I get contemplative sometimes and am so today. I’m sitting in my chair looking at the black screen of my television. It’s 5:24 am, September 12th, and the cable it out, and so is the internet. Both were up and running through the entire Hurricane Irma event, and now that the pressure is off, they’re gone.
The lack of entertainment has caused me to start writing. I really enjoy creative writing for my blog and telling stories. This one may cause you to look back and reflect, as I am doing right now.
I’ve recently been plagued by some skeletal and nerve issues. Initially diagnosed and treated for sciatica, I still am hobbling around like Grampa Amos on the Real McCoy’s. The physical problems I am dealing with now have their roots in West Pittston, PA, January 1996.
Lea Ann and I had been married 6 months and were living in a half double block home that was only one block from the Susquehanna river. It was a nice place with very little insulation, high heating bills, and a gorgeous set of stairs to the second floor that was the stage for photo’s of Lea Ann and her bridal party on the day of our wedding.
During the latter part of the first week in January 1996, we had a 30-inch snowfall that took us 2 days to clear and pile. There were huge piles of snow everywhere. The Nor-Easter had dropped copious amounts of snow all the way up the east coast into New York and New England.
It was probably around the 12th of January, (Lea Ann’s birthday) that we had an early spring thaw, and the temperatures rose into to 50’s, and then, a front passed through causing it to rain. It rained heavily and the snow melted from upstate New York and everywhere else in between. The river swelled and rose toward flood stage. We were in harm's way if the river rose to 32 feet. It had done so many times in the past when we lived elsewhere and it now looked like it would do it again. Towns downriver of us were protected by a levy, and even the folks in those towns were being told to evacuate. We were about to lose are things in a flood.
Lea and I started to empty the basement of everything we had put there. It didn’t take long for us to realize that we needed to empty the first-floor stuff to the second floor, and up that gorgeous staircase. I called my friend Vince Shea for help. Thinking back, I’ll bet it was 10 pm when I made that call. Vince came to our house and helped me hump all of our furniture to the second floor into the wee hours. All except one piece. We had a green and white striped sofa that opened up to be a very unconformable queen size bed, it weighed a ton. Vince and I were able to get it onto the staircase but not very far up at all. While Vince was lifting and pulling it from atop the staircase I was lifting and pushing it from the bottom, like one of those guys from the worlds strongest man competition. With one last oomph, we had it to the fourth step, as I felt a little twinge in my right knee.
The Susquehanna rose, and stopped on our front sidewalk, it didn’t get into the house. We had dodged the bullet, in a matter of speaking. It took a while to get ourselves back to normal. I’m sure Vince came back to help us retrieve our furniture from the steps and the second floor. No one person could have done what we did. I’ll never forget how Vince helped us at a time when we were helpless. There’s only one Vince Shea, and we are so glad he is among our friends.
My right knee caused problems with my back about 6 years ago. I do not remember what I was doing, but I felt a twinge in my back that started it all. Although I do not know the correct terminology, I can tell you that my right leg is not straight. Below my knee, my right leg is bent out to the right.
This summer Lea Ann and I went on an extended vacation in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. We chose that northern location mostly so we could get out of Florida’s oppressive summer heat and humidity for a while.
The residence for our month long vacation was a rental property perched atop a cliff overlooking Lake Seneca and the town of Watkins Glen, NY. A great location to isolate yourself from the day to day, and relax. We were also centrally located and thus we were able to venture out in all directions exploring all there was to see. The weather was incredible, we visited so many quaint towns, wineries, distilleries, the Corning glass museum, the Park Avenue Festival in Rochester, NY and a few casinos.
We visited with family and friends and even made new friends as we were able to attend a party in the lower tier of NY, held at the home of a couple who also reside in Spruce Creek Preserve, the community where we now live permanently. (Thanks for the invite Diane). We were also able to visit with our first cousins Liz Singer, and John Loftus and their families. John, Amy and their family were vacationing in from Japan.
After being in our cliff top retreat for a couple of weeks, we decided to tidy up a bit. LA ran the sweeper, and I used the Swifter. While reaching behind a sofa with the swiffer I felt that all to familiar twinge in my back. Within minutes I was hobbling in pain, in the leg, butt, and knee. Thank God for Aleve!
On our way back home, we stopped in Santee, SC, and saw the total Eclipse of the Sun. I had to include this event in my story because it was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen. Second only to seeing Lea Ann at the back of St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Pittston, on July 15, 1995.
Once home, (August 25th) I made an appointment with the doctor and was diagnosed with sciatica. I was treated, and the excruciating pain was gone, but I was still couldn’t walk more than 50 feet without pain. (As a follow-up, I’ll be going to PT later this week, and I am sure my condition will be resolved.)
Then, a day or two before Labor Day we all started hearing about a tropical depression headed west from Africa that might impact the US mainland. Irma. I’ll spare you of any recap of the next 8 days.
As the storm was predicted to run through central Florida, we decided to evacuate our house. Our house, made of wood would likely have heavy damage if exposed to the foretasted 120+ mph winds. My brother and sister in law that live not too far from us, and live in a house made from concrete. (Think three little pigs and the big bad wolf)
Hobbled by my back and knee, Lea Ann took on the task of packing us up, and packing the car. I never felt so useless in my life. She did an amazing job. Lea Ann came into the living room and started taking framed photographs from the tables and bookcase. Saving our memories, irreplaceable photos, and mementos. Like the photo of our wedding party. She wasn’t looking to save our things.
With age comes wisdom.
Irma left us with a pile of medium to small size pieces of oak tree in our back yard, and a leaky window to fix or replace. We dodged a bullet.
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