the Beaumont area--we just got all of the Katrina evacuees out of our shelters and into apartments and houses last week--it all seems so strange!

Anyway, that's what's most on my mind right now--maybe I'll write something more interesting later.