Mr. Liz’s Honda Ridgeline got in a brawl with a falling tree on 9/27 and lost but he was not harmed, amazingly enough.
I was That Kid.
You know, the one terrified to the point of hysteria about bad weather. I’d watch and listen to the weatherman back in the day when it wasn’t a 24/7 experience, seeking upcoming opportunities to be paralyzed about incoming storms. The first thing I’d do when going outside was look up and gauge what sort of worry I was going to take on that day, at least where the weather gods were concerned. I don’t know how I got that way, really. I was a hysterical sort of a kid, pre-teen and teenager. My many anxieties would at various times tie me up in knots that I either managed to untangle, or not, as the case may be. But I’ll leave the worst of those for the Liz Memoir.
I didn’t really outgrow the weather phobia until I became a mom. I guess I replaced weather anxiety with the parental kind. Not exactly a healthy trade but one that seemed more within my control. Honestly, now that I think back, I don’t remember when that happened exactly, but I do recall at one point encountering the potential for a bad storm while living in Michigan and nursing my first born and thinking that it was No Big Deal. Not since I had a whole separate life that had come from my life that I had to feed, clothe, and raise to be a non-toxic male human. What was a little thunder and lighting in the face of that sort of responsibility?
So when someone said to me a couple of Wednesdays ago at the gym here in Greenville that “a big storm was coming” and it was “from a hurricane,” I didn’t give it much thought. Big deal, I thought. Hurricanes are for the coast to worry about, not the Upstate, landlocked as we are between a couple of mountain ranges. I’m guessing a fair number of Asheville, NC and the surrounding towns’ residents had similar thoughts, even when said storm starting beating a path to our door.
And boy were we about to have an eye opening experience, in the form of Helene.
It hit about 6:30 a.m. Friday Sept. 27. And it hit hard. As I watched our already rain-soaked landscape begin to absorb the 40-60 MPH winds for a solid hour or so, I realized that if I were going to freak out about the weather, this would be an entirely appropriate time to do so. I remained calm for the most part. But by the time the sun came out and it got nice and humid (@ 3 p.m. that same day) the damage to Greenville was no joke. And of course, we all saw video of Asheville literally under water. We fumbled around in the dark for 3.5 days, without the modern convenience of the internets, almost 5. Thank goodness for 5G but of course, at certain times of the day, the entire city was using it so it was admittedly draggy. And the whole Hunger Games type dash for the few businesses that were open and had outlets to spare for charging devices got real old real quick.
I had it lucky. There are still at this writing a few sections of Greenville without power, and I’m grateful I gave Spectrum a skip when it came to internet. AT&T was a lot faster getting back to internet normal. Western North Carolina however, is still a mess. Hundreds are dead, and don’t get me started about the slew of abandoned and injured animals. Plus (bonus) we are all warily eyeing Milton as it takes aim at Florida. Those crazy storms can take a turn on a dime, it would seem, and we are all understandably nervous about its possibility, thanks to nice warm oceans (not politicians, ffs).
Moral of the story: some storms are worth the worry. And I truly wish everyone who thinks riding out a Cat 5 storm like Milton is some kind of a way to own the libs or whatever the best of luck.
Here are some links for donations and other ways to help the Carolinas and Florida:
North Carolina Disaster Relief
Bissell Pet Foundation (helping with rescue efforts post hurricane)
I know many humans are affected but my heart hurts for the pets who’ve lost not only their humans but any hope of survival. Give as you see fit.
Me? I listened to some audiobooks I’d downloaded and I can say with certainty that the following ones were Not to My Liking:
Desperate Deadly Widows: This is a written and narrated by multitudes for audible project sequel to Young Rich Widows which was clever and well executed. The sequel was disappointing enough that I stopped listening about 2/3 through.
On a Quiet Street by Seraphina Nova Glass: This is a look at a pseudo-typical American suburb and the Americans who inhabit it. Both the story and the narrator try way too hard to nail a “typical American” and it was a DNF for me although it’s garnered many awards and such things.
My opinion only, of course. But this is my Substack so…there it is.
I did finish The Last Anniversary by Lianne Moriarty one of my go-to heroes of relationship fiction. I’ll listen / read anything by her but I will say that this is not one of her better stories. Too many plot threads to chase down, but a satisfying ending and plenty to enjoy, narratively speaking, along the way.
Stay safe, Tampa Bay. If you’re evacuating please take your pets too.
xoxo
Liz