Hide!

"Hide" a painting at The Bunny Bungalow by Linda Hickerson-Hofheinz

There are still widespread power outages in the Houston Heights. We are lucky, as we have My Ranchburger and the electricity was restored there two days ago. However, our neighbors at The Bunny Bungalow are still in the heat, as they have no power and our "cold spell" has passed. It is now in the 90's (Fahrenheit) and humid. The air smells of rotting meat and other grocery items since the neighborhood supermarket was without power and threw away perishables which have not been hauled away. Tall Husband and I were searching under the bungalow for a dead animal before we realized we were downwind from the supermarket's dumpsters.

Our friends who were with us during Hurricane Ike now have electricity and have gone home. So I will find some Bunny Bungalow neighbors to stay with us at My Ranchburger until they have power.

Friends and Family have been wonderful to us. When we were without water and power they took us in. Thanks to all of you! We couldn't have survived without you. Also, thanks to our mayor, Bill White, for leading us in the "can do" recovery; thanks to AT&T for never going down; thanks to Entex (gas) for my hot showers in the dark; thanks to Centerpoint Energy for the super human task of powering us up again; thanks to our postal carriers for delivering the mail every day; thanks to the City of Houston for continuing garbage collection at our homes; thanks to all the thousands of workers who came from out-of-area to help mend our cities; thanks to our Houston Police and other law enforcement; thanks to KTRH radio station for your excellent service before, during and after Hurricane Ike. You all have families that you had to leave so you could help our families. Thank you and your families!

Comcast Cable and Internet: you may have noticed you are not on my "thank you" list. During all this Ike aftermath your radio ads told us how we should clean debris from around your equipment to make your job easier, then you sent us e-mails (e-mail I could only read when I used another provider's services as you are "down" in most areas) warning about your "Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)...AUP outlines acceptable use of our service..." Have you not noticed AT&T's new U-verse equipment for Internet and cable that has recently gone into our neighborhoods?

Thank You Mr. C For Saving My Life

Inside of the garage after the accident

Twenty years ago today, Mr. Paul C, our postal carrier, saved my life.

When I arrived home that morning, twenty years ago, I put my car in park, left the engine running and stepped in front of the car to open the garage door. I heard the car's engine rev and turned to check out the cause. The car crushed me against the garage door and continued to shove me through the wood and glass. No maneuvering could free me. I was hopelessly trapped between the moving vehicle and the garage door. I instantly knew that this was how I would die. I felt a pang of sorrow with the sudden realization that Tall Husband would be the one to find me. With that realization, I found my scream. I screamed with all my strength until I saw Mr. C running down the drive toward me, still clutching his mailbag. He dropped the bag, jumped into the car and backed it away from me. He steadied me on my feet as I clung to him, thanking him repeatedly.

After my injuries were looked after in the emergency room, Tall Husband drove me home. The next day I wondered how I could ever thank a person who had saved my life. Where do you even begin? For starters, I wrote a letter to the postmaster, relating how I would be dead (or worse) if Mr. C had not been there. Mr. C later told me how all postal carriers from his postal station were called in for an urgent meeting. He said they thought there was going to be a layoff but instead the postmaster was there and began to read a letter to them, my letter. It took Mr C a few seconds to realize the letter was about him. Later, Mr. C came by to show me the plaque that had been presented to him at a banquet. He had been awarded the Federal Employee of the Year, Heroic Act, 1988. As the weeks passed and I worked toward recovery from my injuries, I realized that a way to repay Mr. C would be to live a worthwhile life dedicated to him. I returned to being a speech therapist, working in honor of Mr. C. Because of him, hundreds of adults and children have received excellent therapy; because of him, my grandchildren know their grandmother; because of him Tall Husband didn't have to find me on the garage floor.

Thank you again Mr. C.

Strange note concerning the photo:
The above photo is a scan of one of the photos taken for the insurance company. All of the photos appeared normal when picked up a week after they were developed; however, this one photo, and none of the others, developed a red discoloration on the garage floor within hours of having been picked up from the photo shop.