All hell
Okay. Might’ve spoken too soon about old Ivan. The storm wasn’t so bad throughout the day yesterday, but then around 4:30, all hell broke loose. I should know, because I was in the passenger-seat of Hunter’s car with a pizza from Johnny’s in my lap.
We were trying to drive down Euclid Avenue like normal people, when suddenly the car was in water that reached the top of the tires. Thank God for the Suburu Legacy – Hunter’s fortress of a new car that looks more like a Mom-Mobile that my sister’s minivan. Thank god for that car’s beautiful All-Wheel-Drive-y-ness!
We made it out of the River Euclid and over to Moreland, where it looked like more of the same river gushing down the hill. We turned into a gas station and considered our options. Every route really seemed impossible. Just about every street between that gas station and our house is narrow, hilly, tree-lined. No big deal unless the ocean’s falling from the sky and those streets don’t have gutters. And the trees and power lines are falling into them.
It was strangely exciting to think of a city – a real city, planned (though not so much) by real adults – rendered so completely chaotic. All was Fend for Yourself. And for a flash of a second, I imagined this was permanent and felt scared and wildly optimistic all at once. Imagined joining some band of people as we floated into a new primitive age.
Then we managed to make it down Dekalb Avenue, and home. Ate pizza in the dark while watching The Office on my laptop.
Later on when there was a lull, we took a walk with Otis through our neighborhood. Extreme quiet except for some rumbling thunder. Trees down everywhere and soft candlelight whispering out front windows of every house. Yes, I’m a ridiculously, foolishly incurable romantic about these things, but last night was the first time I’ve felt completely relaxed in months.
Okay. Might’ve spoken too soon about old Ivan. The storm wasn’t so bad throughout the day yesterday, but then around 4:30, all hell broke loose. I should know, because I was in the passenger-seat of Hunter’s car with a pizza from Johnny’s in my lap.
We were trying to drive down Euclid Avenue like normal people, when suddenly the car was in water that reached the top of the tires. Thank God for the Suburu Legacy – Hunter’s fortress of a new car that looks more like a Mom-Mobile that my sister’s minivan. Thank god for that car’s beautiful All-Wheel-Drive-y-ness!
We made it out of the River Euclid and over to Moreland, where it looked like more of the same river gushing down the hill. We turned into a gas station and considered our options. Every route really seemed impossible. Just about every street between that gas station and our house is narrow, hilly, tree-lined. No big deal unless the ocean’s falling from the sky and those streets don’t have gutters. And the trees and power lines are falling into them.
It was strangely exciting to think of a city – a real city, planned (though not so much) by real adults – rendered so completely chaotic. All was Fend for Yourself. And for a flash of a second, I imagined this was permanent and felt scared and wildly optimistic all at once. Imagined joining some band of people as we floated into a new primitive age.
Then we managed to make it down Dekalb Avenue, and home. Ate pizza in the dark while watching The Office on my laptop.
Later on when there was a lull, we took a walk with Otis through our neighborhood. Extreme quiet except for some rumbling thunder. Trees down everywhere and soft candlelight whispering out front windows of every house. Yes, I’m a ridiculously, foolishly incurable romantic about these things, but last night was the first time I’ve felt completely relaxed in months.
posted by Alice at 4:53 AM
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