We'll See How Long This Lasts…

A year has passed since Katrina devastated the Life I knew. She took it without asking, with only a little warning, and left her mark for month upon month after. It was the worst misery I had ever been in, those first few days during and directly following the storm – I feared for Missy’s safety and then her life. Was she hurt or suffering injury? Was she safe from looters who might molest her? If she was still alive and well, how would I find her?

In one day I lost my home, most of my possessions, my job, and to top it off I couldn’t even know if I had lost the most important person in my life. My misery started well in advance of Aug29, though. That stubborn woman just would not come with me, when I begged her the morning before. So, I made the hardest decision I had ever made and saved myself.

I think we know all that, though. And we all know that Missy and I are fine and living in Austin, now, somewhat lighter in the way of property… which brings me to the real purpose of my post. This is about me saying thanks to those that helped before, during, and after. I’m going to make an effort to recall and express gratitude to all those who gave us funds (which I will mostly decline to list, here), furniture, time, and love. If you helped us and I fail to mention you, let me apologize in advance. It is my intention to note everyone, but my memory may be faded or unclear. I welcome any corrections one might offer.

Adam, Colin, Greg, Matt
For giving what information you could and pulling for me to keep my income. For being the reason I even wanted to go back to that place.

Snap, Laila’s mom, and Laila
For your over-the-phone navigation help during my evacuation to Lafayette – I might have made it without you, but it would have taken even longer than the nine hours it did. Thank you for being a beacon of the Familiar in Lafayette, and for your emotional support in the middle of a mall far, far from my woman crying on my phone asking when it would stop.

Matthew, Jessica, Taylor, and Camille
For opening your home to first me, then to Missy, and our special needs cat. You fed us, you gave up rooms for us, you were patient despite being besieged with a dozen people and animals that otherwise disrupted your daily lives. You did more than shelter us – you helped on all fronts. You reminded me Family is not always a four letter word. EVERY one of you is generous and loving and I will not soon forget it. You are welcome with us anytime.

Maria and Donald, Luke, Laura
For struggling with us through it all. For picking up my washer and bringing it to Lafayette for us to use. For offering to loan me big money in my time of financial need – I declined, but it was so reassuring to know the offer was open. For helping rescue things out of our apartment, and for making the drive into town to do it, in the wee hours. For giving me the opportunity to remember to be charitable.

Melissa and Dusti
For loving me and Missy so much you did everything you could to call her and convince her to get out of Harm’s Way. For being there for me on the phone when you yourselves were anxious and panicked.

Red Cross
For your generous check for us in Florida, and for our hotel stay in Orlando. Bless you.

Colonial Bank Manager guy
Who, upon hearing my story and watching me go on trying to smile while I worked hundreds of miles away from my recently missing girlfriend, both of us hundreds of miles from our destroyed home, gifted me $75 to help us with “whatever you may need – take her to a good dinner”.

Nicole, Debbie, Jodie, Marietta
For taking care of Missy in Orlando while I had to traipse all over the damned state.

Mom
For your emotional support. For your donations of bed, end tables, water cooler, magazine rack, and work pants fund. For sheltering and feeding Missy and Prissy and me upon our return from Florida. For being there in Metairie for us while we tried to quickly get our lives back on track.

Gary Jr.
For rescuing my monitor. For being the best scout we could hope for while we were away in Florida. For supporting your mother emotionally and doing whatever you could during the month after the crisis. You deserve much respect.

Gary Sr.
For taking care of after-storm problems and clean-up for Shirley. You didn’t have to lift a finger for your ex-wife and son, but you did, anyway. You deserve respect for that, as well.

Siemmens guy at the Red Cross center in Orlando
For giving me your card and telling me to look you up if I decided to settle in Orlando.

Shawn
For a pimp fabulous TV, our main entertainment on low budgets. For patiently storing Missy’s (and my) stuff once we could rescue it from the molding hell-hole that was our home. For letting us stay with you – a hard floor with pillows was better than no place to sleep at all. And, as you know, the floor was softer in some places than others! ; )

Kristi and Woody
For a coffee table that serves as a neat TV stand. For tools and supplies. For a CD/DVD rack we shamefully haven’t unpacked our media onto, yet. For solace in a time of uncertainty – you were both steady and unflappable.

Larry
For understanding that with as little time as we had left in that broken-down, beaten-dog of a town we could not make the time to see everyone before we left “for good.” Sorry I missed you, my brother.

Michael and Rhonda, Heather and Gonzo
For trying to locate Missy, for letting us share your apartment (twice!), for searching for apartments for us, for helping us move, for scouting out Austin for us, for sharing your West Coast Care Package. For being our social circle we can depend on in a town full of strangers. For showing us Freddie’s, the Alamo, and a dozen other AusTex places. For pointing us to the Apartment Locator that helped us find Camden. You are not the only reason we came here, but I sure am glad you are here with us. Much like Family and siblings, we quarrel. But you are that: Family. And Chosen Family at that.

