You walk in - comfortable, inviting seating greets you as warmly as the immediately-available parking. You find your company and begin to thumb through an extensive selection of wines; red, blush, and white.
Electing to skip on the wine and go for the good stuff, the barkeeper presents a second menu, this one full of spirits beyond the basic Crown Royal, Bacardi, Tanqueray, etc. While scanning, selecting, and eventually drinking, a fusion of light hip-hop, r&b, gentle rock, and downtempo music plays in the background, setting a tone that is rhythmic, yet played at a volume conducive to conversation.
A cursory glance around the room shows all kinds of people: Birthday celebrants. First daters. 2Ls knocking off after another day of intense studies. Tourists, here for a midday drink, on the suggestion of a concierge. All of these people elect to come here because the place is pristine, the bartenders show a level of service and attention unlike any other watering hole in the city, the drinks are reasonably priced with a special every day (this particular day, standard and flavored call margaritas are $3), and the vibes given by the other patrons suggest a neighborly feel in an otherwise moderately cosmopolitan locale. A rooftop patio provides a second type of atmosphere; the music lightly floats here, but this is where you go if you want a view of the city skyline. As smoking is verboten inside, you may up here if you choose.
...
Why doesn't this place exist where I am? And if it does, can someone point me to it? I know what I want to do with my life, but the social side of me yearns for a place that feels part-coffeehouse, part premier bar. My tastes are evolving and honestly, I'm not one for the loud club scene anymore. I like to be able to hear myself think, and on my nights out I'm always thinking of a good place to take a date, especially on the nights when I'm out alone.
Just this past weekend, I stumbled upon a nice place that does salsa/merengue dancing - and I couldn't help but appreciate how genius this place was. Something simple, yet fun, and requiring no great skill to partake in brought joy to so many (seriously, you should have seen them) - and yet, that wasn't what I was out for.
I was looking for my place to hear myself think, that isn't a corner-plot residence in Gentilly. I wanted a beer and part of this cigar I got from a post-election party last year (I read that it smokes better with age, and while I'm not a smoker I just felt like it would sedate me a little) and a little time for me to be social, yet relaxed.
Did I get it? Of course not - or at least, not as I envisioned it (and probably wasn't going to get at a time beyond 1am). As I commented on my Twitter account, make my "w" lowercase - that is to say, I found beer and a rooftop to take in the cigar, but the music was put-offish and the crowd wasn't what I sought.
It all made me realize, maybe I have to create it, if I want it and can't find it... but the question remains: Am I creating it for myself, or am I not the only one who wants this?
Let me open this post with a recently-crystallized, full-out admission that attempt #8 at blogging has been about as up-and-down as the post-Charlotte Hornets.
The problem is, it doesn't have to be that way; I'm on my computer often. I have a laptop and a way around most of the time. Sometimes, even re-locating could probably help get my creative juices going.
I think the biggest problem is that I was a little before my time. Allow me to explain a bit:
Late 2001, my senior year of high school, I spent many an afternoon fooling around on Blackplanet. Nothing wrong with this, it was the turn of the century, and everybody who was anybody had a Blackplanet page. In fact, I probably even tried to contact you - ladies to holla, and guys simply because I saw having more guy friends as an in to making/meeting more girl friends to maybe make one my girlfriend.
I forgot whose page it was (and this is a bit of a shame), but I saw this person had a link to their own website. Wait, complete creative control? Yep! So I checked out this page with its blog, about me, contact, etc. on it, and would just link-hop to many other pages (some of whom even provided their Blackplanet links, I told y'all that site was popular once). Over time, I started to learn the basics of building MY VERY OWN WEBPAGE and eventually registered for one of those "50 megs free space" sites. Eventually I decided that I was sick of the ads, so I bought my first domain, unphazed.net as an early graduation gift.
I'm going to blow through the next seven years all within these next two paragraphs, during which I've owned a total of three websites, had a Livejournal account, flirted with Xanga, and joined and left many message boards:
I tried to do graphic design, decided I mostly sucked at it, and usually let others design sites for me. Because of that, I tended to be heavy on content, detailing my collegiate, military, social, and reflective sides. I had readers, I linked some of them via a separate "link exchange" page, they usually linked me back. Message boards were created. People met via these interactions. Friendships were made, friendships were broken, friendships were renewed. In a sense, the activity on the internet - whether it was having someone design your next layout for a plug, blogging about a topic you discussed on a message board to reach a larger audience, or just finding that next person whose site you admired for whatever reason - became an extension of real life for many of us. It made the internet more than people in a box in a chair in Detroit dorm or a Jersey apartment or a Miami house or an Oakland suburb. It took two people, whom likely did none of the five senses together firsthand, and made them pliable personalities. They became both a supplement and a release from your maintained, everyday life.
