Weddings, honeymoons and hurricanes

Two weeks after leaving for our wedding in Massachusetts and honeymoon in Vermont and Quebec City, Kate and I landed in Austin last night.

We half-expected to be stranded in Detroit because of Hurricane Ike, but from what I could gather, the storm's direct impact on Austin was nearly nonexistent. That is certainly not the case on the upper Texas coast. My parents' house in Houston near Westheimer and Beltway 8 took in water after a tree branch came through the roof. They were able to get the branch off and cover the hole today, but like most of Houston, they're still without power and could be for some time.

The photos and footage out of Galveston are like nothing I've seen in my lifetime. Hurricane Alicia in 1983 was bad, but not like this. It reminds me of bad childhood dreams I used to have about driving along Seawall Boulevard and getting swept off the road and out to sea. My best wishes are with all the good folks digging out of that mess.

I'll be recounting the wedding and the honeymoon over the next several posts. Let me just start by saying my marriage to Kate was the most joyous occasion of my life. Not only because I was marrying Kate, which would've won the joy prize by itself, but because we were able to share the event with so many friends and family members.

I'm not sure if there's a heaven or if I'll make the guest list, but if there is and if I do, I'm pretty sure it'll feel a lot like I felt when Kate and I were surrounded by our loved ones, dancing like fools to an awesome cover band playing K.C. and the Sunshine Band's "Get Down Tonight."