Look for the Good (Surviving Kearney Flood 2019)

We should always look for the good in everything.

Chloe, age 9

Sometimes the best advice comes from the least expected source.  I discovered that last week during one of the most bizarre adventures I have ever experienced.  What began as a highly-anticipated Nebraska road trip to visit family ended up being a Mother Nature freak show.

a hotel across the street

The drive across Nebraska was a bit shaky in the first place with heavy rains, torrential at times, ushering us into Kearney.  It seemed to have all passed, though, when we checked into Hampton Inn Kearney.  My sister Peg and niece Micki and her family soon joined us, and we enjoyed a fun evening watching the kids swim in the hotel pool and eating pizza and playing board games in the lobby.  It started raining again, but we all just thought it was a typical summer storm.  If only we could have seen the rains as the omens they were.  Instead, we, and the entire city of Kearney, ignored the flood warning alert that blasted on our cell phones.  We went on with our visit, drinking a little wine or tea and enjoying the silliness of the kids. Micki and Tyler decided they would drive home to Elm Creek, twenty miles away (they made it home safely with no sign of a flood).  Peg stayed with us at the hotel.  We watched a little news (no mention of anything weather related) and called it a night.

The storm returned with a vengeance during the night.  The lightening and thunder were scary--I had trouble sleeping.  I almost called the front desk to see if there were any warnings, but I figured a siren would go off.  I had no idea how hard it was raining out there. Who would have guessed when the morning dawned with blue skies and sunshine.

With the sun shining brightly, Peg left for work the next morning at 7:00.  Mom and I planned to have a leisurely morning before heading to Elm Creek for the day.  We turned on the news and heard there had been some flooding in Kearney, particularly by the high school.  I texted Peg to see if she encountered any on her way to work. She didn't.  Micki also didn't see any signs of flooding in the Elm Creek area.  So we took our time, enjoying coffee and breakfast and the newspaper.  I looked out the window before we headed out, and to my complete shock and horror saw this.

And then five minutes later--

Girl, you ain't seen nothing yet--a few minutes later--

complete with a little sass to my mom (sorry!) and an s word

Yikes!

We decided we better kick it in gear.  Peg texted and said she would meet us at the hotel and help us. It took ten minutes to gather what we needed.  Leaving the rest on the beds or chairs (just in case), we headed toward the lobby and the exit to my car.  That is as far as we got.  Hotel staff stopped us and told us to stay in the lobby--no one was allowed to leave or enter.  Peg texted saying she couldn't get to us, the streets were flooded.

And then

At this point I thought maybe I should ask about getting our room changed to a second floor, just in case.  I asked the desk agent if that could happen.  She politely said she would check later, but at that moment she had been instructed to have everyone move to the second floor hallway.  I looked to the main entrance and understood why!

As we headed up to what would be our home for the next few hours, not one of us thought about evacuation.  We all (about one hundred) thought we were riding the storm out on higher, drier grounds.  We were all joking and trading names and backgrounds and just waiting for the all clear.  Instead, we soon were informed that the police were on the way to begin the evacuation process.  My heart sank as I'm sure did all those other hearts around me.  

Hotel management arrived with water and clear, calm instructions.  They told us exactly what would happen.  Members from the police and fire departments, state patrol, City of Kearney, and the Red Cross would arrive and assist us to buses waiting as close as possible to the exit.  There would be a small area of knee-high water before the bus, but crews would be there to assist.  There were five or six other hotels that would go before us.  And so the wait began.

At my end of the hallway, we formed a close little group as we chatted about our homes and families.  Everyone was so helpful, making sure Mom had a chair and water.  I was a little unnerved--I worried about Mom and stressed about my car.  When we left the lobby, I could see that there was some water around it.  I knew the water was still rising, and I had no idea how much had accumulated by that time.  Margie, a new friend, was worried about her car as well and offered to go to a window and take a picture of the parking lot.  This is what we saw--

I couldn't really tell if the water was up to the doors.  I felt a little better knowing at least it wasn't completely covered.  A little.

