Sunday Morning Coming Down

Hurricane Andrew is in my rearview mirror, but I remember businesses closing for good in the South Dade Area and large areas where people once lived having many destroyed homes and few residents. I also remember tent cities that lasted for months. I remember FEMA cars, blue roofs, MREs. Traffic signals were down, and I remember vividly trying to direct traffic on US1 and Red Road. It was both an epic failure and a major life lesson.  I was woefully unprepared and undertrained and was thrilled when the Florida Highway Patrol relieved me and said they would need two experienced traffic officers to direct traffic.  I wasn't even given a whistle or any indication I might be held responsible if there were to be a crash at the intersection. (I'm relieved no one ran me over). I retreated to my apartment which was really warm. The cooler still had ice and a couple of silver bullets left from a sweaty night.  Having replaced some fluids, I called the traffic and transportation fol...

  I was asked to wait after I had my latest set of flu shots. I made an appointment and was seen in a timely manner and then it went downhill.  A guy who I recognized came in from begging on the corner of 80th and US 1. He proceeded to make a cell phone call to complain about not being able to buy ice or water with some benefit from a Medicare Advantage Program.  The poor recipient of his complaint had the company blamed and then she was blamed for being from the Philippines and unable to approve his purchase and the guy got louder. I wanted to yank his phone from him and tell her the ice was necessary to keep his insulin cold and that he at times bought water because he was homeless and lived out of his car.  My time out to make sure there were no side effect from the shot was almost over and I left without intervening.  I'm not sure if any intervention might have worked, short of buying him ice but that is for another day.  10/12/2022, saw ...