It turns out the car battery had died of cold, so you see my excuse to hibernate was legit, after all!  But then Eric kindly gave me a jumpstart, so for now I’m back on wheels.  I finally made it over to the Avdi’s, and got some stuff done.  It’s only right, after spending the week reorganizing my own place.  I suspect I’ll have more opportunities this winter to be “snowed-in”.

It seems E and I have something in common to bond over, as he has discovered the never-ending shit-ton of chores, most of which fell to him while I was absent.  It was an eye-opening learning experience!  I agreed a raise in his allowance might be in order!  (I do it for free.)  I guess I do earn my keep there after all, when I’m not hibernating.

Loucious greeted me like I’d been away forever!  It was quite the theatrical reunion.  He was glued to one of the new doggy balls I had sent him, so we did that a lot.  His beloved frisbee had gotten lost in a snowdrift somewhere, so that was tragic for him.  He and I are both not amused by the extreme cold; he does his stuff and then makes a meteoric beeline for the door.  Spring better be coming!

K made an excellent jambalaya, after filling the air with lung-choking red pepper, causing us all to cough to death!  Good practice for an ICE attack, I guess.  I had to eat and evacuate!  L wasn’t bothered by the pepper spray at all.

Still hibernating and getting stuff done.  I’m systematically going through each area of my apt and sorting it all out.  It’s been a while.  I’m downsizing my downsize, just to be prepared for anything.

Here’s the thing about politics: each time I think I’m starting to understand and get it right, I’m enlightened anew by much more discerning authorities on how many more layers there are.

For example, panicked white people keep referring to trump’s regime as nazis, gestapo, hitler, etc., as if the precedent comes from Europe, i.e. “foreigners”.   (Guess where most of us came from?)  The opposite is true: German nazis got a lot of their agenda from studying American white supremacy, genocides, slavery, torture, euthanasia, etc. over time, and adopting ideas and strategies to their own evil plan.

In other words, white America had been perpetrating domination and sadism against its own people and other nations for centuries before the nazi Holocaust.  Again, nothing new.  Millions of survivors/descendants have witnessed and attested to this harsh truth about us.  We can’t claim ignorance and innocence in the face of all the evidence.

No doubt I still have lots to learn, but the bottom line is, it was just a matter of time before the psychopathic outlaws in power escalated to murders of random innocent bystanders.  We’ve seen it coming, but we’ve been in denial.  Now our fine “cultural tradition” of racism and hatred toward “others” is shamelessly in our faces, like the naked orange emperor, the logical conclusion of our violent history.

It’s probably time I ventured out of hibernation.  Too much thinking and excuses.  It might even make it to freezing soon.

Wind chills to minus double digits.  I’ve been hibernating for days, which actually means I’m getting stuff done I’ve been putting off, even (the horror) mending!  Maybe some catching up on all my favorite psychokillers.  And sleeping, of course.  I haven’t starved yet, so I feel very fortunate.

I’m officially in hibernation mode.  Outside, the snow and temps will continue to fall steadily for the next couple of days.  The temps are single digit with wind chills continuing to drop into minus-double-digits through the next several days.  We may not even make it to up to freezing for a while.  I literally slept in until afternoon.  I only woke up because the bad dreams were getting old.  I’m one of the fortunate ones.

Meanwhile, in Minneapolis, in much colder conditions, ICE thugs continue to murder innocent people for no reason, and crowds of both protestors and law enforcement continue to stand against them in the freezing cold.  There is no part of this brutal military takeover of our country by this fascist regime that is sane or pardonable.  If you can sleep through this nightmare in our history, you along with these criminals deserve everything you will get.  May it come soon.

I never rest easy in arctic conditions like this, knowing unhoused people are out there freezing to death.  I myself am one of those proverbial “one paycheck away from crisis” folks.  In this case, it’s retirement safety net income, same difference.  We have no control over what this psycho gov will do.  I’m fortunate in that I have family nearby, but very aware that it would mean more hardship for them.

Even if the fall of trump gangsters comes soon, we’ve witnessed how far we’ve fallen and how hard we will need to work to even get back to where we left off, with all the irreparable damage done.  They’ve alienated our former allies, and aligned themselves with the dictators of the world.  Closer to home, they’ve shown us just how racist and white supremacist we really still are.  When push comes to shove, the worst of our nature is revealed.

None of this is new, but I just wanted to state the obvious, the only way I know to stand with the truth.  I feel complicit just hunkering down in my hibernation bunker, while the world fights for its rights and life.  In their place, I’m afraid I would cave to the fear and violence, which is of course trump’s agenda.  The perv will die soon, but all his henchman are positioning themselves to take over.  They even think they can stop the midterms and enforce a third term.  Fuck them.

