" There's a storm a comin'!" I remember standing on the middle school stage years ago during a school production while a young lady playing Uncle Henry spoke that line. It always made me laugh because she said it with such little expression that I used to wonder if a storm really was a comin'. Following Facebook posts this past week had me questioning the same blase` attitude reflected by people directly in the path of Hurricane Sandy. Didn't they know Frankenstorm was a comin'???? Who were these people drinking wine, making jokes and planning parties while I was planning my survival? Weren't they worried?
I was worried. And scared. I worried about the power going out, and therefore my sump pump giving up the ghost (I purposely used a Halloween metaphor in honor of the holiday). The last time that happened my guardian plumber Jerry took care of everything. But dear Jerry's gone now. Maybe his spirit would watch over me, but it couldn't pump out a basement. And my refrigerator? I had just gone shopping and for once had actual expensive food in there. My car and garage were such a dilemma that I posted to FB for a solution.
Should I put the car in the garage, but leave the door open? When my car is filling the garage there is no way in hell I can reach the release for the door opener; so if I close the door and the power goes off, I am trapped in the house, unable to drive my car with its obligatory required-for-surviving-a-hurricane full tank of gas. Should I just take my chances and leave the door open, inviting storm damage, looters and zombies into my abode? (Barbara, they're coming for you.) Should I leave the car in the driveway and take my chances that the pear tree won't fall and flatten it? Everybody had suggestions. I loved the one that suggested "someone" tie a long rope to the release so I could grab it. Obviously that person hadn't read my blog about the lack of a house husband. And if I had someone to tie the rope, then couldn't he just pop the release? Nobody came up with the answer that I arrived at after worrying away Monday night. It was such a simple solution, I'm embarrassed. Park the car outside, grab the ladder, climb up a couple steps, pull the release, return the ladder, move the car back into the garage, and manually close the door. See? Simple, huh? Yep, I figured that out after I decided to take my chances and just close the damn door.
At 6:00 pm on Monday the wind was whipping, the rain was pounding, the trees were twisting, and the power went off. Because I was prepared for my survival, I had every candle in my house, a camping lantern, and three flashlights at my personal ground zero and ready for use. I pulled an Abe Lincoln and read my book by candlelight, rationing the batteries of my precious lantern for what might be my third or fourth night without power. It was a lonely night. I had no neighbors. The house on the left (where the woman who used to share her generator with me had lived) was empty. The dear old people on the right were at the daughter's house. The guy across the street was gone or else his stinky fireplace would be polluting the neighborhood air. It was scary. Poor, poor lonely me. When I put Trixie out, the drone of the generators at the houses with husbands made me feel even more pitiful. It was a long night.
I woke to sun breaking through the clouds on Tuesday morning. About four inches of water covered the basement floor. The outside of the refrigerator was still cold. I was ok. By three the power was back, complete with TV and internet. The sump pump started sucking out the water. I was saved! I had survived! And then I turned on the television and saw the devastation in New Jersey and New York.
How silly my worries. How small my problem. How humbled and thankful I am to be as safe as I am. Whole neighborhoods were decimated by the sand and waves invading and destroying property as if the buildings were hotels on a Monopoly board. One New York community lost homes to flooding and even more terrifyingly, uncontrollable fire. A historical ship was sunk and two crew members lost at sea. And so on and so on.
I plan to donate to the Red Cross, Salvation Army, and any organization that can use my money to help these poor damaged people. I urge you to consider doing the same. It is literally the least we can do.
No comments:
Post a Comment