Friday, September 12, 2008

Is there a Client/Matter Number for Hurricane Research?

As an attorney (even one with an asterisk), I have to keep track of everything I do all day and enter in my time spent on each client. Today I think I did 4 hours of actual corporate m&a or capital markets work. I spent 1.5 at lunch with a flyback interviewee (so weird to be on the other side of that table and filling in the evaluation form afterward). And I went home at 5:15, so that leaves 3 hours unaccounted for- unless I can figure out a way to bill the firm for my hurricane watching time. Maybe I was looking out for the Houston office? Maybe I was pondering how this would affect our Energy practice? But really I was just refreshing this meteorologist's blog, this page, and this hurricane tracker, and wondering why on earth my parents weren't safely in my guestroom instead of "hunkering down" in their house directly in the path of the hurricane. They're not in a coastal community, they weren't under a mandatory evacuation, and they couldn't leave my grandparents who live nearby and refused to evacuate, but still, I feel like a parent fretting over their child. I had to stop myself from demanding hourly updates by text message (I can't call because all circuits are busy over the cell phone lines). I know they'll be fine but I hate not knowing exactly what is happening every second. If they can't be here, then I want to be there watching it happen as it comes.

I just turned the TV on to The Weather Channel and there's a guy in an LL Bean rain jacket reporting from one of the evacuated coastal towns. Rain is pouring down, he's straining to stand up straight in the wind, what looks like a large tree is blowing across the street behind him, and he says, "the wind is really picking up... it's going to be a difficult night, but luckily we've got some protection from this... [rests hand on a thin post behind him] gazebo here." I was expecting something more along the lines of "concrete bunker" but apparently he thinks this flimsy wood, open roofed, gazebo is going to keep him and the camera crew safe.

I hope they are safe, even if I question their intelligence for relying on a gazebo to shelter them from a hurricane with more power, water, and diameter than Katrina. I hope everyone in Houston and anywhere else in Ike's path is safe. I'm praying for you all.

Update, Saturday at 5pm: FINALLY heard from my parents. They're fine, house is standing, lots of branches and trees down all around them. I had a horrible, horrible day with a screaming, teething Landon waiting for my phone to ring and wishing JP didn't have to study on campus. We're having some friends over for dinner and I'm looking forward to eating my delicious chicken enchiladas (which Landon stopped screaming long enough to let me make), drinking a margarita or two, and releasing my irrational anger at JP and my parents for daring to NOT BE IN MY LIVING ROOM ALL DAY. And then I'm going to bed early because Landon was up every hour last night crying and stuffing his hands in my mouth and I'm exhausted. My prayers continue for all those affected by the storm; I'm so very glad the surge was less devastating than anticipated.

10 comments:

  1. My stepdad is on the volunteer disaster task force there in your hometown. He is at a fire station monitoring the storm. They have lost power in parts of town like where my mom and sister are. Besides that every thing is fine right now. I'm very afraid for my friends who decided to brave the storm in Baytown with their two small children. Very scary stuff.

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  2. I have cousins and my great aunt and uncle who are in Baytown, and I've been axiously watching the khou coverage on kvue in Austin all night. Here's another good website for watching what is happening... http://web.tampabay.rr.com/wolfy/

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  3. It's an unbelievable storm. I can't stop reading about it either. Good luck to your family.

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  4. It's hard to make the decision to stay or go since the media usually blows things way out of proportion. We're in FL and every other week there's a storm headed straight towards us, only to turn at the last minute. It's also hard to leave a home that you're attached to without sticking around to try and protect it so I understand your parent's decision to stay at home.
    I hope all is well with your family.

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  5. I'm feeling the same thing you are. My parents live about 2 miles from your parents. I told my parents on Wednesday that they should just get in their car and start driving to my brother's house in Oklahoma or my apartment in LA or their friends' house in San Antonio. But of course they decided to wait it out.
    Last I heard, the eye had just passed over KW and they were bracing for the back half, but of course that was 3 hours ago. God Bless your family and mine.

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  6. That must be so scary for you- I wouldn't be able to concentrate at all! But I've noticed that unaccountable hours seem to creep into every day no matter how productive I am...it's an unsolved mystery :)

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  7. Casey- I understand the decision as well, and we've survived hurricanes in that house before. What made this time frustrating was that they have a daughter, son-in-law, grandson, and two empty well-furnished guest rooms 2.5 hours away. I preferred to call it "coming to visit your grandson for the weekend and see your daughter's new house for the first time since all the boxes went away" rather than "evacuating". Plus my sister and brother live within a half hour of me so we could have all had a nice happy family reunion today. But instead I'm waiting to hear from them, and since I haven't had contact with them since last night, I'm growing increasingly irritated at their stubbornness.

    Though I understand it because they passed a good bit of it along to me.

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  8. At least you know firmly know where Landon gets his sometime stubbornness from! As for your question, I think that falls under firm time/ administrative duties :) I am sure you found some training or err, organizing, etc.

    hang in there and I hope your parents get in touch with you soon. BTW - I have an email to send you but need to get to work to scan something in for you.

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  9. Glad everyone made it through safely.

    And I am a firm believer that Jim Cantore would still have a full head of hair if he stayed out of hurricane-force winds.

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  10. (((HUGS))) My uncle stayed in Galveston. He's still there and now my aunt has snuck in, too, mold, mildew, fecal matter and washed-up bodies aside. As you know, I personally defied the mandatory evac order, along with my five year-old and my Dad because we live much farther inland and all our neighbors were staying. I would probably do it again as long as it was a Cat 3 or lower. Might go to Conroe if it was a higher category, but you can see from the pictures that the entire town (even that far out) was hit so there really isn't a safe place (except, well, Austin...). :) Glad your parents are safe!

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