Doug
For talking on the phone while I had to drag my ass all over Florida for a month. For joining us in moving. For driving the truck. For plates. For opening up to Missy and me and getting to know us better. I said it before – of all of us that left NOLA, you had the LEAST need/reason to do so, but I am glad you did. You and the Kids should come around more.

Camille and Nick
For your offer to let us stay with you. For constant reassurance that everything would be OK if we up-rooted to Austin.

Dawn and Andy and the West Coast Crew
For computer desks, flatware, and anything else your crew rushed out to share with the Austin refugees.

Darron G.
For even considering hiring me without a degree. For hiring me for one of the best jobs I have had. You and this job have had a great positive impact on my new-to-Austin experience, and I am glad to know you and work for you.

Last, but never least, thank you to:
Melissa.
People see us fight and squabble so often, I wonder if they really know how much I truly care for you and enjoy your companionship and love. We fought over and over about when to bolt from NOLA to Austin, but I knew that I was going to be wherever you are, no matter what. Katrina was so hard on you. Thank you for making it through, and doing whatever it took to reunite with me. Thank you for supporting me during the times I felt I had fallen down a well. For staying strong enough to make it through all the difficulty, hardship, and bullshit. And for pushing hard to get us to our new lives, here. I love you deeply.

Have I left anything or anyone out? Probably. Rest assured, it was unintentional. Drop me a comment and I will be sure to update the post and sing your praises.

Peace,
M

In the words of Popeye, “I”ve had all I can stand and I can’t stands no more!” And to paraphrase Mad Max, “Cingular – I thought you were going to be my Dog of War – You Disappoint me… Puppy…”

Most everything about my Austin experience has been Good (yes, in a Martha Stewart “Good Thing” sort of way). Notably, however, ever since we moved into the apartment here, my cell phone reception has… how shall I say?… SUCKED MAJOR DONKEY DONG. I even went so far as to buy a used cell in a Make and Model that I KNOW works here because M-n-R’s seem to do so pretty fine. And, while I do like my new cell (Sony Ericsson T-637, if you were wondering), I would rank its in-my-apartment performance just about two notches above DONKEY DONG. I mean how many conversations should a man in his own home have that go like this? – ME: “(whatever I was saying)”, THEM: “I can’t hear you. You’re breaking up. Are you on a cell phone?” And what kills me is that mere seconds later, I can be in exactly the same location, without moving an inch, and get OK reception.

So, what’s the point? Well, you now know the proud owner of a new VOIP phone setup. I bought into a year’s plan for phone service over the Internet for $199, and got three months free. That’s a pretty good deal – I get phone service for about $13/month, and can call anywhere in the U.S. for free. I have tested it and it seems to do well, so far. As with all things, though, keep in mind the title of this Blog – We’ll See How Long This Lasts. This, too may end up being a futile purchase that winds up just pissing me off. And I guess that will be alright, too, b/c I’ll post a rant about THAT, then. Who knew signal loss could be so much fun?

So, if you know me, please do call me on my crappy-signal-when-at-home cell or email me to get the HOME phone number. I guess folks should continue to try to find me using my cell number, and if I’m home I’ll say “Hey, can you call me on the other number”.

In the words of Emperor Jospeh II from Amadeus, “Well… there it is.”

WHAT:
PENNY LANE – New Orleans BEST (only?) Beatles cover band
“Rock’N’Bowl BeaTlemania 2005 Show”

WHEN:
Friday, July 22 – 9:00PM until…

WHERE:
Rock ‘N Bowl
4133 S. Carollton Ave., New Orleans – corner of Tulane and Carrollton

WHY:
Because they really put on a fun show, plus you can drink beer and bowl, if you like that sort of thing. And has your Uncle Milton ever let you down when it comes to a live band?

#### UPDATE!! ####
Due to lack of popular interest in paying $7/ea. to see Penny Lane (when they are usually FREE to see at other venues), this outing has been cancelled/post-poned.

INSTEAD…
We are going to see the Wedding Crashers at “Teh Clearview Palace”, 10:40pm showing. Snap, Lisa, Slinky and I saw this at a sneak preview (thanks, Lisa!) at almost peed ourselves laughing. I encourage you all to join us!

Please join me in welcoming to the show a NEW associated blog member – ColinTF! You can find a link to his blog over on the left.

Who is he? Where does he come from? What are his goals and aspirations? What great things can we expect from him?

In the words of Gag Halfront, “He’s just zis guy, you know?”

