It was a special event. The kind you dress up for. The kind, when you’re an adult, is less frequent because you don’t have proms, dances or any of this anymore. So, when you do get to wear a little black dress, strappy black stilettos, and pearls … when you do get to carry a little black sequined purse … well, it’s something to get excited about. It was this kind of event. Fine dining and champagne followed by 3rd row seats (right beside the orchestra pit) for the Moody Blues at the Sanger in New Orleans. The concert itself was not a dress event, mind you, but boasted the class of people who would dress for such an occasion and frankly if there’s even a hint at the opportunity to dress up, I’m all over it. But, dressing up wasn’t the biggest issue. Fine dining wasn’t the big issue (though one of the fastest ways to my heart). Wanting the night to be special wasn’t the biggest issue. It was all about seeing a brilliant band playing with an orchestra in a beautiful, classic and personal setting that made it worth the anticipation.
I’m a huge concert goer, as you can plainly see from the likes of my page. More commonly I attend such shows as Aerosmith, AC/DC, Ratt, Motley Crue, ZZ Top, and the like. These types of shows are more frequent for one, and my taste is mostly based in that of rock and roll. Though I do like a very wide variety of music, but most bands that I like do not tour. Now, when I go to a good old fashioned rock show I expect good old fashioned rockers. We’re all geared up in our best concert shirts, holey jeans and biker boots. We’re ready for action. We may get caught up in a brawl or have a draft beer spilled on us … and if we’re lucky that will be the worst of what lands on us. But the Moody Blues is a very different scene. You don’t expect Lynard Skynard fans at a Moody Blues show, but if they are there … those with diverse taste like myself … you expect them to act like me, or at least I do. I expect that if someone has enough taste and intelligence to appreciate anything from Skynard to the Moody Blues then they know the very clear differences between songs like “Gimmie Three Steps” v/s “Tuesday Afternoon”. Right?!? This would mean one would behave differently at a show boasting an orchestra in a beautiful theater v/s the behavior at a stadium filled with pot smoke and stacks of speakers. But anyway…
Our group excitedly took our seats early enough to watch the orchestra practice. We could actually read the sheet music from our seats. It was so exciting. This was our usual outing. A group of 6 of us who are huge Moody Blues fans who get together and make a big night out of it each time they come. This would be our third time to see them together over a 10 year span. They don’t come often. In fact this was about 12 years ago and I think they have only come to this area again once since then. Anyway, we were all looking fancy and enjoying ourselves … anticipating the concert. Now, please don’t think I’m judgmental or a snob … but I couldn’t help but be taken aback when the couple seated behind us arrived to take their seats. They were both overweight and dressed in their best red neck rocker gear. She was wearing a lovely Lynard Skynard T-shirt with the sides cut out so that is would hang slightly loose over her barreling bounds of pale white fat rolls, and clearly revealing her black lace bra from either side of the shirt. She also boasted a tight, leather, mini-skirt with leather biker boots. Her belly peered out from under her designer t-shirt, laying gently atop the waist of her skirt. She struggled to squeeze into the theater seat probably as hard as she struggled to squeeze into that skirt. Her date was a complementary match to her as he was also rather large, wearing a matching Skynard T, jeans and a blue jean vest with the sleeves cut off leaving frayed edges and a trucker hat (before that was the in thing to wear, mind you) that boasted a rebel flag. Don’t get me wrong, their attire did not bother me nor did the fact that they were overweight. Sure, they stuck out like sore thumbs, but appearance really means nothing to me. It’s something I can look away from and not think twice about … which is exactly what I did. I looked away and went back to anticipating a great show as our group discussed previous shows and took note of the playlist that we could clearly see. As time passed, I couldn’t help but to overhear the couple behind us in their own chat about anticipation. I’m not one to eavesdrop, well … not one to eavesdrop conversations that have nothing to do with me anyway (tee hee) but I couldn’t help but hear them as they excitedly discussed their most repulsive plan. “No!” I cried in my mind “God help me, please let their plan fail miserably!” Now I know some of you crazy overly open minded people will say that I was being selfish or snobby for not wanting them to succeed … you may think I’m a prude, but seriously … I think there is a time and place for certain activities and sitting behind me at a Moody Blues concert is not the time or the place to have sex, which is exxxxxxxxxxactly what they were planning. Oh how my stomach churned at the very thought of this unfolding. You see, apparently, “Knight’s in White Satin” was a meaningful song to this couple and the whole purpose of them attending this concert was not to enjoy a beautiful musical event, but to make sweet love when the band preformed “Knights in White Satin.” They were not Moody Blues fans, they were just a couple with a plan to do something outrageous because it had a certain value to them and that was it! Period! Our group began to cringe as we all couldn’t help but hear their plan unfold in dirty, disgusting detail. We all grumbled softly to each other, hoping they would change their minds about their public display of love during such a respectable event.
Of course, the show began without a hitch. Fantastic as always, with the crowd in awe. Our group was enthusiastically enjoying themselves, and whispering only a few comments here and there about how great the performance was. Then, it happened … a song I once loved began to play. I heard the couple shuffling into action behind us and cut my eyes to my buddy, Walt, seated beside me. He shook his head and glanced at the floor. As much as I struggled to continue to enjoy the performance, the sound of blubbering, sweaty fat smacking together with God awful moaning and groaning bellowed from behind … and an occasional thrust against the back of my seat throwing me forward. It was unbearable. Seriously unbearable! I don’t like the sound of anyone having sex …. Except, of course, myself! I don’t like it even more when I am at an event that I’ve paid quite a bit of money to enjoy … an event that I paid to listen to and enjoy … an event that I want to remember for being beautiful, not awful. But it happened, none the less, and scarred me for life. To this day, unfortunately, I can not hear “Knights in White Satin” without envisioning this hideous duo getting it on. So, as a Moody Blues fan, people are often surprised when I say I don’t like “Knights in White Satin”. “What?!?! How could you not like their biggest hit?!?!?!” They ask in shock. Then I have to explain the painful story of when good times, like this, go bad … many laugh at my torrid tale, but if it were you who had to hear, smell and be consistently thrust forward in your seat by this revolting sexual act during such a beautiful song you too would no longer like the song. (Trust me, the only thing worse than the sound of others having sex is the smell of others having sex!!)
Now I thought I would give you all a chuckle, and I know I’ve needed one because the news has been rather tragic lately where I live. A topic I have chosen to avoid at this time here; the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. If you have interest in this topic, you can read what I have written here: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=48953274&blogId=533668062
But, in the meantime, I thought we’d have a little fun … so, Have you ever had a bad concert experience like this? I’ve been stepped on, puked on and such, but none of that really scared me quite like this. Have you ever done anything like this? I’ve never had sex at a concert, maybe because I’m too consumed with the concert to be distracted by something as silly as sex. Lol. Have you ever been trapped in a situation where someone funky was having funky sex near you? Thank God this is the only time I’ve been in such a situation. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my painful recollection of this life changing experience … LOL
And for those who don’t know the song, here you go…
On August 1, 1981 Music Television (cable network) launched with John Lack’s announcement “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll” followed by the famous theme song (a hard rockin’ guitar riff by Jonathan Elias and John Peterson) and equally famous scene of the Apollo 11</a> moon landing boasting astronaut (Neil Armstrong) pushing an American flag into the moon below his feet, of course for the hip theme it was an MTV flag.
It was the beginning of a new era in music. VJ’s (video jockeys) were the answer to radio’s DJ’s (disc jockeys). Five young, unique, fresh faces were hired to fill these shoes. A different world than what the radio generation was used to. The original VJ’s were; Martha Quinn – your cute and spunky punk rock girl, Alan Hunter – the clean cut, hip blonde male, Mark Goodman – a hunky, suave, dark haired male, with the hot rockin’ blonde Nina Blackwood and J.J. Jackson, the most experienced member of the group, always smiling and probably the most talented host.
The original format offered something new and different to music fans, the music video. A music video is basically a short film created to accompany a song mainly for the purpose of marketing. Although music videos were actually in existence prior to the debut of MTV, they were far and few between. Prior to MTV, these videos were considered promotional videos that artists used to generate interest among producers, record companies and on rare occasions to promote new records to fans. These promotional videos somewhat paled in comparison to what followed after the birth of MTV and were rarely shown on television. Videos on MTV required much more than a simple live act, they needed to be a short film that would cultivate more interest among fans. For this, a wide range of styles in filming technique had to be exercised including animation, live action film, and basically storytelling within abstract films. This heightened the competition in the music industry because not only did your music have to sell itself, but you’d best have a good video to back it up. In fact, often the popularity of the video outshined the music itself but still enabled the song to be a best seller. Because visibility was used as a promotional tool in the record industry, the network was criticized for devaluing the importance of music by replacing quality with pure visual entertainment. Ironically, the first video to debut on MTV that early August morning was “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles. It was their only real hit, but rather historical and revealing as the song was written about the end of an era; telling of the golden days of radio ruined by television. (included in video above.)
Since it’s premier, MTV has made an intense and long lasting impact on the music, entertainment and media industries. Slogans such as “I want my MTV” became etched in the minds of the 80’s pop culture generation and remained throughout. MTV has also been referenced countless times in song lyrics, movies, books, and shows on other television stations. One of the best known music references to MTV is Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing” as the lyrics mock how the working man struggles to survive but the “yo-yos” on MTV “ain’t workin’” and are getting “Money for nothin’ and chicks for free.” Ironically, the video for this song became one of the most popular videos shown on the channel at that time.
The moral influence of MTV on young people has been debated throughout it’s existence. Parents Television Council (an American interest group formed to inform parents of television programming that is both beneficial and harmful to children) claims the network is a bad influence on it’s targeted audience. The American Family Association (a non-profit organization that promotes conservative Christian values) has also criticized MTV for it’s negative moral influence. In the 80’s the parent-media watchdog group, Parents Music Resource Center, fought MTV over certain music videos that were claimed to have explicit imagery of Satanism. On the other side of these debates, the network was also under fire for being too politically correct and censoring too much of their programming.
Against all odds, MTV prevailed and in it’s early days was a catalyst to stardom for a large number of artists in the 80’s such as; Duran Duran, Def Leppard, Madonna, Culture Club, Mötley Crüe, Cydni Lauper, Adam Ant and countless other 80’s icons. MTV also played some famous classic rock acts heavily, placing them on a new plateau of popularity by reaching a wider spectrum such as; David Bowie, Journey, Genisis, Fleetwood Mac, Heart, Van Halen, ZZ Top and many more.
In it’s early years on air, MTV featured very few black artists in rotation. Many black artist’s videos were rejected because they didn’t fit the rock dominated format at the time. During the uproar of black artists and other supporters of the fight to break the color barrier on MTV, Michael Jackson was among those artists denied airplay on the network. In an effort to pressure the network to re-think the format, the president of CBS records made a strong statement by threatening to remove the network’s ability to play any videos by artists under the CBS label. MTV claims they chose to add Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” video without being pressured, while CBS claims otherwise. Regardless, “Billie Jean” seemed to be the video that broke the color barrier but is also claimed to be the video that brought the network out of struggle and into major popularity. Jackson’s videos from the multi-platinum “Thriller” album (including “Billie Jean”) were credited for the mega success of MTV, thus causing the network to change the format to add R&B music. This change also helped other black artists such as Prince and Whitney Houston enter the music revolution.
MTV is credited for turning music videos into both an art form and a marketing machine that became beneficial to artists. Over time, MTV added several genres to the format and somewhat even created those genres such as alternative rock. Today, however, the general public seems to be disappointed with the ironic lack of music videos played on MTV. While the original MTV network still broadcasts 24 hours a day, the actual showing of videos has (over time) dwindled to a maximum of only 3 hours per day. The rest of the air time focuses on a completely different format, currently a large amount of reality shows and news programs about entertainment and politics. However, today the network owns several sister channels that do broadcast more music videos though all pale in comparison to the original days of Music Television. And to this, I say … I WANT MY MTV!!!
The Buggles:
An English New Wave band with only 2 studio albums and one hit single, “Video Killed the Radio Star”. Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Buggles
Dire Straits:
British rock band active between 1977-1995 known for hits including “Sultans of Swing”, “Money for Nothing”, “Walk of Life” and “So Far Away”. This band boasts one of the greatest yet most underrated guitar players in rock history, Mark Knopfler. They’ve had 6 studio albums, all of which are very good. Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dire_straits
Duran Duran:
An iconic 80’s new wave band from England who dominated the early days of MTV and were widely known as the “pretty boys of rock”. They are still very popular today and have released 13 studio albums so far during their career with numerous top 40 hits. In my opinion, this band represents the epitome of MTV in the 80’s. Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duran_duran
Def Leppard:
Though their sound is mild by comparison today, Def Leppard was considered a British hard rock band when they crashed the scene on MTV and won the popularity contest with hits like “Photograph”, “Bringing on the Heartbreak”, “Pour Some Sugar on Me”, and “Hysteria”. Like Duran Duran, this band also has the gift of longevity and is still popular despite their rough history which includes the death of 2 guitar players and a crippling auto accident leaving their drummer with one arm. They have 11 studio albums and also numerous top 40 hits. Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Def_Leppard
Madonna:
Perhaps no star from MTV’s golden era knows more about longevity than Madonna. This All-American 52 year old sex goddess still holds the throne of top rock diva for many reasons. While her image is ever changing with the times, her music has been and remains hip, happening and chart topping. She has a remarkable legacy not only in music but in film and entertainment in general. She also has 11 studio albums and countless top 40 hits. Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madonna_%28entertainer%29
Culture Club:
The band Culture Club had one of the most controversial front men in music history, Boy George. Another British new wave band to parade onto MTV and steal the hearts of many viewers, Culture Club had several popular dance hits including “Do Your Really Want to Hurt Me?”, “Time Clock of the Heart”, “Karma Chameleon”, and “Miss Me Blind”. Though the band is no longer together, the music still remains popular and is featured in many films and documentaries based in the decade of decadence known as the 80’s. In more recent years, Boy George has made the news in a negative light and has even dealt with criminal charges and remains recluse. But, in their better days, the band 5 studio albums – 3 of which were big sellers.
