Update

I just wanted to let everyone know that we are pretty much back to normal here which is great.  Thanks for all your thoughts, calls and kind wishes.  We have phone, power and water, for which we know we are very, very lucky.  Our electricity company has 2.26 million customers and still 1.88 million are without power.  Some of the images we are seeing on TV are showing the spectacular scale of destruction from this storm.  There is a citywide curfew in effect, Galveston and Houston downtown are closed to the public.  Many people cannot get back to their homes to see what is left of them.  Gas, ice, water and food are in short supply.  No power means no way to keep food, and also no a/c which is really tough to deal with when it is 90 degrees.  There are millions of people that are in really rough situations and our thoughts and prayers go out to them.

One thing that this storm has reinforced for us is the generosity and kindness of the people here in Texas.  Even on our own street we see examples of neighbors taking care of one another.  And it is not an exception that this storm was here at home, we saw the same kindness after Katrina, Rita and even the tsunami in Indonesia.  No matter what you think of their lifestyle or politics, if you are in need they will give you the shirt off their backs.