Just in case

[eloisel]

It has been raining here for days. We are expecting torrential downpours over the next few days. We're expecting floods and trees are going down all over the place.

If I disappear for awhile, don't worry. I survive everything. If I don't, well, then, it was nice knowing you, fuck off, and all that, such like.

 

[Donovan]

I see a heartwarming scene: Eloisel is trapped on her roof in the torrential downpour. Lightning flashes all around, She grips the tiles of her roof, feeling them begin to give way little by little. Hope is slipping away...but suddenly, from the dark and blinding rain, comes a shout. Her neighbor, the formerly venomous hispanic woman who was so caustic at all the meetings, who made everyone's life so miserable, is there in a rowboat. Gone is the emnity; gone is the ancient hatred. On her face, only fear and concern.

"Senora," she says, pleading and holding out a hand, "por favor. Vamanos."

Sobbing, Eloisel scrambles for the tiny boat, trying desperately not to slip off the roof. She reaches the edge of the rapidly sinking building and nearly slips, but her flailing hands grasp and just barely manage to hold to the shoulder of her former adversary.

Gasping, sobbing with exhaustion, tears of gratitude blinding her even more than the rain, she grips her savior with both hands and manages to gasp,

"ENGLISH, MOTHERFUCKER! DO YOU SPEAK IT!!!!!!!"hpblaugh:

Seriously, stay safe and hope it goes well for you, and if it's not too much trouble could you send the rain this way when you're done? It's fuckin hot...

 

[eloisel]

I would love to send you a lot of this rain. Of course, in September, I'd like some of it back.

 

[Donovan]

The humidity is killing us this week. I take cool showers like three times a day, and within minutes sweat's dripping off again...

 

[eloisel]

We've cooled down quite a bit but the humidity is really high even when it isn't raining!

Yesterday afternoon it was 77 degrees and 67% humidity.

 

[Donovan]

mid nineties with a matching humidity. And I'm one of the lucky ones on the cooler side of this heatwave...

 

[eloisel]

ouch. Aren't you in New York? I thought it was cooler way up there.

 

[eloisel]

he, he, he ... bad is coming.

No telling what will be whipped up in those storms coming in from the Gulf.

 

[parkmice]

you better make some chai tea while you still can.

 

[Donovan]

ouch. Aren't you in New York? I thought it was cooler way up there.

Not right now it ain't. I'm closer to the Buffalo side of things, but the whole northeast has taken a beating all this week. They're counting dead people in NYC and Detroit, etc. A rural town near here on the lake hit a hundred. That's almost unheard of for here.

 

[eloisel]

We've got the SUV loaded with battery operated fans and lights, emergency candles and matches, flashlights, tons of water, some non-refrigerated and non-perishable food, bedding, emergency medical kit and some clothes. Worse comes to worse we'll head to my office. We can park the cars on top of the parking structure and camp out in my office on the third floor. I'll bust out a window and tape a tarp over it to keep out the rain but let in some air. They can bill me for it later. If it comes to that, I'll be on call for the emergency center and will need to be downtown anyway. I'd love to play with the command toys but if I get that opportunity then that means we've already gone to hell in a handbasket.

 

[eloisel]

Before you ask, what I do in emergencies is prepare resolutions declaring a state of emergency and authorizing emergency action for the Mayor's signature and perform other clerical and secretarial duties as needed. There are lots of highly skilled and trained individuals actually doing the important stuff. Unfortunately I've seen them in action a time or two because of tornadoes, and tree destroying high winds and snow storms coming through here and tearing up the place. Those people are professional problem solvers and I've got every confidence in them. I do. Really. No joke.

 

[Donovan]

Before you ask, what I do in emergencies is prepare resolutions declaring a state of emergency and authorizing emergency action for the Mayor's signature and perform other clerical and secretarial duties as needed. There are lots of highly skilled and trained individuals actually doing the important stuff. Unfortunately I've seen them in action a time or two because of tornadoes, and tree destroying high winds and snow storms coming through here and tearing up the place. Those people are professional problem solvers and I've got every confidence in them. I do. Really. No joke.

