18/19 September 2020: Ruth

And the hits just keep on coming. I’ve been in shock since hearing the news, many hours ago, of RBG’s death. I’m despondent, heartbroken, terrified, flat. Two friends and I took candles, wine, signs, and love to the Supreme Court this evening. I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else. Rest in peace and power, Ruth, and thank you. Thank you for your courage, fortitude, certitude, feminism. You will remain a fierce torch for so many!

17 September 2020: Some uplifting news

I have no uplifting news about Lake Charles, BUT I do have some positive feedback about political fundraising.

I assumed I’d miss the Flip the Senate event I got to co-host because it occurred while I was in Louisiana, but fortunately, my phone had enough cellular service that Mom and I snuggled in bed and Zoomed in. It was such a fabulous event. More than 1,100 blue supporters tuned in and raised over $200,000 for the Jaime Harrison, Theresa Greenfield, Steve Bullock, and Barbara Bollier campaigns. It was such an inspiring event- we were especially fired up to hear from Jaime and Theresa.

A week later, Tom and I realized we’d both donated to the “Princess Bride Live Read” fundraiser for the Wisconsin Dems. Every original cast member who is still alive, minus Fred Savage, agreed to participate, and the replacement cast for those no longer with us, like Andre the Giant, were terrifically filled (Josh Gad played Fezzik). Tom and I and the boys were still in the midst of the nail-biter US Open men’s final when the show began. So we toggled back and forth for a bit, increasingly immersed in the utterly delightful cast party that was this read-through. As it turned out, thousands upon thousands of folks logged on to watch, and despite the fits and starts of bandwidth and location challenges, it turned out to be the ultimate escapist event of joy, nostalgia, teamwork and memory. And, it raised more than $4.25 MILLION. Mandy Patinkin, oh my heart. He was sweating as he reprised Inigo Montoya.

The very next night was the monthly NOPE Neighbors meeting. Each meeting welcomes at least one current candidate for a red-to-blue flippable district, encourages generous donation to said candidate and their co-ballot peers, and educates out the wazoo. Last month we raised more than $20,000 in short order for Elissa Slotkin and the MI slate. But at THIS month’s meeting with Hiral Tiperneni (AZ-6) and Marc Elias of Democracy Docket, we raised more than $75,000 for a large slate of candidates PLUS a slate of protect the vote efforts.

Because, HELLO! We desperately need to protect the vote and go blue. So, give what you can, volunteer, engage, help, vote, work at the polls. PLEASE. Everything depends on it.

11 September 2020: Back home

This is the first time I’ve had an ounce of enough mental and emotional bandwidth to sit here since I last wrote. It seems, in some way, oddly appropriate that it’s 9/11 which was, of course, a day of such destruction and loss. So much of Lake Charles looked or was so destroyed after Hurricane Laura; it was much worse than I expected, both at my parents’ home and throughout the city.

The tree loss was stunning. Live oaks that have survived countless storms were uprooted and split. Huge pines were keeled over everywhere with their root balls and still-attached circles of earth standing forlornly at attention. Mom and Dad lost all but 3 trees, including the stunning, 30+-year-old Live oak that my grandparents gave them before the house was even built. While Tom and I were in Lake Charles, there was no electricity, minimal cell service, and water was (and remains) boil-only. With the heat index, it was well over 100 every day; four people, that I knew of, died of heat exhaustion during my week in LC. None of us working to pack up and clear out the house ever peed during the day, despite guzzling gallons of water and Gatorade on a nearly-constant basis.

Some power and cellular service has been restored, but you still can’t drink the water and schools remain closed. Can you imagine trying to communicate and deal with insurance claims with only sporadic mobile access and on tiny phone screens while kids are hot, bored, and losing out on the educations they need and deserve and you or your loved ones may have lost everything?

I saw people living in tents along the roads. Mom and dad’s neighbors to the right had significant damage to their beautiful home, and after working for a full week to save, repair, and guard against further damage, their generator caught fire one morning and burned the house to the point that I don’t know if it’s salvageable. Loss upon loss upon loss. I am beyond thankful that the firemen thought to look in the garage and got the MANY full gas cans out in time. 

Helpers like those firefighters were incredible. World Central Kitchen set up meal service in the Walmart parking lot, churches shared meals and supplies from their lots, Oregon Products set up a free chainsaw-sharpening station, and Tide offered free laundry stations. The insurance adjuster looked shell-shocked as he wandered through the house; he graded it catastrophic and said he would do his best. And I can’t even begin to adequately thank all of our family and friends who came to help Mom and Dad.

We got most of the house packed up and shipped off to storage units in Houston and Baton Rouge by the time I left last Saturday. And soon enough it will all be heading this way.

I am not sure I’ve ever felt so depleted, and it’s unfamiliar and disconcerting, not at least in light of the fact of COVID-19 in America, everyone at home, and the most important election of our lifetimes in just 53 days. But, I am thankful Mom and Dad are safe, that Tom and I could go help, that we’ll soon all be nearer each other, and that both Jack and Ol have had great starts to their school years. Jack is so happy at his new school which is just beyond wonderful to see. It’s so clear that both schools and all the teachers over the summer put Herculean efforts into preparing for this odd year. Cheers and thanks to all of them!