In addition to Margie and her husband Dan, we bonded with Ann who was supposed to catch a flight to Denver at 4, Bill and Deb from Wyoming, Travis and Jill from Wisconsin.  And Chloe.  Sweet, beautiful Chloe.  We all fell in love with nine-year-old Chloe from Denver.  She entertained us with jokes and stories and dreams and wishes.  She gravitated from not a care in the world to being almost in tears, worried that she would get separated from her parents.  We did our best to assure her that would never happen.  Just when I was close to tears myself, Chloe proclaimed that "we all should look for the good in everything."  Her words quickly became my mantra for the rest of the trip. I wanted to take her with me.  We all need a Chloe in our lives! (I'm so sad I didn't get a picture of her--my mind was in survival mode, not selfie mode.)

I began to stress a bit about how I would get down to the ground level.  I can't do two stairs let alone a flight of stairs.  I didn't once think I would be left on my own, but nevertheless, not knowing was worrying me.  At about that time, things began to happen fast. A police officer appeared and had everyone line up as he explained the evacuation process.  He came over to me and calmly and kindly walked me through the plan to help me and two others in wheelchairs.  They would carry me down to either an airboat or a loader (oh dear Lord!) and someone would be with me all the way.  I did tear up then--the reality hit me.  I grabbed Mom's hand and said we couldn't be separated (there's a little bit of Chloe in me!).  We weren't.

It was go time.  After those who didn't need assistance were down, firemen came for Mom and me.  Before I even had time to think, one had swooped me up, and we were headed down.  Mom was right behind, escorted by another fireman.

My relief at reaching ground level was quickly replaced with horror.  We were in about two feet of gross water.  We had to make it about fifteen feet to the loader (I so wanted the airboat!) I had no idea what a loader was.  Although not ours, the picture below is almost identical to our chariot.

Two firemen assisted Mom, holding each of her arms, as they helped her in.  My hero firemen carried me all the way and rode with us as we headed three or four blocks for dry land.  

Rescued

   

Thanking our hero firemen profusely, we boarded buses bound for the Salvation Army.  Waiting for us, along with hundreds of others, was Peg.  I have never been so happy to see her!

THE AFTERMATH

What seemed like an eternity in reality was just a few unbelievable hours.  It all felt like a dream.  I kept asking "Did this really just happen?"  We headed for Micki's in Elm Creek at about 1:00--a mere 3.5 hours after it all began.  

Determined not to let Mother Nature ruin this trip, we did what what we would have done had there been nothing but blue skies the entire time.  I played with Quinn and her dolls and kitten, played Sequence with Ethan and Drake (and lost), lounged on the patio, watched the kids jump on the tramp, made s'mores, watched the kids chase fireflies--exactly what we came for.  

At one point Tyler asked me, "How much better would you sleep tonight if you knew your car was okay?"  Because of course that was in the back of my mind the whole time.  I just didn't know.  I saw it briefly out of the corner of my eye when we got on the loader--water was definitely up to the door.  Following updates on Twitter and the local news, we learned that the water was still rising throughout the day.  I had no way of knowing what was going on with my car.

The next day brought more sunshine and blue skies.  I felt confident that the water surely receded during the night, and we would be able to get to my car and assess the damage.  I was not confident that my car was okay, however.  The news footage that morning showed many cars in the surrounding lots almost completely submerged.  

Micki and Tyler offered to drive to Kearney and check out the scene.  A half hour later I got a text from Micki with this:

And this

For perspective, Tyler is 6' 3"

And dear Lord, this

They couldn't get to my car.  My heart plunged.  It just didn't look good.  How would we get home--we had already heard there were no rental cars available in the area.  Would my insurance cover flood damage? Where do I even start??  Such silly worries.  I heard sweet Chloe's words.  Look for the good.  Sheesh--I was surrounded by family.  I'm retired and didn't have to get back to work.  We were safe.  Why worry??

