The Seattle wind storm 2006

Things are slowly getting back to normal around here after a nasty wind storm hit the area last week. Many of my friends and coworkers are without power, and there were even several deaths from the storm. Thankfully the worst that happened to my family is that traffic was horrible coming home the night of the storm. My usual one-hour commute took three hours, which was no fun, but was nothing compared with the experiences of some of my coworkers. Take a look, for instance, at my friend Karin's pictures of the destruction that the storm unleashed near her house. Here are Dale's photos. And here's the story from my friend Melinda:

We are cooking on camping equipment, showering at the Proclub, and it’s getting really old. PSE update this morning on my account said that they would have an eta for estimate tomorrow. I think they have bought books on how to PM. <G> (see we can joke about ourselves)

Many areas of the city are still without power and may not have it back until the weekend. Pat, our Visual Studio integration PM, reports that there is no power at all in his suburb of Duvall and that it may not be back till after Christmas.

It's times like these that make you appreciate the good fortune we have here in the USA. I know it will make more more appreciative of the true gifts of Christmas for me: family, friends, and a warm house.