A Week in Review

Hello All. How do you feel about reviewing the week with me today? Ok, let's do it. Here is A Week in Review.

Very Worried
The situation with the flooding back home is not good. The folks in the know keep raising the predicted water level, and some neighborhoods are being evacuated. My parent's phone wasn't working for about 24 hours. Yesterday morning I was watching news reports online, and really wanted to talk to Mom, but couldn't get through on the phone, and was ready to pull my hair out, or buy a plane ticket and fly there. After a few hours I was finally able to get a hold of her, and so far they are fine. Their home is far enough away from the river, and on higher ground, to keep them from being in a danger zone. But, when we talked this morning, Mom said that her Bishop's family was evacuated last night. And my cousin's family is in danger. She's buying extra food and letting people know that they can come stay with her and Dad if need be. Dad was out sandbagging yesterday. Today he's trying to figure out a way to get to his greenhouse where he's planted some seeds for the garden. He bought some tall boots, but the water was too high to walk through. Today he's thinking of buy some that cover his entire legs. I say stay away from it. Honestly.

It's just so sad. I had to hold back the tears while watching some clips this morning. Strange how different it is to see this happening when it's a place and people you know. I got an email from my cousin in Fargo, and will share some of it with you:

"I just talked to many of my neighbors. The crest right now is expected at 41.5 to 42, which still leaves us dry by a foot. They recommended evacuation in our neighborhood, because they were worried about a dike being breached. But even though the water is coming over the top of that dike right now, that will fill in the golf course, then it will come towards our backyard. At 41 feet, it will reach the edge of our backyard. If it gets to 42 feet, it will be 20 feet away from our house. At 43 feet, it would then be VERY close to our house (probably within 5 feet, if not touching it).

So for now, we’re going to help some neighbors button up some window wells today, and may try to put some sandbags around one neighbor’s house who’s a little lower than us, if we can even get enough bags to do that. They’re pretty scarce right now, and since the city still feels we aren’t a priority because of our height, they’re not sending any our way."

Melody is telling me that she wants to go back for the clean up. I'd like to, too, but don't know that I can take the time off work. It's such a helpless, crippled feeling, being so far away.

What Are You Doing?
In other news - I rode the train to work the other day, and on the way home sat across from a scruffy looking man. About half way through the ride, he pulled out some papers and started to roll his own cigarettes. What the heck! I don't know why it was so shocking, but he really took me by surprise. Can you do that on the UTA? Are there laws? And now that I think about it, I can't be too sure that what he was rolling was tobbacco. Could have been weed. How do I know? It did look like he knew what he was doing, and in the end had something that looked very much like a joint. I didn't ask any questions. If he had lit it, I might have politely reminded him that there is no smoking on the train, but my stop came before that happened. I guess I'll never know just what was going on there.

That's it for now - a short edition this week. I read a good quote from a writer named Joseph Campbell, "I have bought this wonderful machine — a computer ... it seems to me to be an Old Testament god, with a lot of rules and no mercy."

Thanks, as always, for your time and attention.
You are loved.