Mötley Crüe:
Reminiscent of the glory days of Alice Cooper, the New York Dolls or Kiss this band brought back the theatrics of flashy rock music and they added a sound heavier than most on the market at this time. Mötley Crüe were the true pioneers of what is labeled today as “hair metal” or “glam rock”, but in the 80’s this was considered a rather hard core sound and scene. They were one of many up and coming metal bands from the Sunset Strip of L.A., California. Still widely known and popular, they’ve sold nearly 100 million albums worldwide. If any metal band has a colorful past it’s these guys. They’re notorious for bad behavior, bad reputations and just all around bad-ass-ness! Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%B6tley_Cr%C3%BCe
Cyndi Lauper:
Though she wasn’t quite Madonna’s nemesis and the two artists were very different, the uniqueness and charm of Cyndi Lauper made her tough competition … especially since she happens to be incredibly talented as well. This American icon quickly rose to fame with her aptly titled debut album “She’s So Unusual” that including chart topping hits like “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and “Time after Time”. She has always been a stand out artist among her peers and still tours for sold out audiences today. Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyndi_Lauper
Adam Ant:
This British pretty boy’s career originally began with Adam and the Ants and later he went solo as Adam Ant. A real heart throb for all the ladies during the 80’s, he seemed to bring a steamy sexuality to the small screen with his well known hit videos for “Goody Two Shoes” and “Strip”. He was once voted the sexiest man in America by the MTV viewing audience. Unfortunately, similar to Boy George, his almost come-back was shattered with criminal charges for bad behavior that landed him in a psychiatric hospital. Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Ant
David Bowie:
It would be impossible to sum up this brilliant artist in a few sentences and I’m not even going to try! Bowie is best known for his work in the 70’s, but his hit making career spans from the late 60’s to current works. He has released 24 studio albums, all of which are a must have for any avid music fan. During MTV’s high point, Bowie released the album “Let’s Dance” which included popular videos for “Modern Love”, “China Girl”, and the title track “Let’s Dance”. To learn more (and I suggest you do) click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bowie
Journey:
Journey boasted one of the most iconic lead vocalists ever to grace rock music, Steve Perry. Though this All-American rock band debuted in the mid-70’s, the 80’s was their time to shine. Their catalog of music is a catalog of top 40 hits and I struggle to think of a song they recorded in the 80’s that wasn’t a chart topper … I don’t think it exists. While they didn’t share the theatrics and style of video making that many of their competitors did during the 80’s, they won audiences over with classic simple videos that displayed their talent lyrically, musically and vocally. This band is always imitated and never duplicated. In 1998 Perry left the band with no rumors of a reunion since and, though Journey still tours with numerous replacement singers, without Perry things have never been the same. Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journey_%28band%29
Genisis:
Genisis formed in the late 60’s with Peter Gabriel as their lead singer. And, much like Bowie, it would be hard to sum this band up in a few sentences. But, in the 80’s they became famous with Phil Collins as their lead singer as well as drummer. Though they were considered progressive rock in their earlier days, during the 80’s I think they would be best described as controversial in some ways with their political lyrics and thought provoking music. However, they were also know for some meaningful love songs. Collins brought them into the mainstream and to the peak of their popularity, but left the band for an equally popular solo career in the mid 80’s which kept him as a familiar face on MTV. Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genisis_%28band%29
Fleetwood Mac:
Like Genisis or Bowie, attempting to summarize the history of Fleetwood Mac is nearly impossible. This was, however more of a 70’s band than 80’s though MTV did help keep their career in tact with a few hits like “Little Lies” and “Big Love”. The band seemed to have a revolving door with members and their romances which included Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham who seemed to be more popular in the days of MTV with their solo works. But, never the less, Fleetwood Mac is historically one of the best known bands in rock history with top selling albums and singles decade after decade and are touring today with all of the original band members… well, the 2nd wave original band members anyway. Yeah, there’s no way to sum this history up so just learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleetwood_Mac
Heart:
This great band went through 2 major phases of popularity, or you could say it didn’t end. In the 70’s they were a pleasant surprise or alternative to mainstream rock music because they were a sister power duo with the phenomenal lead vocals of Ann Wilson and the sultry lead guitar of Nancy Wilson. In the 80’s they gained popularity on MTV with power ballads and videos showcasing their sex appeal such as “What about Love”, “These Dreams”, “Alone”, and “Nothing at All”. But, most people will remember their iconic hits from the 70’s like “Barracuda”, “Magic Man”, and “Crazy on You”. However, nobody was complaining about being able to see this vixens in video! They’re still popular and still touring… and their still kicking ass, take it from me cause I just saw them live a couple of months ago and was left feeling satisfied yet longing for more! Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_%28band%29
Van Halen:
I have to laugh because probably the main reason I can’t sum up this band in just a few sentences is because they are unequivically one of my all time favorite bands. My opinions would be biased here and perhaps unfair to the reader… but here goes…
Van Halen has had 3 lead singers over the last 3 decades, but in my opinion only one that matters … the iconic and unmatched David Lee Roth (who recently reunited with the band and they are touring and doing a fantastic job!). So, I have to warn you that I will only be referring to the David Lee Roth era (even thought he Sammy Hagar era was very popular as well). Van Halen burst into rock music fame in the late 70’s with their multi platinum self titled album that included the unforgettable hits “Running with the Devil” and “You Really Got Me”. Now, I could comb over their entire history in fine detail here, but I’ll just cover the 80’s MTV era of popularity for Van Halen which is the height of their career.
“1984” was the album of the 80’s. Everybody who’s anybody had that album! While this album brought the band ultimate success with chart topping hits such as “Hot for Teacher”, “Panama”, “I’ll Wait” and “Jump” it also brought the demise of the David Lee Roth era as egos began to outshine the talent and caused band members, namely David and namesake/lead guitarist Eddie Van Halen to butt heads until David left to persue a solo career which also brought him much fame in the 80’s/MTV era. Anyway, you can learn more from me personally (lol) or click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Halen
ZZ Top:
Was well known for their classic videos of the 80’s, even though they were a very popular 70’s band. ZZ Top videos told a story, and because they were so downright cool the songs behind them became wildly popular such as “Legs”, “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Gimmie All Your Lovin”. This Texas Based Southern Rock band has a bluesy rock sound backed by legendary musicians Billy Gibbens, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard. Though MTV may have given this band commercial success, ZZ Top had been a success for many years before and has remained a success to this day. Unfortunately, time has not been kind to the band and even though they still have music in their hearts Billy Gibbens’ health issues has crippled touring and any new projects. Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zz_top
Michael Jackson:
In all seriousness, I’m sure I haven’t had to define who any of these artists are in this blog but at the very least I know I don’t have to explain Michael Jackson. He is, after all, “The King of Pop” and one of the most well known artists in the history of music… ever… only to compete with Elvis Presley or the Beatles, but in all seriousness… probably more known. I have to say I feel it would be a waste of my time to try to summarize his career or life at all in this blog or anywhere else. There are countless movies, documentaries, news articles and so fourth about him and he is particularly in the current news as the world mourns the anniversary of this death one year ago this week. I doubt I even need to offer you a link to learn more about him, but here it is anyway: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson
Prince:
In my opinion, no truer an artist (musically) by definition than this man. He can and will do anything… anything… and do it amazingly well. He writes, composes, plays every instrument, acts, and just downright shines at everything he even attempts! He spews sex appeal, emotion and passion in all of his works. He’s controversial, political, and phenomenal at all times. His career began in the 70’s and was an underground success that overtook the 80’s with steamy videos and unforgettable movies of his own as well as his work with other artists (song writing, record producing…etc…). A real genius in my opinion and yet another artist I couldn’t possibly summarize. Prince manipulates multiple genres of music including rock and R&B (an incredible feat). Some of his more notable MTV era hits are “1999”, “Little Red Corvette”, “Purple Rain” and “When Doves Cry”. But, really, summarizing Prince just does him and you a real injustice so please, learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_%28musician%29
Whitney Houston:
Actress, model and notable performer, Whitney Houston had a million dollar act the moment she danced onto the small screen with her first hit “How Will I Know”. America fell in love with this knock out vocalist who had all the elements missing from the 80’s female R&B scene. Once MTV got a hold of her, there was no turning back on one of the most notable careers any female artist could ever hope for. She seemed to be a hit making machine and as her career grew she also dominated the big screen. Recognized as one of the best known divas in music history, Whitney became a multi-millionaire almost overnight with hit after hit, but behind the scenes she led a very troubled life that would end up crippling her career and today she struggles to make a comeback. However, she still has the talent so I suspect that once she gets her act together she can have a very strong return to the industry. Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitney_Houston
Who do you remember most from the MTV era? Did you love it or hate it? What are your thoughts on this topic? What do you think of MTV today?
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I blog here & on myspace as many folks know. I told myself I would use this new blog location for fun blogs, fiction, funny stories and such and try not to get political here or write my editorials here like I do over there. Of course, recently, with this disasterous oil volcano spewing into the Gulf of Mexico I couldn’t help but write about it here, there and everywhere in an attempt to spread the word. But, in these dark days even though I know it is important to spread the word I also know that sometimes we need a good laugh. I certainly know I do because lately this situation has put my in a somewhat depressive state and I need a little escape. That being said, most of my readers know I love to post funny stories from my past that usually poke fun at moi but are always good for a laugh. This one is no exception, so please enjoy a tale that I call…
Karma in a brown paper bag
TJ & I were walking home from school one day in the fall of ‘87. It was about a 3 mile walk for us and we lived a street apart. We weren’t the best or worst of friends, just 2 kids who lived near each other and would sometimes walk together. We were both sophomores, had a couple of classes together, no big deal.
All the cool kids were passing us by in their cars, playing loud music and being cooler than us. We would shrug our shoulders and keep on truckin’. Just another day in the life of the underclassmen (or women in my case).
For some weird reason, a brown paper bag in the ditch caught my eye.
“I wonder what’s in it?” I pointed it out to TJ.
“Who cares?” He replied.
But something drove me to it. I don’t know why, but I just had to look inside. Annoyed, TJ waited for me to check the bag.
“Holy shit!” I gasped when I looked inside.
“What is it?” Suddenly he was interested.
“You won’t believe it!” I exclaimed as he joined me to peer into the bag.
“Hooooollllllllly shit!” He smiled wide. “Hurry up, let’s get outta here!”
We quickly stuffed our treasure into his book bag and rushed to his house, beaming!
Fortunately, TJ was a latch-key-kid … for those of you who remember that old 80’s term. A kid who’s parents were still at work when he’d get home from school. So, there we sat, just the two of us, at his kitchen table … pouring the contents of the brown paper bag onto the table.
“Unbelievable!” He gasped.
There sat before us, a gallon sized ziplock bag stuffed with marijuana, rolling papers, 2 cassettes and a scale. I jumped for the cassettes, one was Ratt’s “Invasion of your Privacy” and the other was AC/DC’s “Back in Black”.
“Cool!” I exclaimed. “I’ll take the Ratt!”
“That’s good, I wanted the AC/DC,” He said. “But, what are we gonna do with the rest of it?”
“Let’s split it up!” I said, logically.
“And then?” He asked.
“And then we do whatever we want with it,” I said. “But we don’t tell anyone where we found it.”
Yeah, I you had to think someone was looking for that shit! I mean, that was a hellova lot of pot, right???
“All right,” TJ said. “Deal!”
So, we shook on it and began splitting it up.
Now, at this stage in our lives … TJ and I were not all that familiar with pot. I mean, sure, as you know from my previously mentioned blog I’d tried it a lil’ bit … but I wasn’t the type of person who needed at least a half a’ pound of marijuana on hand, so there was no way I was interested in keeping my half. I saw it as a career opportunity … but it was far more than that …
Nothing brings popularity faster than being the gal with all the killer weed.
Suddenly, hot senior boys were carrying my books to class for me, sitting with me at lunch and being my friends. Yep, that’s right, dorky little Susan was suddenly the most popular chick in school … if only till it was sold out … at least, for a moment, everyone was abuzz about my fame among the famous.
So there I was, high rolling in the dough and being doted on by hot senior dudes … ahh, it was the life … at least for a couple of months anyway.
