Katrina Eve

So, 6 years ago today, the FP and I were scrambling around, preparing for the worst hurricane we were ever going to experience to date. (I'm not going to say that was the worst we will ever experience in our lifetime, because, I don't want to jinx myself.) We never prepared properly for hurricanes, but this was the big one, and everyone was taking it seriously. Some people who were going to stay decided to get the hell out at the last minute. The FP decided to check into the Marriott downtown, because he figured it was way safer than our flimsy little double shotgun. The roof was already leaking, so we were pretty sure it was going to come off.

We bought our supplies, packed our guitars and computers, and our cats and headed downtown. Once we checked in and got settled, we started drinking. I was drinking some cocktail, and I got shitfaced and passed out. When we woke up, Katrina had really started to plow through. It was quite surreal.

I imagine, with Hurricane Irene blowing through, there are a lot of people on the east coast who are drunk or hungover at this moment. Watching all those people at a seawall in Rhode Island made me jealous. They were all...having a good time watching the waves crashing around, and trying to get on TV. People have died. Houses are flooded. Streets have turned into rivers with an oil slick rushing through. Power is out. But you have to appreciate that it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been.

All the media and meteorologists were getting prepared to get some good footage and maybe get a little boost for their career, but it's not very memorable to be standing by the docks knee deep in water with a light breeze blowing. I think since every 3 out of 5 people have iphones, and the other 2 have a phone with a camera or a digital camera, the residents generally get more interesting footage than the TV crews in a situation like this. But don't worry, I guess there's another low pressure system forming, which when the time comes will be named Katia. Sounds kinda like....Katrina, just take out two consonants. That's a good name. I knew a Katia. And she could be a hurricane when she got the momentum going.

What we should do, is tear down all development on the coast and move more inland, because there's still plenty of land there. Then we can build these bubbled hurricane safe complexes on the coastlines where we can all go and vacation whenever there is an impending storm, from the safety of the bubbles, say in a casino, or hanging out by the swimming pool. You're probably asking, then why don't they just build these bubbles around current infrastructures? Well, because most of us can't afford property on the beach. This way, we could tear down all those lovely mansions, villas and condo rentals on the beach which we so covet and envy. And then we can set up some good old fashioned tacky beachside hurricane watching resorts. Although, there are going to have to be a hell of a lot more storms for this to be profitable. They might have to figure out how to simulate hurricanes.

So, I'll have to eat some smoked oysters in commemoration of the Katrina Eve anniversary, oh, and I should get shitfaced too. So, I'll drink a toast to all my friends who, since Katrina, I've separated from. And I'll drink another toast for every other hurricane people have had to suffer through since my lifetime. I better stock up on the booze.