Post Storm Ten Things of Thankful

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Not only have we survived, but we’ve survived to reach another Thankful Day, and that’s a thankful thing.

Last Saturday i didn’t get to go to NOLA, as the evacuation traffic was so bad i wouldn’t have been able to get home.  Instead, Ms. G had me come out to another shelter in the next parish, and we got to feed and water critters and change litter and walk dogs and clean messes.  Thoroughly satisfying work, especially when you know a storm is coming and you have nervous energy to burn.  (This shelter is temporarily housed in an outdoor facility, and really needed the help as the paid staff were busy securing everything against the expected rains and winds.)

When i got home, Sweetie and i were thankful to be able to batten down the hatches (meaning put anything that could blow away in a storm in the storage room).

#1 Son came by, and it was great to see him.  He was warning us that the predictions showed this was going to be a bad storm, he was trying to prepare us for the worst, and i’m thankful he looks out for us.

Sunday started with a lovely morning, we didn’t get any wet or windy weather to speak of until afternoon and the storm had mostly passed our area by 2am Monday.  We were thankful we didn’t get too much rain, the pump only had to be on a short while, the generator came on when it was supposed to, and the wind never got as bad here as predicted.

Monday was spent at home, assessing damage and checking in on others, and i’m especially thankful Ms. S’s son had come and gotten her to take her to his house.

On Tuesday, Ms. RW wouldn’t let me come clean her house as she had no electricity (i keep telling people i can mop and scrub without it as i don’t work on electric power, but they won’t listen), but she did let me go over and get the suit i will wear to the funeral.

Speaking of the funeral, Grandpa was finally able to get in touch with the funeral home people and it’s set for next Friday, G-d willing.  

Wednesday went well at the shelter, they had generator power and only one window broke from the storm.

By Thursday i was back to work, and thankful.  Ms. V and Mr. L had Carl in the spare room in the house and their younger son and his wife in Carl’s apartment.  It took a lot of dodging around everyone, but the work got done.

By Thursday things had also gotten marginally better in NOLA.  Grandma and Grandpa have water and sewer now, and they are nursing their old generator along.

We’ve had one big difficulty here that’s possibly going to get worse before it gets better, and that’s the gasoline situation.  With almost 2/3 of the gas stations not even having electricity to open, the ones that are left are doing their best but they cannot keep up with the demand for gasoline from all the people who not only need gas for their cars, but now need gas for their generators so they can keep some lights and a fridge and a couple of small A/C units going.

We’re thankful our generator runs on the same natural gas that heats our water, but i was still starting to wonder how i’d get regular gas for a trip to NOLA.  Then on my way home from work i spotted a station where the workers were directing people to pumps!  Pulling in, i asked if they actually had gas available and they said yes, but only premium.  Any port in a storm i tell ya, i topped off the tank and was glad to have it at any price.

Then came the second break, i went to the shelter for the Friday evening shift and on the way back saw two men at the freestanding ice machine nearby.  One i recognized as the owner, and i asked him when it would be back up and running.  He told me it was running and that he had some ice available!  Gas and ice on the same day, after a major storm, it doesn’t get better than that.

Please write up your own list and link up to Ten Things of Thankful, where Dyanne and her co-hosts always have a warm welcome waiting.   

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Today is:

Animals' Day -- Curacao

Ceremony of Transformation through Anubis -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Eat An Extra Dessert Day -- internet generated, you have the WWW's permission to indulge today

     note that some sites also list this day, instead of July 7, as World Chocolate Day, so celebrate either one!

Immigrant's Day -- Argentina

International Bacon Day -- good day for a double decker BLT with grilled onions and Swiss cheese (unless, of course, you are a pig)

Ludi Romani -- Ancient Roman Calendar (through the 19th; a festival to Jupiter Optimus Maximus, also called Circensian games)

National Hummingbird Day -- not official, but someone loves them enough to have started this

National Macadamia Nut Day

National Wildlife Day -- US 

National Writing Date Day -- a day to make a date with yourself to go to a coffee shop or library or someplace and get some writing done; sponsored by Natalie Marie-Collins)   

Newspaper Carrier Day -- US (anniversary of Benjamin Day, publisher of the New York Sun, hiring Barney Flaherty as the first newspaper carrier in 1833)

Scottish Food and Drink Fortnight -- celebrating the food and drink of this beautiful land, through the 14th   

St. Ida of Herzfeld's Day (Patron of brides, widows)

St. Rose of Viterbo's Festival -- Viterbo, Italy (actual feast day of the saint is March 6)

Anniversaries Today:

Ford Motor Company introduces The Edsel, 1957

Birthdays Today:

Beyonce Knowles, 1981

Ione Skye, 1970

Mike Piazza, 1968

Damon Wayans, 1960

Judith Ivey, 1951

Tom Watson, 1949

Jennifer Salt, 1944

Mitzi Gaynor, 1930

Dick York, 1928

Paul Harvey, 1918

Henry Ford II, 1917

Richard Wright, 1908

Nigel Bruce, 1895

Daniel Hudson Burnham, 1846

Anton Bruckner, 1824

François-René, vicomte de Chateaubriand, 1768

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Captain Midnight"(TV), 1954

"Beetle Bailey"(Comic strip), 1950

"London Calling"(Musical revue), 1923

"Adonis"(Burlesque musical), 1884

Today in History:

Romulus Augustulus, the last Roman emperor in the West, is formally deposed, 476

Edmund Halley, English astronomer, first observes the comet that now bears his name, 1682

The City of Los Angeles is founded in Bahia de las Fumas (Valley of Smokes), 1781

Robert Fulton begins operating his steamboat, 1807

Barney Flahery, age 10, is hired to be the first newsboy, by the NY Sun, 1833

Although he had demonstrated their use before, the first major lighting with electricity comes online as 400 bulbs are lit in offices on Spruce, Wall, Nassau, and Pearl streets in lower Manhattan by Thomas Edison, 1882

The last major US-Indian war ends with the surrender of Apache Chief Geronimo, 1886

George Eastman patents the first roll-film cameral and registers the trademark name "Kodak", 1888

Beatrix Potter first tells the story of Peter Rabbit, 1893

Comic strip "Beetle Bailey" first appears, 1950

The Ford Motor Company introduces the Edsel, 1957

Mark Spitz becomes the first competitor to win seven medals at a single Olympic Games, 1972

Google is founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, two students at Stanford University, 1998

A 7.1 earthquake strikes the South Island of New Zealand, causing widespread damage, 2010

Scientists announce the creation of a 'magic carpet' using optical fibers to help prevent elderly people from falling by detecting when unusual footsteps are taken, 2013

Archaeological remains of a Viking fortress from the 900s CE, the Vallø Borgring, is discovered in Denmark, 2014

A 400-year old sunken Portuguese spice trade ship is discovered near the port of Cascais, Portugal, 2018

A Pew Research Center Study reports that a record 52% of 18-29 year olds are living with their parents due to the pandemic, 2020