Whirlwinds
My mom, along with my aunt, uncle, and a cousin, took my grandmother and step-grandfather back down to their property in Rockport, TX for the first time since Hurricane Harvey made landfall there on Friday. It was quick trip to just get a basic assessment of the damages and get a tarp on the roof of their home to prevent further rain/water getting in. We’ll go back with more people on Saturday to start a more thorough clean-up and salvage job. From what I heard it was a tough trip seeing what Harvey wrath. Dead animals in fields. Homes and businesses destroyed. Palm trees snapped in half. So much debris. There isn’t any electricity or running water back in the town yet.
I set-up my grandmother’s FEMA claim yesterday and they’ve already started communicating and responding, so we’re hoping there will be some decent help through that. Unfortunately they don’t have any homeowner’s insurance. None. Which was quite the surprise to the rest of the family. My grandparents have been pretty well off during my lifetime. My step-grandfather had a successful house painting business and had a sizable inheritance from his father, who was a very successful real estate developer. My grandmother also received a windfall herself about 25 years ago when the family homestead and cotton farm was sold to a corporation for over a few million dollars and was split among her then still living (and numerous) siblings.
We already knew they had lost a lot of money over the years, too. During the stock market crash post-9/11. They got sucked into giving quite a bit of money to San Antonio megachurch charlatan John Hagee around the same time. And I have an Uncle and a Cousin that are both living trainwrecks that have never been able provide for themselves at any point during their adult lives.
They had bought this property nearly 20 years while still working and living in San Antonio. They put a double-wide mobile home on the property and started spending weekends there while they fixed it up and spent a lot on landscaping and outdoor entertaining/living spots. They relocated there full time about a decade ago when my step-grandfather retired and started having health problems. My grandmother continued to work as a Pre-K teacher up until last December when she had a bad fall and just could not physically work anymore.
Most of the family were there celebrating on Mother’s Day back in May. It may just end up being our last family get together there. Because if their home isn’t repairable, I don’t see how they can stay there. I know that my Aunt and Mom will be pushing them to return to the Austin area so that the rest of the family can help look after them. My step-grandfather has kidney dialysis multiple times a week, which isn’t fully covered by his Medicare & Blue Cross (don’t get me started on that). They won’t be able to rebuild while living on just their Social Security income. Even if they get FEMA assistance. We have a big family, but even then everyone chipping in as much as they can won’t be enough.
And I have a cousin on the same side of the family that lives in Houston. He and his wife and nearly 2 year-old daughter evacuated. They know their street was flooded but don’t yet know the condition of their home. Probably won’t be able to get back to check until later in the week as the flooding and threat of more rain still looms over Houston.
I wasn’t able to go with my family today to Rockport because I had another interview with a company I was previously employed with. I had to interview with the main Human Resources department. The person I interviewed with was a pro, so I couldn’t get a read on her. Just smiled and asked her questions. I have no idea how I did and no idea how much today’s interview portion will weigh toward a possible job offer. Just have to wait and keep plugging on, continuing to look elsewhere despite everything else that is going on.
I had to go rehearsal tonight, for the play I’m appearing in that opens next weekend. Thankfully I don’t have a large role in this show, but if I knew I’d be dealing with all this Harvey stuff and the layers upon layers of family drama that come with it, well I might have just decided to not do this show, or the play I am stepping into a supporting role for the last weekend of September. Too much all at once. A month ago I was bored & going out of mind. That’s what I get.
I set-up my grandmother’s FEMA claim yesterday and they’ve already started communicating and responding, so we’re hoping there will be some decent help through that. Unfortunately they don’t have any homeowner’s insurance. None. Which was quite the surprise to the rest of the family. My grandparents have been pretty well off during my lifetime. My step-grandfather had a successful house painting business and had a sizable inheritance from his father, who was a very successful real estate developer. My grandmother also received a windfall herself about 25 years ago when the family homestead and cotton farm was sold to a corporation for over a few million dollars and was split among her then still living (and numerous) siblings.
We already knew they had lost a lot of money over the years, too. During the stock market crash post-9/11. They got sucked into giving quite a bit of money to San Antonio megachurch charlatan John Hagee around the same time. And I have an Uncle and a Cousin that are both living trainwrecks that have never been able provide for themselves at any point during their adult lives.
They had bought this property nearly 20 years while still working and living in San Antonio. They put a double-wide mobile home on the property and started spending weekends there while they fixed it up and spent a lot on landscaping and outdoor entertaining/living spots. They relocated there full time about a decade ago when my step-grandfather retired and started having health problems. My grandmother continued to work as a Pre-K teacher up until last December when she had a bad fall and just could not physically work anymore.
Most of the family were there celebrating on Mother’s Day back in May. It may just end up being our last family get together there. Because if their home isn’t repairable, I don’t see how they can stay there. I know that my Aunt and Mom will be pushing them to return to the Austin area so that the rest of the family can help look after them. My step-grandfather has kidney dialysis multiple times a week, which isn’t fully covered by his Medicare & Blue Cross (don’t get me started on that). They won’t be able to rebuild while living on just their Social Security income. Even if they get FEMA assistance. We have a big family, but even then everyone chipping in as much as they can won’t be enough.
And I have a cousin on the same side of the family that lives in Houston. He and his wife and nearly 2 year-old daughter evacuated. They know their street was flooded but don’t yet know the condition of their home. Probably won’t be able to get back to check until later in the week as the flooding and threat of more rain still looms over Houston.
I wasn’t able to go with my family today to Rockport because I had another interview with a company I was previously employed with. I had to interview with the main Human Resources department. The person I interviewed with was a pro, so I couldn’t get a read on her. Just smiled and asked her questions. I have no idea how I did and no idea how much today’s interview portion will weigh toward a possible job offer. Just have to wait and keep plugging on, continuing to look elsewhere despite everything else that is going on.
I had to go rehearsal tonight, for the play I’m appearing in that opens next weekend. Thankfully I don’t have a large role in this show, but if I knew I’d be dealing with all this Harvey stuff and the layers upon layers of family drama that come with it, well I might have just decided to not do this show, or the play I am stepping into a supporting role for the last weekend of September. Too much all at once. A month ago I was bored & going out of mind. That’s what I get.
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