I really don't either

After a wonderful 5-day vacation in Northern California, I came home in time to start working 12-hour hurricane response shifts. From the best of all worlds to the pits, in just a matter of days. I've been working with our agency's liaison to the federal disaster mortuary response teams.

I'm learning a new lingo there. The fatalities are called 'decedents'. Because there is no electricity, refrigerated trucks are being dispatched to store the remains in the areas that are still without power. I find it highly amusing that these are called "reefer trucks". A snicker goes through the room when, during a briefing, it's reported that "Two reefer trucks" were dispatched.

There have been a few cases of disinterment. In one case, a couple of caskets floated across from Louisiana to Texas. These same ones had been disinterred in Hurricane Rita, so they will soon be buried for the third time. It's reported that in Orange, Texas, one of the disinters at the Hollywood Cemetery was Gatemouth Brown.

All my friends and family members came through the hurricane all right with no injuries or loss of property. Son #1 and my grandson where without power until tonight, but they're doing well now. Here in Austin, we didn't even get a drop of rain.