What does any of this mean? Well, we were doing this in the early 2000s. Which means that while dot-coms were busting and websites were being added to television commercials and product packaging, we were giving ourselves to the internet in a different way altogether. It would have been nothing to have an entire computing experience focus solely on reading your blogs, writing a post if you so desired, checking in on your forums, and maybe talking to some of these folks on a messenger. If I took a trip to Texas, I would summarize the trip with a blog post, some photos, and leave it at that. Nowadays, I can post them on Facebook, as I'm on vacation, and update my status regularly. I can twitpic with brief commentary and a small URL to save space. Back in those days, I would keep all my files from an old layout in their own folder, and updating (for me) meant updating my blog.txt file for the current layout and then re-uploading it. Now, I'm using a stock layout (or I might change it, as I am not very sleepy right now), have a Facebook & Twitter account that get way more love, and have only slightly entertained the idea of owning another website.
In a way, I'd mentally checked out, but I find that I actually like the idea of site maintenance, regular updates, and overall just getting some of that old groove back. And I'm sure some of my old-heads would feel me on that, if they read this (I only hope they would). At this point, I'm just wondering: Was I merely ahead of my time, or do I have it in me to keep going strong?
In advance, my next blog will be about turmoil for one New Orleans sports franchise in the face of prosperity for the other. In between, I may finalize this other post I have about Election Day 2008, or I might scrap it altogether. I was all amped for it last Wednesday, and cranked out a day runner post in record time. I might still post it for that very reason.
Since most of you will read this on Friday, I'll offer up a Youtube Thursday in this post. Behold, the best music video I've seen in years:
The problem is, it doesn't have to be that way; I'm on my computer often. I have a laptop and a way around most of the time. Sometimes, even re-locating could probably help get my creative juices going.
I think the biggest problem is that I was a little before my time. Allow me to explain a bit:
Late 2001, my senior year of high school, I spent many an afternoon fooling around on Blackplanet. Nothing wrong with this, it was the turn of the century, and everybody who was anybody had a Blackplanet page. In fact, I probably even tried to contact you - ladies to holla, and guys simply because I saw having more guy friends as an in to making/meeting more girl friends to maybe make one my girlfriend.
I forgot whose page it was (and this is a bit of a shame), but I saw this person had a link to their own website. Wait, complete creative control? Yep! So I checked out this page with its blog, about me, contact, etc. on it, and would just link-hop to many other pages (some of whom even provided their Blackplanet links, I told y'all that site was popular once). Over time, I started to learn the basics of building MY VERY OWN WEBPAGE and eventually registered for one of those "50 megs free space" sites. Eventually I decided that I was sick of the ads, so I bought my first domain, unphazed.net as an early graduation gift.
I'm going to blow through the next seven years all within these next two paragraphs, during which I've owned a total of three websites, had a Livejournal account, flirted with Xanga, and joined and left many message boards:
I tried to do graphic design, decided I mostly sucked at it, and usually let others design sites for me. Because of that, I tended to be heavy on content, detailing my collegiate, military, social, and reflective sides. I had readers, I linked some of them via a separate "link exchange" page, they usually linked me back. Message boards were created. People met via these interactions. Friendships were made, friendships were broken, friendships were renewed. In a sense, the activity on the internet - whether it was having someone design your next layout for a plug, blogging about a topic you discussed on a message board to reach a larger audience, or just finding that next person whose site you admired for whatever reason - became an extension of real life for many of us. It made the internet more than people in a box in a chair in Detroit dorm or a Jersey apartment or a Miami house or an Oakland suburb. It took two people, whom likely did none of the five senses together firsthand, and made them pliable personalities. They became both a supplement and a release from your maintained, everyday life.
What does any of this mean? Well, we were doing this in the early 2000s. Which means that while dot-coms were busting and websites were being added to television commercials and product packaging, we were giving ourselves to the internet in a different way altogether. It would have been nothing to have an entire computing experience focus solely on reading your blogs, writing a post if you so desired, checking in on your forums, and maybe talking to some of these folks on a messenger. If I took a trip to Texas, I would summarize the trip with a blog post, some photos, and leave it at that. Nowadays, I can post them on Facebook, as I'm on vacation, and update my status regularly. I can twitpic with brief commentary and a small URL to save space. Back in those days, I would keep all my files from an old layout in their own folder, and updating (for me) meant updating my blog.txt file for the current layout and then re-uploading it. Now, I'm using a stock layout (or I might change it, as I am not very sleepy right now), have a Facebook & Twitter account that get way more love, and have only slightly entertained the idea of owning another website.
