2018 Life Logs, Day 44—Update from Puerto Rico
Date: Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Weather: Sunny and Cold; High 32, Low 27 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA
I emailed Justin yesterday asking him about how things are going in their part of Puerto Rico. They were still without power the end of December when the solar was installed, but I hadn’t really heard any details since then. But this morning I got a long response to my questions from yesterday. Basically, due to their amazing resilience and the support given to them by family and friends, they are doing great. They had electricity restored for a few days in early December, but then it went away. About a week and half ago at their house, it returned again. So, they can now use electricity from the grid to supplement the solar. But the grid continues to go down, so they are very thankful that they have the solar. They have had running water since November, but it comes and goes as well. They hope to install a rain water catchment and solar hot water system on the roof when they can afford it. They still do not have internet and have no idea when it will return, so they are hoping to have satellite installed soon. Justin continues to be able to work, either by driving to and from Mayaguez every day, which takes at least 45 minutes each way, or working in local cafes where it is harder for him to focus on this work but he doesn’t have to face the commute. One way or another, he is able to work. After Maria, Ziggy and Coco never returned to school and Jo has been homeschooling them. For now, the kids don’t want to go back to school and Justin says Jo finally has a good rhythm with them. They just got official non-profit status and they have put up a website where you can read about what they are doing. Just go to http://fincamaravilla.com to check it out. When you go to that site there are pictures at the top. If you keep clicking on ‘Load More’ you will go through all of the photos highlighting life since Maria. Absolutely amazing.
My day was consumed with more technical issues. I went to Tai Ji this morning and to the gym late this afternoon, but in between, I dealt with continued computer issues, and now cell phone problems. I called Comcast tonight and had my internet upgraded to the fastest they have. If that doesn’t solve my issues, which I don’t think it will, I’ll have to go to plan B. Not at all sure what that is, but I’ll figure it out. In between dealing with technical issues, I shop for food, cook, and watch the Olympics. Life is good.