But, alas, in the end … all that was left was a Ratt tape and a few bucks once the well ran dry. I still have no idea what TJ did with his half. I still have no idea who was probably looking for that great, lost bag of weed, but I did often wonder … would they ever get back at me if they found out I sold all their goods and was rocking out to their Ratt? Hmmmm…
So, there we were, about one year later … my good friend Sherrie and I, once again walking home from school along the same ol’ path that TJ and I walked. She knew the infamous story about the brown paper bag and the glory days it brought to me, so when we stumbled upon yet another brown paper bag in a ditch yet again she encouraged me to check it out. It didn’t take much encouragement as I had been so lucky in the past, I couldn’t resist wondering if lightening would truly strike twice.
As I eagerly and hopefully opened the back, she watched to make sure no one was spying.
“Ahhhhhhh!” I screamed and quickly threw the bag down and began to run.
She ran with me.
“My God!” She exclaimed. “What the hell was in the bag??”
“It was a dead half rat!” I explained.
She stopped cold in her tracks. “Do what?”
“A dead half rat,” I said. “A rat, bloody and cut in half.”
“Bullshit!” She argued. “Who the hell would cut a rat in half and throw it in a bag on side of the road?”
“I have no idea!” I said. “But it was the rear end, all bloody and with his tail and stuff… it was awful!”
“That doesn’t make sense!” She argued …
And we argued for about a half a mile when finally we bet on it and we had to turn around so she could see for herself.
“You’re going to be sorry,” I warned her as she opened the bag.
I closed my eyes, waiting for her shrill …
waiting…
waiting…
And suddenly, she burst into wild laughter.
I opened my eyes and peered over at her as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“A dead half rat, huh?” she choked between laughs.
“You think it’s funny?!?” I was stunned.
“It’s a used tampon, you dumb ass!” She replied … and continued to laugh all the way home…
And so there it was … my karma in a brown paper bag. I guess lightening doesn’t strike twice, but the first strike was good while it lasted and the dead half rat became equally as famous around the school as I was picked on for ages about that little discovery.
Weird and interesting facts for your amusement
The current street value of what I found is estimated at around $800, back then it was probably valued at half that price. Want to know the current street value of marijuana in your state? Visit http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Street_price_of_weed
The ancient Egyptians invented the first disposable tampons made from softened papyrus. The ancient Greeks created tampons made from lint wrapped around a small piece of wood, recorded in writing by Hippocrates in the fifth century B.C. (Ouch!!) Want to test your tampon knowledge? Visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tampon
Paper bags are eco-friendly, easy to recycle, and have many uses.
Want to make a piniata like this one? This pinata is made using a paper bag, tissue paper, glue, and a few other supplies you might already have laying around your house. All you need to make this is; candy, small toys or whatever you want to stuff it with (even $800 worth of weed will work if you’re having that kinda party!), newspaper, colored tissue paper, string or yarn, glue, scissors and a hole puncher. (See, I bet you already have all that lying around the house, don’t you?) Start out by opening your bag and setting it on your work surface. Put the candy and/or small toys into the bag. You do not want your bag to be more than half way full or it will be too heavy to hang! Now, fill the rest of the bag, stopping about 2-inches from the top, using scrunched up newspaper. Once you have your pinata filled, pinch the top of the bag together and roll it down 2 or 3 times. Staple it shut. Cover the bottom of your filled paper bag with a piece of tissue paper. Set your bag on a piece of tissue paper and cut the tissue paper so it is about 2-inches larger than the bottom of the paper bag all the way around. Glue the edges of the tissue paper up around the bottom of the paper bag. Handle the corners as if you’re wrapping a present. Now cut several strips of tissue paper long enough to completely fit around your bag and about 4- 6-inches wide depending on size of bag. You will need about 5 strips (this may vary by bag size). Use your scissors to cut fringe along a long edge of all of your tissue paper strips. The fringe should go about half way up your tissue paper strip. The fringe should be cut about 1-inch apart. Start near the bottom of the bag, just above the piece of tissue paper you glued onto the bottom of the bag, and place a bead of glue around the bag. Stick your first piece of fringed tissue paper, fringed edge down, onto the glue. This should hang over the bottom tissue paper and slightly overhang the bottom edge of the bag. Stick another strip onto the bag, hanging about halfway over the first strip. Continue this until your entire bag is covered by fringed tissue paper. Punch two holes along the top, folded edge of the paper bag. Cut a piece of yarn or string a few yeards long. Thread one end of the piece of yarn or string through one hole, pull it across the top edge of the bag, and then back through the other hole. Tie it using a few overhand knots so it will not come apart when you hang it. Cut several strips of tissue paper, about 1-inch thick and 6-inches long. Glue them to the bottom of the pinata. Voila! You’ve got a homemade pinata! For more crafty ideas using paper bags, visit http://familycrafts.about.com/od/paperbagcrafts/tp/PaperBagCrafts.htm
It was spring 1987, I was a sophmore in high school. He was a junior, Italian, tough … the silent type. His big brother Eddy was a senior, a hunk, and my best friend’s boyfriend. I’d had a crush on Phil for over a year, and desperately tried to get his attention in the smoking circle for a couple semesters to no avail. He didn’t speak much or show interest in anyone. I thought it was because he was too cool for anyone at that stupid school. I didn’t blame him, even though I wished he’d give me a chance. Eddy was insistent on getting his little bro out of his shell, he wanted him to start dating, having sex and be a man like he was. Phil wasn’t taking the bait, so it seemed. Personally, I was thrilled by it because I knew he would’ve ended up with someone other than me anyway. I liked that he didn’t talk to anyone and I could just stare at him, alone smoking his cigs with one leg propped against a tree looking like an Italian James Dean. I was a social butterfly, but more like a dorky kid sister. Even though I was the same age as the other girls hanging in the smoking circle, I looked like a junior high kid hanging out with the older crowd. I never really smoked or anything, I just hung out for the heated discussions about rock and roll and to fetch things for the cool kids when they asked. But they liked me, or so I thought … nah, they liked me.
One night Suzy called me up with great excitement in her voice.
“Eddy says Phil’s coming out with us tonight and we’re going on a double date!” She exclaimed.
“With who?” I asked, thinking how unexcited I was about the aspect of Phil going out with another girl and the four of them having a good time while I’m at home bored.
“With you, stupid!” Suzy laughed. “We’re going on a double date with the Dimaggio brothers!”
“What? Really? Me?” I was in shock. “Phil asked for me?!?”
“Well, sort of,” she stammered. “I mean, Eddy arranged it, but yeah.”
“Does he even know who I am?” I asked, thinking that if he did he probably wouldn’t have agreed.
“Um, well, sort of,” again she stammered. “But, I mean… isn’t this what you’ve been waiting for? Now’s your chance!”
“Yeah, that’s cool,” I agreed.
Sure, I would’ve liked that it was all Phil’s idea and that he had some secret crush on me like I had for him, but I decided I’d take what I could get.
Later that evening, the phone rang again.
“Susan, telephone!” Mom called out from the kitchen, where the only phone we owned was kept. “It’s a young man named Philip Dimaggio.” She stared over her glasses down her nose at me.
I tried to stay cool in front of her. “We’re in school together,” I said.
“Uh, huh,” she nodded sternly and handed me the phone. Staying close by, pretending to be busy in the kitchen.
“Hullo,” I tried to keep cool.
“Susan?” He said in a rough, sexy, Italian teen boy voice I’d never before heard.
“Yes,” I choked out.
“It’s Phil Dimaggio,” he said. “I hear we’re going out tomorrow night with my brother and you’re friend.”
“Uh, huh,” I agreed.
“So, I just wanted to know a little about you first,” he said sternly. “Do you like Led Zeppelin?”
“Yes, very much,” I lied. My older sister, whom I shared a room with, loved Led Zeppelin … me, not so much but I lied as it seemed necessary.
“You smoke?” He continued.
“Yeah, I’ve seen you in the circle,” I replied.
“No, I mean do you smoke?” He repeated the question, emphasizing the smoke.
“Oh!” I understood. “Yeah.” I lied.
“Ok, cool,” He said. “I’ll bring the smoke, you bring all your Zeppelin.”
My mind quickly races through my sisters cassette collection and I know I can pull this off.
“Ok,” I agreed.
Dressed in our 80’s best, Suzy and I were ready for our big date with the Dimaggio brothers. Suzy had been dating Eddy for a while. They’d already been to third base … something I knew nothing about. I had a purse full of Led Zeppelin cassettes. We were anxiously awaiting the big night. Eddy drove up in his Ford truck, and we had some tricky seating arrangements as Suzy had to sit beside Eddy and I had to sit on Phil’s lap. Me, with my big hair smashing against the ceiling in my little mini skirt. It was awkward. He smelled like cheap cologne, yet somehow I was turned on. Though I’m sure my bony ass and the scent of Aqua Net was doing nothing for him as Eddy drove down a darkened, bumpy trail to the infamous oak tree. The oak tree was tucked away off the beach in a slightly wooded area. It was where rebellious teens went to make out, drink alcohol, smoke pot and generally be rebellious. It had been a hot spot for years as I remember my older sisters and their friends telling stories of hanging out by the oak tree. This would be my first time to visit and I really felt like I was going places. In a truck, with two hot Italian studs, parking under the infamous oak tree … yep, I was really going places.
We settled in, all seated in the back of the truck with an ice chest full of Miller ponies between us, jamming to WRNO “The Rock of New Orleans” F.M. Classic rock bellowing up into the stars, and those cold brews I had never before tasted seemed to take the edge off and go down smoothly. Ice cold Miller ponies are the perfect way to break into beer drinking. They were delicious. I was choking on cigarettes as I tried to pretend I was a smoker. Yep, I thought as I looked up into the starry sky, you’re really going places. However, the only place I was going was backwards falling from the edge of the truck to the ground. I guess those cold brews are serious business when it comes to losing your balance while star gazing. Though I was rather embarrassed, it was a really touching moment for me when Phil quickly sprang from the edge of the truck to aid me in getting up and briefly I was in his arms as he helped me stand. Honestly I wasn’t as loaded from the beer as I was the entire situation. High on life, I guess you could say. Feeling like this was the pinnacle of coolness for me, and hoping that I didn’t just blow it by star gazing too hard from the edge of an old Ford.
After a good laugh from Eddy and Suzy, they decided to go for a walk into the woods for a bit of privacy. Before their exit, Eddy took his little brother aside and put his arm around him to whisper some brotherly advice in his ear as I pretended not to watch while trying to eavsdrop.
“I think Phil’s going to try to get to third base with you tonight,” Suzy said excitedly.
I was a little nervous. I’d never really been to third base and I was dizzy from beer and landing on a giant oak tree root. I wasn’t really ready for all this action, but I wasn’t about to back down because I was at the pinnacle of coolness for me … or so I thought.
“So,” Phil broke the very long moment of silence between us once we were alone. “Did you bring that Zeppelin?”
“Oh yeah!” Finally I could get something right! “It’s in my purse!”
“Why don’t we sit in the truck, catch a buzz and jam out to some then?” He suggested.
“Great Idea!” I was probably too enthusiastic, but the thought of sitting inside the truck listening to the stereo sounded a lot less dangerous than anything else at this point. Plus, I was the keeper of the Led Zeppelin cassettes, so my cool points surely had to be rising.
As we eased onto the bench seat of that old Ford, Phil pulled a joint from his shirt pocket, popped in the “Physical Graffiti” cassette and pushed play. The lighter flame kissed the end of his perfectly rolled joint and a sweet and unfamiliar aroma filled the air just as “Houses of the Holy” began to play. I watched him intently, how he inhaled, his every action. He passed it to me, and I mimicked his actions perfectly. Inhaling, wheezing a bit but not exhaling, then after a moment or two very slowly exhaling. It was quite a process. After a few times, I got it. Yep, I was really going places … I was really cool now.
We leaned back, my head somehow landed on his shoulder and for a moment we were like a couple. I felt relaxed and dazed as I began to soak up the moment like a sponge. Once “Kashmir” bellowed through the speakers and out into the perfect night, I was hooked. It was something far better than third base, something far better than hooking up, it was Led Zeppelin. It was my new favorite thing and a very defining moment for me, and to this day “Physical Graffiti” is still my favorite album. At the time, I tried to maintain my overpowering joy at this magnificent new sound that was just unveiled to me as I was supposed to already be a fan and I had to control my passions for Led Zeppelin and pretend I was just in it all for the date. But there was no pretending, as he was just as passionate about it as me and what was supposed to be a cheap sexual virginity losing experience set up for both of us turned out to be a really rewarding music lesson … among other lessons … and a night that changed me forever.
Was it the pinnacle of coolness? Yeah, I’d say so. Did we get to third base? Nah, I think we both got something cooler out of it than that.
My love for Led Zeppelin grew leaps and bounds continuously over the years that followed. Though nothing ever grew romantically between Phil and I after that night, we did remain good friends throughout our late blooming years and continued to enjoy Led Zeppelin together for many other smoky, starry, dazed and confused nights under the infamous Oak Tree.