In a way, I'd mentally checked out, but I find that I actually like the idea of site maintenance, regular updates, and overall just getting some of that old groove back. And I'm sure some of my old-heads would feel me on that, if they read this (I only hope they would). At this point, I'm just wondering: Was I merely ahead of my time, or do I have it in me to keep going strong?
In advance, my next blog will be about turmoil for one New Orleans sports franchise in the face of prosperity for the other. In between, I may finalize this other post I have about Election Day 2008, or I might scrap it altogether. I was all amped for it last Wednesday, and cranked out a day runner post in record time. I might still post it for that very reason.
Since most of you will read this on Friday, I'll offer up a Youtube Thursday in this post. Behold, the best music video I've seen in years:
Doesn't feel like that long ago, especially since the last game of the Finals is still a fairly recent post around here. I will try to not abandon you so much, blog.
Here are some quick predictions on this season:
Sacramento will continue to suck.
The Hornets will not win a game by more than 15 points at any point in 2009.
Hasheem Thabeet will lead the Grizzlies in blocked shots and games fouled out.
Dallas' window will officially shut. Nowitzki can't wait til 2011... and probably won't.
Dwyane Wade will fall down. A lot.
Jamal Crawford will either be the reason Atlanta makes a leap or the reason Atlanta makes a tumble.
Washington will finish 8th in the East and draw Cleveland in the first round of the playoffs. Again.
Denver will top 130 points five times by All-Star weekend. They might do that by MLK weekend.
Detroit will regret signing Villanueva slightly more than Milwaukee will regret losing him.
Portland will deal Andre Miller for 30 cents on the dollar. It will not happen on the trade deadline.
Stephon Marbury will eat vaseline on justin.tv after every Knick win.
A Texas team will miss the playoffs. My prediction is Houston.
Shaun Livingston will gain about 5 pounds.
The Clippers will remain moderately healthy.
An attempt at playoff predictions
West:
Division winners: Lakers, Spurs, Jazz
Other playoff teams: Hornets, Mavericks, Trailblazers, Nuggets, Clippers
Finals rep: Spurs
East:
Division winners: Cavaliers, Celtics, Magic
Other playoff teams: Hawks, Bulls, Pacers, Sixers, Wizards
Finals rep: Cavaliers
Finals results: Cavs over Spurs in 6
And now, awards:
All-NBA 1st team: LeBron, Durant, Howard, Paul, Bryant
All-NBA 2nd team: Garnett, Nowitzki, Duncan, Wade, D. Harris
All-NBA 3rd team: Pierce, Anthony, Gasol, Rose, Billups
All-Rookie team: Griffin, Blair, Daye, Harden, Curry
ROY: Griffin
MVP: LeBron again
go Hornets
Here are some quick predictions on this season:
Sacramento will continue to suck.
The Hornets will not win a game by more than 15 points at any point in 2009.
Hasheem Thabeet will lead the Grizzlies in blocked shots and games fouled out.
Dallas' window will officially shut. Nowitzki can't wait til 2011... and probably won't.
Dwyane Wade will fall down. A lot.
Jamal Crawford will either be the reason Atlanta makes a leap or the reason Atlanta makes a tumble.
Washington will finish 8th in the East and draw Cleveland in the first round of the playoffs. Again.
Denver will top 130 points five times by All-Star weekend. They might do that by MLK weekend.
Detroit will regret signing Villanueva slightly more than Milwaukee will regret losing him.
Portland will deal Andre Miller for 30 cents on the dollar. It will not happen on the trade deadline.
Stephon Marbury will eat vaseline on justin.tv after every Knick win.
A Texas team will miss the playoffs. My prediction is Houston.
Shaun Livingston will gain about 5 pounds.
The Clippers will remain moderately healthy.
An attempt at playoff predictions
West:
Division winners: Lakers, Spurs, Jazz
Other playoff teams: Hornets, Mavericks, Trailblazers, Nuggets, Clippers
Finals rep: Spurs
East:
Division winners: Cavaliers, Celtics, Magic
Other playoff teams: Hawks, Bulls, Pacers, Sixers, Wizards
Finals rep: Cavaliers
Finals results: Cavs over Spurs in 6
And now, awards:
All-NBA 1st team: LeBron, Durant, Howard, Paul, Bryant
All-NBA 2nd team: Garnett, Nowitzki, Duncan, Wade, D. Harris
All-NBA 3rd team: Pierce, Anthony, Gasol, Rose, Billups
All-Rookie team: Griffin, Blair, Daye, Harden, Curry
ROY: Griffin
MVP: LeBron again
go Hornets
For this week's Youtube Thursday, I present this purely coincidental VideoSong. Pomplamoose Music did a great acoustic/organic take on Beyonce's "Single Ladies" song.