I thought Micki and Tyler would be heading back to Elm Creek.  Instead I got a text from Micki.  Tyler's friend had a truck and gave them a ride through the high water to the Hampton Inn parking lot.

I waited, holding my breath, for the follow up.  And . . .

My car!  On dry land!  And it started right up, water pouring out of the tailpipes.  I felt relief permeate my entire being--I could finally breathe.  The floors were soaked but there didn't seem to be any water on the seats. Micki said it smelled really bad, but I could live with that. They, of course, couldn't get it out of the flooded area, but at least we now knew what we were dealing with.

I had a much more relaxed day with the kids knowing that my car was not a total wreck.  I watched them swim and do flips off the board at Elm Creek's pool, colored and did word searches, and even took a nap.  My brother Mark came through and we visited with him. I thought surely the water would recede by that evening, and we could be on our way the next day.  

But with no updates all day about the water levels or street openings, we were in limbo.  Mark was heading back home to Lincoln in the evening and decided to try to get to the hotel on his way.  Peg went with him in case she needed to drive my car back.  No such luck--the water had not receded and the streets were still impassable for normal traffic.  

But wait--ten minutes later I got a FaceTime call from Mark.  They were by my car!  City workers were on hand to take people into the hotel area (using that wonderful loader!) Management was available at the hotels to let guests in to retrieve left behind belongings.  While Mark checked out my car, Peg went into the Hampton Inn and got the rest of our stuff.  That was one less thing to worry about.  Mark drove the car around the dry parking lot and told me it sputtered a bit but otherwise ran great.  He also mentioned the smell.  Yuck.

Mark on the loader

Peg ready for a ride

They left the car, with windows cracked to air it out, and we all felt certain that we would be able to drive it out the next day.  Surely the water would recede by the morning . . .

Day three brought the news that the hotel streets were still flooded and closed.  I just couldn't believe it.  How could there be so much water when it had been nothing but sunshine for three days?  It turned out that the area by the interstate where the hotels are is lower than most of Kearney and provided a perfect path for the overflowing Turkey Creek to drain.  Just dandy.

A thought occurred to me that morning.  While Mark and I were FaceTiming the night before, I noticed a tow truck preparing to tow the car next to mine.  Why don't I have my car towed out to the dry streets?  I have AAA with coverage for towing, and it looked like a big tow truck could get in and out of the area.  I called them to see if it was possible.  And it was--they would be there in 30 minutes!  Why hadn't I thought of that before??  Micki had to quickly get to Kearney with the keys, and then we were in business.  We had them tow it all the way to Elm Creek since that was covered in my plan.

This sight made me cry.  Happy cry--

My baby!

After a quick stop at Kelly's Sales and Service in Elm Creek for a checkup (Kelly gave us a big thumb's up, seeing no signs of water in the oil, air filter, or engine), we headed home, smelly car and all.  A thorough detail the next day removed any sign that it had been in a flood.

all better

Not once, during the entire three-day ordeal, did Mom or I feel like we weren't being taken care.  During the actual flood, we were never scared that we weren't going to make it.  We never felt abandoned or uncared for.  Everything seemed under control and organized, and for that we are so grateful.  Specifically, thank God for

Kearney Fire Department

Kearney Police Department

The City of Kearney

Nebraska State Patrol

Nebraska Red Cross

Kearney Salvation Army

The Hampton Inn Kearney Staff

Kearney Towing

Kelly's Sales and Service

With cool heads and warm hearts, these heroes selflessly ensured that my mom and me, and the 1000+ other evacuees, were safely reunited with our loved ones.

And for our fellow guests at The Hampton Inn Kearney.  For two hours or so, these complete strangers put forth their most compassionate and trusting hearts and became friends.

For my family

Peg, for braving the flood, waiting forever at the Salvation Army, going to Target to get us essentials, taking time off work to help, and just being you.

Micki and Tyler, for discovering my car on dry land, putting up with us for longer than planned, feeding us, supporting us, and for Ethan, Drake, and Quinn whose love and laughter got us through.

