Living up to our state motto.

Y'all, Texas looks mighty fine on the nightly news. I watched Brian Williams interview Houston Mayor Bill White about Ike this evening and DANGIT! he was just representin' and makin' me PROUD. Talking about neighbors helping neighbors and how we don't need more front page news or presidential politickin', just a few teensy promises of future aid to rebuild. Just a little reminder how we helped TONS more folks back during Katrina and how, yeah, we're the fourth biggest city in the nation, but while y'all squabble over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and who's going to show up at the presidential debate or not, we don't feel ignored, no, because one in four homes have GOT NO POWER but, we have this emergency response thing down to a science and we don't need the federal gov't to cut our trees or string our power lines. You don't touch my rubble and I won't touch yours. Nope, we don't wait around for FEMA tarps or any federal agency to swoop in and save us, we just do it ourselves. People helping people. Neighbors helping neighbors.
Friendship.
Bluebonnets and the mockingbird.
Texans.
I am damn proud of this state.
I also ask that you spend your money here:
1. AT&T ... As my parents have tried to make order and locate creditors and rearrange their very lives after Ike made muck of Galveston, there have been no nicer, account-suspending, no- late-fee pushing, pay-us when-you-can people than this huger-than-huge BIG BELL. "You take care of yourself, ma'am ... and HERE ... take 400 more mobile-to-mobile minutes for free." (I don't care if mobile-to-mobile minutes are ALWAYS free ... those people were NICE!)
2. Randall's Pharmacy ... They ignored all those bureaucratic policies and just FILLED the damn prescription because there's an island w/o the MEANS, people.
3. Reid's Cleaners ... Cleaned my mama's pants for CHEAP ... "Ike rate." All we had to do was ask.
4. IBC Bank ... "we are so sorry, ma'am."
5. Twin Liquors ... they saved packing boxes just for us. I mean, SAVED 'em. To haul out the remainders of an island home. Because they said they would. And they threw in an empty cigar box because it reminded mama of her childhood and Catholic school pencil boxes and such ... and it even had HINGES.
I regret there are so many of my friends and family out there w/ "hurricane hair," soggy insulation, moldy walls, flood-swollen dresser drawers, smelly carpet, no power, no ceilings, no flushing toilet and BEACH CABIN TOTALLY GONE (including the POSTS, AND the tough, crusty, bourbon-drinking neighbor with a dog named Jock, and barely a SLAB left). But they all say, "get a hat," pee behind a bush, rip up the carpet, spray on some OFF. Pack the dishes. Tape the fridge. Climb into the back of that dump truck. Survey the damage. "Look and leave." And let's rebuild.
This is home.
This is what we do!!
I am so deeply proud of all of you.