One Last Time - Let's Hear it for Summer

We're heading to Smith Mountain Lake, VA this afternoon for the weekend and one last shot at waterskiing/wakeboarding for the summer. I'm excited to be getting up on skis again after my recent successes. Usually I look back at the end of summer and ask myself what I've accomplished and come up short, but this year I did things! It goes back to being a kid and having the whole summer off to hang out at the pool, visit grandma in Texas, spend a week at the beach with my other grandma, etc. As an adult, it's much harder to get that "summer feeling" back, but this year we went to Maine, Smith Mountain Lake, Elk Lake, and Texas (Mike's tri). I finally learned how to water ski and Mike did a tri and a half marathon. We did an egg toss, got soaked in hurricane Gustav a few weeks ago, and got poison ivy on a recent walk at Lake Frank. We also saw Mama Mia on my birthday and a Jimmy Buffet tribute band in July. It's been a busy summer and we had fun. Now we're going to the lake for one last hurrah before it gets colder and the leaves turn colors and fall off the trees. What am I going to do this winter - I better get busy planning!

Hurricane Ike
Mike's Aunt & Uncle, last I heard, still didn't have power but they sustained limited damage to their house. They are lucky, but things are still pretty bad down there. I've been reading the Houston Chronicle on line to stay informed and it's just starting to get a little bit better but I heard they're trucking 2,000 lbs of ice from New Jersey (why New Jersey, isn't Georgia or Oklahoma closer? I don't understand why some of the closer states aren't shipping ice). It stinks (literally) for them. I hope it gets better soon.

Ike's Fury

Ike turned and headed north.  Mike's Aunt Valerie and her family live in Spring, TX - just a little north of Houston. My email buddy, Paul, lives there too (he works for Mike's Uncle Steven). We are thinking of them and everyone else in that area. The footage is just amazing and scary. We're hoping for the best. Our prayers are with Texans today.

Hurricane Weather

They're prediciting Hurricane Ike will head smack into South Texas - not good. I've got plenty of relatives near Corpus Christi because Mom grew up just south of there in Kingsville. Let's start praying that Ike is a category 1 or tropical storm when it makes landfall later this week.

Go away, Ike.

Stand Up 2 Cancer

Be sure to tune in TONIGHT as the major networks join forces to broadcast this "groundbreaking" show. From their website, "...Over 50 of the most renowned personalities in TV, film, sports and music will come together to make history. In an unprecedented television event, NBC, ABC, and CBS will simultaneously devote 1 hour of commercial-free prime time to raise funds for the fight against cancer."

Look who's appearing on the show: Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johansson, Meryl Streep, Christina Applegate (recently diagnosed with breast cancer), Lance Armstrong, Jack Black, Kirsten Dunst, America Ferrera, Halle Berry, Hilary Swank, Forest Whitaker, Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Fergie, Miley Cyrus (for you youngsters), Carrie Underwood and more...

www.standup2cancer.org

I've already set my Tivo.