Miles To Go Before We Sleep.....

I seem to remember a nursery rhyme that had something like that line above, but I can't remember the rest of it. That line does, however, seem appropriate for the many stories we've heard about the mass exodus last week from the Gulf Coast areas south of Houston that were on course for Rita's destruction.

We went to Babbo Bruno's last night, and their restaurant is just getting back to a normal schedule. Parts of Friendswood were without power for four days. The owners of our favorite restaurant had power in their home, but not in their restaurant. They had to toss away everything that was in their freezers and refrigerators.... very costly fish imported from Hawaii never made it to the tables.

Everyone in the restaurant last night got hugs from the owners, along with questions asking "Where did you go?" and "How many hours did it take you to get there?" Everyone has their own story... and their own personal trauma attached to leaving their homes and not knowing what they'd find when they got back. I think the memory of what Katrina did to New Orleans was so fresh in everyone's mind that running from Rita seemed the right thing to do for mostly everyone here.

"Run from the water, hide from the wind." That's what The Powers That Be in Houston are using as their mantra for future evacuation mandates. Now they're saying that too many Gulf Coast residents left their homes needlessly. Really? Don't they remember Mayor White on the local news (as well as CNN) telling us all to take the storm seriously and not doubt its strength?

As the old saying goes--- "Hindsight is 20/20." They can say whatever they want to now that it's all over. The bottom line is that we were just plain lucky that Rita changed her course.



We went to the movies this morning...... to see "The Greatest Game Ever Played." Wonderful, beautiful movie. Great music, outstanding cinematography. Amazing story, filled with interesting characters. There is a young boy named Eddie in the film, who plays the caddy for the young amateur golfer who competes against the professionals in the U.S. Open. Little Eddie is short and pudgy, and he has just the sweetest face. The way he walks in the film (a waddle, actually) reminded me of our Rusty (our oldest cat). During the movie, I whispered to my husband that if Rusty could magically turn into a little boy, he would look and sound like Eddie.

So now, of course, whenever I see Rusty, I imagine him walking and talking like little Eddie of today's movie. Great movie....... Just what we needed for a break from Rita.