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Houston, we have some problems...

Since leaving Petite Fleur in Columbus, Mississippi and flying back to Houston the end of June, life has been anything but dull!

Our first challenge was to deal with Adrian’s car which had been sitting in the parking garage for two months. (I had left mine with Tammy and it had been driven periodically while we were away.) His battery was dead. It took some doing to get a new battery. Jason, one of Adrian’s sons-in-law, is a skilled mechanic, so he came to the apartment and installed a new battery. Not long after that, just a mile or so from Tammy and Gary’s house in Tomball, a tire went flat and was undriveable. Fortunately, we were there to pick up my car, so we left his there. Once again, Jason to the rescue. He fixed the flat and drove the car to his house to tune it up.

The next big “back to reality” event was sitting out Hurricane Beryl and its aftermath. We knew it was coming, so we’d prepared somewhat. Adrian had the impression it was going to hit further to the west. Instead, on July 8, it came right at Houston and the surrounding areas a bit north and westward. There are many stories more dramatic than ours, but let me just say, that Beryl caught us somewhat flat footed.

Beryl, as seen by NASA

We had brought everything from the patio into the apartment and had stowed the large, heavy plants in the corner of the patio, next to the window. The storm blew in during the wee hours of the morning on Monday, and I got up once to see what a hurricane looks like. (Beryl was my first.) It was dark, rainy and windy; like many storms I’d experienced in Oklahoma and other parts of the Midwest. I went back to bed, thinking it might be over before it was time to get up. I was mistaken. The wind from Beryl shifted, as hurricane winds do, and the rain was coming directly at our side of the building, slamming against the floor-to-ceiling windows that formed the Southern walls of the three main rooms of our condo. What was immediately apparent when I woke up to the pounding rain, was that there was water spirting from the windows into the bedroom. On closer inspection, water was filling the runners of the sliding glass windows and, having nowhere else to go, was streaming down the walls and spirting through the small opening where the windows meet in the middle. The immediate task was to move bookshelves, desks and small furniture away from the windows before they were ruined. Then, stifle the flow of water that was filling the troughs and plug the openings that were allowing water to come in. This was going on in the master bedroom, the guest bedroom/office/exercise room/library, and the living room. After we sopped up the water - always the resourceful handyman - Adrian stuffed the troughs with rope to absorb water and electric tape to seal them temporarily. Whew! What a mess!

Then the electricity went out in our building. Fortunately, it was still daylight, and we could scour the apartment for flashlights, and candles. We quickly realized that most of our flashlights needed batteries (we had all sizes except the ones we needed) and some of them weren’t working even with batteries. We had food to last us a few days but needed milk and yogurt. Fortunately, HEB was still open at that point. We weathered the first night with no power well enough, though I missed the AC and the fan that keeps air moving in the bedroom.  When the heat set in during the day I was grumpy and uncomfortable. You’d think that after being on a mostly unairconditioned boat for two months, I’d be used to it. Not! It is more humid in Houston, and I’d so looked forward to all the creature comforts of home, that, to go back to being hot and sticky, was just too much. Of course, Adrian was quite comfortable. (I think he was tropical iguana in another life.)

One elevator in the building was operational and the hallways and stairwells were dimly lit. There was coffee, beverages, WIFI chargers, and fans in the first-floor lobby. Several residents could be seen sitting in the cool hallway, chatting with one another. Many had left for more comfortable accommodations. Day three of no power got me thinking, “Why should we be hot and miserable when we’d had offers from my daughter and Adrian’s daughter and daughter-in-law to come stay with them.” Their power had been restored within a day or so after the hurricane. Adrian was reluctant to leave the apartment in case something happened, but I packed a few clothes, loaded food from the freezer and fridge into coolers, and headed north to my daughter’s house in Tomball. Tammy’s dad had just left to return to Oklahoma, so Lucy’s bed was still available. I spent the rest of the week with my daughter’s family until the power came back on in the Uptown area of Houston. Those days in between seemed ever so long. Each day we’d think, “surely the power would be back today”.  Other areas around us were getting power back, why weren’t we? Adrian came up to Tomball on Friday night, intending to go back the next day. Instead, he received an email telling him that the generator at the building had quit. There was no elevator, lights or power anywhere in the building. The garage doors weren’t functioning and were being left open and manually closed at night. Adrian decided to stay in Tomball with me. Sunday morning, we finally got the “all clear” - power was back on.

