Monday Musings

Monday musings...as I really don't have much else going on:

...was it just me, or were the Oscars exceptionally lllllooooonnnngggg last night...? Geesh - there's only so many freakin' awards to hand out - get on with it - and quit all of the B.S. in-between...

...except for the tribute to John Hughes and the montage of movies I grew up with. That can stay. That was awesome. I love me some John Hughes. "The Breakfast Club" is a classic. Really.

...spring is in the air and in my nose...my allergies are starting to go haywire. Dammit. Achoo.

...severe weather season is upon us...I hope everyone has their "kits" in their safe rooms - extra shoes, flashlights, blanket, weather radio, socks, gloves...if you don't have one, and live in a "tornado" area - do it today.

...I'm watching the Red River area up in Fargo closely...it's a 90% chance it will be flooding again this year, which means I may be spending time (again) in Fargo. Joy. Just where I want to spend my spring - working at a Red Cross shelter in Fargo. Brrrr. This year, though, I'll be smart enough to pack a coat.

...I love my new car. It's a bright, candy apple red Ford Taurus SHO. I like the color. A little flashy, but hey - that's just me. And it goes really, really fast. Zoom. Zoom.

...oldest son is home on Spring Break this week. It's nice, actually, having him home. Someone else to talk to during the day besides the cats.

...speaking of cats, you can almost guarantee that any time I'm blogging, my tuxedo cat is sitting 1/2 inch away from me and the screen. This cat thinks there's a strip of velcro which attaches him to me.

...so ready for baseball. Bring it on. The Royals will start off well and will then break our hearts again. As usual. Eternally hopeful and faithful, though.

...wishing everyone a happy Monday. Peace.

There's No Place Like Home

After a 9-hour drive yesterday - I finally am home! I love that word - home!

Wednesday night, we had 8 people in our shelter. All of the mandatory evacuation orders had been lifted, and most of our clients had returned home. When we got off of work at 7:00 am Thursday morning, our manager told me to check in around 2:00 pm to see if the shelter would continue to be opened.

I crawl into bed at 8:30 am and fell asleep. I awake at 3:00 pm when Ted calls me to see if I've heard anything from Frank. I am astounded and amazed that I had slept that long - I really AM beginning to adjust to the night shift!

I call Frank - and good news - the shelter is closed and we are free to go! Woo hoo! I call my team and we make arrangements to head over to HQ and outprocess - and we will then head home Friday.

We had an uneventful drive home yesterday - it's always nice to be heading home, and so we made good time. We checked in at the chapter, left our paperwork, and then dropped the rental cars off. I got home right before my kids got home from school - boy, weren't they surprised to see mom standing at the door!!

Last night was spent with unpacking, doing laundry, going through the mail that's piled up, cleaning the house a little - and just lovin' on the pets and family.

Life is good. All is well with the world. And there's truly no place like home.

Peace.

Fargo Floods: Why Am I Here?

Events of Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Location: Fargo, North Dakota/Moorehead, MN area

Disaster: Red River Flooding

It's almost 1:00 am in the morning, and I am sitting at Moorhead Senior High School, in Moorhead, Minnesota.... I'm managing an emergency American Red Cross shelter which was set up on March 26th due to the flooding of the Red River.

I have been doing the night shift for a week now. I'm tired. I'm cranky. I haven't been eating right. And I'm not getting my normal exercise.

Why am I here?

I have dealt with sick children, crying babies, drunk men, angry women, anxious homeowners, and one client who spoke only Farsi - not one word of English.

Why am I here?

I haven't seen my own family in a week. I'm lucky if I catch four hours of sleep in a dumpy motel, listening to the pounding on doors and the hesitant, "Housekeeping" every five minutes as I bury my head under my pillow, praying for darkness and sleep.

Why am I here?

I arrived in a blizzard on the night of March 24th, when six inches of snow hit the Fargo area. Another blizzard hit Monday, lasting for almost 48 hours, dumping another 14" of snow on top of the snow from below. And a fine, sheen glaze of black ice covers every walking surface around. I tiptoe to my car so I don't fall and break my neck.

Why am I here?

I'm here because I'm a volunteer with the American Red Cross, who vows to provide relief to victims of disaster. I'm here because every year the ARC responds to over 70,000 disasters - including over 150 house fires each day. I'm here along with hundreds of other ARC volunteers who want nothing more than to provide that relief during a disaster - and put our own personal comfort and needs aside for the moment.

I'm here because my hero is Mother Teresa. She once said, "Each one of them is Jesus in disguise." So, when I deal with the sick child, or the drunken man, or the angry woman, or the anxious homeowner - I remember that they are Jesus - in disguise - and I smile and listen and comfort and assist.

I'm here because I'm a Christian, and the Bible says, "But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?" And so I go out to assist those in need, ignoring my own needs - whether that be a need for sleep, or food, or warmth. I know my needs will be met later.