Mark, for coming through Elm Creek and trudging through flood waters to check everything out

Joy, Kyle, Jake, Rog, and Kerri for keeping it positive through texts and FaceTimes

The Schultz/Alldredge crew for checking in, even from Macedonia, halfway around the world, where Max wanted to see the flood

And for Chloe.  Your little nine-year-old heart and wise words touched everyone in our little bonded community.  You will never know the lasting effect you will have on so many adults, but I know I will never forget you.  Yes, Chloe, I will look for the good in everything, even the Kearney Flood of 2019.

In Hard Times, Put on Your Dancing Shoes--Bruce on Broadway

I somehow did it again.  I lucked into impossible-to-get tickets to see Bruce Springsteen, up close and personal.  (See HERE where I actually got to meet him!!)  After months and months of trying, I finally got tickets to Springsteen on Broadway at the small and intimate Walter Kerr Theatre in NYC.  If you're not sure just what Springsteen on Broadway is all about, one thing to know is that it is NOT a concert.  It's a one-man Broadway show consisting of Bruce, his guitar, and a piano on a bare stage where he shares stories from his memoir Born to Run interspersed with his music from whatever time period the story is in. It is a chance in a lifetime to see Bruce in a personal and emotional setting.  Of course I had to go!

I got my tickets in early April for a mid August show, and waiting for the day to finally arrive was almost as hard as getting the tickets in the first place.  And since I could only get two tickets, deciding who the lucky one to accompany me was equally challenging.  In the end, it worked out for my sister Peg to go.  Neither one of us had ever been to NYC, but we were both over-the-moon excited to go.  (You can read all about our 48 hours in The Big Apple here.)

Is this real???

So much has been written about Springsteen on Broadway.  You can find reviews and critiques in every major magazine and newspaper, from Forbes and The New Yorker all the way to the LA Times and The Economist.  Each writer offers a personal look into the 2.5 hour performance, often with a play-by-play account.  I won't do that here, but I highly recommend reading one like this review in Rolling Stone.

What I will do is highlight my top three moments from Springsteen on Broadway.  The entire show was mesmerizing, of course, from the moment Bruce took center stage, alone on that almost bare stage.  But these three scenes touched my soul to the core and moved me to tears like none of the others. Don't get me wrong--I had tears throughout the entire performance--just not the streaming-down-my-cheeks-about-to-sob-outloud kind.

Note:  I took notes during the show.  I know--really??  But I wanted to remember EVERYTHING!  I didn't let the note taking interfere with my complete focus on the performance, and my notes were a complete mess as a result.  I kept my eyes on the stage as I wrote, the theatre was dark with the house lights off, and I only had a black sharpie to write with.  But I was able to translate every word the next day!!!

Here, then, in chronological order, are the moments that touched my heart and broke me the most at

Springsteen on Broadway

The Big Man Joins the Band

"Tenth Avenue Freeze Out"

Messy notes and translated notes :)

About an hour into the show, after talking about growing up in New Jersey and failure and small successes in the Jersey band scene, Bruce talked about what makes a true band.  He talked a bit about the E Street Band with a big focus on Clarence.  He said  “I still carry the story the Big Man whispered in my ear and the Big Man in my heart every night when I walk onstage,” he said. “Clarence was elemental, a force of nature in my life.”  Although not my first tears of the night, this moment almost had me sobbing.  Throughout this scene, Bruce played segments of my first favorite Springsteen song, "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out"--on the piano!  It was beautiful.

Bruce's Mom

"The Wish"

The theme of relationships runs throughout Springsteen on Broadway.  Bruce shared with us many of his own, beginning with the often-times dark father-son relationship between him and his dad.  He ended that heavy scene with "I'll take you off suicide watch now" as he segued into the much brighter story of his mom, Adele Springsteen. It is his mom who provided the light during his growing up years.  She loved music, and she loved to dance, a theme that occurred  several times throughout the show.  Bruce's genuine love and adoration of his mom came through loud and clear as he shared personal stories about their relationship.  At one point he recalled her "looking down on me like the gaze of Mary," one of several references to his Catholic upbringing.  He ended this scene with "The Wish," a song he wrote for her some time back, and one that is now one of my favorite Bruce songs.