Led Zeppelin was born in1968 by Jimmy Page (guitar), Robert Plant (vocals, harmonica), John Paul Jones (bass guitar, keyboards, mandolin), and John Bonham (drums). With their heavy, guitar-driven sound, Led Zeppelin are considered one of the progenitors of heavy metal/hard rock music. However, Led Zeppelin’s unique style drew from many sources and transcends all genres still today as well as remaining one of the most influential bands in the history of music. Even 30 years after disbanding (following Bonham’s death in 1980) Led Zeppelin continues to be held in high regard for their artistic achievements, commercial success, and broad influence. Having sold over 200 million albums worldwide, the band is known to be one of the best selling music artists of all time.They have had all of their original studio albums reach the top 10 of the Billboard album chart in the US, with six reaching the number one spot.Led Zeppelin are ranked #1 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock. Rolling Stone magazine has described Led Zeppelin as “the heaviest band of all time”, “the biggest band of the ’70s” and “unquestionably one of the most enduring bands in rock history”.Similarly, when inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame they were described as being as “influential in the 70’s as The Beatles were in the 60’s”. Led Zeppelin’s popularity in the early years was dwarfed by their triumphant mid-seventies successes and it is this period that continues to define the band. At this point in their career, the band was considered the world’s #1 rock attraction. All of their albums released from their inception through their super stardom remained in Billboard’s top sales. After a decade of being on top of their game while also facing many trials and tribulations, as they set fourth toward a new tour, John Bonham died from asphyxiation stemming from drinking too much vodka and choking on his own vomit. It was a sad waste and a sad day in music history. On October 10, 1980, Bonham was laid to rest and two months later the band announced they would no longer continue as Led Zeppelin due to the “deep sense of undivided harmony” in the wake of their “dear friend”s death.
To view Led Zeppelin performing in the height of their fame, visit this link for a performance of “Kashmir” at Earl’s Court in 1975: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1yFQ6vcRNk
Enjoy these links and if you enjoy Led Zeppelin even half as much as I do, you’ll thank me for it. Though, I can’t imagine anyone is reading this who doesn’t already enjoy them! 🙂
I will try to make a very long story short here, but I’m afraid I will have to begin this story in 1978 for you to grasp the depth of the miraculousness of it all. So, here goes …
At the tender age of 6 I became a rocker. I was a tom boy and not overly interested in girly things, but steadily forced into dresses and pig tails by my mom. I was interested in finding myself at a very early age and uninterested in popularity or any of that mess. I wanted to be tough, even though I was tiny.
I was raised in a very strict, Italian, Catholic home. I had a stay-at-home mother and hard working father. Anyway, I’m supposed to make this short so I’ll cut the details and get to one of the main household rules I liked to break … That was touching the parents’ stereo. It was one of those old school big chests that had a record player and an ever-so-modern 8 track player. Though children were not allowed to touch it, whenever the parents were away my two older siblings paid me no mind as they were teenagers doing their own thing so I would sneak to that amazing chest and put the giant headphones on, turning the knobs until I discovered something I thought sounded cool. And then it happened … I was forever changed … by this sound: It was like nothing I’d ever heard before. It was raw, tough, heavy and completely different than what anyone I knew anywhere was listening to. It rocked! I was instantly changed forever … and forever after I was a rocker chick! Full throttle ahead I began saving my allowance until I could purchase my first Van Halen record. In other words, loose change from my grandfather to buy candy on a daily basis was saved as I fasted from my candy fix for about one year until my parents finally agreed to take me to the Sound Shop in the mall to buy Van Halen I. Low and behold, Van Halen II had already been released and I didn’t even realize that I would have to decide between two albums.
By this time I was 7, and had not seen the band but only listened to them on the radio whenever I could. When I laid my eyes on the lifesize, cardboard display of David Lee Roth splitting in spandex pants seductively over the Van Halen section I lost it … I really lost it … I jumped up and grabbed hold of it and had to have it, even if it cost my every last dime … literally. My parents had to peel me off of it, begging the clerks to sell it to them to no avail. I was in tantrum mode, but still left with Van Halen I in my possession.
Flash forward to 1984, to a 6th grade girl wearing holy jeans and Van Halen T-shirts to school daily and singing praises of their latest album. A girl who had “I love David Lee Roth” and sketches of the Van Halen symbol sketched on every book cover. A girl in love … with an untouchable rock icon. Yes, that girl was me, of course. Scrawny, late blooming, overlooked rocker chick Susan. I guess I really didn’t even notice that I was the ugly duckling, because I was still in that frame of mind that I wanted to be tough and completely un-girly! My world revolved around Van Halen mostly and other rock bands that were coming out at the time … Bands that Van Halen opened the door for with their unique rock style. (Later, these would be known as hair bands)
It wasn’t until high school that I realized I was still late to blooming and unwanted. Yeah, when all my guy friends I used to rock out with in Junior High no longer wanted to be seen with me because they were busy with the girly girls who had boobs and such. Van Halen had crumbled after their biggest selling album, 1984, and my life seemed to be painfully crumbling too… I was holding on to dreams … dreams that I believed would never come true. Dreams of being desirable to guys, and still dreaming even deeper of being desirable to rock stars. But still, my life long dream was to someday be able to meet David Lee Roth … perhaps even cling to him the way I did that cardboard cut out of him at the record store so many years before…
I graduated in 1990 and still hadn’t blossomed. Still fought for the attention of guys unsuccessfully and still prayed for Van Halen to reunite with David Lee Roth. It seemed that none of my dreams would ever come true, but that summer things changed dramatically. After an 18 year battle with a complicated illness (that’s a whole other blog I’ll write someday) I got the medical attention I needed and was on the path to healing. With that healing came my late puberty. With my late puberty came the swan from the ugly duckling … and with that swanlike existence came all the attention from the opposite sex I could’ve ever wanted.
It was a brand new world to me. I didn’t know how to handle it. Fortunately, early in my days of glory I settled down with a great guy for many years. He too was a swan from ugly duckling, so we made a perfect match. But, sadly, all good things must come to an end and we broke up because he needed to “find himself” and I was left alone in a sea of sharks, who all wanted to take a bite of me the moment I was cast back out to sea. And bite they did. They shredded me up. One bad relationship begot another, or so it seemed, and heartache relentlessly plagued me for years. I had come to the realization that if it wasn’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all. And once again, I found myself dreaming of what would never be … my rock stars whom were always my secret lovers and best friends for all of my years, who never let me down … even though the days of hair band glory were long forgotten.
And then came the millennium. Which really pleased me because the 90’s were a gloomy and dark time for me, so I had a lot of hope that the new century would bless me … and so it did … in ways I never believed it would.
Hair bands were coming back into popularity for some strange reason, and I was on top of my game. I wasn’t the ugly duckling who wasn’t old enough to go to their concerts, I was the perfect age at the perfect time to see everyone I ever loved live and usually in perfect settings such as small venues because they weren’t top dollar bands any more as far as the industry was concerned, but to me they were some of the most awesome musicians ever. But, that wasn’t the most amazing part … you see the most amazing part was time and time again these rock icons who were monumentous in my life history were choosing me to go backstage and party with them. Little ol’ Susan among tons of busty, Playboy bunny types surrounding me … they would point me out and invite me over and over. I was never happier in all of my years. So many times I would go home and wish that I could travel back in time to tell that crying teenage girl or that broken hearted young lady; “Someday, Susan, your dreams will come true…”
And then it happened … headline news … David Lee Roth was coming to my area. I was frantic just reading it. After this long spell of meeting rockers, would he be on my list? The ultimate rocker? The love of my life? Would I truly get to meet him? I was doubtful. He was like a King, like a God, the greatest front man of all time … a total legend. Nah, I wouldn’t get to meet him because he would be surrounded by an entourage and be totally untouchable … but still, I had to go see him as I had only waited my whole life to be in his presence … seriously, my whole life!!!!
The day of the show, my best friend (of over 20 years!), Melanie, and I booked a room to stay overnight at the casino Dave was to perform at. We spent the day laying out at the pool as she consistently tried to calm me, knowing that I was extremely and overly excited about the pending show. Many drinks and hours of relaxation to no avail, I was still anxious in a childlike state reminiscent of that day I went to the Sound Shop 25 years prior! Moments before we left to the show, I went into the bathroom privately and kneeled on the floor and literally I prayed to God to watch over me because I knew that my life has sent me in a direction in which I would meet such celebrities and I would need a guardian angel to keep me in check if I had the opportunity to meet David Lee Roth!!! Melanie was truly concerned for my well being as she was well aware of my immeasurable infatuation with Dave.
And so, there we were, third row from David Lee Roth … singing his heart out and twisting my heart with his every scream, his every acrobatic move, his every breath … tears streaming down my cheeks as I thought I would never be so blessed as to be so near to this man I had longed to see for 25 long years!!! Well, I guess Dave could see my beaming adoration because he pointed at me and motioned for me to approach the stage. I was frozen and people around me had to thrust me toward him for me to realize that YES… Dave was, in fact, motioning to ME! I thought my heart would beat out my chest. I stood at the edge of the stage as he sang a couple of songs to me, gazing into my adoring eyes. Time stood still, I was a six year old, a sexually confused teen and an adoring woman all at once! Dave fed into it, of course, and couldn’t resist teasing me from the stage.
As the show came to a close, he grabbed my face forcefully in his hand … squeezing my cheeks and I thought this was the peek of my existence. Then, he pointed at me and suddenly security grabbed me and began pulling me away! I was dazed and confused as if I was on some strange drug. I grabbed Melanie, my last source of reality, and we were yanked behind the stage.
“Dave would like to see you, alone!” The security guard said.
I was speechless.
“She can’t go alone,” Melanie heroically said. (Thank Goodness!)
Moments later … there he was … across the room … smiling … DAVID F***ING LEE ROTH!!!!!!
And I just stood there … frozen … crying … spastic!
He motioned for me to come to him. I pointed at myself, confused, and asked “ME?”
“Yes, you!” He laughed.
Slowly I walked to him, Melanie in tow.
“So, did you enjoy the show?” He asked.
I burst into tears.
“She loved it,” Melanie laughed. “Trust me!”
“Can I… Can I hug you?” I muttered as I gazed at my dream come true.
“Absolutely!” He smiled.
I threw my arms around him and the tears began to flow. “I’ve waited my whole life for this moment!” I exclaimed.
He ate it up. He loved it!
So, we ended up on the illustrious tour bus of David Lee Roth! Inside was all black leather and dim lighting as if we were in a lounge. I was seating on a leather horse shoe shaped couch when Dave slid up very close beside me and wrapped his larger than life arms around me and began to whisper in my ear about how adorable I was in a voice I had only previously known through music. A raspy, sexy, melodious, rock God voice much like the spoken part of “Panama” …. (skip to 2:50 on the video below to see what I mean)
Needless to say, his constant praises of me were making me very dizzy and fumbling foolishly over my words as Melanie consistently reminded him that he was fucking with my head and that he had no idea of the effects this entire event was having on me. It’s very VERY good that she was there with me the whole time. He persisted to whisper sweet nothings in my ear as Melanie quizzed him about his musical career and such and I was persistently fumbling. Finally after a few glasses of Merlot and sharing a smoke with him, I gathered my composure and was able to somewhat loosen up … though he remained consistent with the sweet nothings.
Otherwise, he spoke in rhythm and rhyme with great flamboyance! He was fun, gracious and very entertaining. One of the funniest parts was; when we first got on the bus he shook his rear end, squeezed into leather pants, in my face and said “How do you like my ass?” Hysterical, right? But anyway, as I said before … it was indeed very good that my best friend was there as my guardian because I have no idea what could have happened to me in my dazed state of hysteria without her protection!
And after all was said and done, I looked back and thought … once again … of the little girl in the record store clinging to a cardboard Dave, and to the lonely teen who kissed his posters goodnight. It still makes me smile that the one thing I wanted so badly for all of my years … the one thing I never dreamed possible actually did happen … TO ME!!!
David Lee Roth is an American rock vocalist, songwriter and author among other notable careers. Though he is best known as the original lead singer for Van Halen, he also has a popular career as a solo artist. Roth exited Van Halen after their highest grossing album, 1984, topped the charts. Conflict within the band’s egos led them to go separate ways. Roth’s solo career offered several platinum and gold albums while Van Halen had continued success with a different sound and a new lead vocalist. Without Van Halen, the band and brand he helped bring to superstardom, his solo career eventually stalled, and he went on to explore other career alternatives. Sometimes referred to as Diamond Dave, he rejoined Van Halen in 2007 (much to the joy of the band’s fanbase) for a North American tour that became the highest grossing tour in the band’s history. David Lee Roth is referred to in many (rock) media outlets as the greatest heavy metal singer of all time. His powerful and unique vocals changed the face of rock music much in the same way as his famous band mate, Eddie Van Halen’s guitar playing also changed rock music.
Soon after Van Halen’s debut, Roth became well-known for his flamboyant showmanship. The 1983 Rolling Stone Record Guide Vol 2. described Roth as “the most obnoxious singer in human history, an achievement notable in the face of long tradition and heavy competition.” Although often noted more for physical than for technical vocal prowess, Roth’s bluesy baritone voice and distinctive screams coupled with his humorous and campy lyrics were integral to Van Halen’s sound. Roth is able to take his voice into a multi-pitched wheeze/rasp, almost like a train whistle.
