So, there is some craziness going on around here the last couple of days. And for us, none of that has to do with this big flood people are talking about AGAIN. As last year, we have remained selfishly uninvolved with the flood fight. Last year I had the convenient excuse of being 7 months pregnant. Now my excuse is that I have three little kids. Also, I just don't feel like sandbagging. Is that terrible or what?
Thankfully, there are lots and LOTS of other folks who are generously willing to help out, so things are under control. Helping the general atmosphere quite a bit is the lack of double blizzards at the same time as the flood crest. That was really terrible.
Anyway. One of my biggest (and most selfish, inconsiderate) complaints about the whole flood business is how it preoccupies everyone's lives. You can't go anywhere without people talking about it, and every conversation is obligated to talk it over at least once. Events are rescheduled or cancelled, and in general, anything fun is considered an indulgence. (Disclaimer: Of COURSE saving your house takes precidence over pretty much everything. I imagine that if my house was at risk, I'd be much more involved and preoccupied with the whole thing myself. Like I said, I'm being completely selfish here.)
In that spirit, here's what we've been doing, with NO MENTION of the flood:
- Leah has had school off Thursday & Friday, and Aaron took those days as vacation
- So of course the house has had toys and mess all over, since there has been way more playing going on
- Even with Leah being at a playdate yesterday morning
- And especially because of a playdate here this morning (although those boys & their mom did a great job of picking up!)
And you know that if Aaron has more than 2 days off he starts a project...
- Which this time is removing all the old ceiling tiles in the basement
- And discovering that the previous owners had a cat that spent large quantities of time inside the basement ceiling, according to the piles of cat hair, and oh, some cat poop also, in addition to lots & lots of dust. (Aaron IS wearing a face mask. Now.)
Me? I've just been relaxing, putting my feet up, drinking tea...yeah right.
- I finished 3 pairs of baby booties for our Etsy store
- then cut out and sewed together 6 more pairs, 4 in a smaller size for Lizzy Maye, and 2 for Adam
- Also, I am hosting some friends tonight for scrapbooking into the wee hours
- so in anticipation, have been choosing about 100 photos to have printed for our family album
- in addition to the 20 or so pages I have ready to work on for Ben's toddler (1-2yr) album.
- also, earlier in the week, I finished the other valance for the kitchen and we got it up.
- then I bought 7 yards of curtain lining fabric, so I'm ready to start the next set of curtains. Sometime when I'm ready to look at that sewing machine again.
Of course, hosting tonight requires some picking up and cleaning, much needed, thanks to my twin tornadoes and their hurricane father. I, of course, am the picture of neatness and cleanliness. Just ignore those piles...I know EXACTLY what's in them! They don't count!
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Fargoans, what are you doing to keep your mind off the impending disaster of the Red River? Or, are you totally ticked off that I'm blogging at all and not out there hoisting sandbags?
If you are NOT in Fargo...well, what are YOU doing this weekend? March Madness? Spring cleaning? What?
Something else random...are you an avid couponer? I'm considering adding this to my arsenal of things to preoccupy my mind instead of the weather.
Like a waterfall in slow motion, Part One
1 year ago
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12 comments:
I'm a Fargoaner (?) and I've been busy trying to clean my house for the impending company (my parents and my in-laws) this weekend...otherwise, I've been taking care of a now 7 month old while the husband is at band practice/ show and trying to schedule when we will finish our house projects. I watch the news to find out about the flood, but I don't worry about or feel a need to talk about it because everyone else is.
My high school aged daughter has been the active flood fight participant from our household, having taken two days off of school to work the sandbag lines. I was headed off to help Monday night, but then needed to participate in transportation of said daughter to a school event.
Last week I spent some time studying the on-line topo maps of Fargo to reaquaint myself with passable evacuation routes and good destinations like Lyz's house. As I was looking at the topo map of Lyz's neighborhood, I noticed a number of artificial hills hidden behind her house, lofting as high as 915 feet above sea level (~55 feet river level). It's one thing to be a non-participant in sandbagging, it's a whole next level to hoard elevation. I think that handy husband and some neighbors need to move that stockpiled elevation to places that need it :-0 .
In the mean time, we will be enjoying Lake El Zagel, making an occasional appearance near our home. It took 12 hours to fill once the dike was breached.
...And the Shrine Circus is in Fargo this weekend. Would have been fun to see the parade downtown last night, but I had to be at the office last night.
I AM a super couponer (the accurate terminology:)) you can of course find sites with tons of info.
As an alternative to flooding and basketball, there is the census form to fill out. While one is filling out and explaining the form to younger children, one could ask the children to draw a picture of the family, house, and other info requested on the form. Then tuck the picture away for 10 years and have a fun moment in 2020....
I think you're inconsiderate to post about your selfishness on other's misfortune.
Some of us helped the flood fight by pulling over for the escorted clay and sandbag haulers and watching for the traffic control guys near the clay pits and obeying thier directions. We also stayed away from areas where work was being done with large equipment so those folks could do thier jobs efficiently. Not everyone has to lift a sandbag to help.
TOM
My brother was listening to the CNN news at noon the other day and heard a comment from someone that had "lived here for 20 years and she had never seen the river this high." The amazing part to him was that the interviewer never asked where she had been last year.
TOM
Thankfully, by the time I wrote this post, everyone pretty much had their dikes secured, and sandbag making had been finished. Everything was/is pretty much under control. Of course, last year this time I wouldn't even try to treat the flood in such a lighthearted manner, and as Noel reminded me, I WAS trying to help out how I could.
I meant in no way to criticize the flood fighters or insinuate that it was a waste of time. My sincere apologies to anyone I may have inadvertently offended.
However, personal attacks are really uncalled for, and from now on, anonymous comments will not be accepted.
i'm also sick of cancer. why is everyone always talking about cancer? and AIDS? come on, they have medication for that now.
liz, i can totally see how some people would take this as insensitive. i also know you and know that you're just not someone who could sit around and "it's bad, bad, bad, and i can't do anything about it, so i'm just going to keep talking about how it's so BAD."
however, when you post something on a public forum, there's a good chance many people don't know you and will skip past any disclaimers you may have included in this post. they have property and family that have put their lives on hold to prepare yet again for something they have no control over. that would be really scary. and sometimes it can be even scarier if someone said, yeah, it's terrible, but i'm sick of hearing about it.
i hope it hasn't cause you too much stress---i know you didn't mean any harm.
BTW, I removed the two comments that were personal attacks and which prompted my blocking anonymous comments.
The anon. comment still showing I left because they had valid points.
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