Hell, Martha.
One week ago tonight, right?, I was sitting here waiting for the storm to hit and generally hoping I wouldn't lose power. Ha ha to that, motherfucker.
So yes, the storm hit, and yes, I am calling it Hermione like everyone else. And Johnny Karate and I lost power in the wee hours and had a very sweaty night.
The next day I got up and ran what errands I could. It was like some kind of dangerous holiday. I had to back up and get around downed wires and trees and yard furniture and all other manner of flotsam and jetsam. The Waffle Houses were open, mostly, but mostly just taking cash. No one I know had power. I wound up at the downtown restaurant where my buddy Bishop works. We drank cold sodas, talked about Harry Potter, and watched people walk by with a jaunty, end of the world attitude. I went home and read Harry Potter by flashlight and spent another sweaty night.
It went on like that for a couple days. All you talked about if you ran into someone was power and how much you missed it and maybe who else had it. Mama got it back quick, so some of my sisters and their kids posted up out there. I was glad, I don't like to think of all the kids fussy and hot and annoyed.
I played card games at El Patron, my local Mexican joint. I rode around town with Lindsey, sliding through pockets of deep darkness in the heart of the city. "Like Silent Hill," she said. I read another Harry Potter book. I ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and was grateful that the water worked.
Monday morning around 3:30, I'd given up hope for the night and started to head to bed when everything clicked back into technicolor and I head the woosh of the AC. Praise be, y'all. Window unit, Hallelujah. I got lucky. Some folks still don't have it back. Plenty of people wound up with trees in their houses or on their cars. We live in a jungle, and the jungle don't give a fuck.
So, how've y'all been?
We do live in a jungle. Or a rain forest, at least. Is that the jungle?
ReplyDeleteSee you at lunch! El Patron! Ole! and so forth.
Ole!
DeleteLife is ridiculously quiet here. We don't get hurricanes or tornadoes, just endless rain, which mercifully has not started yet.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you are back on the grid. It's beyond miserable trying to sleep in hot weather when there is no AC! Sounds like Johnny Karate did OK too and you sure did fill your time in fun ways. No hurricane is going to keep you down :)
I can not be conquered! I will say this, though, I did not cuddle that cat when the ac was off. He's a warm bugger and I didn't want to get covered in sweaty cat hair.
DeleteHank your description of living in the aftermath of a hurricane is so real to me . We survived a massive flooding in our state and I will always remember how surreal it all felt. The grocery stores emptied in one day and since our town was completely isolated as all highways into our city were underwater or severely damaged . It's amazing how you appreciate things like power , water and food when you live through that experience.
ReplyDeleteI'm just glad we didn't have much flooding. Trees down everywhere was bad enough.
DeleteI tried to leave a message earlier and it just wouldn't take. I'm glad your family survived the horror and you eventually got your power back. The heat sounds unbearable. I really missed your writing and am glad you're back!
ReplyDeleteThank you, and I'm glad to be back!
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