From the video description:
we love this song. the chord progression in the chorus is genius. hooray for beyonce and her songwriters.
This cover is a VideoSong, a new medium with 2 rules:
1. What you see is what you hear (no lip-syncing for instruments or voice).
2. If you hear it, at some point you see it (no hidden sounds).
I wonder how long it took them to make this... very talented, though. Check out their other videos.
From the video description:
we love this song. the chord progression in the chorus is genius. hooray for beyonce and her songwriters.
This cover is a VideoSong, a new medium with 2 rules:
1. What you see is what you hear (no lip-syncing for instruments or voice).
2. If you hear it, at some point you see it (no hidden sounds).
I wonder how long it took them to make this... very talented, though. Check out their other videos.
It's a question I'm confronted with more often than not. Sometimes, a "still" is thrown in there, but the point still stands. People want to know why I'm (still) single and as a possible catalyst for future writing, I'm going to use this entry to address that issue.
The biggest hurdle is that I'm very introverted. That sound I just heard was your jaw hitting whatever surface was under it, but it's true despite my generally being a good conversationalist. Even if I see someone out somewhere that I might consider interesting, I usually don't make an advance. I don't fully know why this is, but it was never in me. I was never the most comfortable at "trying to holla" or any of that, partially because I have a bit of a fear of rejection but also because I don't fancy the idea of making an advance and then things not working out even after being accepted.
I'm also not a club person; I can't stand being in a place where music I usually don't like is too loud for me to think, let alone talk. And since the club is supposed to be somewhere you go to wear your nice clothes, be seen, be amongst your friends, and possibly make new acquaintances, it's more-or-less pre-screened out of my possible places to meet someone. And don't they say that most club hookups don't work out anyway? I like to believe that they can, if the club life is partaken in moderation and both parties are genuinely interested in each other beyond the next morning's sunrise/the next time they'll share bedspace together.
Those aren't the only reasons I'm sure, and there's also some deeper stuff at play. I don't exactly position myself well to hook up with someone, but what happens when, by some cosmic interruption, I do wind up with someone I dig, who in turn digs me? More often than not, I fall victim to the Carrie Complex. This is a phrase my ex-fiancee actually came up with. The character Carrie, from Sex & The City, is the woman who can separate her feelings from her intimate needs. The moment a situation goes awry, she will cut and run without remorse. However, there was an instance where she met a guy, they hit it off well, and the interest sustained and grew beyond physical. Stunned, she felt that something was wrong -- because nothing was wrong. This last sentence is what constitutes the Carrie Complex.
I'm an easy person to get along with. I was raised well, but I'd be being dishonest if I said that there wasn't some calculation on my part to maintain that. I'm an extremely patient person, yet I take it up another notch with a person of interest. I know when to decide and when to defer. I have my dealbreakers -- everyone does -- but it takes much more to really get under my skin than the average guy.
And most women I've dated/had dalliances with have trouble with that. One woman, during our closure talk, basically admitted that she thought I was a time bomb waiting to happen, even as we engaged in the closure talk. She knew that I was willing to quickly forgive her misgivings, yet probably realized that her reasons for parting with me were indicative of her inability to do the same. In other words, she thought I was holding everything in, with an explosion to come at some later date. Not a scratching chance that I was really just this nice. And really, how can I compete with that? That's a battle I'll lose before I enter it. It's just who I am and I can't change that.
So if I don't do the club scene, I'm introverted and reserved by nature, and I even lose the ones I win for non-losing reasons, then what do I rely on?
The answer to this one is easier: I continue to rely on being myself, hoping that someone eventually "gets it." I'm not exactly in a rush to be in a committed situation, because I truly want to do things organically and as anyone who has had success with that knows, it takes more time than deciding you're in love after four weeks mostly spent in the sheets with another. I know that I still have my goals to accomplish and refuse to let myself rush into something, no matter how good it may seem -- because, as the old saying goes, "if something appears too good to be true, then it probably isn't."
Hopefully, I'm not a victim of that. Time will tell.
The biggest hurdle is that I'm very introverted. That sound I just heard was your jaw hitting whatever surface was under it, but it's true despite my generally being a good conversationalist. Even if I see someone out somewhere that I might consider interesting, I usually don't make an advance. I don't fully know why this is, but it was never in me. I was never the most comfortable at "trying to holla" or any of that, partially because I have a bit of a fear of rejection but also because I don't fancy the idea of making an advance and then things not working out even after being accepted.
I'm also not a club person; I can't stand being in a place where music I usually don't like is too loud for me to think, let alone talk. And since the club is supposed to be somewhere you go to wear your nice clothes, be seen, be amongst your friends, and possibly make new acquaintances, it's more-or-less pre-screened out of my possible places to meet someone. And don't they say that most club hookups don't work out anyway? I like to believe that they can, if the club life is partaken in moderation and both parties are genuinely interested in each other beyond the next morning's sunrise/the next time they'll share bedspace together.
