Sunday, August 7, 2008, Fort Worth, Texas, 6:01 a.m. (still here!)~

Dear Journal~

Trinity here.  Trinity Caillier. 

I'm afraid I'm not doing very well.  I am getting awful' homesick for Louisiana; I am getting sick of being here in Texas!  We were going to go back home a few days ago, but that was before I heard about Ike, and now we must stay here until further notice.

Hurricane Ike is churning towards the Gulf Coast (Louisiana), and he's a powerful Cat-4 storm; may very well strengthen to a five before slamming into the coast somewhere along the Gulf region.  Where he strikes is anyeone's guess, but right now he seems to have his eyes on Louisiana.

Great.  Just what I did NOT want to hear!!

We've been trying to make the best of it here at the shelter, but it's not easy.  Our money is runnin' out fast, and so's our clean clothes.  We really need to do laundry, get something decent to eat instead of livin' on garbage!  Mama and daddy are becoming irritable, my brothers and sisters are drivin' me crazy, and I want to go home, to see my friends!

I should have started school; looks like my summer vacation isn't over yet (and it's all due to that damn Ike!).  I'm so bored and fed up about hurricanes, I could just spit!!

Gustav apparently spared the Gulf Coast the worst of the damage:  he weakened to a three before hitting southernmost Louisiana; only eight people lost their lives, most to accidents, and the flooding wasn't as bad as people thought it'd be.  There was some damage; hopefully our place was spared; we can only hope.  Now we have Ike to worry about, and I wonder if we will even have a home to go to when we return!!

After Ike comes Josephine, and there's no telling what she will do!  I just hope Josie stays away:  far, FAR away!!

I have been fighting with my siblings; they keep picking on me, and the littler ones keep getting into my stuff.  I am ready to ship them clean off to Siberia!!  I know I've been driving mama and daddy crazy, but they should be the ones caring for them, NOT me!!  It's so not fair!

Well, I've just managed to depress myself again, so I'll go now.  I will write in here another day; hopefully the next time I do, we'll be headin' back to Lake Charles!  Take care, and keep us in your prayers! Pray Ike spares us like Gustav did; I'm all hurricane'd out!!

~Trinity Caillier. :(