So, yeah, there was a hurricane.

We just got back from the grocery store, and that was quite an experience. Power is still out most places in town (as far as we can tell). Praise the Lord that our power is already back! The grocery store we went to was running on a backup generator and wasn't selling any perishable items. I don't think I've ever shopped in the dark before. They let customers in a few at a time, in order to avoid riots. We had to scrounge around finding boxed meals that didn't involve any meat or dairy, as well as cans of soup and fruit to tide us over until real food comes back. It was very weird for me since I tend to cook primarily from scratch. I'm making mac n' cheese from a box tonight, something I don't think I've done since college! I'm so glad that we're at least safe and have water, power, and food, since I know so many Houstonians don't.

Trees are down everywhere around here, and most of the billboards we've seen have been blown out. The live oaks here are some of the most beautiful trees I've ever seen, and now so many are missing limbs or falling over. There was some structural damage to the Texans' football stadium down the street. We only lost some shingles from the roof of the apartment.

We decided to stay here through the storm so as to avoid the evacuation mess of Hurricane Rita. They let us off of work early on Thursday and cancelled work Friday so that we could all make our preparations. Friday was actually pretty slow for us--I cleaned out the fridge, we got some supplies, and basically we sat in front of the TV watching the 24 hour coverage. I actually slept through most of the storm, since wind and rain doesn't bother me as much as thunder and lightning.

We went up to Dallas after realizing that the power would be out for a long while. It was nice and relaxing to get away, but I'm definitely glad to be back. We had our first day back at work today, and most of the people I work with are still without power. The whole experience has been a bit surreal. I'm very glad that the baby didn't decide to come when we were away!

The last hurricane to "hit" our area was 3 years ago, when Hubby Dear and I decided to evacuate and head north to his family's house in Dallas. It turns out that everyone else had the same idea, and we spent 10 hours in our car, hoping we wouldn't run out of gas. We left at 8 in the evening, hoping the usually 4 hours drive would be quick. At 6 a.m., we arrived tired, but relieved to be out of Houston. Of course, Hurricane Rita didn't actually hit us as was thought, so we evacuated for nothing.

We didn't evacuate for this one (it's only a tropical storm after all, not near as big a deal as Rita was) and so far, this tropical storm has been a dud. It's been raining, yes, but so far the wind is calm and we are content in our cozy little apartment.

Yesterday, of course, everyone was preparing for the worst, since Houston has had a few very damaging tropical storms and hurricanes in the past. The Medical Center here is practically shut down, and all outpatient appointments have been canceled. I bet they will all feel pretty silly tomorrow when not much damage has been reported. I'm not complaining, though, since it's been really nice to have the day off to relax and clean my bathroom!

So anyway, for those wondering, we are doing fine here. It's a blessing that the storm is not threatening us at all, and I have the day off!

A few weeks ago, Paul and I rented Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (starring Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet). I had it recommended to me by several people as a movie I would enjoy, and they were right (I love it when people know me so well they can correctly recommend movies!).

The premise of the movie is about this couple, Joel and Clementine, who are in a serious relationship for a few years. Then they have a fight, and Clementine goes to a clinic that erases memories for you. Joel finds out that Clementine has erased her memory of him, and decides to get the same procedure. However, as they're erasing his memories, he discovers that not all memories are bad, even if a relationship didn't work out. It made me think of memories and the role of them in our lives. I like it when movies challenge me to think, and it's especially nice when it can lead into a discussion between Paul and I.

I shrugged the movie off as "something interesting to think about, but unrealistic" until this morning. I saw this article and video clip about a new drug that, when taken, is supposed to make certain memories less poignant. It's rather interesting - having to do with suppressing the adrenaline that makes you remember things ("suppressing" perhaps is the wrong word, but from the article that's my understanding). The obvious benefit is for people who struggle with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), such as rape or a bad car accident. It makes me think of my boss' grandmother who accidentally hit and killed a pedestrian crossing the interstate. A drug like this could help her (another others) able to function in life without the horrific memories replaying themselves over and over in their mind.

And of course the downside - what limits would be placed on such a drug? How about an unconfessed murderer wanting to forget the crime he committed? Perhaps the protagonist of Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart, or Raskolnikov of Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment would have appreciated something like this!

So I'm curious - would you take a drug that could help erase negative memories? And supposing it would be able to regulate the use so only true sufferers of PTSD would be able to take it - do you think it would be a positive thing for them?