Those aren't the only reasons I'm sure, and there's also some deeper stuff at play. I don't exactly position myself well to hook up with someone, but what happens when, by some cosmic interruption, I do wind up with someone I dig, who in turn digs me? More often than not, I fall victim to the Carrie Complex. This is a phrase my ex-fiancee actually came up with. The character Carrie, from Sex & The City, is the woman who can separate her feelings from her intimate needs. The moment a situation goes awry, she will cut and run without remorse. However, there was an instance where she met a guy, they hit it off well, and the interest sustained and grew beyond physical. Stunned, she felt that something was wrong -- because nothing was wrong. This last sentence is what constitutes the Carrie Complex.
I'm an easy person to get along with. I was raised well, but I'd be being dishonest if I said that there wasn't some calculation on my part to maintain that. I'm an extremely patient person, yet I take it up another notch with a person of interest. I know when to decide and when to defer. I have my dealbreakers -- everyone does -- but it takes much more to really get under my skin than the average guy.
And most women I've dated/had dalliances with have trouble with that. One woman, during our closure talk, basically admitted that she thought I was a time bomb waiting to happen, even as we engaged in the closure talk. She knew that I was willing to quickly forgive her misgivings, yet probably realized that her reasons for parting with me were indicative of her inability to do the same. In other words, she thought I was holding everything in, with an explosion to come at some later date. Not a scratching chance that I was really just this nice. And really, how can I compete with that? That's a battle I'll lose before I enter it. It's just who I am and I can't change that.
So if I don't do the club scene, I'm introverted and reserved by nature, and I even lose the ones I win for non-losing reasons, then what do I rely on?
The answer to this one is easier: I continue to rely on being myself, hoping that someone eventually "gets it." I'm not exactly in a rush to be in a committed situation, because I truly want to do things organically and as anyone who has had success with that knows, it takes more time than deciding you're in love after four weeks mostly spent in the sheets with another. I know that I still have my goals to accomplish and refuse to let myself rush into something, no matter how good it may seem -- because, as the old saying goes, "if something appears too good to be true, then it probably isn't."
Hopefully, I'm not a victim of that. Time will tell.
Just as an FYI...
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/danchrism
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/danchrism (I rarely use this)
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/danchrism
last.fm: http://www.last.fm/user/danchrism
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/dcmack1984 (c-c-c-c-combo breaker!)
AIM: I Sent This Msg
Yahoo: dcmack1984
I'm off tomorrow and will write a real post then. Promise.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/danchrism
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/danchrism (I rarely use this)
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/danchrism
last.fm: http://www.last.fm/user/danchrism
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/dcmack1984 (c-c-c-c-combo breaker!)
AIM: I Sent This Msg
Yahoo: dcmack1984
I'm off tomorrow and will write a real post then. Promise.
|
I write this from a better position than the one I was in four years ago.
The irony in that statement is that, geographically, I'm in nearly the exact position I laid an Olympiad back: The second bedroom on the side addition to the house that has been in my family since 1970 (with a brief change of ownership in the early- to mid-90s). This room now functions as a guest bedroom. Its cherrywood bedframe, dresser, and nightstand are rarely used, though friends (should) know that it's there if they need it; its soft blue wall now serves as part of housing for the central air we've since installed. A baby picture of me hangs where my television once rested - on quieter days when I just want to sit in here and reflect, I stare at it as I did the TV when I was in my college age. The adjacent laundry room was once an office, the former storage room is now the office, the former laundry room is now a closet, storage is now outside.
One could say we've done some fine things with this house. But it took the worst natural disaster on U.S. soil to make it all possible. As I walk through each room, I'm reminded that, yes, God is in the hard things. And while August 27, 2005 signaled the first mandatory evacuation in New Orleans' history, August 27, 2009 is a gorgeous (if not slightly hot) day. No hurricane has threatened the Gulf region. Grocery stores are fully stocked. Gas prices won't spike this weekend. Anyone leaving town for the weekend can feel safe in knowing that three days' worth of stuff will be adequate. Anyone arriving to town can expect their visit/return to go off without a hitch.
I've grown in the four years since that mandatory evacuation was called. By then, I was already gone; I left with some cousins when the evacuation was still voluntary. We went east, missing most of the traffic, though I still chuckle when I realize that I went to Florida to avoid a hurricane. Our stay in Florida - three days in Panama City, one in Pensacola - was one that went from fun and leisurely (we'd planned to hit the Foley outlets on the way back) to absolutely disasterous. Extra money set aside for joy turned into our source of staying afloat. A three-day stay outside of Jackson gave me time to come to grips with the reality of what had happened. I spoke little; words would not help speed up the moving on that I needed to undergo.
