Rita No.9

08:40 CST, Near Dayton, Texas

Twenty-one hours for an eighty mile drive.

Before recouting the nightmare that was the trip to Dayton, let me first thank friend Rivrdog for posting that fine update.  If I can't get 'net service during or after the storm, I'll at least hope to be able to reach him by cel, so that he can post subsequent updates. 

As of this writing, the track for Rita is showing a projected ladnfall  just west of the Sabine River, trending North and a bit West.  The good news is that Galveston will be on the weak side of the storm, and rather than a huge storm surge, the opposite might occur, and Galveston Bay could be nearly drained of water as the winds push the bay out to sea.

Fortunately, my boat is rigged to remain upright and level while grounded.  We do get some extremely low tides in the Galveston Bay area, so several times a year I find that my boat is only half-floating, with her keel buried in the mud below.

But for now, I'm high n' dry near Dayton.  Only an eighty-mile drive, and one which I'd normally accomplish in about 90 minutes time.  Though not orginally intended to be my hurricane hole, I accepted the invitation of friends to hide-out here, once it became apparent that reaching Plano, San Antonio or even Area .45 would be nearly impossible, given the traffic and dearth of available fuel along the way.

Even taking non-Interstate routes, the average rate of speed for that trip was slightly under four miles per hour.  Hell, I could have sailed here faster than that!  Granted, I did take an emergency roadside nap of nintey minutes.  Having snapped awake a dozen times while in stop and go traffic, I knew that it was a simple choice to either sleep, or wreck.  Even at 5 mph, a wreck of any kind just did not figure into my plans.

Count into the euqation that I'd been awake since 0400 that morning, and that nap was the first rest I'd had in over twenty-four hours. 

I paid for that exertion along the way.  One tip I'll pass along to y'all....  if you're ever in an extended stretch of sub 10 mph, stop and go driving at night, run on your parking lights only!  I forgot that well known adage, and ended up roadside with a dead-flat battery.  I managed to push it to the inside lane shoulder, right against the guardrail and fence.  It took three jump starts to regain momentum.  Two for the car and one for me.

When the battery first died at about 10:30 pm, I was grateful that one already-loaded wrecker driver at least tried to help.  While traffic was stopped, he hopped out with a portable "jump-box", and we gave it a try.  Sadly, that box had given it's all in an earlier quest, and unfortunately, wasn't up to the task. 

An hour later, after standing beside the car with the hood raised and cables in hand, an intrepid soul bullied the surrounding traffic, actually turning his car around and coming to stop grill to grill.  I knew I was suffering from the exhaustion of the day, but I had no idea how bad-off I really was until I kicked into high gear to manage the jump start and get back under way.  The gentleman who gave me the boost knew his stuff, and took the initiative to pull the cables, throw mine in the trunk and to close the lids on both ends of my car, while I kept the engine RPMs up over 2,000 to begin to regenerate the battery.

I never got the car shifted into drive.  One after-effect of the failure of the cooling system was the loss of function of my air-conditioner.  Let me tell you, you do not want to be in stop n' go traffic with no AC in nintey degree temperatures. 

As soon as the hood was closed, it hit me that I was in bad shape.  Very bad shape.  Turning off the newly enlivened engine, I bailed out of the car, careful of course to ensure that the cats were secured within.  The gentleman who'd helped me hadn't yet got back into his car, and I was able to catch his attention as I fell to the pavement, completly spent.

Turns out that man was an active duty Army Sergeant, and knew the symptoms immediately.  He first brought a bottle of water, and I couldn't even find the strength to pop the cap on it.  Once he did, I slowly drained the bottle, not wanting to puke out the precious liquid from my roiling stomach.  Still, it was all I could do to lay spread eagle on the tarmac, and say but a few incoherent words. 

Which is when his training kicked into gear, and he brought me a glass of Gatorade.  Now, if you've never understood the value of a sport-drink, let me tell you, they're quite literally, lifesavers. 

The first cup of Gatorade was enough, after about five minutes, to start to clear my head and speech.  After a scecond cup, I was able to sit up, and begin to feel strength in my body once more.  Knowing that I had to get myself together quite a bit more before drving, I told the good Sergeant to get on down the road with his family, and I'd get a second-jump for the car once I felt up to it.  I wished to delay his trip no longer than I already had.

Though he was willing he said, to wait while I regrouped, I could see that his family was worried about their progress, so I thanked him profusely, but insisted he be on his way.  I could see he was torn between his duty to his family and his wishing to help a man down, and he solved that dileman in the noblest of ways.

He left me with an entire gallon of Gatorade.

I had brought a gallon of water with me from the boat, thinking it ample for what I thought would be a four or five hour drive.  That gallon went to keeping the cats in drinking water, as well as a continual wetting of their necks and backs, trying to alleiviate their stress as much as possible. 

So, I'd had almost no water for most of the day.  I never was able to get the lunchtime cooking done which I'd intended to do; time just kept compressing and compressing.  Instead, I gave my mini-fridge's worth of steaks, fish and cheeses to my neighbor, who was going to ride the storm out at his home in Pearland.

Adding it up.  Wake-up at 0400 after only three hour's sleep.  A breakfast of coffee and air, then an entire day's worth of packing and preparation.  One small sandwich for lunch, then more work in the sun and humidity.  Which I was to discover later, had sapped far more from me than I could have imagined.  At long last, I finally got the wheels rolling a about 21:30 Wednesday. 

Lesson learned.  Prepare the Captain as well as the Captain prepares the boat.  I had focused so completely on the huge worklaod of making the ready the boat for the storm, that I had completely neglected making me ready, and I paid very dearly for that oversight. 

So, after quaffing about a quart of the Gatorade, I was finally able to once again, stand by my car, cables in hand, trying to flag some help from another willing soul.  Which took about an hour before the next car stopped.

