Randomness

[Distracted]

Well, the power's still on, but we just lost cable TV. It's twilight outside and the trees are really whipping now. I've been through worse with previous hurricanes, but it looks like things are starting to pick up.

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

Well, it looks like you won't need my best wishes, since Gustav (how I hate that it has a Swedish name!) seems to have calmed down quite a bit. *knocks on wood* So that's good news!

[Asso]

I hope it will never exist a hurricane called" Ivan"!

[Alelou]

I seem to recall everyone breathing a sigh of relief that Katrina wasn't such a big deal, either, and then -- damn -- the next morning whole cities had been wiped off the coast and N.O. was under water.

I'm pretty sure there was a Hurricane Ivan. I don't remember when, but I do remember the name. (Why is that so bad? Ivan the Terrible?)

I'd be more worried about Vladimir.

[Asso]

Yes! Ivan the Terrible.
I you are reminded with such an dire name, probably there're some reasons.

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

I'd be more worried about Vladimir.

Hurricane Vladimir has just swept through Georgia, and is still lingering there...

[dark_rain]

My thoughts to those who are going to be/have been affected by this latest weather disaster. Makes out moaning about our weather less than insignificant.

[Alelou]

I'm pretty sure there was a Hurricane Ivan. I don't remember when, but I do remember the name. (Why is that so bad? Ivan the Terrible?)

Well, it was aptly named, Asso. Ivan was the strongest hurricane of the 2004 season, a cat 5: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Ivan

For a long time, all hurricanes were named for women (no doubt you would agree with this, Asso!). I still want to say "she" when I talk about them. I remember my grandpa took me out for a walk in the eye of Camille. The sky was very weirdly green, I remember that. (Yeah, I know that's a stupid thing to do, but he was an old seaman and Camille wasn't very bad in Tampa.)

[CX]

Hope things are ok Dis and krn, and whoever else has been hit by storms.

[Distracted]

Our power's back up now after several hours, but large areas of town are still without power. The storm barely touched the western half of the Louisiana Gulf Coast where our camp is located, so despite a royal mess in the yard from downed branches and a neighbor with a hole in the roof from a tree, we did well. I think Lafayette had one fatality from a huge tree that fell on a house. The rain's even slowed down to a virtual drizzle. Thanks for your prayers. They worked.

How are you doing Dusalis Drake? Were you in harm's way too, krn?

[Alelou]

Glad to hear you weathered it well.

Now the country just has to survive the next two or three storms already lined up on the runway....

[Bether6074]

I'm so glad you're okay.

Seems to me like taking precautions for everyone's safety would be well worth the money. JMO, of course. Scary stuff.

[justTripn]

I have so much else to do and my work is so boring. I am editing a paper right now (staying late at work) on private equity funds and the paper basically itemizes, adds up, and compares all the different categories of fees they charge. ARRGGHHH!!! If anyone can think of a more boring topic, I'd like to hear it.

Meanwhile, all I want to do is finish my stupid story "Brainstorm" which also means finishing my voluminous E-squared series. But since it is the series finale, it has to be good and we aren't quite there yet. So I fiddle and fiddle with my last chapter and slip farther behind in my life. Meanwhile, Elessar churns out pages and pages of inspired stuff, written like 10 or 15 pages in one shot, I believe. Very depressing.

And since this is randomness and I'm frustrated, I note one postive thing that happened lately. My oldest son wanted to get a tatoo, a "P" for Pittsburgh on his arm. (He is 19) So he calls me at work and says, "I really am going to get that tatoo, you you want to come with me, right?" So I told him OK, but bring along his younger brother, the one who is an artist, to approve the design. We are going to the tatoo parlor and I am worrying out loud about how he might regret it later and he goes, "Mom, my next tattoo will be in honor of YOU!" And my younger son goes, "Me too, Mom!"



Yes, the Pittsburgh "P" looks pretty good.

[Escriba]

But since it is the series finale, it has to be good and we aren't quite there yet. So I fiddle and fiddle with my last chapter and slip farther behind in my life. Meanwhile, Elessar churns out pages and pages of inspired stuff, written like 10 or 15 pages in one shot, I believe. Very depressing.

It's frustrating when that happens, isn't it? Don't worry, I think you're stories are great and you don't have to compare yourself with anybody. And I'm wainting your last chapter of "Brainstorm" to read it completely (I'd rather read complete stories, I'm that weird). I'm sure it won't dissapoint me.

We are going to the tatoo parlor and I am worrying out loud about how he might regret it later and he goes, "Mom, my next tattoo will be in honor of YOU!" And my younger son goes, "Me too, Mom!"

A "mother's love" tatto, like the legionary here?

[Alelou]

Not to mention Senor Elessar has a pretty serious deadline to motivate him, and no boring manuscript to edit.

The job I thought was drying up apparently isn't now (this extremely shortly after I started asking people in the office if they would give me references) -- it's going to morph into lead (freelance) writer on the insurance and annuity products after they kick their main guy for that out, perhaps for excessive crankiness since as far as I can tell the man can write just fine. I'm not sure whether to be happy or not. I like the people I work with, but it feels like upper management swims around on the fringes like sharks, occasionally darting in to drag someone out.