Oh, Ike...

Mr. Ike is knocking at our door. The winds, which have been very calm all morning (and it's been so oppressively hot and humid!) are starting to pick up. The sky is starting to cloud over. We're already getting a bit of cabin fever. :)

I pulled this satellite picture off of NOAA's website just a little while ago. I am so amazed at the girth of this monstrous storm! Even though Ike is one big dude, we still have much to be thankful for:

• He hasn't re-organized to become a higher category storm after stomping over Cuba - in fact, it's now doubtful that Ike will even be a Category 3 before making landfall.
• The projected track has shifted a tiny bit further to the east, which is good for us - we are now on the 'dry' side (we'll still get a ton of rain and winds, but not to the degree that our neighbors to the east will). However, the eye is still projected to go straight over Galveston, the Houston Ship Channel, and downtown Houston. There will be serious damage.
• Evacuation procedures have been carried out very well, exceeding expectations. Most residents in the mandatory evacuation areas have heeded advice to secure their homes and leave, and there have been very few traffic issues with folks leaving town. It was a much different story on that end three years ago with Hurricane Rita!

My headache is currently telling me that the atmospheric pressure is starting to drop...I think I have a barometer for a brain! It should be a very interesting next 24 hours!

Oh - thought this was funny... Ike is here this weekend, and Tina Turner concert tickets go on sale Monday.