Even then, some areas were still without power. The public was up in arms about the inability of CenterPoint to maintain a reliable grid in this part of Texas. But now the work of cleaning up after the storm was underway across the area: trees had fallen into houses and cars, tree limbs and debris were everywhere, and flooding in some areas caused a great deal of damage to homes and businesses.

Our only task, and that of many others, was to completely empty and clean out the fridge and freezer and restock it. I had been able to salvage quite a few items by taking them with me to store in Tammy’s freezer. Even so, the fridge was pretty much empty. It was great to have an uncluttered fridge for a few days.

We had come back from the boat in time to celebrate my granddaughter Ellary’s 11th Birthday, and Adrian’s daughter, Gabbie’s 47th.  I had won tickets to an Astro’s game in an auction, which included the opportunity to watch batting practice before the game at Minute Maid Park.

Alex Bregman and Jeremy Pena at batting practice.

Batting practice was exciting for Astro’s fans like me, my daughter and son-in-law, but somewhat boring for Adrian who had spent most of his life boating and not focused on sports. He had only been to a baseball game once before, where the seats were in the nose-bleed section. Our seats that night were decent: in the 9th row, but far down the first base line, so it was hard to see what was happening at home plate. The game was very one-sided with the Astro’s leading most of the game and winning 6-3 over the Marlins.

We spent the next few weeks catching up with friends and family and keeping doctor and dentist appointments we’d made before we left. Adrian began a physical therapy regimen to strengthen his feet and leg muscles, since he’d been experiencing some issues with his gait. We both took up walking on a regular basis and I joined Noom - an on-line weight loss program - to lose 10 or more pounds. (We have begun making plans for our wedding, so I am determined to look good in my dress.)

While in Houston, we went ring shopping and Adrian presented me with a beautiful engagement ring which I enjoy showing it off at various family gatherings. Everyone is very supportive and happy for us. We've had a few occasions to toast the future with family and friends.

We decided on a wedding date: February 15, of next year. We plan to be married at St. Mary’s Episcopal church in Cypress, TX and hold the reception on-site. It is interesting to be doing this (again) at our age. It is fun to plan and to look forward to a special day in our lives with friends and family.

In preparation for our return to Petite Fleur we ordered numerous items from Amazon and boat related stores to take back with us. Among the things we ordered is a cell booster that we hope will make connectivity more consistent and enable me to use my phone as a hot spot and have access to the internet when not in a marina. We are packing a combination of summer and fall clothes, hoping that we’ll experience cooler temperatures in a few weeks.

We are driving back this time and leaving the car at the marina in Columbus, MS. We leave Monday, August 19 with a planned stopover in Vicksburg, MS where we will stay the night at Oak Hall Bed and Breakfast - a Mission Revival Style home built in 1910 for philanthropist, Fannie Willis Johnson. Look at this website for interesting details and history. We will be celebrating our first-year anniversary of the day we met.

Oak Hall in Vicksburg, Mississippi

We plan to depart Columbus, MS well before the lock just north of us closes for repairs beginning September 2 for a month. We will head to the Tennessee River and take our time going from place to place and enjoying the beauty of the river. We plan to attend a Looper’s Rendezvous in late October at Joe Wheeler State Park - a four-day affair where Loopers meet, attend workshops and socials, trade stories and tips & tricks they’ve learned along the way.

The next few days will be busy, so we’ll check back in a week or so to tell you how things are going.