Harvey +5, Wednesday Evening August 30, 2017

So...many of you are thinking what does Nat do all day?  What could possible keep his keen and quick thinking mind occupied?  Is this even possible?  The answer is YES. 

Today was a banner day.  After writing an incredibly insightful and thought provoking email this morning to all of you I went about the steady business of taking regular measurements, rescuing forgotten knick knacks, helping my follow man, and closing on a new boat house.  An amazing day, yes indeed and all accomplished from the second story of his house. 

I take an hourly reading of the water level using an old fashion yard stick.   While this and the results have been interesting the most interesting part for me was what I felt during the process.  To get an idea imagine you are standing on a stair about to put the yard stick in the water but you can't see the bottom.  So when you push the stick down it keeps going and going and you are looking at the number you wanted go into the water.  You begin to feel this mix of anticipation, fear, and hope in where it will stop.  It is like your first date but all wrapped up in 1 minute.

So essentially that is what taking a measurement entails.  The good news is that the rate of increase has gone down since it started.  That said, we are not sure when it will all end - thinking tomorrow but maybe Friday.

I was able to do a mitzvah today by coordinating the evac of our elderly neighbors.  The process was interesting in that you can call for help via an app called Zello - turns your phone to a walkie talkie - then  tune to the channel Harvey Rescue and make a call.  It takes a few minutes but there are multiple people responding and willing to help out which is amazing.   I had 7+ offers in 20 minutes.   The number of people that responded to a single call from a complete stranger was remarkable and instills a sense of confidence in my fellow man.  About an hour later a Duck vehicle - boat and car - pulled up and got them out. 

With regards to the new Boat House pics are below.  Lisa and I went on the roof with a blanket to settle into our new water front property while coordinating the evac.  By coincidence our blanket was white which is the sign for rescue (didn't know at the time) so once a helicopter circled a few times and when I realized it I waved them off and changed the blanket.  Again, another weird thing, living in an area where there are helicopters - news choppers, police, and army black hawks - all supporting and looking for rescues.  It is still surreal that I am going through an event that requires this type of support.  I mean if you thought Woody Allen needed therapy, what until you get a load of ME!

As you can see in the pics Lisa and I had the best time possible on our roof enjoying the sun, a cool breeze, and took some time to connect around the events.  Since this is now really out of our hands we can stop the rushing and take a moment to begin to understand what is happening.

The support and well wishes from my fellow co-workers have been unbelievable and incredibly helpful.   Knowing we have so many people in our corner makes it so much easier. I have always been a firm believer we can count on our friends in times of stress and this is 100% true. 

Again, thank you for your support (since I don't have wifi you will need to google your own  Bartyle and James meme).

Have a great night and keep your fingers crossed.