Not waving but drowning

Thanks to everyone who's been concerned about the family's well-being in the face of incoming Hurricane Ike. My parents, Nathan and Kelly are all staying put in Houston. They are outside the evacuation areas and would rather face a weekend of intermittent electricity than join the masses heading further inland. Schools here are letting out early to try and spread out the traffic since so many people are coming to Austin for the weekend. I've seen the video footage from Galveston and heard the dire warnings of impending doom. It's all very surreal from here because, other than being ridiculously humid, there's no indication that even mildly unpleasant weather is coming. I'm planning on a relaxing weekend at home to avoid the rain we're expecting. If Nathan and Kelly keep the power on, we might try for some online bonding via WoW. Otherwise, I've got a good book, plenty of coffee, and the phone number to Austin Pizza.

My boss is hopefully on his way back from the coast with his family in tow by now. The roads look super packed from the pictures I've seen. I really hope that Galveston Island is capable of withstanding the storm. The last time I was in Galveston it looked like this:I'm hoping things will be that tame again soon.