Have you hugged a tree lately?
October 31, 2005
John has. Heh.
Yesterday was a blast, despite the fact that I had no energy, felt like ass, and was half-delirious.
But I still managed to eek out a lap at Hooper.
And now, I will impart to you my off-road wisdom:
There is no shame in falling, nor is there shame in walking your bike.
If you hit a tree, laugh, because it’s fucking funny.
John liked my wording of the last one, both before and after kissing bark.
Voodoo, Redux.
October 30, 2005
My journey began yesterday morning, at a friend’s house for breakfast and mimosa’s to prep for voodoofest.
It was at this point when I would all the food of that day. Some cooked potatoes, a banana, and a bicuit.
While this is usually a bad move, somehow it wasn’t.
So, we head out there, and start on our $4 Miller Lights. Ugh.
After an hour or two of lounging in the sun with beer, Kat shows up.
We split from the group, and run into Bailey (from Happy Talk, Morning 40, etc.) who gives Kat an artist pass. Sweet.
We make a beeline for the VIP tent, where they have real booze.
Jack and Coke ensues. Alot.
So, we head to the WWOZ stage for the Morning 40 Federation.
We see Hayley sitting on the ground, being interviewed.
Naturally, we jump on her. Remember the mess that the three of us got into for the 2005 Shot Olympics? Yeah, we’re fun drunks.
These guys were doing some sort of documentary on Katrina and people and whatnot.
After getting about 20 minutes of stellar drunken footage (and me spilling J&C in Hayley’s eye), he decides that he’s gotten enough footage, and thanks us profusely for it.
And then there was Morning 40. It has been too long. They rocked. They even played One in the Bottle. :)
So, more drinking. Watched NIN. Pretty good.
But let me tell you. The artist that really, truly rocked it was Kermit Ruffins.
He is _the_ man.
Anyways, back to the quarter, more drinks at Molly’s, where a friend of the group was also shooting a documentary thing.
Just what the world needs. More drunken video footage of yours truly.
And now? Spaghetti for breakfast, and offroad biking in the BR.
This Extended Weekend’s Setlist.
October 28, 2005
Tonight:
Party at a member of the Dumaine Street Posse™‘s house. Always fun, those two are.
Saturday:
Free tickets to VoodooFest with friends. Must see: Morning 40 Federation, Rebirth Brass Band. Maybe Queens of the Stone Age and NIN.
That night? Who knows.
Sunday:
Off-road biking with my boys. Hooper Road, bitches.
That night? Who knows.
Monday:
Playing hookie? Me thinks so.
That night? It’s Halloween. Anything is fair game.
Tuesday:
Recovery.
… And All The World Is Green
October 26, 2005
Im trying to come up with an summary of the past three weeks, but words fail me.
I’ll try though.
If you were to take a tour of the city, only paying attention to the physical state of the city, depression would come easily.
The buildings and whole neighborhoods that need to be razed is unparalleled.
But, as the two historic fires in the French Quarter have shown us, it is the people that make the city.
And let me tell you, the people have been great.
Yes, I am partially referring to the relief workers/volunteers/military, but more than that.
I’m really talking about the residents who are slowly filtering back in.
Everyone, regardless of the state of their homes, are glad to be back.
I have given and recieved hugs from people I merely recognize, bought drinks for friends and strangers, and just reveled in the high spirits.
I have trouble staying in my apartment, because I just want to be back amongst my people where it just feels so right.
We’re not broken; just limping, happy to be walking.
Understand, I am in no way condemning those that won’t/can’t yet return. I’m just saying you are missing out.
New Orleans:
Proud to Call It/Crawl/Float/Swim Just be Home.
I’ll steal your pop-tarts like I stole your socks.
October 24, 2005
Step up sucker, understand? Don’t you know, I’m the man!
So it’s official. On Thursday, October 20th, I became The Man™.
Since we have a limited staff here in our New Orleans office, it was decided that I should be added to the list of those who can co-sign checks, so that our Claims department can, you know, work.
So on Thursday, I actually signed about $75,000 worth of claims checks for companies/individuals whose boats were damaged due to Katrina.
Yeah. I’m part of The System™.
Whatever. I got people money who need it to get their business up and running.
There are benefits to being The Man™, like helping people.
I can deal with that.
*edit 4:35pm*
I just signed another ~$45k in checks. I like this game.
Literature: The New Crack!
October 20, 2005
Hi, my name is Will, and I, uh, *looks down* I liked the Harry Potter books.
All of them.
Don’t get me wrong, I always highly respected J.K. Rowling and what she did; she got millions upon millions of children excited and eager to read.
I really don’t think that I have a higher pedestal to put her on. What she has done is nothing short of amazing.
I’ve always been a reader. Not so much of a good writer, but a voracious reader. Started early, and always loved it.
In 8th grade, when all my classmates were groaning about reading 20 pages that night for english class, I was putting down ~1000 page novels in a week, in addition to my workload.