I'm here because it's the right thing to do.

Peace.

Fargo Floods: March 28 - 31

Events of March 28 - 31, 2009

Location: Fargo, North Dakota

Disaster: Red River Flooding

One day is beginning to blend into another. Heck, when you're working the night shift, you don't even KNOW when it is day and when it's night. Everything is mixed up and upside down and out of whack. I don't even know what day it is anymore....Tuesday? Wednesday? Shoot...I give up.

However - I actually think I am now beginning to - God forbid - adjust to this schedule. Today, I miraculously got a whole 5 hours sleep - uninterrupted. I am very happy with 5 hours...that is a good thing.

My team made an observation the other day that we are all appearing to lose weight. We sit down one night (oops - I mean morning - it was 4:30 am, after all!) and we talk about when one is supposed to eat while working night shifts.

So, we sit down and begin trying to figure this out...Our observations...we "wake up" to go to work around 6:30 pm... and work begins at 10:30 pm. So, somewhere in there, we should be eating...dinner? Breakfast? What do you call it? Not sure. Anyway, we are at work from 10:30 pm until 7:00 am. We don't eat, because there's nothing but snacks & junk food for the clients during the middle of the night, and we're all trying to stay away from the junk.... We get off at 7:00 am and head back to the hotel - where, just maybe, we'll grab a granola bar or something. Then, around 11:00 am, we're all settling down in our hotel rooms for some attempted shut-eye.

As my team was trying to figure out why we're all losing weight - it hits us - we've eliminated "lunch!" Our lunch should be some time in the middle of our work shift - maybe around 3:00 am....? Well, who the heck wants to eat at 3:00 am????!!! For the last week, we've all eliminated an entire meal here - duh. No wonder we're all looking a little gaunt. On Tuesday night, I went out with Ted before our shift to grab a hot meal for dinner. It was the first meal I've had in a week that didn't come in a package, wrapper or box.



My work here at the shelter is becoming pretty routine...I'm in the groove, so to speak. I check on my clients - I walk around, assessing the needs of the people, making sure they have everything they need to be comfortable. I guess I am what you'd call the "Midnight Mom." I have tucked people in, cleaned up puke (an 11-year old boy ate too much of that junk food!), felt someone's forehead checking for a fever, assisted an elderly lady to the restroom...all that "mom" stuff. And then there's the paperwork - lots of reports and "counts" and bed checks that have to be filled in.

I like to go around and talk with the clients. The stress is getting incredible...as they've not seen their flooded houses in over a week, and they really want to go check on the damage. So, some listening and talking and hugging becomes part of the job. I've learned some neat things - such as, if I put pepper between my toes, it will keep me warm. Huh. I don't know if I'll actually try it, but it's good to know.

My team is excellent. I have Evie sitting at registration, manning the front door. I've got Ted at information, reconciling bed counts and doing some of my paperwork. (He's a retired accountant - it's a perfect position for him!) I've got Mike managing the floor - checking trash, moving furniture, keeping the cot area clean and organized. I've got Lee over in the kitchen - keeping the coffee fresh for all of the state troopers and firemen who come in at all hours after working on the levees. And I watch over them all and make sure they all have what they need to do their job.

I'm beginning to settle...my sleeping is getting better, I'm on a first-name basis with my clients - heck, I'm even dreaming about the levees. And a foot of snow that came yesterday doesn't even register on my Richter scale. I've become a true Minnesotan.


A photo of the work on the levees during the blizzard yesterday

So goes life managing an emergency Red Cross shelter during a disaster. And on the night shift, no less.

Now - it's 1:05 am...almost time for me to start thinking about what I'm going to have for lunch. Yummo.

Peace.

Fargo Floods: March 27

Events of Friday, March 27, 2009

Location: Fargo, North Dakota/Moorehead, MN area

Disaster: Red River Flooding

From 10:30 pm until 7:00 am, I am managing the shelter...our first night, we have a population of only 32. That's good. As I'm exhausted.

Two reporters show up at the shelter during the shift. One wants to film the clients in their beds. Uh - sorry, pal - that ain't happening. Against our rules, as we respect the privacy rights of our clients. The other guy just wants some quotes, and so we do a quick interview.

At 6:00 am, Good Morning America shows up to film. They are allowed to film outside the doors only, as again, we don't want cameras on our clients without their permission.

Finally, 7:00 am arrives - and it's time to head home. I watch a little of the media coverage of the flood - they've hit the 3 million mark on the sandbags - and now it's just a matter of waiting and seeing. I finally drift off to sleep, only to wake up at 1:00 pm. Oh, woo hoo - a whole 2 hours of sleep.

Before we leave to go back for our 10:30 pm shift, I get a call from HQ, telling me to tell my team they need to have at least 2 days of clothing and all essential medications with us at all times. If the levees fail, we may not be able to get to our hotel - so we must carry our supplies with us.

