Happy birthday, BackInTex!

[Vandal]

[earendel]

Happy birthday!

[elwoodblues]

Happy birthday!

[Noah's Ark]

Happy birthday!

[silverscreenselect]

An umbrella and a pair of galoshes might have been a more apropos gift, but Happy Birthday anyway.

[flockofseagulls104]

Happy Birthday, BiT. Stay safe.

[tlynn78]

May your day be both safe and dry, in addition to happy!
("Dry" in the literal sense; feel free to enjoy liquid libations)

[lilclyde54]

Happy Birthday BiT. Hope you are on dry land as you celebrate.

[T_Bone0806]

Hoping you and yours are safe and sound, and that you are enjoying your birthday to spite that asshat Harvey.

[Beebs52]

Hope you didn't get a canoe or anything...

[Bob78164]

Happy birthday! --Bob

[BackInTex]

Thanks all.

I had a good day. Not necessarily how I'd plan a birthday, but I spent most of the day helping neighbors who got flooded tear out their floors. Today I'm going back to cut and tear out sheet rock. Its nice to be needed and useful.

Starting with the 3rd house down from me and continuing around the block there were about 10 homes flooded near me. They got anywhere from 4 to 14 inches in their homes. Not devastating but its like being pregnant, you are or your aren't.

In the morning, my wife, son, m-i-l, and I left to go check on the m-i-l's homes (she has two). Both were find, thankfully. We got back and the our street was busy with volunteers on 9 of those 10 houses. The one closest to me belongs to Butch and Laura. They moved in less than a year ago. I just met Butch the day of the flood. His wife Laura was not at the house that day because she is on dialysis twice a week waiting for a new kidneys and had been evacuated by friends.

As I was walking over to the house my wife was at I saw Laura standing in her house and I asked if she had anyone in there helping and she said "no". I said "Let me get some you some help." She was hesitant and said Butch had to go to work (he works for an insurance company) and would be back later, and sort of indicated "but thanks anyway". I saw another neighbor Jeff and his wife Brenda (not flooded) who were walking back from the other houses and asked Jeff if he could help me start on Butch's house. Laura was a little taken back but said "O.K.". I spoke with another neighbor Terri, who got 14 inches, and told her to tell my wife I was at Butch's house because they had no one working there and she said she'd get them on the list for the church who sent about 30 folks to our section. Within the hour we had about 10 folks (adults and teenagers) moving furniture an tearing out flooring.

Butch called Laura to check on her and she told him about the people working in his house. She told him that "Brad would not take no for an answer". Butch go home around 4:00 and was taken aback by the activity in his house. He is originally from New York and was hesitant to ask for help, too proud, to uncomfortable, whatever. He kept saying, he was going to get it done, but I kept telling him how urgent it was to get all the wetness out to start the drying process and he could not do it alone. He was appreciative and accepting of the help. When I finally left Laura came and gave me a great big hug, crying, thanking me for pushing the issue.

Going back in a few minutes to continue the cleanup. Its a good feeling. Most of these folks did not have flood insurance. We are all above the 500 year flood plain.

I staked the high water mark yesterday morning and pulled a level line from to top of my foundation. 8 inches.