Another day or two in the hood

I saw an animal control truck slipping quietly through the hood this morning, as I went out to get my paper so I ushered my two doggies back into the house, right quick.  I like to believe I not only acknowledge the need for law and order, but align myself right regular.  The doggies doing their business in the front yard early in the morning is actually a crime though, as they are off the leash.

The rain started right after that and didn’t let up until 8PM.  My street suffered a rare occurrence in that the drains plugged up tighter than the payout on Ron Paul’s government payroll checks.  In other words, not a drop was drained from the street into the ditch.  Note: Ron Paul is the rare politician who doesn’t accept a paycheck for his service to the country.

I reckon that dog catcher “lit a shuck” when the rain came, but danged if I didn’t see him in the middle of the downpour chasing a little cur dog four hour later and to the little dog’s credit, it got plumb away.  It was soggier than Rosie O'Donnell’s tirades and like her, had its game face on.  That little wet doggie dang near had a smug look on its face, close as I could tell and I shook my head as it ran past the casa.

I think 6 inches of rain fell on us and over the course of the day; we probably could have handled it – except it just didn’t drain.  It collected and collected.  Somewhere around noon, I cranked up my lifted Jeep and drove down through it, sending a gentle wave up and over the curbs.  I had to.  I had to drive my Jeep in the water, something my bride doesn’t understand, even after living through 2 Jeeps.  I explained to her that it was a Jeep thing and she isn’t supposed to understand.

Down a ways where it was the deepest, two boys were swimming in the middle of the street and I eased up there to talk to their momma, who was standing under a tent-like plastic umbrella of clear material.  I guess the best way to describe her shelter would be to call it a clear plastic chifforobe and very unique and effective.

As I pulled up, she unzipped it to reveal she was videoing the event and I was later told it aired on channel 13 news.  I speculated the recent work by Harris County on the ditch across the way had possibly blocked off our drainage.  She didn’t know either, but obviously was enjoying watching her kids have a free swimming hole.  It turned out it was a “plugged crossover”, whatever that is.

Somewhere around 4PM, I stepped outside in the rain and a neighbor was in front of my house watching a lifted red Jeep with a snorkel come barreling toward my end of the street.  Now being a Jeeper, I know they were enjoying themselves, but what it looked like to the neighbors was anything but entertaining.  The Jeep was sending a wave of water on both sides up across their cars and halfway up into their yards.

He waved them down and exchanged words, and then they drove off.

I drove over close to him and he told me it “was two young women and the one driving, was drunk.”  His words, not mine.  I’ve been very vocal about this drinking and driving thing and I often say that anyone who drinks and drives is a fool, period.  Maybe she was, maybe she wasn’t, but he thought she was, so in his mind what she was doing was dangerous and stupid.  It did look stupid to me too, as I had no idea if she could see for all the water she was throwing up.  I fully expected to see the Jeep run into one of the cars on the street she was burying in water.

Night fell and the water remained.  The next day a giant roto-rooter vehicle and a vacuum truck arrived and by the afternoon, the water had drained.  Of course this happened on a weekend; doesn’t it always?   Just another day or two in the hood.

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