5 days of Rita

15 number of relatives who either fled or could not go home due to hurricane Rita.
10 number of relatives who at one time or another thought they were going to be the direct target of at least a category 4 hurricane.
0 number of relatives who were the direct hit of a hurricane.
11 number of relatives and friends who ate at our home due to hurricane Rita.
21 number of e-mails sent or received to relay information of family members, locations, phone numbers, etc. due to hurricane Rita.
0 number of relatives who were stranded on the side of the rode because they ran out of gas.
undetermined-- number of small one stop sign towns traveled through whose names we'd never heard until now.
2 number of traffic jams my grandparents experienced in Coldspring, TX, Population: 500 or so.
1 number of new family members born just prior to hurricane Rita.
7 animals that made tremendously long car rides with relatives to escape hurricane Rita.
1 number of animals that threw up in those car rides.
4 number of relatives who were hospitalized at some point during the past several days.
7 number of relatives still without power.
4 number of relatives who made it to the Texas A & M football game against Texas State.
Undetermined-- number of relatives who muttered "It is going to be a long football season" between clenched teeth.
Undetermined (but I know of at least one) who said worse.
30 hours (estimate) drive time spent fleeing hurricane Rita by relatives.
13 hours (estimate) time it would take under normal circumstances.
2 number of relatives contemplating a move to a different locale.

All--thankful that everyone is safe and well, but probably still not ready to exhale a big sigh of relief just yet.

These numbers may need to be updated, but they are as accurate as I can make them right now.