When we arrive at the shelter, our client population is now 60. BUT - we are warned that approximately 100 firemen will be arriving some time during the night. And we will need to shelter them. Sure enough - at 2:00 am, all hell breaks loose, as OVER 100 firefighters arrive all at the same time!!!! My team pulls it together, though - we only have 5 people, but we got the job done. And efficiently, too, I might add!

Frank, the site manager, asks my team to stay until 10:00 am that morning - to assist the morning team, so they won't be overwhelmed now with almost 200 clients.

We are seriously dragging...almost dead, actually - but the morning passes and soon it is time to go back to the hotel.

We get back and there is the local paper on the hotel registration desk. On the front page, there's an article about our shelter - and a quote from none other than - ME! I am famous! :-)

Time to crawl into bed...I'll sign autographs later when I've had more sleep.

Peace.

Fargo Floods: March 26

Events of Thursday, March 26, 2009

Location: Fargo, North Dakota

Disaster: Red River Flooding

Happy 10th Anniversary to me!

Yes, it's my 10th wedding anniversary - and I wake up in Fargo, ND - to find it is STILL snowing (geez, does it ever stop here?) and it is STILL cold. The temperature is 16 degrees, with a windchill below zero.

We arrive at Headquarters at 8:00 am....as we were told that our briefing would be at 8:00 am. So, we sit. No briefing. We sit some more. It is now 10:00 am, and we STILL have not had a briefing. Remember - patience is a virtue with the Red Cross. Finally, around 10:15, we get a briefing from Cliff, our Shelter Director. Not much has changed - we are still working with FEMA on setting up shelters...although Cliff warns us to be careful driving around the city, as we have had 2 Red Cross vehicles involved in accidents so far. With injuries. Not fun.

After the briefing, Cliff dismisses us - and says we are free to return to our hotels and await for deployment. Again, we are warned: team leaders need to have their cell phones handy.

I gather my team and we head to the FargoDome.


This is where Sandbag Central has been taking place. We walk into the arena and we are astounded at what we see. It looks like a giant anthill...we enter the arena from above, and on the arena floor are thousands of volunteers, filling millions of sandbags. There are semi-trucks, dump trucks, and other vehicles driving back and forth (almost a scene from a monster truck rally) unloading sand, loading sandbags, and creating a dust storm.

There is loud rock and roll music blaring from the speakers. And it is phenomenal. I stand in awe - as I see a community pulling together for a common purpose - to save their town. Young, old, black, white - volunteers working side by side, determined to get to 3 million sandbags.


I ask someone what the count is so far - and it is at 2.2 million - and rising. CNN is there, filming. Very, very interesting.


We leave the FargoDome at 11:30 with the intention of making a trip to Walmart for supplies - when my cell phone rings. It's Cliff, telling me to get my team and get back to HQ - within 30 minutes. We've been assigned.

We hightail it back - to find we're opening a shelter in Moorhead, MN - about 5 miles due east of Fargo. We will be based at Moorhead Senior High School - home of the Spuds (seriously) - and we will be able to shelter up to 500 people.

We carpool the 5 miles to Moorhead...and it takes 90 minutes. No joke. Apparently, we have to cross the Red River to get to Moorhead. And all bridges - except for two - are now closed, due to high water. So the traffic is horrendous. I don't think I've ever been so frustrated - 5 miles in 90 minutes???!! Come on, people!!!

There are 3 teams assigned - and Frank, our site manager, takes myself and the other 2 supervisors, on a quick walk through of the school. This school is only 5 years old - and it is HUGE. And it has not one, but TWO ice rinks inside. (It's Minnesota, after all). We're setting up operations in the gym - and now the fun begins. Our first clients are expected to arrive within 3 hours - so we must get registration tables set up; trucks unloaded; cots set up; blankets set up; a "kitchen/canteen" area set up; signage put on the walls; an information desk set up - are you getting the picture here? And we have 15 volunteers and a site manager. Time to bust our butts.

It's now time to set up shifts. My team has voted to take the night shift - it will be quieter and a little less stressful - so we are dismissed at 6:30 pm and told to come back at 10:30 pm to work a 8.5 hour shift. Not much time to sleep, huh?

Getting back to the shelter that night is much easier. The local law officials have recognized the traffic situation, and they have closed the roads to everyone but emergency personnel - so we breeze through.

Arriving at the shelter, a bus pulls up - with a busload of clients. It's somewhat crazy for awhile, getting everyone registered and assigned a bed...but eventually, it gets done, and our shift continues until 7:00 am. We're exhausted - we're not used to staying up all night - but it's a good exhaustion.

We stumble back to the hotel - and when I open the door to my room, there's 2 dozen roses! And 2 boxes of chocolates! Michael remembered that it was our anniversary! I am overwhelmed!