–

In other news, this blog has links to the left that I persoanlly use often. Just curious – does anyone else use any of the links I feature, and if so, which ones?

DING!

Time for your annual FREE credit report from all three Credit Reporting Agencies. Ever since June of this year, one free credit report from each Agency must be provided to Louisiana residents upon request each year.

To get yours (and I highly recommend you so so, if for no other reason than to check for errors and bogus accounts in your name) go to the following site:

http://www.annualcreditreport.com

Now, that won’t get you your Credit SCORE, which many institutions use to decide whether to give you new credit/loans. You still have to buy that. I was curious, so I bought mine for six bucks and was pleased, I suppose, with the result.

Anyone have any comments on how to best “work the system” to bolster Credit Score, outside of the obvious suggestions to keep debt low, buy on credit often, and always pay on time, paying more than the minimum?

Let’s get a group together to go see Penny Lane!

They are one of the best (well, honestly, I’ve only seen two) Beatles cover bands I have seen, and they perform here in the area frequently. They used to be free Friday night regulars at a bar 1/2 block off of Metairie Rd. and Focis, but the bar got a new owner who decided they must go. (Hmph. He must be a Rolling Stones fan…)

They usually do a “4-hour” show, broken into two sets of under two hours, each. They perform early Beatles in the first set, in full costume from the early/mid sixties. Then, they take a break, and come back in hippy-style outfits to do everything from Sgt. Pepper’s, forward. Their best singer is a Paul sound-alike, so they tend to do a little more of his stuff. That’s fine by me, since I prefer Sir Paul’s songs.

I tried to get them as the entertainment for my birthday party, but they wanted more than the $37 bucks I had in my wallet, so that didn’t pan out. Oh well! We can still go see them FOR FREE (I think…) Here are upcoming showtimes:

April 2 – Saturday
RC’s Tavern, Chalmette La. -Paris Rd at St. Bernard Hwy. Showtime-10PM-2PM
April 16 – Saturday
Storyville, 717 Camp St. New Orleans, La. – Showtime-8PM-12:00

I like the looks of the Storyville show on the 16th – it starts mid-evening and ends early enough so nobody turns into a pumpkin, plus Storyville has food for those of you with the munchies… Or, we could visit Rhonda’s people in The Parish on April 2nd at RC’s tavern (anyone ever heard of that joint?). Either way, I think it would be a refreshing new event for our motley crew.

“But, Milton, there are aleady plans for -BLANK- night.”
OK, well, our buddy GonzO hasn’t set up www.calendor.worlord.com, yet, so I can’t keep track. Anyone know of any previously scheduled events?

Waddaya think?

OK, it is time for me to debunk some of the almost right and way wrong things I am hearing in regard to that notorious thing of things: my birthday. Actually, it is past time, but I seem to be something of a procrastinator. Keep in mind, I’m just setting the record straight – if you see a “fact” you held true, here, don’t take its correction personally.

Myth #1 – Milton Hates His Birthday
I do NOT, in fact, hate my birthday at all. I am a happy person who is glad I was born. Every year when B-Day comes rolling around I am glad to have lived another year. Further, I do NOT hate celebrating my birthday, especially with friends. Little would please me more than to have the people whose company I regularly enjoy gather round me to tell me they, too, are glad I was born, and that makes them want to party! I am definitely not one of those individuals who prefers to pretend my birthday isn’t happening, saying, “Don’t make a fuss or call attention to my birthday”. If you are one of those folk, fine for you, but I still want you to come celebrate mine!
What I DO hate is the curse on my birthday (and when I say that, I am aware I am employing a bit of hyperbole). The curse is related to timing. My birthday is Februrary 25th every year. (Trust me, I cheked these facts on the Internet!) Can anyone else think of ANYTHING else that happens around then? You at the back? Ah, yes Valentine’s Day. Good. Anyone else? Yes, the ever-wandering Mardi Gras! And anything before that? President’s Day? No, sorry, that’s not a real holiday unless you are a banker or a retailer looking for an excuse for a sale theme. Same with MLK Jr. day. New Years? Yes. Christmas? Ah, very good. Yes. I think we have gone back far enough.
Here’s the point I am making about those other days and my day being in conflict: the Winter holiday season gets going with Halloween, and people get their “OK, I’ve got these Days to pay attention to” mindset on. That mindset goes through Mardi Gras, and because of it, year after year, my birthday can get lost. If MG is BEFORE my B-Day, people think, “Whew! What a long and fun party season. Well, no more Days I need to keep in mind.” If it happens AFTER, people think, “Only one Thing left, coming up, for me to keep in mind – Mardi Party!” It seems the closer MG is to the 25th the greater this obfuscation is. Plus, if MG is AFTER, any party I want to have runs the risk of parade and parade traffic conflict. It all makes me pissy, and some years I simply don’t fight the Curse, and I try “clever” tricks like declaring my birthday will arbitrarily fall a month after its actual date, so the dust can settle and then we can get down to business. Yeah, that has resulted in simply skipping any party plans. Lastly, the Curse makes people give up for Lent anything I would want them to do at party. Great. Thanks, JC.

