Sunday the 14th he whooped up on KY and IN for a while. No one expected that so much damage would have been caused so far inland. Sure some winds... but 60-70 MPH gusts all damn day? Debris flew for HOURS. Trees snapped, others were uprooted, some just had the tops bust off, branches and downed lines everywhere. That day, one death due to a branch falling on a young boy mowing the lawn. Since then, many more due to trees and branches falling on people and electrocution.
We of course were not to go unscathed. Nothing fell through the house, so that's always good. The top of one of our pine trees, the size of half the tree itself, snapped off. It busted through a portion of our privacy fence. The one small area of our brick home on which we have siding... yah, it flew off and INTO MY CAR! Paint is scuffed and dings are all over it from debris smacking into it. Insurance had better come in handy, I cannot have my 2009 Camry looking like poo! The power lines that go between our home and right side neighbors snapped when one of his trees uprooted and went into the lines and another tree on the fence-line. BOOM! And just like that we had no power. Much of Jefferson county was without power. By Sunday evening everyone was out assessing their damage and wielding chainsaws in an effort to help cut out cars that had been gushed, and clean up yards that are now trashed by mother nature and her tool Ike. In the days that followed; Rambo, the kids and I were cleaning up our yard, fixing the fence and re attaching the siding. The car is still not happy. (Waiting to hear back from ins adjuster) Hundreds of dollars worth of food was tossed out and into the trash. Before we knew it, it was time to leave to take Rambo to his mobilization for deployment. *UGH* Not exactly the ideal last family week we had planned.
Seven hours later we are in a hotel room that has power. We, being the dumb-asses we are, totally forget to plug in the cell phones. Funny how you get used to not having power! Days later, Rambo is safely at his starting point and the kids and I are on the way home... to a house with no power. As of Saturday, 9 days later there are still 53,000 people without power. Drained from the workhorse week of clearing debris and chopping trees, and now emotionally drained from seeing Rambo off , yet again; I get all psyched up for a 9 hour drive home. No matter how many years we do this deployment thing, it never gets any easier.
So, there I am zooming along, thinking of how much ass my home is going to smell like after not having any power for ten days, how the kids are going to get ready for school in the dark, write absence notes, pay bills, how I need to call the insurance adjuster about my car, and about a gazillion other things....
**woooooooooooooo** Flashing lights.... are you effing serious?
Yah... no matter how much suck can happen to us... the universe is always there to remind me how much more it can suck!
Highway Laser Happy Cop~ Ma'am do you know how fast you were going?
Me~ I am gonna guess, 80?
Highway Laser Happy Cop~ I have you lasered at 74.
Me~ Fabulous.
Highway Laser Happy Cop~ Can I ask why you are in a hurry?
Me~ Just trying to get home after dropping off my husband for deployment, sir.
(hand my info over and Highway Laser Happy Cop walks off to his cruiser)
Highway Laser Happy Cop is in his vehicle for what seems an eternity....
Highway Laser Happy Cop~ Here are your documents, your ticket and your warning. I have your court date set for ....
~~This would be where I blank out... thinking to myself oh shit I have to go to court?
he continues, the warning is apparently for not signing my registration.
~~ again to myself, really??? I'm supposed to sign my registration? How come I have never heard nor done this before???
Highway Laser Happy Cop~ Ma'am are you ok?
Me~ Yes sir. ( I must have either looked really confused or sick to my stomach)
Highway Laser Happy Cop~ Be careful pulling out into traffic.
Me~ quietly to myself... yah in order to do that, I have to drive FAST!
The kids are slightly freaked. They have heard stories of their momma getting busted by the coppers for her infamous lead foot.... however, this was the first time they were to experience it with their very own eyes! I tell them not to worry about it, I just have to pay a fine. I have yet to get REALLY busted hard and go to jail! With that levity, we laugh and turn on the radio and head the very small distance home. ( I got nailed just across the river in Jeffersonville, IN... I could see the Louisville skyline!)
We drive up to the neighborhood and see a few lights... does this mean we have POWER???
Into our driveway, and porch lights are on! Sa~Weeeeeeet! We DO have power!
Perhaps it was the universe's way of giving me a little back? Yanno since I have handled this whole shitty month with such a superb sense of humor and gusto!?
