Hurricane Rita updates

Here in Austin we're quite safe from any serious hurricane problems--barring some unexpected directional shifts, we're expecting rain and wind. But Peggy (Julie's mom, for those of you without a scorecard and Dada's beloved Po Po)is hunkered down at her home in Houston, as is Tom (Dada's beloved uncle). If you've seen the news, you've gathered that evacuation was Not Going Well so they opted to stay. They've made all the recommended preparations and are well-situated to ride out the storm safely. Right now, Mom's baking cookies and filling up the trash barrel with water, having laid in all the essential supplies; Tom's got his trees trimmed and has rigged a battery-operated fan so he can keep cool when the power fails. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers, because it all helps.

And watch here for updates, which will be posted as we hear from them. If you can't get through on the phone, that probably just means the circuits are busy, so we're hoping this blog will help keep friends and family informed without flooding the phone lines.