Myth #2 – Milton Wants Everyone Else To Plan It All For Him
I have no earthly recollection of ever having suggested that I am King Milton and all my servants (read: friends) should gather unto me and plan a shindig in my honor, with no useful input or effort from me. 1) I don’t regard myself nearly so high as a king (maybe distanty related to royal ancestors?), and 2) I DEFINITELY want input in my own party – I worry if I left it all to others it would not turn out like I want it, and who wants to be dissatisfied on their birthday? (yeah, touch of control freak, there…) I welcome and encourage ANY ideas and input and effort from all my friends. Hell, I am directly INVITING the ideas. However, please don’t get your feelings hurt if the plan chosen isn’t yours. Also, please don’t feel I expect others to do it all. I helped to make MissyG’s and Snap’s parties, and I feel fairly proud of my party-making efforts and how those came out.

Myth #3 – Milton Once Killed A Man On His Birthday
That guy is alive and recovering today, I hear. Let’s move on. I’m sure HE has.

Myth #4 – Milton Is Actually The Same Age As Snap
Not really, but thanks for noticing my youthful vigor. I’ll be thirty-five this year, sadly graduating out of that coveted 18-34 demographic. MTV will forget me. Magically, my TV will start throwing more Metamucil and home-refinancing loan ads at me. Hah! Fools! Little do they know I’ll still be buying Vans and Fruit Roll-ups! Aw, hell. Who am I fooling? I don’t buy any of those things. I buy rent, restaurant food, socks, and blank CDs. What the hell demographic is that?

Myth #5 – Milton Hates Presents For His Birthday
TRUE.
Nah!!!! Gotcha! I LOVE presents! No pressure or anything.

Myth #6 – This Post is Done
Yeah, that one is TRUE.

Here’s what we DO know: Party at MnR’s Saturday, Feb. 26th. Probably 7pm. Theme? You tell ME! Food and drink will be involved, so don’t worry about trying to get a meal in before the party. Also, Heather, I will (as usual) ensure there will be something you can grub-down on. Now, QUICK, think of something to do (outside of previous parties’ events, and “just hanging around”) and post it! Actual email or call invites to follow.

-M

02/20 – 11am — THIS JUST IN! CURSE STILL IN EFFECT!
Ah, Curse my old friend, just when I thought I might not see you this year you arrive! Despite everyone’s considerate forethought in keeping things like Lisa’s Dirty Movie Night, etc…, out of scheduling conflict with the 25th and 26th, it looks like the Curse has slipped in sideways by landing another event which I’m not even invited to or allowed to post clearly on this blog, since it’s a surprise that is now fucking my party in the ass!. Nice. And the following weekend is slated for Rhonda’s mother’s birthday, too. Maybe it will have to be the 25th – despite being diffcult to do all the prep work between 5pm and 8pm on a Friday night. Stay Tuned for more irony and frustration.

Attention fans of Good Eats!. Mark your calendars, people. TV-show host and kitchen geek extraordinaire Alton Brown will be making an in-store appearance here in lovely downtown Metairie, where parking is free and left turns are legal! He will be at the Barnes and Noble Booksellers (3721 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, LA 70002) on Monday, January 31st to sign and talk about his new book, I’m Just Here For More Food.
The event starts at 7:30pm and may last about an hour, according to a worker at B&N.

If you don’t know who Alton Brown is, you can check out his website to learn all about him. He makes one of the most interesting and entertaining cooking shows on the Food Network, always offering an insider’s education about the history and processes involved in whatever food item each episode may feature. I think he’s a hoot. Dmentd is so enamored he’ll probably give AB a big smooch right on the kisser. It may not be too early to get in line at the store, Dmentd (“No sleeping in line, no sleeping in line.”).

MissyG claims she used to think AB was cute, but I think he went way too far into geekdom for her and turned her off with a few shows. (Was it that one with the Castaway theme, M?) I’ll stick with Rachel Ray, myself, from the two shows 30 Minute Meals and $40-a-Day. Now, if I could just find out when SHE’S going to be in town, I’d definitely give her forty dollars…

(short silence, followed by the sound of MissyG’s hand whacking me in the back of the head)

Yeah, right!

And with that, this weblog is officially open for business. Browse, read, comment, and enjoy.