to go or not to go...that is the question

we have a unique dilemma. basically we have 2 choices: a) attempt to drive inland as originally planned, which will likely take 6 - 10 hours instead of 1.5, with no gas stations in between here and there that actually have gas; or b) stay put and weather the storm here at home.

we have a full tank of gas, but when you're in the car that long in bumper to bumper traffic that is barely moving, you're probably going to run out of fuel. lots of motorists are stranded on the side of the highway because of either running out of gas or overheating problems. the city has tanker trucks driving around to help, but they aren't moving any faster than the traffic flow. tv stations are reporting stories of people driving 10 miles in 11 hours - the worst story i have heard is that someone drove 6 hours and only got one mile.

despite these conditions, all of the local and state authorities are saying to leave now. i can't help but visualize us stranded on the side of highway 290 in our little murano when rita makes landfall. the storm has shifted a bit, putting us on the "clean" side, which means we'll get less rain and severe gusts of wind than the "dirty" side, which is to the east. "the powers that be" are expected to make a decision about opening up a few highways as northbound only later today. if they do open 290 as one-way, that would make our decision much easier, as it would make traffic flow so much faster.

the captain is still boarding up windows and anchoring things down. i think he's doing it more to stay busy than out of real necessity. at this point, he's using scrap wood on the windows. it is kind of humorous - i call it "white trash hurricane shelter." i'd take a picture, but the camera is buried in one of our bags. i am passing the time watching the news, playing around on the internet and double-checking preparations inside the house.

we've had calls from friends and family, checking on us, which is always nice. of course, i've had a couple of calls from my parents, freaking out that we're still home. "get out now!" they say. once they calm down and listen, they can better understand the logic and our dilemma. the bottom line is that we will be okay no matter where we end up. we're fairly intelligent people and know how to deal with adverse weather conditions. if we can get past the feds, we're planning on going surfing! but don't tell my mom, ok?