From 1979-1984, Van Halen released five more albums: Van Halen II, Women and Children First, Fair Warning, Diver Down and 1984, each to increasing popular success and critical acclaim. In 1983, Van Halen was paid $1.5 million to play one set at the US Festival making them one of the two highest paid bands in modern history.
On April 1, 1985, Roth and Van Halen parted ways. In late 1985, Roth assembled a backing band with veteran Van Halen producer Ted Templeman handling the production. Roth released his debut full-length solo album, Eat ‘Em and Smile in July, 1986. The album saw Roth return to hard rock music and met with huge commercial and critical success. In January 1988, Roth released Skyscraper, a more experimental offering than the first solo album. Roth then went on a headlining arena tour with the Los Angeles hairband Poison opening for him. The tour was a huge success and met with positive reviews in many places. In January 1991, Roth released A Little Ain’t Enough, a more mainstream hard rock album. Musical tastes had changed dramatically by the end of 1991 and the accompanying tour promoting this album did not do as well financially as planned. In March 1994, Roth released Your Filthy Little Mouth, an eclectic, lyrically intricate album. It did not sell well, considered by many to be a commercial failure, failing to achieve gold status. Roth’s career was in decline yet he still managed to support the album with a World Tour lasting over 10 months that took him and his band through North America, Japan, Europe and back through North America again.
Nevertheless, many loyal fans remained, and the Roth/Van Halen split entered pop culture. For example, in the hit 1994 film Airheads, fans loyal to Roth were regarded as cool, whereas a character loyal to Van Halen was suspected as an undercover police officer. Similarly, in 2001, the title character of the film Joe Dirt declared he was a Van Halen fan, not a “Van Hagar” fan. In June 1996, Roth reunited with Van Halen for a brief time and to great public fanfare. He recorded two new songs for Van Halen’s Best of Vol. 1 album, “Can’t Get This Stuff No More” and “Me Wise Magic.” After an infamous appearance on September 5, 1996, at the MTV Music Awards during which Roth and Eddie Van Halen reportedly threatened each other ultimately resulting in Van Halen choosing their third and least popular vocalist.
In 1997, Roth wrote a well-received memoir, entitled Crazy From the Heat. In 2001, rumors swirled that Roth and the members of Van Halen had recorded several new songs together and were in the process of attempting yet another reunion. Roth later confirmed this, but nothing became of the music. In 2003, Roth released Diamond Dave, an album of (mostly) classic rock cover songs. It was during the promotional tour for this album that I had the pleasure of seeing him live and meeting him at long last.
On Feb. 2, 2007 The Official Van Halen Web Site released information that David Lee Roth had rejoined the band bringing much joy to long time fans. In March 2007 five members of Van Halen, the four original members and Sammy Hagar (2nd vocalist) were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On August 13, 2007, 6 months after the initial reunion tour was postponed, it was finally confirmed by Van Halen with Roth at a press conference that they would schedule it starting in September 2007. At that conference, Eddie Van Halen stated that he and Roth were “like brothers” now. Calling Van Halen a “real band”, both Edward and Roth spoke of the possibility of further worldwide touring and a new album in mind for the future.On June 5, 2008, Van Halen announced the 2007-2008 tour with Roth grossed more than $93 million, a record for the band. Van Halen played to nearly one million people during 74 arena shows throughout the United States and Canada.
Tom cooked a feast of beef ribs, sautéed with veggies in a golden sauce over rice… with a side of southern style corn and asparagus salad. Served with a refreshing coca-cola. It was nice. We don’t eat many dinners together because of our conflicting schedules. Now, I can’t quite remember how it came about but I think I was referring to the dogs when I said “Flash always gets the ‘shit end of the stick’ when I throw them scraps of food” (because Jackie is just much faster). Anyway, this spawned a conversation about where the saying “Shit end of the stick” comes from. I know where I got it from (and she’ll beat me if she reads this, but … ) it was something my mom always said and it stuck with me. So, over our fine dining we tried to derive where the phrase originated. We both agreed that it probably stems from olden days when there wasn’t really any sewerage or flushing of toilets as we are so spoiled by today and that probably you had to dispose of shit by somehow shoving it down a hole with a stick … therefore, occasionally you’d goof up and grab the “shit end of the stick”. Well, needless to say we were wrong, but it made for fun conversation over fine dining, don’t you think?
Well, much to our disappointment, The proper saying is “Short end of the stick” or “Wrong end of the stick”… even though my mom’s version is much more fun … but here’s what I learned:
This expression refers to a walking stick held upside down, which does not help a walker much. It originated in the 1400s as “worse end of the staff” and changed to the current wording only in the late 1800s. Also see “Short end of the stick”. The inferior part, the worse side of an unequal deal. For example, ‘Helen got the short end of the stick when she was assigned another week of night duty.’ The precise analogy in this term, first recorded in the 1930s, has been lost. Some believe it comes from worse end of the staff, used since the early 1500s, which in the mid-1800s became, in some instances, short end of the stick.
-From The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms_(1997) by Christine Ammer
And, of course, all this fun talk of food and poop reminded me of yet another time these 2 very different objects were intertwined in my life…
In the early 90’s I was struggling financially, but I loved my job and all of the people I worked with. We had been in business for at least four years together and all employees were there from the grand opening and throughout. We were a tight knit family who had grown to know each other very well over the years. The business was growing and we had to make room for new employees. We hired a new guy in the sales office and a couple of guys for the operations department. I chose the guys for operations and both were very good friends of mine, so they fit right in. The new guy in sales, John, was also new to the area. Though he was a stranger, our family extended a warm welcome and strived to have him fit in as well. John was very different, however. He always seemed kind of shady and we all struggled with accepting him, even though we all gave it an honest effort. He was a heavy set man and dressed rather frumpy. His jokes were bad and he was very weak with customer service. Anyway, as I said, this was a time of financial struggle in my life. One of my biggest struggles was the fact that I absolutely loved to fine dine and couldn’t afford to. I loved to feast for breakfast, lunch and dinner … but unfortunately, I couldn’t afford most of my expensive feasts. So, I trained myself to eat a small breakfast, but have a large lunch. Lunch meant more to me than any other meal. I always went all out for lunch. I would have steak lunches with baked potatoes, steamed veggies, bread and salad or something equally as extravagant daily. I decided I would force myself to eat half of my meal at lunch and then take the other half home for dinner. It was working out well, and I was saving money. I had been practicing this concept for a few months before our new associates had joined the team. I would simply place the other half of my meal, stored in to-go boxes, in the break room fridge to retrieve later before going home from a hard day’s work. Not long after we had the new associates join our staff, I started noticing that my to-go boxes were being ravished. It wasn’t a small ravishing either. I would open a box when I got home to find only the fat from the steak trimmed off and left behind with maybe one sprig of broccoli, 1 salad cruton and teeth marks left on my piece of bread and such. This was happening almost daily. I was infuriated by this. I complained several times around the office, making very clear that I did not appreciate someone consistently stealing my food and that I could not afford it as well as it was a very rude thing to do. I went to my boss about it several times and he said I was overreacting, maybe the thief needed the food more than me. I began leaving notes with my lunches that said things like “Please don’t eat this, I can’t afford to feed you and me”, but the culprit would simply move my note aside and eat my food. I suppose the straw that broke the camel’s back (another great saying) was the day I went to my favorite Mexican restaurant and ordered quesadillas. This was one of my favorite things to eat. They come in the shape of a half circle and are stuffed with chicken, cheese, sour cream and all sorts of goodness. I remember my joy of having a full, beautiful and delicious quesadilla saved for my dinner. I thought about it all day long. I really struggled during lunch not to eat the 2nd quesadilla. It weighed heavy on my mind … oh, the melted cheese swirling in rich sour cream, with savory shreds of perfectly seasoned chicken breast … it called my name all afternoon, but I refrained. When 5 o’clock struck, I rushed to the kitchen to snatch up my to-go box. Then I froze, what if someone had eaten it again? What if I was about to get screwed out of my dream dinner? Slowly I opened the box … and there I found … the quesadilla, almost completely eaten. The bastard had eaten it from the straight edge all the way to the round outer edge, leaving me just about a half inch frame work of nothing but fajita dough with disgusting teeth marks all around it. All the cheesy, creamy and chickeny goodness was gone. After blasting a slew of obscenities and storming out of the kitchen with my useless to go box, I threw it on the passenger seat of my car and drove home on fire with a rage and desire for revenge. I stewed for about one week. I continued to eat lunches for several days and have the remains stolen from me. But, I quit reacting and just took the pitiful boxes of raped left-overs home with me. The fact that I had quit reacting should’ve been a sure sign to take cover, but that gluttonous bastard didn’t catch a clue from it. The following Friday, instead of feasting on a delicious meal, I went to the drive-thru at Taco bell. I ordered 2 burritos and 2 sides of pinto beans with cheese and sour cream. I went home and ate one of each, then I took the two extras and began my project. Carefully I unwrapped the second burrito and unfolded the flour tortilla, scooping out the center of beef and beany goodness and refilling it with several turds from my cat’s litter box … dotted nicely with pebbles of litter. I re-folded the tortilla and placed the newly designed burrito in a Styrofoam box from my favorite Mexican restaurant. I then put a small clump of cat pee infested litter beside it and gently scooped the pinto beans on top, keeping the sweet dallop of sour cream on top. I placed a decorative piece of parsley between the two fancified items and closed the lid. I returned to the office and put the surprise to-go box in the fridge. As the day progressed I was overcome with excitement to check the box, but I refrained. By 4:30, I could no longer resist. I went to the box, and sure enough, he had eaten more than half of the burrito. Without a word, I penned a note and stuck it on top of the box that read “I was really looking forward to eating that cat shit burrito, but once again you stole my food. I hope you enjoyed eating my cat’s shit, asshole!” He never ate my lunch again. Ironically, a couple of months later he was caught stealing from the company. I guess shit eating John couldn’t get enough of his cake and eating it too. (I know, I’m just full of catch phrases this evening!)
And now, just for fun. If you’ve never tried this, it’s a must. We made this cake for a friend of ours who is a real cat lover. It’s kitty litter cake. Here’s a picture of the cake we made below with the recipe. Believe it or not, this cake tastes freakin’ awesome and it’s very easy to make.
Prepare cake mixes and bake according to package directions (any size pan).
Prepare pudding according to package directions and chill until ready to assemble.
Crumble sandwich cookies in small batches in a food processor, scraping often. Set aside all but 1/4 cup. To the 1/4 cup add a few drops of green food coloring and mix.
When cakes are cooled to room temperature, crumble them into a large bowl. Toss with 1/2 of the remaining cookie crumbs, and the chilled pudding. You probably won’t need all of the pudding, you want the cake to be just moist, not soggy.
Line kitty litter box with the kitty litter liner. Put cake mixture into box.
Put half of the unwrapped tootsie rolls in a microwave safe dish and heat until softened. Shape the ends so that they are no longer blunt, and curve the tootsie rolls slightly. Bury tootsie rolls randomly in the cake and sprinkle with half of the remaining cookie crumbs. Sprinkle a small amount of the green colored cookie crumbs lightly over the top.
Heat 3 or 4 of the tootsie rolls in the microwave until almost melted. Scrape them on top of the cake and sprinkle lightly with some of the green cookie crumbs. Heat the remaining tootsie rolls until pliable and shape as before. Spread all but one randomly over top of cake mixture. Sprinkle with any remaining cookie crumbs. Hang the remaining tootsie roll over side of litter box and sprinkle with a few green cookie crumbs. Serve with the pooper scooper.
It’s impossible to condense the Hurricane Katrina experience in a few short blogs let alone the 5 years that have followed. I have tried, but came to the realization that it would be several more blogs to truly give the full spectrum. In the first 3 blogs of this series I have given you a taste of my personal experience during the storm and the days that (immediately) followed along with a few bits of other survivor’s stories and some interesting facts about the storm. This has been my best effort to share it all with those of you who don’t know what it’s like first hand. Each year, I try to write something for you that helps put a face on this reality. The eye of Hurricane Katrina made landfall in my hometown. My life was forever changed. History washed away and starting over in a place that felt comparable to the aftermath of a nuclear explosion. Each year I take this journey again, but I learn a little more and I reflect a little more and I am reminded of how truly blessed I am to be here today and with little struggle compared to so many. It is also a huge part of my healing process to do these projects.-Suz 8/29/10
I re-read my closing from the series I wrote last year, and want to share it here with you today:
From “Coming out of the dark” by Suz (post date 8/30/2009): I have spent this week focusing on facts about Hurricane Katrina in order to raise awareness for a few reasons. #1 most people were led to believe by the media that Katrina struck New Orleans, LA but that is not all together true. The media favored New Orleans because it is a famous city, but the media failed the MS Gulf Coast where Katrina truly made landfall and did far more devastation than was done in New Orleans. The actual eye of the storm landed in the very town where I live, Waveland, MS. #2 Four years have passed since Katrina made landfall and people are beginning to forget. We are still struggling to rebuild and I’m sad to report that, for the most part, things here are not much different than they were 4 years ago. Don’t get me wrong, the debris and garbage have been cleared… but the land is still barren and remains an empty shell of a town (actually a few towns) that once was great. But, I do not want to be negative here. I want to generate understanding. It is not completely illogical that the rebuilding process is moving so slowly. It is very hard to comprehend complete devastation and where to begin to rebuild an entire city (cities actually). Not only that, but how do you rebuild a city so that it’s better equipped in the event that is should ever face another disaster like this? It’s not easy. It takes time. I admit, I complain constantly about the stagnant recovery and I shouldn’t. Being a resident and eye witness I should be understanding of the very statement I just made about how hard it really is to rebuild after complete devastation, but living in the stagnation and harboring memories of what once was is not an easy task. If you want to say I have courage, then say it is for just that… living here among this when so many others have moved away. But don’t misunderstand me. I completely understand why so many (more than not) people moved away afterward… they were homeless, they were jobless, they had families to care for and they needed to proceed faster than the conditions would allow. I was more fortunate in the fact that I wasn’t rendered homeless or jobless and didn’t have a family to care for, so I stayed. I’m not a hero, I’m just a person.