I crash into bed and try to sleep.

The adventure will continue....

Peace.

Fargo Floods: March 25

Events of Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Location: Fargo, North Dakota

Disaster: Red River Flooding

We arrived in Fargo around 12:30 am...and it was snowing. When I wake up around 6:30 am, I am amazed to find 9" of snow on the ground. Yikes. And it hasn't stopped - it's still snowing, and the wind is blowing around 20 mph. No wonder I don't live up here.


Upon arriving at Headquarters, I run into some Minnesota volunteers who I have worked with in the past. Another fun thing about volunteering with the Red Cross - every disaster is like a family reunion. You will always run into people you've worked with - and it's always fun to figure out what disaster(s) it was that you worked together before on.

At 9:00 am, the Director of Operations (DO), Bob, comes out to give the assembled volunteers a quick briefing. The Red River is expected to crest on Saturday at 42 feet, which will set a new record. Currently, the Red Cross has volunteers out feeding the volunteer sandbaggers, as well as giving them hot coffee.

Our teams our all put on stand-bye, awaiting further instructions. This is where the fun begins. The assignments can be given in the next 5 minutes - or it may take days before an assignment is given. Patience is a must with the Red Cross - as you may be sitting awhile. I use it as an opportunity to conserve energy, knowing that once assigned, all hell will break loose and I'll need every bit of strength and energy I've got.

Our team is told that Red Cross is waiting on FEMA (what a surprise), as FEMA is deciding on whether a "mega" shelter should open. A mega shelter can hold thousands of people - it's what the Superdome was during Katrina.

We do manage a quick stop at Chili's for lunch - you never know when it will be your last hot-cooked meal.

Evie, myself and Patty - at Chili's

Then, it's back to HQ, to sit. And wait. After more hours of waiting, two more briefings, one Orientation meeting, and much snacking - our teams are dismissed to the hotel rooms around 6:30 pm. But - we are told to have our cell phones handy - as deployment can come at any time - and we need to be ready to go.

Because it is STILL snowing when we leave HQ, we decide to go straight back to the hotel and hunker down. The road conditions are horrendous - heck, the people conditions are horrendous. I was smart and came all the way to Fargo without a coat...what the heck was I thinking??! Luckily, a quick trip to Walmart around lunchtime solved that problem - but, still - it's just down right brutal in the frigid air and strong winds.

In the hotel room, it is interesting to watch the Weather Channel and see them filming from where you are at the present time. The river is still rising, and the sandbagging continues. These people are determined to save their homes. I say a prayer, and then, it's lights out.

The adventure continues....

Peace

Fargo Floods: Day 1

Events of Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Do you ever have one of those days? So - I'm home Tuesday morning, waiting for the Cable Guy to come and hook up a high-def television at home. My "window" of opportunity is any time between 8 and 11:00 am. Since I'm going to be home waiting for the Cable Guy, I figure I can kill two birds with one stone - and so I schedule the Geek Squad to come by and do some tinkering on our home computer network. Efficient, yes?

So, it's 9:30 am and the Cable Guy arrives...he's tinkering away, when the phone rings. It's the Red Cross. And it's time to go to Fargo, ND to assist in the flooding with the Red River. And - I must be packed and ready to go by 1:30 pm that same afternoon. Yeah, right.

About that time, the doorbell rings and it's the Geek Squad. A guy has shown up, but when he sees that part of my network includes a Mac, he has to call another Geek to assist him. So, I am running around the house, grabbing a suitcase, sleeping bag, and other essentials, trying to dodge the strangers that are in my house. Crazy times, indeed. They all promise to be out of my house and on their way no later than 12:00.

I call Hubby to tell him I'm hitting the road for Fargo at 1:30 that day, and bless his heart - he drives all the way home from work (NOT a short drive, by the way!) and insists on taking me to lunch.

After a quick lunch, he drives me down to the Red Cross headquarters, where I meet up with the other four members of my team. We do a quick media interview with both Channel 41 and Channel 9, and then we climb into our 2 rental cars and start driving north - up I-29 - to Fargo. It's 2:30 pm before we hit the road - and Fargo is 600 miles away.

Such is the life of a Red Cross volunteer. Always having to be ready to go at a moment's notice. Always having a suitcase and essentials nearby.

We drive and drive and drive...stopping only for fuel for the car and fuel for our bodies. Around Sioux Falls, we hit sleet - and it gets worse as we drive north.

We arrive in Fargo around 12:30 am - where we are told at headquarters to head to the luxurious Motel 6 (ha!) and get a room. And be back at Headquarters by 8:00 am Wednesday morning.

So begins the first day of the Fargo Flood Disaster of 2009.

The adventure will continue....and I will add photos to these posts when I am back home and can upload my photos to my OWN computer and not a borrowed one!

Peace...