Atlanta (technically, Ellenwood) and Chicago became home 2.1 and 3.0, respectively. As I'd spent time in Atlanta, and knew their interstate system really well, I took on the burden of making sure my family knew fully how to get around. Trips on 285 were particularly fun; Ellenwood is east of Atlanta proper, so hearing that a relative was lost "in some place called Doraville" or "Cascade Road, which I figured was close to Candler Road" meant I'd gas up the baby blue zoomer (my nickname for the 1997 Ford Contour I inherited) and go rescue them. Seeing my friends from my Morehouse days certainly added light to an otherwise dreary period.
Chicago was a different animal altogether. I moved there with good intentions: The woman I was seeing was in graduate school, and my plan was to head there to help her out, be a familiar face, and then get myself back into school. Well, two of those happened. For reasons I won't explore here, it wound up not working out, and home I returned, where I remain. I did, however, make the most of my Chicago experience: I taught myself how to navigate the streets, how to differentiate between the various directional street names, and even how to get as far north as Green Bay, Wis. Exploring the suburbs was often more rewarding than any "real" trip could have been. And yet, all that knowledge came to be for naught. Within a year of really getting it down pat, I was back in the place I knew best: New Orleans.
I've gained wisdom and knowledge in these four years. Had I immediately returned, I don't know if I'd have gotten those things. I've seen the bottom, and I've been close enough to get its ooze on me if so much as the hairs on my arms raised. And through it all, though I've probably aged ten years in the last four, I remain thankful. Thankful for the day, thankful for home, thankful for family, thankful for you, thankful for the opportunity to share this with you.
The irony in that statement is that, geographically, I'm in nearly the exact position I laid an Olympiad back: The second bedroom on the side addition to the house that has been in my family since 1970 (with a brief change of ownership in the early- to mid-90s). This room now functions as a guest bedroom. Its cherrywood bedframe, dresser, and nightstand are rarely used, though friends (should) know that it's there if they need it; its soft blue wall now serves as part of housing for the central air we've since installed. A baby picture of me hangs where my television once rested - on quieter days when I just want to sit in here and reflect, I stare at it as I did the TV when I was in my college age. The adjacent laundry room was once an office, the former storage room is now the office, the former laundry room is now a closet, storage is now outside.
One could say we've done some fine things with this house. But it took the worst natural disaster on U.S. soil to make it all possible. As I walk through each room, I'm reminded that, yes, God is in the hard things. And while August 27, 2005 signaled the first mandatory evacuation in New Orleans' history, August 27, 2009 is a gorgeous (if not slightly hot) day. No hurricane has threatened the Gulf region. Grocery stores are fully stocked. Gas prices won't spike this weekend. Anyone leaving town for the weekend can feel safe in knowing that three days' worth of stuff will be adequate. Anyone arriving to town can expect their visit/return to go off without a hitch.
I've grown in the four years since that mandatory evacuation was called. By then, I was already gone; I left with some cousins when the evacuation was still voluntary. We went east, missing most of the traffic, though I still chuckle when I realize that I went to Florida to avoid a hurricane. Our stay in Florida - three days in Panama City, one in Pensacola - was one that went from fun and leisurely (we'd planned to hit the Foley outlets on the way back) to absolutely disasterous. Extra money set aside for joy turned into our source of staying afloat. A three-day stay outside of Jackson gave me time to come to grips with the reality of what had happened. I spoke little; words would not help speed up the moving on that I needed to undergo.
Atlanta (technically, Ellenwood) and Chicago became home 2.1 and 3.0, respectively. As I'd spent time in Atlanta, and knew their interstate system really well, I took on the burden of making sure my family knew fully how to get around. Trips on 285 were particularly fun; Ellenwood is east of Atlanta proper, so hearing that a relative was lost "in some place called Doraville" or "Cascade Road, which I figured was close to Candler Road" meant I'd gas up the baby blue zoomer (my nickname for the 1997 Ford Contour I inherited) and go rescue them. Seeing my friends from my Morehouse days certainly added light to an otherwise dreary period.
Chicago was a different animal altogether. I moved there with good intentions: The woman I was seeing was in graduate school, and my plan was to head there to help her out, be a familiar face, and then get myself back into school. Well, two of those happened. For reasons I won't explore here, it wound up not working out, and home I returned, where I remain. I did, however, make the most of my Chicago experience: I taught myself how to navigate the streets, how to differentiate between the various directional street names, and even how to get as far north as Green Bay, Wis. Exploring the suburbs was often more rewarding than any "real" trip could have been. And yet, all that knowledge came to be for naught. Within a year of really getting it down pat, I was back in the place I knew best: New Orleans.