Cool job, no joke. I was gonna guess that your role was to make that really obnoxious 'emergency broadcast' noise they play on the radio with your voice box. Because sometimes when we argue I could swear...

probably just me. Anyway, I gotta go to bed, stay safe tonight.

 

[eloisel]

Not right now it ain't. I'm closer to the Buffalo side of things, but the whole northeast has taken a beating all this week. They're counting dead people in NYC and Detroit, etc. A rural town near here on the lake hit a hundred. That's almost unheard of for here.

Wow. My sister married a guy from Honeoye and they lived up there for a long time. She didn't care so much for the winters but coming from Texas she sure did like the milder summers.

Looks like y'all are going to get a break in the weather soon.

We've been having some rolling black outs. They are for just a minute but it disrupts everything. I need to replace the batteries in the alarm clocks so I don't have to keep resetting them.

 

[eloisel]

Cool job, no joke. I was gonna guess that your role was to make that really obnoxious 'emergency broadcast' noise they play on the radio with your voice box. Because sometimes when we argue I could swear...

probably just me. Anyway, I gotta go to bed, stay safe tonight.

ha, ha, ha ... actually, I am a very soft spoken southern woman. I used to be a singer.

I hope you realize the arguing is just for fun and games. I have to be very nice all day. Coming here and picking fights sometimes keeps me from being mean elsewhere.

Take care yourself. Good night.

e

 

[Bickendan]

It hit 100 today in Portland, supposed to be 95 tomorrow. But we don't have the humidity to make things unbearable.

 

[parkmice]

We've got the SUV loaded with battery operated fans and lights, emergency candles and matches, flashlights, tons of water, some non-refrigerated and non-perishable food, bedding, emergency medical kit and some clothes. Worse comes to worse we'll head to my office. We can park the cars on top of the parking structure and camp out in my office on the third floor. I'll bust out a window and tape a tarp over it to keep out the rain but let in some air. They can bill me for it later. If it comes to that, I'll be on call for the emergency center and will need to be downtown anyway. I'd love to play with the command toys but if I get that opportunity then that means we've already gone to hell in a handbasket.

You're gonna need chai tea, milk, nutmeg and a tiny camp stove for the office. Nothing compliments a disaster like chai tea!

 

[eloisel]

Last night and up til just now it has been pretty calm. A few sprinkles, clouds now and then, but it cleared up fast. Then, just within the last 10 minutes, the wind has picked up drastically and it is so dark outside it looks like it is around 9 at night. The temperature has dropped down into the 80s now and expected to drop down into the mid 70s. This part of Texas we are usually in the 100s this time of year.

It is time for the cats to come in and get in the critter carriers in case we have to make an exit. I'm not driving around in a gale with a car full of crazed cats, even though that might be fun if I were wearing a shark suit and a helmet with a visor.

 

[eloisel]

Well, the weather never quite reached the dramatic proportions expected in this area. That is good news for us. Further south they still had a bad time.

I need to make it to the movies this week before I get too far behind again. Want to see:
Despicable Me
Predators (Yes, I know. They made it for me though.)
Knight and Day (if it is still playing)
The Socerer's Apprentice

Then, had a guy chatting me up at the protest yesterday. Thought he was about to ask me out on a date. He kind of did. He asked me to go to his church to his adult Bible class.

Then, had another guy chat me up. Thought he was about to ask me out on a date too. He kind of did. He wanted to let me know there is an "all class sock hop" for two of the local high schools coming up soon and he wanted to invite me.

Then, this woman was chatting me up. Thought, oh no, she's about to ask me out on a date. She kind of did. I don't go camping unless it is to a Holiday Inn Express without room service.

I think this is a signal for me to work on my style. I'm giving off a "might date anyone to go to Bible classes, sock hops and camping in a tent" kind of vibe. Not sure when that happened. Nothing wrong with those activities. Just not really the kind of stuff I do. Oh well. Maybe it is time for me to break out of my rut, try something different - except I'm still not going camping in the wild.

 

[parkmice]

sorry, I didn't mean to be like totally hitting on you or anything.