Hey, 2021. Laura, here. You need to settle down and get off our frozen lawns. Last year when we kept trying to be positive by telling ourselves—“Well, it could be worse!”—this was NOT a challenge nor an open offer in the slightest bit.
What a wild time it’s been for Texans…and it’s far from over.
I, like many others, learned just how many gallons of water a modern-day toilet tank needs to flush (HINT: A lot of flippin’ melted snow, that’s how much). It’s also nice to see that all my REI winter clearance impulse purchases have finally paid off. ---> Shoutout to my neighbor who was wearing a Longhorn hoodie, gym shorts, no socks and CROCS to “harvest snow” (my apartment management company’s words, not mine lol) with a pot across the street for toilet water. I see you and I am *very* worried about your decision-making abilities should there ever be a zombie apocalypse.
Now, if y’all can figure out how to power a floating donut all the way to Mars where it averages NEGATIVE 81 degrees F, then y’all can figure out how to get power for those back on earth to heat up houses and pizzas.
On a less “joke-y” note, I’m immensely grateful to have never lost power, while friends, family and too many others can’t say the same. On top of that, many homes have been flooded from busted pipes. It’s simply unreal. When the weather warms up and the headlines have all moved on, there is still a very long road ahead as people rebuild their homes and repair the immense amount of damage that has been done.
Amidst this arctic chaos, I’ve also seen supreme levels of kindness and generosity displayed. People offering boiled water, food, rides, candles, baby formula, chargers, meter tools to shut off water, manual labor to fix household emergencies, even a warm room in their homes to “strangers.” Nobody helps Texans like other Texans. That’s just fact. (Side bar: If you haven’t joined your local Buy Nothing Project group, I highly recommend you do so. Seeing all the efforts made in mine warmed my heart a lot faster than the snow on my stovetop.)
Hope everyone is staying safe, warm and sane the best they can. 💚 All I ask is…2022 we’re ALL counting on you. Don’t mess it up. 🙏🏻
