My plan for today was to go see some flowers since we're at the very tail end of winter flower season, catch up with middle sis who returned from a few weeks abroad, and do a virtual escape room with friends in the evening.



I woke up at 6:30; read a little; fell back asleep, dreamed that sirens started, woke up at 8AM to the sound of sirens. Blearily got dressed and went down to the shared building shelter; after about ten minutes some neighbors realized that these were not 'under attack, shelter yourselves' sirens but rather 'we attacked, ours is bigger than theirs, (and stay tuned for more alerts during the day)' sirens.

Well, more alerts sure did come. Every time - go down 4 floors, sit on a dusty mattress or plastic chair small talking with or ignoring neighbors, waiting to be released; and by the time you're released and make your way back home, you get a next alert of 'launch identified; expect a real alert a few minutes from now.'

I kept waiting for a long enough break between alerts so I could grab my stuff and leave the city, and at last I took a gamble and left right when we were released from an alert; luckily, no alarms caught me on the road, and I went back to hometown, because at least at my parents' place the shelter is private.

My parents are abroad, but I spent the afternoon at my aunt's, with my sister and my cousin and her kids. It was 8 of us including the kids, and their shelter is comfy with a bed; we ended up spending a lot of time there, but it was better than Tel Aviv. Middle sis was in Tel Aviv, debating when to come, stuck in literally hours of communal building shelter time. I kept urging her to find a lull between sirens to go to her bf's, because she was suffering and he had a shelter in his apartment (rather then in the communal building). She ended up finding a gap and made her way there.

I went back to my parents' place with little sis, had a small dinner, finished Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Logged online and started the virtual escape room with friends from abroad. Went to the shelter somewhere in the middle, when a siren started here. After a bit, started seeing whatsapps from people who said they were hearing really loud booms, and then middle sis texted us that electricity just went out at her bf's, and did we have any electricity?

About five minutes later she texted us again saying that her bf's apartment was destroyed, they're okay cause they were in the shelter. A few minutes later we talked; the big boom she'd heard was a hit nearby. Emergency personnel arrived quickly and rescued them. His place and car are, apparently, totaled, and over the rest of the evening they made their way to her place (stopping in shelters on the way as alarms came).

I invited her here of course, made up her room in case they want to stay, but looks like she'll only come tomorrow.

It is so bizarre that this all happening. Just. Wtf. Really hope the night goes as chill as possible.