Granted, I do insert the work “fuck” and other niceties into nearly every third word if I speak aloud, but I like to write that off as, uh, colloquialisms, bitch.
Anyway, I have found that there are numerous distinct advantages to being a young reader: spelling, vocabulary, grammar, etc…
Er, got a little side-tracked. Kinda.
Anyways, I never read thses books because in my opinion, they are children’s books and well below my reading level.
Well, I found this assumption to be pleasantly true. Yes they’re easy reads, but it’s as though she is tricking the kids into learning.
Because this is a fictional land of magic, she has free roam of the English language, and its parent, Latin.
With a spell like Lumos, you and I already have a good idea of what this does.
Through reading this spell, and seeing it’s consequeces, the kids recognize the Latin base of this word, they can now recognize words like Illuminate and Luminous and understand that they have to do with light.
These books are almost like a fun SAT English Prep Course.
And, as you progress through the series, not only do the books get thicker, the plots become a more intricate, and the characters mature.
And since it seems as though she has put one out a year, and the each book spans one schoolyear at the magic school, the kids reading these books have also aged a year. Helps them to identify.
Each year, there are a boatload of nervous new kids. Our main characters and now flustering, angsty teenagers, and she catches the mix of emotions quite well. She’s almost writing in realtime.
Anyways, all benefits aside, I found the books enjoyable, quick reads.
And I find that I have learned something from these books too: You’re never to old to enjoy “children’s books”.
White Powder Goodness.
October 19, 2005
( Comic mercilessly ganked from Writhe and Shine )
Every day, I see more familiar faces.
Every day, more businesses re-open.
Naturally, my trip today to the newly re-opened Cafe du Monde did not yield these same results.
Why, you ask?
How is it that a person, wearing black jeans and a black button-down longsleeve shirt escape unpowdered?
The answer is simple: skill.
My dad, sister, and I went to Cafe du Monde every Sunday morning for innumerable years.
If I could get the technique down as a barely-awake child, I can handle it now.
Click, Click, Boom.
October 18, 2005
Want to kill me easily? Put a mini-claymore in my mouse.
The slightly less easy way? Make me fall for a girl.
Ah, the wanton click of a mouse.
Connections made, connections rended.
Wrought? Rent? Eh, I’m not not sure what the proper word is.
Either way, it’s temporary (in reality, a year and a half? more? i forget; seems shorter if you count the gaps of “connectivity”), but it she sticks with you.
Bah Humbug.
Anyways, I have better things to occupy my mind with than fickle women:
- Work
- Rebuilding my precious, precious town.
- Welcoming friends home, new and old
Perhaps, I have had too much to drink.
Perhaps, I am overworked and too tired.
As the 80th Birthday of my grandmother/family reunion motto goes:
“In Vino Veritas”
Bah Humbug.
I am generally unhappy, but yet, I am overjoyed at being home.
And while I would like to pin the unhappiness on a girl from Birmingham, I cannot.
The blame/weakness ultimately resides with my own self.
Rebuilding Through Commerce
October 16, 2005
Some may view this post as a collections of “plugs”, but it’s not.
Just bear with me.
Before I left, I had loaned my $60 Kryptonite lock to Kelly.
Well, the lock did not evacuate, but instead drowned with all of her posessions.
Kelly contacted me to ask what model of lock I had so she could claim it on her insurance.
When she asked if I would rather take the money or have her pick up a lock in Memphis and bring it down, I replied that I would rather the money.
No, it won’t be spent on beer. Not even food.
It will be spent at (the now open) Bicycle Michael’s on a new lock.
See, donations help us rebuild. But it’s not just that. It’s spending money in the community.
My car, General Zod™ is in need of a/c work. It’s pricey.
Rather than get it done while in Houston, I opted to wait until I got home, so that I may help a shop get back on their feet by sending my car to them.
That’s my position. Makes sense, no?
So now, here are my “plugs”:
SighCo Graphics – displaced friends of mine from the Quarter. The purchase of this shirt helps them get back and going, and they donate $10 per shirt to Tipitina’s New Orleans Artist Relief Fund and the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Fund.
Abita Brewing Company – our “local” brewery, has created a special Fleur-de-Lis Restoration Ale, a tasty brew where $1 from every six pack is donated to the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Fund.
New Orleans Hospitality Workers Disaster Relief Fund – I’m not sure how, but I know my sister and her company are involved in this one. It is a fund to benefit employees of the hospitality industry of the Greater New Orleans area who have experienced hardships because of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. To apply for a grant, call 713-533-4591.
The Dumaine Street Treatments: Act Two
October 14, 2005
All is good. Just paid rent for this month.
No evictions, at least not yet. ;)
I wasn’t angry by the fact that I was getting evicted. It was the timing, the principle that got me.
The building was sold about 4 or so months back (not sure exactly how long), so I was more or less waiting for my notice.
Timing is key, people.
I know that I may very well get evicted in the next couple of months.
I like this place alot, but I’m okay with an eviction for renovation purposes. I just want time to get everything in order.
Besides, I want a dog.