I’m a person forever changed after this devastation. But a person changed for the better in ways I cannot begin to describe in a blog or a letter or in any words that even I could understand. You see, I was blessed with the ability to give to others. I was able to house others for up to two years after the storm and I was able to feed and care for others in ways that so many could not. This was humbling for me. This was awesome for me. From the moment the storm ended and the years that followed, I was able to help and it was wonderful. I guess my only mistake in that period was not taking a moment to consider my own feelings of pain because I continuously convinced myself that I didn’t deserve to feel pain since I was so much better off than the average person. The losses that I suffered were not so much material though. My friends moved away, almost all of them. My two best friends, one who lived up the road from me that I spent much time with and one I’d spent my whole life with and shared time with daily. That was a tremendous loss for me. The places that I liked to go for fun, the places that I attended school, the landmark of my first kiss, the physical locations of many milestones in my life… gone forever… that was a tremendous loss for me. But I became so absorbed in helping others in moving forward that I didn’t mourn my losses for quite some time, at least 2 years after the storm. And helping others healed me and made me a better person.
But another thing that changed my outlook was seeing the good in others. In these modern times I had come to see people as selfish and uncaring. I had grown bitter as the media continued to show horrible crimes and selfish actions of people day in and day out. Each day that passed made it harder for me to believe there was any good left in the world. Each day it seemed my heart grew colder … until Katrina. Immediately following that storm, I saw people reaching out to help one and other. I saw people from all walks of life, standing in long lines waiting for supplies… holding each other as they cried. Race did not matter. Age did not matter. Financial status did not matter. We were all one … for once. It was amazing and beautiful. Even though the circumstances were so hard, we were one. If was fantastic. People were helping each other without even asking. If one saw another struggling, they immediately helped. It was simply amazing. It was great. And then came the others. Before the government stepped in, the Christians came … from everywhere. Whether or not you are Christian, you have to respect these people who came as quickly as possible from all over the world to aid us … Living in tents just like the residents … Working round the clock to feed and clothe the people of the area and eventually working toward building homes for the homeless. The kindness and giving that poured in was another thing that truly changed my heart. As time passed, it wasn’t just Christians but several organizations of people with good hearts who came to help. Groups of people who were part of no organization at all, but just wanted to help came too. Groups of people who formed organizations just to be able to help, they came too. Again, I find myself in a position where I could write a novel just about the change of heart that occurred within me … about the kindness I saw daily … about the good that surrounded us here. But this is my last blog in the series, so I need to make some other points too.
Many of you have asked about my status today. As you have read, when Katrina struck I had just purchased a new home and still owned the old one I was in the process of moving out of/renting to a couple. I had a brand new mortgage that was costing a rather large sum on top of an old mortgage that was supposed to be paid with rent I was obviously no longer to collect (that home was completely destroyed). After struggling for 2 years as I supported the bills of 2 households (including one that no longer existed) and the financial needs of myself and anywhere from 7-4 additional residents in my home (depending on the time frame) I found myself on the brink of bankruptcy. I could not receive government aid or any favor due to the fact that on record I appeared to be financially better off than most so I was not eligible for any form of government aid. My vehicle, though it was paid for, was falling apart. I was in a bad financial state. I had to sell my only good home in order to make ends meet and just as I thought I would have to start all over again, like everyone else, God had saved one more blessing just for me. My employer had a program to rebuild the homes of all employees devastated by the storm. I had originally refused to be a part of the program due to the fact that I was so much better off than any of my fellow employees, but when my boss learned of my struggle he insisted I join the program and rebuild on my original piece of property. Today, I am in a new home thanks to that blessing. Today, I am on my feet again thanks to that blessing. I didn’t come out ahead, but I broke even … still better off than the average person here. And, I admit, I still feel somewhat guilty about that but I shudder to think where I would be today without it.
Bridge Restores a lifeline to a battered town (NY Post original date: May 29, 2007)
Sometimes a bridge is more than just a bridge. The new span across the copper-colored St. Louis Bay connects today’s diminished reality to memories of a more generous past, a hopeful link to the return of better days. And it has ended the isolation, physical and mental, of a place that once considered itself a jewel of the Gulf Coast, a sun-baked collection of picturesque old frame houses that Hurricane Katrina smashed, then severed from its brethren to the east. The surge from the storm wiped out the concrete bridge carrying U.S. Highway 90 that had stood for a half-century. The recovery is creeping along. Wind off the bay is still the loudest noise in the empty-seeming downtown, whistling through ruined buildings and banging loose siding. Before the storm Bay St. Louis was a favored seaside retreat for New Orleanians — the historian Stephen E. Ambrose had lived and written here before his death in 2002 — and, coming from the east, a genteel respite from the garishness of Biloxi’s casinos.“It’s major, psychologically,” said Alicein Chambers, who opened the Mockingbird Cafe a year after the storm. “It just feels like we’re moving, we’re making progress, we’re going forward.” Before, “we were all just on this little cut-off island,” she said; now, “we’re happy to be part of the coast again.|
The partly illusory feeling of isolation — the east-west Interstate 10, just 10 miles to the north, has been available throughout — was nonetheless pervasive. The old way of communicating with the neighbors in Pass Christian and Biloxi, first by way of the wooden bridge of the 1920s, then the concrete one of the 1950s, had been wiped out. And a seven-minute dash across the bay had turned into a 45-minute commute.“After the storm, we were an island unto ourselves,” said Brian Rushing, a minister at the First Baptist Church. “We truly have been isolated from the rest of the Gulf Coast community.”Bay St. Louis Mayor, Eddie Favre, is still living in a trailer, and the old City Hall downtown is still empty. He has moved municipal functions to a former utility company building on the highway. Downtown, on a deserted street, an injunction scrawled on a vacant frame house — “Please respect our loss. Do not enter” — seems superfluous, as there is nobody around to read it.
Mayor Favre calls the bridge a tremendous psychological and emotional boost.“For 626 days, we felt that isolation,” he said. “The bridge, in so many ways, whether it was walking or fishing, it was just so much a part of our daily life.”
Taken from “Bridging the gap” By Suz (5/17/2007):
Yesterday it finally felt better. Yesterday it finally felt like home. The Bay bridge was finally opened. I rode through my home town and felt happy for the first time since Katrina. I guess, because for the first time, I was able to see progress on our beach front. The best part of our wonderful town remained a ghost town, separated as if a deserted island without a bridge to cross the water. To get to the other half of the Gulf Coast, you would have to drive around to take the interstate, adding about 30 minutes to your ride and a good $5-$10 in additional gas!! We were severed from what we knew. Having lived here all my life, it just felt so wrong to be severed this way. I seldom even drove to the barren beach front any more that used to be my favorite place to go.
Today, for the first time, I took the bridge home from work. “Sweet Emotion” cranked on my stereo, windows down, and a smile across my face. It was a gorgeous day. The bridge, now constructed so differently, made me feel as though I was traveling to a whole new place. It felt strange … but good! Some readers’ comments: Neil-I know exactly how you feel Susan. When I went over the bridge on Thursday it felt like I was free again! .. These past two years have made me feel like I have been trapped on a blown up island. Although there is really nothing on the other side of the bridge till Gulfport, it gives a sense of freedom that is hard to quantify, or explain to someone that has not been living in Bay St. Louis since Katrina. The bridge does give some hope that the coast will come back. Drew-I LOVE this blog! I will keep going back to people have NO IDEA, but seriously, people have no idea how much milestones in improvement can make such a HUGE difference. Like I remember when they put the two trailers and a deck where the yacht club used to be, and I joined all the locals there for a party and it was so nice to have some semblance of progress. So nice. Hell like the celebration of electricity. Just getting f’n electricity was a reason to be excited and have a party. ;-)Friends have a house on the bluff that survived the storm. I will never forget the first party I attended at their house. To see lights at night that were not run by a generator and a working bathroom was something most people can never understand how gratifying it can be. We grilled and drank and I sat back and quietly listened to all the stories. It was a magical night that is imprinted in my memory forever. The new bridge is so glorious. It is a tribute in a way to making things better. The effort put in by so many that have come to help the Bay rebuild is so heart warming. When I drove around early after the storm. Every time I saw a Georgia Power truck, I would roll down the window and thank them. I was so blown away by their commitment and effort to get the job done not even being from there. It is people like that that reinforce my belief in humanity. They came to a place where they were not even going to have basic human services and comforts, and stayed for months until the job was done.
Do not forget us. We are the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Remember our name. We will make history again…
as the people who fought
to revive
the greatest place we’ve ever known… Our home!-Suz 8/28/2009
Will South Mississippi be recovered in five more years?
By KAREN NELSON – klnelson@sunherald.com State Sen. Debbie Dawkins, D-Pass Christian, and Ocean Springs architect Bruce Tolar both said progress has been slowed by a holdup in recovery money. It hasn’t flowed where it was needed, they said. Both said they might consider the Coast recovered closer to 20 years after the storm, not 10.
“Five years feels like we’ve been in quicksand,” Tolar said. “I think we’re just now starting to see things happen that we thought we would see three years ago.”
Scott King, director of policy and research at the Gulf Coast Business Council, predicts in the next few years, as the recession fades, the Coast will see an acceleration in construction, leisure and hospitality jobs that will exceed those of the nation.
“We’ve made progress in the midst of a recession and prohibitive insurance rates,” King said. “The recession will take care of itself, and when the insurance rates start to come down, there will be a real stimulus to the economy.”
He said Katrina forced the Coast to work together and gave some cities a chance to look at how they want to grow. But what the Coast will actually look like is hard to speculate, he said.
AFTERMATH – Hurricane Katrina: Five Years Later By J.R. WELSH of The Sea Coast Echo Aug 28, 2010 Five years later, Katrina has become a bookmark in the lives of thousands. Stand in line at any store, and you’ll hear it over and over: Time is marked by the prelude “before the storm,” or “after the storm.”
Historic homes were left in rubble, businesses were ruined, dreams were shattered. And in the ensuing five years, crime has risen, people who managed to survive the storm have died from Katrina-induced stress or illness, marriages have come apart at the seams.
Jim Thriffiley, a retired educator who served 30-plus years on the Bay St. Louis City Council, has been quietly keeping tabs on Katrina recovery. While the area has sparkling new government buildings and roads rebuilt with federal money, he thinks the progress glimmers on the surface but hasn’t really improved things for ordinary people. Five years later, he said, Katrina’s largest legacy is a lack of prosperity.
“A lot of the people who are under 45 – maybe 50 to 75 percent of those people – don’t have a permanent job where they can work 40 hours a week,” he said. “I see a lot of people who are discouraged.”
With city revenues falling, the loss of the vacation home economy, and a precipitous decrease in population since the storm, Thriffiley fears the area is returning to the low economic tides that flowed here in 1965, when Hurricane Betsy struck Louisiana.
Homesick in my home town
gazing out the window
I pull the blinds down
I mourn for you
more with each day that passes
I wish I could see you through rose colored glasses
I took you for granted
your beauty, your history, your imagery
vanished
I’m lost without you
though I seem to find my way
your landmarks and milestones have all washed away
I’m homesick and broken hearted
ever since the day we parted-Suz 7-29-10
It was impossible to get close to my cottage. The surrounding houses were scattered about like broken toys, matchsticks, piles of lumber and people’s personal belongings … boats, vehicles, and many massive trees. It’s hard to describe, but just imagine a city … a neighborhood … picture it in your mind. Picture it as if it were a model that you were able to manipulate. Now imagine putting it inside a tank of water and swirling the water very quickly and then lifting the model out of the tank to see what’s left… this is the best way I can explain it. This is what every neighborhood in several cities for miles around looked like … apocalyptic. –Suz 8/25/10
Katrina Relief Worker Leigh Russell tells her story of first arriving on the coast in November of 2005 after joining her church’s mission to help the people here: I left corporate America for life as a minister’s wife and home school mom and have since been on five mission trips, three overseas and two in the United States. The Hurricane Katrina relief trip was the hardest emotionally.
Driving through Pass Christian, a small Gulf-side community just east of Saint Louis Bay, we could see into residents’ homes because entire walls were torn away. Razor wire was a frequent reminder that the area had just recently been reopened. Some of the buildings still standing were little more than picnic shelters, with the remains of roofs held up by nothing but the wall studs. Sometimes only a slab remained to indicate where a home once stood. There might be a foundation or front steps leading to nothing — doors, walls and the rest of the homes were blown away in the storm. Sometimes we would see families picking through the rubble, searching for belongings or anything that could be salvaged from the mess.