In better news, without going into detail, yesterday’s mission to IL was successful!  For now, the kids can continue to get life-affirming healthcare.  That was a big relief, amid all the anxieties they have to deal with.  While they were gone, I baked challah, and made matzah balls in chicken broth, among other things.  I keep trying to resurrect leftovers  Let’s just say, the trash pandas ate well last night!

Dangerously cold wind chills below zero and a big dump of snow, is what they’re predicting.  FTS, I’ll be hibernating.  But until then, I have the car again for a week, and erev preps to make.

Meanwhile, trumpian hell is getting closer-to-home and personal.  Affirming care options are rapidly shutting down now in IL, requiring Avdi and the kids to travel farther and literally hope they make it in time.  At this rate, no state will be healthcare-friendly soon.  It’s scary for kids who are depending on it.

As for ICE, they are literally the gestapo, with no laws to stop them or protect any of us.  It was just a matter of time, and no one should be surprised, but the criminal atrocities are still beyond belief.

And now back to what remains of “normal life”, before it’s gone altogether.

What is a storm fern?!  It’s a dumb name for a winter storm!  Which is coming.  Hiber Nation says Blah.

I forget if I mentioned that I don’t plan to do indoor germination of seedlings this winter.  It’s just more practical, because I can’t always get there to do maintenance, which the others are too busy to do, and also the pantry staples have taken over the basement.

So it turns out Y is germinating some perennial flowers in the small space left!  He proudly pointed them out to me, and I’m proud, too!  It’s contagious!  We concurred that they could go around the outside of the veg garden, which is what I had been thinking myself.

I’m all ranted out for the moment, except to say, there’s a reason ICE has been sighted in STL but not so much in suburbs like WG.  Just in case, here is a copy of your rights in an encounter with ICE.  No guarantees, because rights are meaningless to mindless terrorists, but the burden of proof will be on them.

****

What to Do if You Encounter ICE in Your Community

1. Do NOT interfere. You can observe and document from a safe distance.

Credible rights guides emphasize:

– You have the right to observe and film ICE in public as long as you don’t interfere.

– Stay far enough away that agents cannot claim obstruction.

– If you’re unsure whether the people are ICE, call 911 and report suspicious activity. Describe what you see, not what you assume.

2. If YOU are stopped by ICE

These steps align with national Know‑Your‑Rights guidance:

– Stay calm. Turn off the car. Keep your hands visible. Say clearly: “I am a U.S. citizen. Am I free to go?”

If they say yes:

– Turn the car back on.

– Drive away slowly and calmly.

Passengers:

– Do not speak.

– They have no obligation to show ICE any ID.

Driver:

– You must show a driver’s license to police, not ICE.

– If ICE demands it, say:

“I will show my license to local police. Please call them.”

Never consent to a search.

Say: “I do not consent to a search.”

Repeat it calmly if needed – rights guides emphasize this exact language.

Do not fight or escalate. Compliance for safety + verbal non‑consent protects you later.

3. If ICE is in a parking lot, workplace, or public area:

– You can film from a safe distance.

– You can alert others – whether that’s a whistle, a text chain, or a community signal.

– You cannot physically intervene.

A whistle is the best choice – they’re loud & a non‑escalatory alert system.

4. Should you film with a phone or a small camera?

Many organizers recommend a separate small camera because:

– Phones can be seized or searched more easily.

– A dedicated camera keeps your phone free for calling 911 or livestreaming.

– Cameras often have better zoom, letting you stay farther away.

5. What documents should YOU carry?

Rights guides do not require U.S. citizens to carry proof of citizenship. With that said, you may choose to carry:

– Passport or passport card (strongest proof)

– REAL ID (not proof of citizenship, but accepted ID)

– Tribal ID (ICE has a history of wrongly rejecting them – filming and witnesses matter)

– Birth certificate (not ideal to carry daily, but some people keep a copy in their glove box)

You do not have to hand over any of these unless you choose to.

6. The real questions you’re asking your community to do:

– Will you film?

– Will you alert others?

– Will you stay calm and assert your rights?

– Will you prepare now instead of panicking later?

 ****

And now back to “Waggish Dogs”.  I’m carless today, so we’ll see if I get up the nerve to make the trek.  The HiberMeter is leaning toward “meh”.

In my “NonComplicity” post, I missed the point of my own post.  I sound like what I am, a clueless white person.  Someone with the privilege and luxury to stew over my inaction in my mostly white, relatively secure (for now), environment, and then go about my business.  Whereas, Black, indigenous, and immigrant people of color continue to just survive and struggle against the same persecution and violence they’ve been enduring for hundreds of years, only perhaps more escalated and in our white faces (literally) at this moment.

The layers of conditioned racism go deep.  For many whites, their protest is performative: look, I’m woke, I was there, being an “ally” for a day/week/whenever I could get away from my normal routine.  I’m not pointing fingers, because I myself am not even doing that much.  I’m just pointing out the huge gap between two realities.  The fact is, most whites have never really lived the reality of being in danger and deprivation for decades, centuries, because of color alone.  Then we have the nerve to come along and think we can make up for it by being all kumbaya and chivalrous like a white shield or something.  Then we go home feeling good, while they continue to die or get dragged away, only more so.

