It was the Best of Times, It was the Worst of Times
G and I talked at length last night at Ralph’s about how we are living through one of the biggest events that has ever hit the United States – Katrina. To this community it has changed the landscape more than the depression did. There is talk of us becoming a white-washed retirement community with adjunct tourism. But I just can’t believe that will happen. Or I can’t fathom it happening. It makes everything else pale in concern.
N and I walked Renny and the Bean this morning and it felt like rain, but by afternoon the rain still hadn’t come. M is still in the hospital and depressed because he thought his ticker problems were behind him, but on his 34th birthday the ticker reminded him of how short his life could be if he doesn’t straighten up. N’s sister P & A are in from New York to do Habitat for Humanity for the week. She called the Snake to wake him up in Austin since he is flying home today, he had been staring down at the bottom of a tequila bottle with J.
Went for a long run this afternoon along the bayou and through City Park listening to my new playlist and one of my new favorite songs – Needy Men. There were a lot of people out in the playground, the park, and along the water enjoying the temperate weather – the before the storm weather – as what is happening in Dallas today is supposedly headed our way by tomorrow.
Had a long good talk with S today about all things big and small – the reason behind Terri Hatcher’s puffy eyes all the way to archives of S in Brazil. I told her it was uncanny how Anette Benning looks just like Nicole Kidman in Becoming Julia. We talked about how so many things can be used for bandaids to cover up this or that emotion and it is much better to actually sink in to whatever, no matter how painful, so that you can come out on the other end of it.
P called because I told him Opeth is playing at the HOB tonight. His 40th is coming up in a week and so he is making plans to mountain bike in California with some old high school friends. I told him to take control of his celebration because my 40th was a bomb. He’s coming in the first weekend of Jazz Fest and I told him the Boss is playing on Sunday and he said good – that way all those types will be at that stage and we can enjoy the rest of the fest. Brilliant pov, I told him.
Mom came by to fix her resume and we drove over to the see the addition at the LaLa – my neighbors, the good ones, were out in their backyard with their chiminea in full flame and sitting around laughing and talking with friends. As N says, when the LaLa is done, I can have my “good” friends over and we can do much of the same. Everyone wants to know when that exactly is but right now I’m coasting on soon but not soon enough and it doesn’t look like it will make my birthday.