Pass Christian, MS
Similar to the result of an atomic blast. The Penthouse Condominiums in Pass Christian, Mississippi, along with most other properties in the area were completely obliterated by Katrina. 100% of all business properties within the coastal community of Pass Christian had been destroyed. In a published damage assessment of Bay St. Louis and Long Beach, Mississippi, Digital Globestated that the majority of single family homes were destroyed (foundations/pad remain).
Our journey seemed relentless. My heart longed to check on my family, but I could barely journey within a 3 mile radius let alone venture out toward their location 8-10 miles away. We encountered more people with more stories. Stories of riding out this unfathomable nightmare from a tree top, hanging on for dear life. Stories of struggling to save pets and swimming for survival including a man who had to swim for about 6 hours with his cat under his arm. So many stories of survival. Some stories of inspiration and others of desperation. We followed a woman who had walked many miles to check on her home, she was heading in the same direction as us. As we approached, her home was gone. She was shrieking and panicking. She was trying to understand if she was actually in the right location or if she’d gotten lost. We were getting closer to Christian’s house and expecting the worse. She had left her cats there under the assumption it might be bad but not this bad. She had yet to forgive herself for this decision. We were praying for the best.
From the outside, her house looked normal. We had hope, but when we opened the door it appeared as if the inside of her home were a blender that had been stuffed with a mixture all of her belongings and thick, black mud. It was surreal. Furnishings resting on high shelves, clothes hanging from a ceiling fan that’s blades were curling downward and dripping water. We could see a clear line about 6 inches below the ceiling. The cats began to meow. They must’ve floated on different items, compacted in that small open space and rode out the storm. It was unbelievable. Christian was hysterical. Tears streamed down our faces. The cats were skiddish and wild. –Suz 8/27/10
We’d encountered many survivors, stranded just like us in the aftermath of what really felt like a nuclear war or something I just can’t find the words to describe. The list included an elderly couple who’d lived behind me for years when I was in the cottage. They had planned to stay in their vehicle until they could find a solution. Like me, they couldn’t get to their property in that old neighborhood. We insisted they join us in our safe home where we had supplies and plenty of room. We also had a man join us who had to swim for his life for 8 hours. He was new to the area and had moved out here for a job. He lived on the beach and did not realize what kind of danger he was in when he chose to stay behind. He was very shaken and weak. My new home became a safe haven for a few of us who were stuck in this broken town with no way in or out, nowhere to go, and little supplies but still we were better off than most. This was the beginning of what felt as if we were placed on a survival mission of sorts.
As the days passed, we all had special duties which mostly included obtaining supplies like ice and food from various locations. The beginnings of the survival techniques included stealing from damaged stores. But, for everyone, it was the only option. Stores were guarded by policeman who allowed the scavenging for survival. After a couple of days, some crews were able to get out to our area and offer ice and Meals Ready to Eat (known as MRE’s, the same time of meals military teams eat when out on missions…etc…). It was a long journey, by foot, to reach designated areas. Our team was equipped with hijacked shopping carts and this was the norm of everyone. We would take turns getting these items throughout the day and in the evening taking turns preparing the meals and sharing in responsibilities. It was work, but it was part of a life changing experience. Before meals, we would say grace and give thanks for being alive and able to have such comforts among so many who did not. –Suz 8/28/10
An areal photograph of Waveland, MS
Taken from “Take a left at the pile of debris that used to be…” by Suz July, 2006 Once this coastal town had a remarkable culture rich with art, music, fine people and a New Orleans flair. Today the face of the city is blank, dry and desolate spattered with rubble and debris. Inland, businesses are slowly sprouting but they are owned by strangers and filled with strangers.
Having no remnants of our history, and replacing history with casinos, hotels, condos and such is painful progress. Don’t get me wrong, progress at all at this point is better than stagnating in rubble and desolation. It’s just hard to stomach a complete facelift on everything.
The local scene confuses me. The bars are flashy and big and sparkling new. They are filled with the heavy odor of cheap cologne, and there are 10 men to every one woman. Part of the coolness of being out and about was the competition. Ladies check out the women just as much as the men. The competition is an art. The local women were all southern beauties to behold. That graceful dance is missing in the scene these days.
Katrina changed my life in many ways… the way I felt, the way I looked at things. I awakened me to who I really am. A survivor. A person with emotional and physical strength far beyond I ever imagined was inside of me. The most defining moment, for me, was the day after Katrina. I woke up early with a plan to seek out my parents. I knew it would take at least a day to get to their home, my childhood home, but it was the only thing that mattered to me. I packed a bag with water and granola bars and Christian and I were psyching ourselves up for the long road ahead. As we gathered our bicycles and stepped out to the street, it was as if an aura surrounded the Toyota Fourunner as it crept down the road toward us. I watched in awe as my mother and father parked in front of us and jumped out. Tears streamed down my mother’s face and my own. My father, equipped with a chain saw, cut their way to us for miles. They traveled in their SUV that had been flooded in the tidal surge. It was a miracle that the vehicle was able to make the journey. We embraced. For that glorious moment, it felt as if nothing else in the world mattered. Later, they made it home safely and the SUV was never able to drive again. –Suz 8/28/10
“Many of you have already seen the videos and news stories from the national media. I can tell you that aerial photography, as graphic as it is, in no way shows the true story from the ground. I struggle to find the words. The faces of friends, and family, the hollow fearful eyes as Mississippi Gulf Coast residents, long experienced with hurricanes, know that this is a life changing event,” Keith Burton/Gulf Coast News (article date September 5, 2005) . “The national news media has given you the big picture on how the Federal and State governments are responding and the news has been bad on that front with widespread criticism. But people just don’t appreciate the scale of what has happened, and how hard it is just to begin to help.”
Thank you again for joining me in this series. Please return for the next installment, where I will describe my journey post
Katrina as well as the journey of my home.
This is the second part to a series about Hurricane Katrina.
Please read the previous blog “X marks the spot” to read the first part of this series.
USA TODAY ranked the story of Hurricane Katrina 4th place in their “25 Headlines that shaped History”
Other nations couldn’t help but acknowledge the devastation. Some headlines from September, 2005:
China Morning Post: “Dollar Dives Amid Katrina Chaos” — The U.S. dollar dropped to a three-month low point against the euro on Friday, faltering as the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Katrina threatened to cripple growth in the world’s largest economy. TF1 TV(France): It’s unusual for the United States, the number one economic and military superpower in the world, to ask for international help for a domestic catastrophe. The last time this occurred was after the September 11 attacks. Die Welt(Germany): America looks aghast at a third world situation on its own soil, splintered and full of violence.
The Australian: “Forgotten Biloxi Belts Out the Blues” –The slow drive towards Biloxi is like glimpsing the post-oil future, a scene out of the post-apocalyptic movie Mad Max.
12 hours had passed almost to the minute before Katrina finally allowed us to step outside our safe haven. It was 5:00 in the afternoon and the sun broke through the clouds and shone down on what appeared to be the aftermath of nuclear war. We were stunned and speechless…and thankful when we looked back on the house we were in. Large trees were scattered like match sticks all around the house, having barely missed it. Most of the roof was intact and damage was minor. We looked out to the street and among the scattered debris people began to emerge. Everyone appeared to be in a zombie like state. We focused on a couple who’s clothes were tattered and torn and they were bloodied and bruised. We offered them help and listened to their story of how they’d swam for their lives from a home that was washed away in the surge of water just a few blocks away. They swam for about 8 hours as they recalled. I get goose bumps remembering this conversation. – Suz 8/26/10
From “Quarrelling through Katrina” on msnbc.com: Hurricane enthusiast George “Sonny” Hoffman found himself in the company of an unlikely group of strangers when he went to Waveland, Miss., to meet Hurricane Katrina. Sonny believed the group was in a world of trouble and appointed himself commander. As he tells it, he began formulating plans and back-up plans. Sonny was alone in his belief that the Texan Motel, a mile and a half from the waterfront, would flood. He predicted the storm surge would reach 20 feet on Highway 90 and 7 feet at the hotel.
“Everyone had the sense of relief that when the sun came up that you know — it was over, you’d made it through the night,” says Colleen, even though the wind was still blowing. It was only then that Katrina brought the deluge.
As Sonny remembers it: “It was Robert who brought it to my attention that the parking lot across the street was filling up with water. It had become a lake, the cars were floating. Their lights were on. Then we notice that there’s a river flowing down Highway 90. It looked like the Colorado River.”
Colleen describes it this way: “I walked out to the street to see if I could see anything. And that’s when the wave (came). … It looked like somebody ought to be surfing on it. It had a white cap. … I would have expected a parade of pink elephants before I would have expected this huge wave coming down Highway 90.”
From “Hurricane Katrina: Survivor Stories” on CTVnews: “We grabbed a lady and pulled her out the window and then we swam with the current. It was terrifying. You should have seen the cars floating around us. We had to push them away when we were trying to swim.”
Schovest lived at Quiet Water Beach apartments in Biloxi, Miss., where authorities estimate 30 people perished.-Joy Schovest
Just a few months prior to Katrina I had found myself in a very good position in life. I was poised to begin a new endeavor in property management. My quaint little cottage just a couple of blocks away from the beautiful Waveland beach front had raised in value dramatically. I’d remodeled it somewhat and transformed it from an outdated camp style home to an attractive and inviting cottage style home. I was in a position to move forward, using that home as a propeller toward bigger and better things. With a good paying job, money in the bank, the humble beginnings of a classic car collection and a valuable home I was able to take a loan against these items and purchase a bigger, better home (under the agreement that my cottage would be rented on a regular basis and the classic cars would be rebuilt and re-sold for profit). I had moved most of my belongings into my beautiful new home, only about 3 miles from my cottage and was aimed for success. I got a pretty decent deal on the new home and envisioned it turning more profit and becoming a land lord of sorts. I had dreams. The cottage was emptied except the garage full of antiques, collectables, and childhood memories stored in boxes I just hadn’t found the time to move to my new house yet. The new house was still cluttered with boxes full of valuables, particularly my music memorabilia such as collectable items, autographs and photographs. It was too much work to sort through it all, so I kept it stored in the recreation room at the new house out of the way until I could find the time. When thinking of material things, it was a bit ironic that everything I had stored at that cottage and in boxes in the new house happened to be the most important and irreplaceable of all my personal belongings in life … and the only items that were lost in Katrina. During the storm, in that fateful moment that I stepped down into the recreation room and noticed it flooding it didn’t even dawn on me that I should quickly start gathering my valuables and move them to higher ground. I guess I was in too much of a state of shock.
I never dreamed I would need to cover my property for flooding. It didn’t seem fathomable. The cottage was 13 feet above sea level and had braved many hurricanes in it’s nearly 40 year life span. The bank didn’t require flood insurance and the insurance company didn’t recommend it. Of course, it was close to the beach so I wouldn’t have seen it as a safe place to stay simply because of the wind. Besides, I had a new home at least a mile north of the cottage that was deemed hurricane proof by the seller. And, I have to say, that turned out to be pretty true thankfully.
Christian’s house was not far from the cottage. After helping a few people we met on the street, we noted that while we still had at least 3 hours of daylight left we should venture to our other properties and survey the damage. We hopped on our bicycles for what would normally be a 15 minute journey and rode into a 3 hour adventure were we would struggle with obstacles and find ourselves carrying those bikes over our backs while trudging through heavy debris more often than we were able to ride them. We had no idea what we were in store for…-Suz 8/27/10 As I explained in “X marks the spot”, this series will continue for the next few days honoring the 5 Year Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Please visit again. Thank you.
Suz
On August 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina, the worst natural disaster the United States has ever known, made landfall near Waveland, MS … my hometown. Overshadowed by the flood damage caused by Katrina’s strength breaking the levees in Louisiana, many people don’t realize that ground zero was actually in the state of Mississippi. At this point, however, that is irrelevant. For the last 5 years I have been blogging periodically on this topic regarding anything from damage, to recovery, to humanitarians, and many other effects of this life changing event. Each year, at this time, I post a series of commemorative pieces on myspace. This year, here on wordpress, I offer you a collage of things I have written about Hurricane Katrina as well as some other items from other sources. This will be my first series posted on wordpress and I hope that you will join me in this meaningful journey…
What I lost cannot be found
washed away at sea
what I long for cannot be achieved
so I wonder if I should leave
leave behind my home
the home that left me behind
left me in a place that I don’t recognize
-Suz 7/29/10
STATS:
The costliest natural disaster in US history
One of the 5 deadliest hurricanes in US history
The deadliest US hurricane since the 1928 Okeechobe Hurricane
Total property damage $81 Billion +
Upon landfall, Katrina sustained 125mph winds and extended 120 miles from the storm’s center
Katrina maintained strength well into Mississippi, finally losing hurricane strength more than 150 miles inland
Taken from “Hold the Salt Please” by Suz (Original post date September 16, 2008):
“In the wake of all these depressing anniversaries, Katrina & 9/11, I’m feeling a little down. I must admit, I don’t think of 9/11 as much as I should… though I remember it like yesterday. For days I set glued to the TV in a depressed state as the media continuously replayed the horrific images of the twin towers destruction. Though, because I don’t actually live near the destruction, after a couple of years this memory was filed on a back shelf in my mind… only to be reminded when the media brought it back to the forefront. I don’t mean to downplay 9/11, but for me it was best shelved because the depressive and fear-filled effect it had on me was too much of a burden to bear.