Again, this is just me listening to what savvy Black people are saying, and recognizing the conditioning in myself.  I have the luxury of sitting here mulling over what I could possibly do to “help”, which is a bit paternalistic (maternalistic?) in itself.  As if I, from my white privilege and suburbs, could ever really comprehend the daily reality of being of color in this country, and be forced to endure it, not just volunteer to show up sometimes.  Even my holocaust legacy is third-hand, though the generational trauma still exists to remind me how hypocritical and complacent some of us can become once the tables have turned.

That’s why, as Dr. Stacey Patton and others eloquently point out, whites couldn’t “join” the new Black Panthers, even if we wanted to.  It’s not an inclusive tea party with quaint rules of etiquette.  It’s not a performance and then we go home, unscathed.  It’s not about us!  I was around for the original Black Panther Movement, and believe me, it’s not for white yoga soccer moms.  It’s fierce, because it’s when all else fails and life under racist fascism is intolerable.  People will die.  When the BPs return, you know whites have allowed racism to go too far.  Things will now get serious.

Just the fact that some of us are just now learning how deep and engrained racism is in our own lives, says it all.  How naïve and sheltered we have been.  We’re definitely late to this “party”.  People of color are the new majority and the future of this country, as it should be.  It scares our criminal racist “bosses” to death, as it should.  May they get what they deserve.  Karma’s a bitch.

Last night I got to see the HS version of the musical “SIX”, since it was so good Avdi and others decided to see it a second time.  Mr. Schaefer does it again.  K was doing spot op, and various friends were in the cast and crew.  These kids are really super-talented.  And the background band was excellent.  The costumes were fabulous.  The audience was very engaged.  I guess we can all relate to a delusional, misogynistic king.

I spent the night so Avdi could get out.  If there was any emotional kid drama going on (seems there was), I wasn’t in on it.  I stayed up late reading a book, and may have gotten some sleep.  At one point Loucious may have been allowed up on the bed, but not all night.

It’s been seriously frigid out.  I fell on black ice going into the HS last night, but it’s just a superficial knee injury, nothing serious.  I can’t even imagine what it’s like in Minneapolis, where hundreds or more protesters are standing against ICE illegal violence in the freezing cold (and using ice to their advantage!).  Nature itself (with a little help) is fighting back.  It’s revolting when citizens have to defend themselves against a self-anointed psycho-king and his terrorists in 2026.

I’m back in my hiber-mode, thanks to still having the car.  And my new driver license in which I somehow look 10 years younger, go figure!  STL has been good to me.  I hope if the necessity arises, I’ll have the courage to help defend my family and adopted home in any way I can.

This post is going to sound self-absorbed or self-excusing, but I’m just trying to self-examine.  Please bear with me.  It’s winter, and I can’t garden.

I follow several Black thinkers and educators, and some recent posts and threads got me thinking.  In a people’s resistance and uprising against this fascist takeover, what calling or role could I possibly assume?

Some would reach for the guns, which isn’t me (though I might fantasize about it).  Some demonstrate and protest, but I wonder if that only brings down more gov scrutiny and violence, which tends to be aimed at innocent people of color and immigrants who are just trying to stay under the radar.

Some confident and extroverted people become political leaders and activists (again, not me).  Some, more informed and articulate (and less nervous) than I, make calls and write letters that I suspect get ignored by these power-hungry repug so-called reps, or go door-to-door (scary).

Some get actively involved in or support community orgs that fight injustice and help victims, which is difficult for someone (me) without consistent wheels or any money.  No doubt some people are already taking in and sheltering immigrant neighbors and other marginalized refugees of the system, if they can.

The fortunate few are just saying fuck it and moving to a saner country to ride it out or just be done with the whole apocalypse.  Or at least enabling their children to move somewhere safer.  As long as such a place remains.

It’s fair if you think I’m just making excuses for my inaction.  Complicity is the last thing I want to be accused of, considering the historical implications.  But what role am I adequately equipped to play?  If push came to shove, would I have the guts to do what needed to be done despite the risk?  Or would fear incapacitate me?

I have to believe my revulsion at trumpian evil and injustice would prevail and incite me to action.  There is no other option.  But in the meantime, what am I doing to push back against the wrongdoing and damage?

This isn’t just rhetorical, but I don’t have answers at the moment.  I’m not looking for reassurances or indulgence.  I just want to  find out how I can be of service that will actually be part of the solution and not just make things worse or do nothing.  Until then, I’ll just keep writing my thoughts; working to create a beneficial microhabitat in which nature gets to live another day and help sustain the earth, with or without us; and being open to new sources of insight and perception.

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