If you are coming to Houston to go flashlight shopping this week, you are setting yourself up to be sorely disappointed. There is not a flashlight for sale in the entire city. The water and battery aisles are empty too.

Luckily we were already fairly well prepared: we have collapsible water containers, camping stove fuel, more batteries than we could ever use, more food than we could ever eat. Earlier in the season I bought an extra cat kennel, but today I loaded up on extra cat food and kitty litter, and bought a couple of collars just in case. I have plenty of cash and a full tank of gas.

We are disappointed, though, that the hurricane may interfere with our plans to go the Austin City Limits Festival this weekend. We've had our tickets and hotel room for six months (both non-refundable). We can't complain too much though, because for the large Louisiana population now just getting settled in Houston, Rita is just plain mean.