[Gizmo's Mom]

Villette told me that people have inquired and worried about myself and others who are displaced at this time. Thought I would give an update and share some of our experience..if for nothing else, shear therapy.

I've heard on the news how they speak about the people who were caught to ride out the storm. How they had enough warning and should have listened. We did listen. My boss would not give out our paychecks that weretwo days early unless a mandatory evacuation was called. God, where to start.

Our car broke down 30 minutes away from town and we rode out the storm in Vidor with the kids dad and his wife. Funny thing about evacuating, people who know nothing about it would think no big deal, make you a hotel reservation, leave town a few days, then come home. That's the way it is..sometimes.

We rode out the storm watching the devastation from their garage as long as we could, taking bets on which tree would fall where. As the storm was at it's peak there was more of a "This is it..there's nothing we can do now" attitude. At that time you are in too much shock at what you are seeing before your eyes to even cry. You are just frozen in time.

The electricity went right away, transformers lit up the sky like fireworks. In the distance of the flickering light you could see the water starting to rise down the street. Myself, my two specialneeds children, thekids dad and his wife, their two dogs and 3wk old puppies, were there in the dark. No lights, water, sewage. I remember finally getting my brother on the cell in the next town and telling him we were gonna have to get in the car and try ro make it to the highway and just drive..my blood pressure was thru the roof, I was in survival mode. He told me the house they had just built was completely under water in Bridge City and that he and his wife had spent the night under an overpass with Remy, their old Golden Retriever. This news of this just brought it all home and I snapped when myknees hit the mud I was standing in. It was real.

I told him I loved him there on the phone, hung up and put what I could scrounge in hte car along with the dogs and my two kids and hit the highway, dodging barricades. For 2 hours we had to drive slow and doge water, trees, and trash on the highway..stopping in every town praying for a vacancy. We ended up here in Waco.

I have spent the bill money that was to go on the bills that couldn't be paid because of the Gustav evac. I had two pay the first 4 day here in the hotel before Fema picked it up. The dogs are both sick with diarreah, the vet here felt so bad for the condition they were in I wasn't even charged for their care. I have tried to pick up some stuff at the dollar store that we could eat he in the room without eating take out. After the trying to get the kids meds,of which are many filled, I do not even know if I have the gas to get home when we are able to.

All I know about my town that's 2 miles from Port Arthur is we got more wind damge than water, I know nothing about my house. Things start rolling thru your mind.. I know the clinic my kids go to is under water, how will we get refills, they have all their records. Somebody slap me now.

You go your whole life a very private person, minding your own business and helping others when you can. I pray for all of us that are living the daily stress and heartbrake of the aftermath of this storm. Catostrophic is just a word unless you've witnessed it first hand.

Right now I'm still in shock and don't know what tomorrow brings. I've always felt that worry showed a lack of faith..I'll have to pray on that one. I am grateful for the motel room. Heck, I don't even know where Waco is on the map, we were just driving. I did get ahold of fema to inquire about the monatary assistance for food and gas and medical needs..I was reforred to the Red Cross and The United Way..was even given the number to the local food bank..it was closed. Red Cross said they don't handle help with money and referred me back to fema that "they would take care of us"..

I am truly sorry for the poor me trip I seem to have set off on, just needed to talk I know many others are in our shoes and even worse. It just doesn't seem real. We will get thru this, everyone who has suffered devastation with this storm, you are not alone and I pray for us all.