The Lord's Prayer

"Born to Run"
His Mom Again
"Dancing in the Dark"

The last two scenes of Springsteen on Broadway melded together and brought everything full circle.  After a somewhat heavy scene about the state of our political world (and without mentioning anyone or thing specifically) Bruce returned to the power of music, especially relating to his mom.  He revealed to us that she is in her 7th year of Alzheimers, at which point I swear I gasped out loud.  Whenever she's at their home, they always have music playing.  "In hard times, put on your dancing shoes," he said and then played "Dancing in the Dark."  On the piano.  Amazing.

I felt the show was nearing the end when a tree that Bruce had talked about in the beginning reappeared in the next monologue.  He talked about going back to his childhood neighborhood only to find the tree was gone.  He said, "My heart sank like a rock.  Part of me was gone, too."  He saw the Catholic church still standing majestically, though, and he became quite spiritual.  "The Catholic Church," he continued.  "Once they have you, they have you."  I totally got that, as I sat there with my Rosary bracelet on my wrist!  He began saying "The Lord's Prayer," and I found myself saying the words right along with him, making the sign of the cross when I finished.  "May God bless you and your loved ones," Bruce sincerely said and then ended that scene, and the entire show, with  "Born to Run," a perfect rocking guitar version.

Push play to see how close we were!

After the show, Peg and I had a hard time coming up with words to describe our experience.  It was almost too personal to talk about.  Even now, two months later, I struggle with words, but one thing is for sure.  I am so honored to have Bruce share his memories with me in such an intimate way.  I am forever changed.

Forever changed

42 Perfect Hours in Midtown Manhattan

New York Selfies

My sister Peg and I took a whirlwind trip to New York City in August.  Neither one of us had ever been to The Big Apple, so this was huge.  I was fortunate enough to snag tickets to Springsteen on Broadway (you can read all about that amazing experience here), and that was our main reason for making the trip.  We added an extra day, though, so we could see at least a bit of the city.  We ended up doing more than we thought possible, and we both came home loving NYC.

We purposely took a 6:30 a.m. flight out of Denver to Newark which landed around noon Eastern time.  That gave us a good half day to get our bearings and do some exploring.  We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn in Midtown Manhattan, and it turned out to be a perfect location for a short stay.  We were within walking distance of major New York attractions, and, most importantly, it was less than a block from The Walter Kerr Theatre where Bruce was performing.

Taking away 16 hours for two nights' sleep time and 5 hours for Bruce, that gave us about 21 hours for sightseeing and eating.  With that in mind, we planned out three doable blocks of time, and off we went.

BLOCK ONE--Streets of Manhattan

We decided to explore the area around our hotel and find the Walter Kerr Theatre so we would know exactly where to go for Bruce the next night.  First stop--a little bar right across the street.  The West End Bar and Grill was the perfect spot to grab a beer and a snack (delicious basket of fries!) before we officially hit the streets of Manhattan.  We studied our map, planned our route, and vowed to come back again.

Our next quest was to find the theatre.  That ended up being super easy--it was just around the corner from our hotel.  That gave us time to walk around Times Square and Broadway where we oohed and aahed over the flashy Broadway marquees and the billboards everywhere and where we craned our necks to see the tops of all the sky-high buildings surrounding us.  We did a little shopping and scoped out restaurants for dinner.

My heart did flip flops each time I saw this

BLOCK TWO--Dinner and Top of the Rock

We definitely wanted to go to the top of either the Empire Sate Building or Rockefeller Center.  My nephew strongly recommended The Rock as he thought it would be less crowded, and the view would be better.  We took his advice and purchased our tickets online for Top of the Rock for later that evening.  Before that, though, we needed to eat!

