The Walk for Hunger was today! I was ridiculously excited to participate because I've wanted to since we moved here, but the timing hasn't worked (well, last year I was a hundred years pregnant). Steve and Grace joined my team for about half the Walk. It was a blast! Also very hot. Good people to walk with and a vital cause. Thank you to so many of you who contributed - our team raised over $1,200 to fight hunger. I believe all walkers together last year raised over $3 million. Awesome! Thanks again!
The backdrop of this amazing event was the fact that Greater Boston does not have potable water. Yesterday a water main broke so now the entire area is under a "boil water order" (on back up water that isn't safe to drink). This means boiling water before cooking/drinking. That part is actually not so bad - it doesn't taste great, but it's doable. At least we have running water. We can bathe (well, Grace has to have sponge baths) and the toilets work, but the challenge is doing dishes! Our dishwasher doesn't have a sanitize cycle so we have to rinse everything in a boiled water/bleach solution after washing. Sounds easier than it is - I've spent a lot of time juggling pots around, keeping enough water boiled, trying to find a pot big enough to dunk the clean dishes, etc. And it was 84 degrees out at 6pm.
So anyway, the boiling water thing is challenging, but it also makes me appreciate what it means to have safe running water. It's inconvenient to boil water, but I can turn on the tap to get the water. And it's a little scary to have unsafe water and need to take precautions, especially to keep Grace from ingesting any (sponge baths). However, millions (billions?) of people live without clean or running water and routinely face these challenges and dangers. We are so blessed. Walking for hunger juxtaposed against not having potable water certainly helps balance one's perspective and to realize how reliant we are on modern infrastructure.
In other news:
- 3AM fire alarm+sick baby+12 flights of stairs+fireman saying you can go back in as soon as we get outside = not cool.
- Grace has another fever (pre-water boil issue, so not caused by it but also not helped).
- We have a place to live in San Francisco!
It has been a good but exhausting weekend.
Way to sneak that important detail in to the very end of your post! Where where where!! Your family over here is very excited to hear the details!
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