Monday, June 15, 2015

Visit from a childhood friend

 
Kim and I have been friends since 5th grade, and she came to visit me in Houston. Her daughter (pictured above right) also lives in Houston. 
Kim and I drove down to Galveston for lunch on the beach one day. It was really hot that day and we weren't much in the mood to take photos. So this bad one is all we've got.

A visit from my oldest brother and his wife


My oldest brother C and his wife P came through Houston a few days ago. We spent the evening together and I cooked dinner for them. Unfortunately, my all-electric kitchen lost electrical power while I was cooking. It was a minor disaster and we were still able to eat.


Memorial Day flood

It was my great misfortune to have been in Houston on the evening of Memorial Day 2015 when the great flood hit. Hundreds of motorists were stranded overnight on the highways, thousands had their homes destroyed, and my car was a minor victim.

The rains and thunder were unlike any I have heard in my life thus far. And I consider myself to have endured quite a few storms (mostly overseas, some in east Texas). The lightning and thunder were relentless for seven hours straight in my part of town. I knew my car was at risk, but it was too dangerous to go outside and move it. The rain POURED out of the sky without stopping, hour after hour after hour. I was thankful to be on the second floor of a garage apartment. I was also glad Mimi wasn't there. She might have died of fear.

I went outside several hours after the rain stopped. I didn't see the worst of the flooding, as I'm sure it had subsided somewhat in those few hours. This is what I saw.


 You can see that the water had been at least a foot higher before I took this picture.
The insurance adjuster says it still works. The interior is being replaced. Hopefully I can pick up the car sometime soon.

Insurance takes away some of the pain, but it is still an extremely unpleasant experience to go through. I hope I never have to go through it again.

UPDATE: The insurance company finally declared my car a disaster. It was totaled. Since the car was being leased from a non-profit organization that was in no hurry to replace the car, I was in Houston without transportation. But God provided and I never missed an appointment. I am back on four wheels again. More on that another time.