Right next to the Walter Kerr Theatre, our venue for the next night, we found an Italian restaurant, La Masseria.  What a gem it turned out to be.  Since it was a glorious evening, we asked for patio seating.  Of course we started with drinks, and from there on, everything was absolutely perfect--the atmosphere, the wait staff, the wine and champagne.  And the food.  Good Lord, the food--the absolute best Italiano I have ever had.  Peg ordered Ravioli di Angelina, homemade ravioli tossed in a light tomato sauce.  She raved about the flavors in the sauce.  I chose Tagliatelle alla Bolognese, homemade fettucini with meat sauce  Delizioso.  I would order this every single time.  Additionally, the salads were fresh and crisp and the homemade house dressing light and flavorful.  Neither one of us could finish our dinner, but we definitely enjoyed our leftovers the next morning for breakfast!  I'm a dessert person, but there was just no way we had room after this meal.  We did, however, make plans to return the next night before Springsteen on Broadway for dessert and more champagne.

Italiano at its finest

Rockefeller Center was a quick five-block walk from our restaurant.  The time stamp on our tickets was 7:00 p.m. which gave us the opportunity to see the city in daylight and evening light as well.  Of course there was a line when we got there, but much to our delight (and shock) the attendants let us go to the front!  We waited just a bit for the elevator to take us to the Top of the Rock.  The elevator ride itself was thrilling.  With a light show and super fast speed, we made it to the top (70 floors) in 42 seconds!  The views that awaited us were absolutely breathtaking.  We looked out on the New York City skyline and couldn't believe our eyes.  We could see Central Park, The Empire State Building, and even the Statue of Liberty.  We were both so happy that we made the Top of the Rock part of our short itiinerary.

Those views

BLOCK THREE--Central Park

The one spot that everyone advised us to see was Central Park.  We weren't sure we could make it work, but we studied our maps and realized it was within waking distance.  The morning of day 2, we set off (after devouring our leftover Italian!) from our hotel.  We pretty much walked straight up 8th avenue.  Along the way we saw more Broadway marquees, Times Square again, Rockefeller Plaza, which looked so different with outdoor tables and umbrellas instead of ice skaters, and Trump Tower, looking a bit on the over-the-top side. 

The west entrance to Central Park was gorgeous in itself.  Large statues lined the gateway.  We knew we wouldn't have time (or energy!) to see the entire 840 acres.  We made Strawberry Fields our first stop.  There was a sense of peace as we walked up the hill, and we both got a little teary when we saw the Imagine Circle.  I think everyone there felt John's spirit, even as we all took turns taking selfies.

Our next stop was supposed to be Shakespeare Garden, and indeed we did make it there eventually. But first we needed refreshments!  I saw some red umbrellas on one side of the walking path.  I thought it might be a beer garden, and I knew Peg would love that.  We asked to be seated on the patio.  It wasn't until a waitress brought the menus that we realized we were at Tavern on the Green!  That quickly became the joke of the trip--"Hey, let's just stop at this beer garden over here."  :)

Shakespeare Garden was delightful  It's an area in the park with a little theatre and lots of beautiful flowers in full bloom--complete with butterflies.  It really does look like an English garden.  Small plaques with Shakespeare quotes have been placed throughout the area, and to this English teacher, Shakespeare Garden is paradise.

Central Park Magic

We really could have stayed in Central Park all day, but it was time for us to head back to the hotel to get ready for Springsteen on Broadway.  On our way out, we walked by the whimsical carousel, a perfect ending to our whirlwind NYC sightseeing adventure.

Peg and I both fell in love with New York and vow to return.  One of my biggest concerns leading up to our trip was that people would be rude.  I had it in my mind that all New Yorkers are jerks.  That wasn't the case at all.  In fact, every single person we encountered was friendly, pleasant, and helpful.  From the taxi drivers who helped us with luggage and returned a forgotten item, to the hotel staff who greeted us each time we entered the building, to the waiters at our restaurants who accommodated our requests, to the staff at the Top of the Rock who made a special line for us, to the security and ushers at Springsteen on Broadway who rolled out the red carpet for us--everyone helped make our trip to the Big Apple unforgettable.  

We 💗 NY