Interestingly, this driver had the sense to pull his car close by, side by side, barley projecting into the traffic lane.  We accomplished the jump in record time, and I was back underway seconds later. 

I had the chance to repay some of that kindness shortly thereafter, as that selfsame driver ended up getting two jumps from my car in the next five miles.

By now, it was around midnight.  I managed to make it another fifteen miles before finally taking that emergency nap from 05:00 to 06:30 hours.  Waking just before the dawn, I rejoined the walking-speed flow of traffic, thinking I'd complete the trip in another three or four hours.  It took that long just to reach I-10 just East of Baytown.

The rest of the trip, including a double-back to get onto some back roads I know, is just a hell of stop and go waiting, all the while fighting the heat, and fighting to keep the cats alive in the sweltering hell of the car.  They don't travel in cages, and Harley keeps thinking my lap is the place to be when on the road.  Normally, I welcome that.  But a cat with a normal body temperature of 101 degress, just wasn't helping the situation.

Eventually, I saw a closed-buisness with just what I needed to prevent the cats from expiring from the stress.  Parking there, I brought the cats out one at a time, pinning them firmly to the concrete in front of the store.

They didn't really enjoy getting soaked by the water from the hose, but it did succeed in a dramatic lessening of their symptoms of distress.  After putting them in back into the car, I soaked myself down from the waist up, and returned to the road.

And finally, I arrived here near Dayton at about 19:00 hours.  I immediately put the cats in a tub of cool water, giving each a soapless shampoo, but making damned sure that they were well and thoroughly soaked.  Though they hated the process, the relief from the heat was evident in their eyes.  Even though confused and scared from the confusion and the hell of the journey, they responded to the care and attention with loving nudges, even while growling like pissed off rottweillers.

My shower which immediately followed their baths....  bliss.  Pure and simple bliss.  I could have drained the water heater, had I retained the strength to stand that long. 

It wasn't until about 21:00 hours that I had the energy to check my mail. 

Stunned would be an understatement.  I have almost 100 e-mails and comments to respond to since posting Rita No.8.  I barely read about twenty of them, finally conceding to exhaustion for the night.

I'd get right on those responses this morning, but I'm going to now help this family prepare their house for the storm.

This time, I won't forget to eat and take plenty of water on board, either.

Rita is still almost a day away, and she's already taken a toll.  But she won't win, I simply won't let her get the upper hand.

Miraculosly, I still had just under a quarter-tank of gas in the car on my arrival.

All in all, I'm hanging onto a reasonable hope that there will yet be a New Dawn when I return to Galveston.  In fact, no matter what happens to the boat, there will always be a New Dawn.

And I intend to make the most of it.

Comments

[Tammy]

WOW, Sorry to here you went through hell and back on your journey to saftey Jim , Glad now that you and the cats are now safe and out of harms way , My thoughts and Prayers are with you.

[olga]

that was a hell of a trip!! Glad that you and cats made it alright.
It was very nice and faith-in-humanity- affirming to hear that people were helping each other during hard times...
Prayers for you and all people in the Rita's path...

[homebru]

Thanks for posting this, Jim. Too many of us have been worrying about (metaphor=on) how many rolls of duct tape (metaphor=off) to put in the car and not thinking about other aspects of bugout travel.

[MoK]

(You said it, Tammy!)

God bless that Sergeant. Who says there aren't angels among us?

Be well, Jim. And thank you for the update. (Not an easy task when you're still "regrouping" yourself.)

[308Mike]

Jim,

I'm glad you made it to safety. There was more than a few of us worried about you. Since the storm looks like it's heading east of Galveston, perhaps New Dawn won't get much damage after all (hopefully). Please post pictures of your return home. Those of us wishing you well from afar can only see what happened through your sharing of the experience.

Take care sir!

Mike

[MK]

Jim, PLEASE take care of yourself. As usual worrying about others (read Cats and Boats and Friends) and warning us to stock up, you forget yourself. I am glad you are safe and the cats are good and out of the path. Prayers of thanks for the Sargeant that was watching out for you. Get rest.

[Rivrdog]

Did you get the Sergeant's name? If my Retired Major's commission and etc still carries any weight, I might at least be able to get him a commendation from his CO which will look good to his next promotion board.

And this is a huge lesson i body dynamics and the effects of stresses. I will link to it in a Paratus post immediately.

[fillygirl]

Jim -

SO thankful that you (and the cats) made it safely to refuge. How wonderful to see that people are still willing to help others in need - it just confirms what is so great about this country! Will continue to pray for you, and the New Dawn, throughout this ordeal.

[PJ]

Jim: Glad to hear you made it as far as you did - sounds like it was a mess. Those of us on the west coast are crossing our fingers for you - which sadly is about all we can do at the moment. Those are lucky cats! If reincarnation is real, I'm coming back as one of your boatcats! LOL! :-) I do hope you caught the Sgt's name. Take care of yourself! ~PJ~

[Val Prieto]

Glad you made it safe and sound, Jim, and I hope that Rita doesnt mess with the New dawn too much.

As always, if there's anything i can do from here, just give me a ring.

[mike]

I'll be blog-posting from Alvin and my "Command Post Bunker" in the closet under my stairs as long as power/batteries/net service survives. It's not G-town but maybe it will give you some idea of whats happening here 35 miles away.

BTW: Good to see a blogger close by. I come to Galveston to surf regularly. Maybe we can meet for a meal/coffee some time.

[Tammy]

well I did it , Started a Blog, Hope I can figure this out .

Jim Take Care of yourself and (Cats) and get plenty of Rest

[Rivrdog]

Tammy, give us your blog URL

[Tammy]

Did I do it right Riverdog ?

http://northtxgal.typepad.com/my_weblog/