October 4, 2024

I sit at my own computer in my own study in my own house on my street. Drove from Atlanta this morning. Accidentally engaged the GPS, which panicked me because it took us a way not familiar, through farms and obscure neighborhoods, but we arrived, and connected with I-40 one exit before it’s closed. The GPS lady was calm and omniscient. I’m an untrusting individual, and would lead a sweeter life if I’d lean back and let it roll. From the Interstate nothing looks wrong, but once you get on the streets calamity is everywhere evident. Also evident is that the responsibility for clean-up and tending to the needy has been at the first an overwhelmingly entirely community effort. Power line workers heroically restored power to several neighborhoods. If you saw the state of things regarding trees and lines you’d be amazed at any progress at all No Internet. No water. Officials say “it could be a long time till water is restored,” as though acknowledging it were the same as excusing it. 

Carrier Park, the RAD, and the Swannanoa valley are still under water. 

Decided to stay the night. In the morning I’ll plant some of the flowers that arrived by undaunted couriers in the past few days. Most are bulbs and can wait.

Cleaned out the fridge. The half & half was clawing to get out. Even the iced tea had little floating islands of mold. 

Odd that I creep around in the dimness and have to remind myself the power is on.

The pants I wore to clear trees off the street were covered with wet sawdust and now stink. I had to move them outside. Filled the long-violated toilet bowl with bleach, that it may be washed clean as snow. DJ got his chair back, and is not apoplectic with boredom, so all is well there. People scurry around doing good deeds, making the horrors better. I escaped, return briefly to tend to my little concerns. I hope I have an opportunity to make up for this. 

Every few seconds my hands automatically try to summon the Internet, which won’t be there. What did we do in our youth?