I've gained wisdom and knowledge in these four years. Had I immediately returned, I don't know if I'd have gotten those things. I've seen the bottom, and I've been close enough to get its ooze on me if so much as the hairs on my arms raised. And through it all, though I've probably aged ten years in the last four, I remain thankful. Thankful for the day, thankful for home, thankful for family, thankful for you, thankful for the opportunity to share this with you.
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I got together with the NOYO crew to hoop some before the game today, so this live/retro blog picks up from the 2:00 point in the second quarter. Hooping was fun - even if the Sun was MVP and LVP - I think sunlight in my eye for five games was a better defender than any/all of us out there. To the game:
2nd quarter, 1:38 - Magic cut the lead to 8; Phil Jackson immediately calls a timeout. Good coaching. Kill that short-term burst of momentum, especially on the road. I called it as soon as the shot went up.
1:17 - Ariza BANKS in a 3. He wants that extension.
1:08 - D-12 ragtosses Fisher to the ground. He mad! Fish sold that some, but still.
56.7 - Odom draws his third foul. He's gonna give Ariza that extension.
28.7 - Kobe takes the worst 2-for-1 shot I've ever seen. Orlando follows that with three variably bad shots... that'll lower their shooting percentage a couple of points. It's halftime now, I'm going to grab grub.
Halftime highlights:
- A Pau Gasol feature, seriously? Doesn't he have like 3 points right now?
- Eric & Jon discuss the benefits of spinning a bottle of wine in ice to get it cold faster.
- Magic Johnson's suit jacket is blinging. And his shirt. And the crown of his head.
- Discussion about the 2000 draft: WORST DRAFT EVER (but Hedo Turkoglu was picked 16th, so that's a plus I guess)
Game on. Halftime was fun...
11:49 - Hedo catches a pass and takes three steps in front of the ref. What?
9:30 - Rafer MUGS Fisher. No call til jumpball. Huh? Can three people split possession of a basketball?
6:50 - Odom hit his second corner 3 in a row following a Gasol foul sell. He must've popped peppermints at halftime instead of regular candy. Ice is in his veins.
(commercial note: I think that Sprite commercial with the peoplpe chestbumping into water bursts just made my brain bleed. Lamar Odom, after those bigtime 3s, gets his name in lights before the game returns. Timing is everything.)
5:52 - Kobe hits an IMPOSSIZBLE hanging falling fading... something. I wish I could do that. This is easily going to be run 150x on ESPN. By the 9am broadcast.
5:20 - Gasol should never try a reverse layup again.
4:30 - Orlando is 2-for-13 on 3s. Lamar Odom is 3-for-3. Gasol has only taken 4 shots this game. Really?
3:55 - 2-for-14... and D-12 now has 5 fouls. This game is over. I'm just enjoying my friends now.
3:17 - Turkoglu doesn't wanna lose. Discussion just turned to players needing new deals: Rondo, Davis, Turkoglu, Redick, Marion, Ariza,
2:55 - out of a break, Gasol works Gortat on the block. Doesn't he need a deal too? I'm going to look up his stats from the regular season and post-season.
2:39 - JJ REDICK SIGHTING!!! Can the Lakers activate Adam Morrison? Please, right now? I need to see this and I'm sure I'm not alone.
Food break at 1:30 - be back shortly.
Back in time for the 4th quarter. Luke Walton is in. Not good enough. I need #6 in that purple to make an appearance.
11:24 - Redick hits a 3! Could it be?
11:01 - Kobe for 3 over Redick to answer. He's got 23 at this point, but he might as well have 53. Orlando is deflated. I wonder what Kobe said to him.
8:18 - Kobe nails a 3 over Turkoglu. I'm going to play on mobile Twitter. KingLaserface just updated again. Hilarious!
Post-game notes:
- Does Kobe's wife have on his other three rings?
- Fisher actually got the first sideline interview. FISH! I see you!
- Is that... is that green-and-white confetti? Huh? Nice touch, Orlando. Maybe if the tables were turned, they would have dropped...
...
...
oh yeah, your franchise is younger than me. What rival?
- I'm going to go out on a limb and assume I know more non-Kobe fans than Kobe fans. However, I never knew the hatred for Kobe could be so irrational. I'd laugh if he deserved it, but this is just a bad time for that.
- and you know, I'm just going to leave it at that, because my beer is getting warm. Off to enjoy with the crew. Thanks Jon & Eric for the company, and Jim & Kristin for the house to watch. How many days until training camp starts for the NFL?
2nd quarter, 1:38 - Magic cut the lead to 8; Phil Jackson immediately calls a timeout. Good coaching. Kill that short-term burst of momentum, especially on the road. I called it as soon as the shot went up.
