It was 10 years ago tomorrow (Part 1 of the Flood Series)

It was a Friday. On Wednesday the 16th, classes at the University were canceled for the rest of the semester. That night, the mayor tells the people that live in the downtown area of Grand Forks that we can expect 4 to 6 inches of water in the street at the worst of it all. Crys and I decide to ride it out in the apartment.

But...ten years ago tomorrow, we woke up and helped the building owners clear stuff from the ground floor and basement. We walked a block and a half to the river, where a National Guardsman was posted. The water was just down the dike from where we were standing, and I asked the guardsman "how long ya been here?"

"About 30 minutes. See that stick?" He pointed to the top of a stick about 5 feet away. "I set that into the water when I got here. It's a foot long." We could see just about an inch and a half. I looked at Crys...and said..."we're leaving."

I-29 was closed between Grand Forks and Fargo at that point, and our landlords invited us to go with them to Jamestown, ND. We packed a suitcase each, got the cats into the car, oh, and the parakeet as well, and went to their house on the other side of town. We weren't leaving until the next day. We spent the afternoon flood-proofing their house, and making plans.

At 4 a.m., the sirens went off. That's when the water topped the dikes. Our landlord went down to the building at about 2 a.m., and the last tenant was still in the building, and Ernie got her to leave, taking her to her daughter's house on the northwest corner of the city. He said that the manhole covers were floating in the water.

We left just after noon...joining a caravan of vehicles driving west on US Highway 2. We didn't go far before turning south, heading cross-country to Wimbleton, ND, 18 miles outside of Jamestown. Ernie's step-dad lived there at the time.

As we were pulling into Wimbleton, we heard the first reports of the fires.

The day before, as we backed away from our apartment building, Crys asked me..."what if it burns?" I scoffed. "It's a flood, baby, what can burn??"

Fuck.

The Security Building went first, the winds driving the fires north...wiping out an entire block, taking out the Grand Forks Herald as well. The forest service sent helicopters and airplanes to do air drops on the fires, mainly because the fire department couldn't get there in the five feet of water -- 4-6 inches MY ass-- and when they did get down there, the pumpers ferried in on military flatbeds, they couldn't find the hydrants and had to dive in their turn-out gear...only to find the lines had no pressure.

Air drops had to be suspended because the fucking news helicopters wouldn't give them the right-of-way.

About dusk, the winds died.

And then pushed to the south...blowing embers ahead of them.

Our building, the summer before, had received a new roof. Tar. It didn't take long for our building to catch fire.

When we woke the next morning, Sunday the 20th, we turned on the television to see our home burning.

Ten years ago tomorrow, my life was changed.

Ten years ago Friday, I lost everything.

Five years later, I'd lose it all over again.

I've come a long way since.

There are those days

I am a Twins fan -- good or bad, fair or foul, I cheer them on. I have for as long as I can remember. And I'm going to my first game in a long, long time this Wednesday. I'm excited. We're playing the Yankees. I hope we win.

It's been bitter the past week. Air temps have been below freezing, and the wind has blown almost continuously for way too long. But, I'm tired of bitching about the weather.

Some of the people I work with in the summer seem to think I can do magical things for their programs. And they think that I can change forces that are outside my control, yet, dictate the rules we must follow in order to stay in compliance and keep our accreditation.

I have students that are bitching that my classes are too hard. I never tire of telling them that we are, after all, in a college course. But, I do tire of the whining.

Good, bad, and ugly, I've had some days of late.

Good thing I'm still basically happy.

It says it's April on the Calender

The calender says it’s April, but it looks like November outside. It’s a cold, snowy, windy, and gray day, and it’s just supposed to get worse. We’re actually in a storm watch right now - a winter storm watch. Possibility of 6 inches of snow in the area.

And it’s April 2nd. Go figure.

It’s definitely a case of wanting to be here. I really would like to be in another part of the country, but, I’m also in a situation where I LOVE my job. If I didn’t, I’d have moved years ago.

But as much as I love winter, I’m ready for spring. Maybe it’s because today is the season opener for baseball (Go TWINS!), or maybe it’s just because I’m sick of death brown and grays filling the environment. It’s time for thunderstorms.

Not blizzards.

On the other hand, we do need and will take moisture of any type right now. We’re still feeling the effects of last year’s drought, and I’ll be happy if the lakes get somewhere close to normal.

Stay warm. And dry.

My First Car

My First Car
Originally uploaded by D. Bjorn.

This came as part of a Playskool two-story garage. I think there were three or four cars in all. This is all that survives.

When I was 4 or 5, I got a Fisher Price garage that was three stories, with the maintenance bay on the ground level (along with a gas pump), and parking on the second and third levels. there was an elevator that would take cars to the top level, and then, the car would get kicked out and it would fly down the outside ramp. I think that might be at my sister's, and if it is, I'm going to get some pictures of it the next time I'm home.

Back to this car --

It's a coupe, maybe a late model Studebacker (sp?), and after I took this picture yesterday, I realized...I've owned a LOT of blue cars.