Hurricane Katrina, on the other hand, is a horrific event I’m reminded of daily because I live at ground zero. I live among the stagnating recovery process and dark cloud that continues to loom over my town. I never got away from it, so I don’t see the progress that some see. Driving around town this weekend, it felt as though Katrina hit just yesterday. My stomach ached and my eyes filled with tears. It seems never ending. The few friends I have left here are all in the market to relocate now. Employment is down here and businesses are closing shop left and right. I have been looking for a job for 5 weeks now to no avail. I feel like I’ve moved to a miserable place that lacks opportunity or activity, and I’m homesick for a place that is only a distant memory now.”
Taken from “Remembering the Day the Coast Changed” by Melissa M. Scallan (Sun Herald writer):
“Latham, the director of MEMA, and other emergency officials monitored the hurricane advisories and knew Mississippi likely would take a big hit. What they didn’t know was how much of the Coast would be wiped away in an eight-hour span.
Katrina’s beginnings were somewhat different from other storms. It grew from a combination of a tropical wave, a trough and the remnants of Tropical Depression 10 nearly 950 miles east of Barbados. It became Tropical Depression 12 on Aug. 23, 2005, and passed over South Florida as a Category 1 hurricane two days later. The storm weakened only slightly and the eye stayed intact as Katrina moved into the Gulf of Mexico. Low wind shear and warm water fueled the hurricane and by Aug. 28, Katrina took up nearly the entire Gulf and had winds of 175 mph.
Its fury did not discriminate. Katrina killed young and old, rich and poor. The oldest victim was 96-year-old Pearl Frazier of Biloxi. She couldn’t leave the home her late husband had built on Back Bay in the 1970s. The youngest known victim was 2-year-old Matthew Tart of Pass Christian. The 20-foot storm surge overtook the home he lived in on Lorraine Avenue.
The winds were a strong Category 3, but the storm surge topped 30 feet in some places, crushing tens of thousands of houses, churches and businesses and covering many more with water.”
Christian and I sat across the dining table with a transistor radio between us and a deck of cards we tried to focus on playing with. The wind howled outside and we tried to block out scary noises like crashes and bangs. We were struggling to pick up any radio station and honed in on a a.m. station broadcasting soul music and storm updates out of New Orleans. Our guts wrenched to the point of feeling physically ill as we listened to the frightening broadcast that began to unfold detailing the struggles for survival in Louisiana, and we were in the thick … dead center of the same storm. Earlier I had lost the phone signal while speaking to my mother, 8 long miles away from me and screaming about windows bursting and water entering her home. She and my father, now in their early 70’s, alone in a situation I fought imagining. I couldn’t fight the urge to have a cigarette inside my home. I decided I would go into the recreation room to smoke and try to keep it out the house. I opened the door and stepped down into a fast growing pool of water. My heart sank. This house was 23 feet above sea level! My first though was of those, 8 miles south of me and below sea level. Visions of loved ones flashed in my mind. I rushed to a window, calling for Christian and we stood in awe watching white caps rolling down the street. My mind was racing on thoughts of survival and wishing I knew how to swim. Moments earlier we were praying for the lives of those in danger, and now we were praying for our lives. -Suz 8/23/10
PEOPLE’s Sept. 19, 2008 issue ran an abridged version of reporter Alice Jackson’s tragic story: When Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Mississippi coast on Aug. 29, she lost her Ocean Springs, Miss., home and nearly all her possessions. Here she describes the storm and its aftermath in greater detail. Here are some quotes from her story: “Saturday, I evacuated to my friend’s house with my 81-year-old mother, my 28-year-old niece and my sister-in-law. We packed clothes, food and water – plus axes, an extension ladder and flares. That way we could cut our way out through the roof if necessary. As a reporter, I’d covered too many hurricanes where people drowned in their attics because they couldn’t escape the rising water. On Sunday, the news showed the eye of the hurricane heading toward our exact location. That night, before the TV went out, a report said, ‘It’s looking better for New Orleans, and the very worst for the Gulfport area.’ After hearing that, I said to everyone, ‘I want you to forgive me now, because I think I made a mistake. I’m afraid we’re all going to have to fight very hard not to die.’
All night I’d been watching a giant pine tree in a neighbor’s yard. It had been bending mightily, but had stayed rooted. Suddenly I heard a deafening crack, and I yelled, “Run!” Seconds later the tree smashed through the house. We had escaped to the master bedroom closet in the center of the house. My sister-in-law hauled a mattress off the bed and leaned it on top of my mother and my niece. Then we noticed that the walls were heaving, so we raced around the house, opening windows to relieve the pressure build-up. Looking outside, we watched in horror as the house behind us turned into what looked like a living, breathing monster. The roof would lift, the house would expand, and then the roof would fall. Finally, the house exploded.
The next day, we drove out to see what had happened. When we turned toward my street, all I saw was a big lake where there once had been houses, trees and roads. Finally, about three miles from my property, we were stopped by debris: the remains of what had once been beautiful homes, with tattered curtains blowing from shattered windows and overturned furniture covered in mud. We walked through the debris, which was sometimes head-high.Some women were pointing toward an empty slab. They told us, ‘Last night, there was a house there, and a whole family was in it.’ One woman screamed, ‘Where are the children?’ We walked toward them, and I stepped on something. It was a little shoe, with a leg attached; it was a body, buried in mud. I told the women as calmly as I could, ‘Please don’t pull this out; let the rescue crews do it. You don’t have anywhere to put it, and you can’t just leave it out here.’ My house … it was completely gone. I knelt down on my slab and said out loud, ‘I am so grateful that the people I love have lived.’ And I cried. I had 20 good years in that house, and I feel fortunate.
After I went to Sunday mass in my old church – which was still standing – I decided it was time to stop digging in the mud and start rebuilding my life. I no longer want to live in Mississippi. You know you’ve seen it all when you’ve watched deputies taking ice chests from the local Winn-Dixie to store bodies. I will leave here and make a new life somewhere else.”
Although, winds, flooding and occasional tornadoes accompany hurricanes, most damage and death are caused by the storm surge. The surge consists of the rising of the sea level caused by low pressure, high winds, and high waves. These are characteristic of hurricanes as they reach land. Storm surges cause significant flooding, and being caught in one is extremely hazardous.
The fall in air pressure with a hurricane helps with the rise in water. Normal pressure at sea level is 29.92126 inches or 14.6969 pounds per square inch. In the wall of the hurricane’s eye, ascending and spiraling winds lift over a million tons of air per second. This process drops the surface pressure as the air soars. The surface of the sea rises one foot for each one inch drop in barometric pressure due to the air rising within the eyewall.
If you think about the weight or mass of water, it is easy to understand why a storm surge can cause so much damage. One cubic meter of water has a mass of 1,000 kilograms. If we look at the weight of water using the British system, most of us are used to, we see that a cubic yard of water weighs nearly 1,700 pounds! (Source: Center for Atmospheric Sciences)
No sooner had the water began to cover the floor of the recreation room, it began to seep out never making it into the rest of the house. Looking out now, we could see the whitecaps change direction moving almost as quickly as they had rolled in. It was this suction that put so many lives in danger. Though we realized we were momentarily safe from downing, we then began to notice the many trees outside swaying close to the house. We quickly realized we needed to stay in the center of the house and that smoking indoors in the center of the house was not only our best option, but our only option. We prayed heavily and paced, chain smoking and listening to a voice on the radio telling of how the roof was peeling off the New Orleans Superdome filled with evacuated people. We were about 6 hours into the storm and about 4 hours past the last time I’d heard my mother’s voice. I was feeling ill. I’d become sick thinking of what I knew so many people, so widespread were enduring. My parents weighed heavy on my mind. -Suz 8/25/10
The Gulf coast of Mississippi suffered massive damage from the impact of Hurricane Katrina on August 29, leaving 238 people dead, 67 missing, and billions of dollars in damage: bridges, barges, boats, piers, houses and cars were washed inland. Katrina traveled up the entire state, and afterwards, all 82 counties in Mississippi were declared disaster areas for federal assistance, 47 for full assistance. Battered by wind, rain and storm surge, some beachfront neighborhoods were completely leveled. Preliminary estimates by Mississippi officials calculated that 90% of the structures within half a mile of the coastline were completely destroyed, and that storm surges traveled as much as six miles (10 km) inland in portions of the state’s coast. One apartment complex with approximately thirty residents seeking shelter inside collapsed.
A number of streets and bridges were washed away. In the weeks after the storm, with the connectivity of the coastal U.S. Highway 90 shattered, traffic traveling parallel to the coast was reduced first to State Road 11 (parallel to I-10) then to two lanes on the remaining I-10 span when it was opened.
All three coastal counties of the state were severely affected by the storm. Katrina’s surge was the most extensive, as well as the highest, in the documented history of the United States; there were inundated by the storm surge and in all three cases affecting most of the populated areas. Surge covered almost the entire lower half of Hancock County, destroying the coastal communities. Remarkably, over 90% of Pascagoula, the easternmost coastal city in Mississippi, and about 75 miles (121 km) east of Katrina’s landfall near the Louisiana-Mississippi border, was flooded from surge at the height of the storm.
Although Hurricane Katrina made landfall well to the west, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle were both affected by tropical-storm force winds and a storm surge varying from 12 to 16 feet. Katrina’s storm surge led to 53 levee breaches in the federally built levee system protecting metro New Orleans and the failure of the 40 Arpent Canal levee. Nearly every levee in metro New Orleans was breached as Hurricane Katrina passed just east of the city limits. Failures occurred in New Orleans and surrounding communities. The major levee breaches in the city left approximately 80% of the city flooded. Levee breaches in New Orleans also caused widespread loss of life, with over 700 bodies recovered in New Orleans by October 23, 2005. (Source: Wikipedia.com)
Please follow me on this journey over the next few days as I post this series about Hurricane Katrina.
Thank you,
Suz
so exciting. This was our usual outing. A group of 6 of us who are huge Moody Blues fans who get together and make a big night out of it each time they come. This would be our third time to see them together over a 10 year span. They don’t come often. In fact this was about 12 years ago and I think they have only come to this area again once since then. Anyway, we were all looking fancy and enjoying ourselves … anticipating the concert. Now, please don’t think I’m judgmental or a snob … but I couldn’t help but be taken aback when the couple seated behind us arrived to take their seats. They were both overweight and dressed in their best red neck rocker gear. She was wearing a lovely Lynard Skynard T-shirt with the sides cut out so that is would hang slightly loose over her barreling bounds of pale white fat rolls, and clearly revealing her black lace bra from either side of the shirt. She also boasted a tight, leather, mini-skirt with leather biker boots. Her belly peered out from under her designer t-shirt, laying gently atop the waist of her skirt. She struggled to squeeze into the theater seat probably as hard as she struggled to squeeze into that skirt. Her date was a complementary match to her as he was also rather large, wearing a matching Skynard T, jeans and a blue jean vest with the sleeves cut off leaving frayed edges and a trucker hat (before that was the in thing to wear, mind you) that boasted a rebel flag. Don’t get me wrong, their attire did not bother me nor did the fact that they were overweight. Sure, they stuck out like sore thumbs, but appearance really means nothing to me. It’s something I can look away from and not think twice about … which is exactly what I did. I looked away and went back to anticipating a great show as our group discussed previous shows and took note of the playlist that we could clearly see. As time passed, I couldn’t help but to overhear the couple behind us in their own chat about anticipation. I’m not one to eavesdrop, well … not one to eavesdrop conversations that have nothing to do with me anyway (tee hee) but I couldn’t help but hear them as they excitedly discussed their most repulsive plan. “No!” I cried in my mind “God help me, please let their plan fail miserably!” Now I know some of you crazy overly open minded people will say that I was being selfish or snobby for not wanting them to succeed … you may think I’m a prude, but 
seriously … I think there is a time and place for certain activities and sitting behind me at a Moody Blues concert is not the time or the place to have sex, which is exxxxxxxxxxactly what they were planning. Oh how my stomach churned at the very thought of this unfolding. You see, apparently, “Knight’s in White Satin” was a meaningful song to this couple and the whole purpose of them attending this concert was not to enjoy a beautiful musical event, but to make sweet love when the band preformed “Knights in White Satin.” They were not Moody Blues fans, they were just a couple with a plan to do something outrageous because it had a certain value to them and that was it! Period! Our group began to cringe as we all couldn’t help but hear their plan unfold in dirty, disgusting detail. We all grumbled softly to each other, hoping they would change their minds about their public display of love during such a respectable event.
Now I thought I would give you all a chuckle, and I know I’ve needed one because the news has been rather tragic lately where I live. A topic I have chosen to avoid at this time here; the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. If you have interest in this topic, you can read what I have written here: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=48953274&blogId=533668062
Waiting on karma to pay back that debt... 