1:17 - Ariza BANKS in a 3. He wants that extension.
1:08 - D-12 ragtosses Fisher to the ground. He mad! Fish sold that some, but still.
56.7 - Odom draws his third foul. He's gonna give Ariza that extension.
28.7 - Kobe takes the worst 2-for-1 shot I've ever seen. Orlando follows that with three variably bad shots... that'll lower their shooting percentage a couple of points. It's halftime now, I'm going to grab grub.
Halftime highlights:
- A Pau Gasol feature, seriously? Doesn't he have like 3 points right now?
- Eric & Jon discuss the benefits of spinning a bottle of wine in ice to get it cold faster.
- Magic Johnson's suit jacket is blinging. And his shirt. And the crown of his head.
- Discussion about the 2000 draft: WORST DRAFT EVER (but Hedo Turkoglu was picked 16th, so that's a plus I guess)
Game on. Halftime was fun...
11:49 - Hedo catches a pass and takes three steps in front of the ref. What?
9:30 - Rafer MUGS Fisher. No call til jumpball. Huh? Can three people split possession of a basketball?
6:50 - Odom hit his second corner 3 in a row following a Gasol foul sell. He must've popped peppermints at halftime instead of regular candy. Ice is in his veins.
(commercial note: I think that Sprite commercial with the peoplpe chestbumping into water bursts just made my brain bleed. Lamar Odom, after those bigtime 3s, gets his name in lights before the game returns. Timing is everything.)
5:52 - Kobe hits an IMPOSSIZBLE hanging falling fading... something. I wish I could do that. This is easily going to be run 150x on ESPN. By the 9am broadcast.
5:20 - Gasol should never try a reverse layup again.
4:30 - Orlando is 2-for-13 on 3s. Lamar Odom is 3-for-3. Gasol has only taken 4 shots this game. Really?
3:55 - 2-for-14... and D-12 now has 5 fouls. This game is over. I'm just enjoying my friends now.
3:17 - Turkoglu doesn't wanna lose. Discussion just turned to players needing new deals: Rondo, Davis, Turkoglu, Redick, Marion, Ariza,
2:55 - out of a break, Gasol works Gortat on the block. Doesn't he need a deal too? I'm going to look up his stats from the regular season and post-season.
2:39 - JJ REDICK SIGHTING!!! Can the Lakers activate Adam Morrison? Please, right now? I need to see this and I'm sure I'm not alone.
Food break at 1:30 - be back shortly.
Back in time for the 4th quarter. Luke Walton is in. Not good enough. I need #6 in that purple to make an appearance.
11:24 - Redick hits a 3! Could it be?
11:01 - Kobe for 3 over Redick to answer. He's got 23 at this point, but he might as well have 53. Orlando is deflated. I wonder what Kobe said to him.
8:18 - Kobe nails a 3 over Turkoglu. I'm going to play on mobile Twitter. KingLaserface just updated again. Hilarious!
Post-game notes:
- Does Kobe's wife have on his other three rings?
- Fisher actually got the first sideline interview. FISH! I see you!
- Is that... is that green-and-white confetti? Huh? Nice touch, Orlando. Maybe if the tables were turned, they would have dropped...
...
...
oh yeah, your franchise is younger than me. What rival?
- I'm going to go out on a limb and assume I know more non-Kobe fans than Kobe fans. However, I never knew the hatred for Kobe could be so irrational. I'd laugh if he deserved it, but this is just a bad time for that.
- and you know, I'm just going to leave it at that, because my beer is getting warm. Off to enjoy with the crew. Thanks Jon & Eric for the company, and Jim & Kristin for the house to watch. How many days until training camp starts for the NFL?
Weekly on Thursdays, I will post a Youtube video that captured my interest for some reason.
Now, I'd been planning a flashmob for a while now, but I'm not sure this can be outdone.
Now, I'd been planning a flashmob for a while now, but I'm not sure this can be outdone.
What you can expect to find here:
- New Orleans-related stories of interest
- random sports rants
- music previews/reviews/rants
- snapshots into my life
- snapshots of things happening in my life
- various video clips of interest
- glimpses into something historical (i.e., "on this date in year xxxx...")
What you can expect to find somewhere else:
- right-wing extremism
- left-wing extremism
- work-related rants (these are better stated off the record)
- New Orleans-related stories of interest
- random sports rants
- music previews/reviews/rants
- snapshots into my life
- snapshots of things happening in my life
- various video clips of interest
- glimpses into something historical (i.e., "on this date in year xxxx...")
What you can expect to find somewhere else:
- right-wing extremism
- left-wing extremism
- work-related rants (these are better stated off the record)
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