Hot and humid here in Houston.
Yesterday was pretty hot and sweaty too.
But hey, now we have a pool! And I didn’t have to MacGyver anything. It was all in the box except for 8 bolts. It’s in pretty good shape considering someone set it up, and used it long enough for a dirt ring to form before returning it… They didn’t assemble the ladder, they just used it upside down and in pieces. Doesn’t look like they used the filter pump either. The brazen theft involved in Amazon returns is breathtaking in scope and will eventually have to be addressed. My kids were full on nutburgers when they saw the pool and climbed in while it filled. Only 6 inches of water in it and it sounded like two dolphins in a blender. Neighbors are going to get tired of the squeals…
Didn’t get much done on my list ‘cuz someone just dropped a day long project in my lap… just saying.
Other than taking the big truck with the push bar into the city, so I could push through a crowd if I had to, it was just like a normal day.
After dinner though, for a lot of people, Sh!t Just Got Real ™. I spent a few hours last night watching rioting, yelling, crowds milling around, and all sorts of opportunists mouthing off. I was in LA for the Rodney King riots, and it is not at all “fun” for normal people. Burning buildings have a particular odor like nothing else. Watching neighborhoods burn from your front porch and having that smoke blow in your door will CHANGE you. Ordinary people get caught up in the violence too. My roommate was hospitalized from injuries he got during a racially motivated attack on day one or two. He spent three days in the hospital, and he was just one of many. [added- he and his ex-wife got jumped outside of a QuikMart when they took a break from trying to reconcile to get some coffee. They had no idea anything was going on in the city.]
Ol’ Remus’ advice is good- stay away from crowds, and Cooper’s advice about avoiding stupid people and stupid places is also good. Finally, don’t stand next to someone doing something stupid. Reginald Denny was in the wrong place at the wrong time and it changed his life. Don’t be caught unaware, and don’t let them get you out of the vehicle.
One interesting thing I noticed in the news footage, all the big name orgs and the local news crews have ‘security teams’ with them this time. The Ferguson coverage had many of the ‘on the ground’ reporters having to “reposition” and reconnect. Ironic during a “mostly peaceful protest”, no? This time they’ve all got security.
It’s gonna get worse before it gets better. Anyone want to bet that it continues through the elections?
Dinner was beef fajitas from the last delivery, saute’d with onions, served with tortilla and various vegetable sides. I like the packaged marinade beef in the vac sealed bag from HEB. Kids and wife ate every scrap. We’ve barely touched our long term storage, and even the canned inventory isn’t really being drawn down. Damned weird apocalypse.
Clearly, we’ve got more to get through. Think about what a deterioration in your local security situation means for you and your family. If most of the cops are standing ‘line abreast’ downtown, they aren’t cruising your area and they aren’t investigating crimes or taking other calls. What’s your normal response time to a 911 call? What might it be if you have riots in your area? What can YOU do to improve your situation?
Keep stacking. Everything’s better with butter and bacon.
nick