Walking to New Orleans. On the one year anniversary of the storm making landfall, I found myself talking about personal disaster preparation to a audience of lower income & minority senior citizens. Everyons asks if I responded to Katrina in any way, to which the response is in the negative. Not really sure why not, I guess it just wasn't in the cards this time around. Not directly anyways, although I guess a lot of what I'm doing this year around is my own way of responding to the lingering storm. Katrina has truly been the hurricane that just hasn't blown away. I don't know if it will for a very long time.

It was around 65 degrees and raining for most of the day here in Providence. Gray and wet and chilly. I've tried and avoid the news today, although On Point on NPR had a great hour devoted to Preservation Hall Jazz. I caught a few minutes while in the car. Poignant music, if you don't know it I highly reccomend finding some. Go to the library, they tend to have those kinds of CD's.
The talking heads of cable news just really grate me. I guess for me Katrina has been made reality in the form of music and pictures, online and in magazines such as National Geographic (other than first-hand reports). I won't link to anything, we've all seen our share of what we need to remember.

Crickets are chirping outside, cars passing by on the rain-slicked roads. My eyesight is fading, it's getting time for sleep. Something about walking around town in the rain today...seemed very necesarry.  ¶ 8/29/2006 10:42:00 PM 0 comments

  What did you do yesterday? I climbed a mountain.
  ¶ 8/27/2006 04:27:00 PM 0 comments

  where's waldo? something about tonight was beautiful in my neighborhood. I noticed this on my drive up to the grocer around 8:00 pm. it's a little cold, the streets are wet and the air is misty. maybe it's that summer seems to be ending. maybe it was just seeing the Friday night characters and activity amongst this background.

playing it cool tonight, listenin' to some Travelling Wilbury's and doing some reading. maybe Becky will stop by. we had an excellent night on Wednesday, headed down to Galilee to eat some seafood at George's and hear Jesus preach. Well, ok Jesus didn't preach at this particular Galilee, but he could have at some point. we did walk along the beach for a while after dinner under a bright moon and possibly a planet. maybe.

Ahh but rest is priority now as I'm waking early to head up to New Hampshire to hike up Mt. Washington with Eric and some of his friends. I've never been to New Hampshire. excellent.

man did I mention how energetic and exciting Dylan was last night? did I? because man did he have fun??!! and so did we. that's all.  ¶ 8/25/2006 09:23:00 PM 0 comments

  I just saw Bob Dylan. Bob Dylan was awesome. I will write more of life after I process that I saw Dylan. And a good night...  ¶ 8/25/2006 12:44:00 AM 0 comments

  ch-ch-ch-ch-changes Well so apparently this is the new Blogger Beta. I changed around a little, I haven't figured out how to add back some of the items from my sidebar, most importantly my pictures. But I'll figure it out.

What a week this has been! But I'm not going to get into it too much. However one thing worth mentioning is my plans for next year, and the hitch that came my way on Friday. I had applied for a Team Leder position with AmeriCorps NCCC out of California, assuming that the winter session began in January after I 'd be finished with my VISTA Term of Service here. However yesterday I received a call from the Sacramento office and come to find out that if I were to accept the position (which I more or less had received) it would mean starting in November.

It's strange; a few weeks ago I was so dead set on this being the next step for my life; so much about it clicked and just felt like the right move. But now it looks like that's not going to happen. I'm not particuarly upset or angry that they never actually mentioned ANYWHERE in the application the program start date. A little bummed about not knowing what's next though. Still, it's only August. After all the time it took for me to find this job posting, apply, interview, and make the move happened in about a month last year. And after becoming relatively settled here, something tells me that this year is going to be about August and everything after.  ¶ 8/19/2006 05:34:00 PM 2 comments

 
Josh spends the day accomplishing not much, because he's artificially tired; something of his own doing. The morning passes and so does 'lunch' and beggar's errands and coward's avoidance. Josh winds up staying late at the office, hardly working, and catches up on "lost" sleep on the dirty floor near his desk. Josh talks on the phone to Kristin and spends time in prayer, then drives to a Public Housing complex to talk about volunteering. Josh hears opinions on the war. Josh steps out of the car and nearly into used condoms and shattered glass, making him think of Dorothy and that little dog too. Josh doesn't grins but does bare it as he makes his way inside. Josh is white and conforms to the stereotype, and he knows it as he feels the gel still in his hair from the morning shower. Josh is called 'Opie' but doesn't mind as he leaves a half hour later and takes the long way home, listening to NPR with the windows rolled down at sunset. Josh hears the headlines but not enough to register, passing karate and 'spas' and neon alcohol. A small dog yelps outside a liquor store. Josh hears opinions on the economy and begins to worry. Josh arrives home and types into his computer, listening to children laugh, rap music blast, and sirens wail in the distance, down the streets. Josh hears crickets as he steps out to water the grass and figure out the rest of his day.  ¶ 8/16/2006 06:58:00 PM 0 comments

  Barefoot Children In The Rain According to the weathermen, it was forecasted for a passing shower last night. 40%. I believe that was an understatement. It rained for a good half the concert. A cold, windy rain. And the Parrotheads loved every minute of it.

Josh: It was an experience.
Dad: It always is...
Josh: I mean yeah, it was a cold rain, but I think I only saw 4 people leave. They just loved it.
Dad: Was that Becky's first time to Buffett?
Josh: Oh yeah. But I think eventually she got into it.
Dad: Yeah, same with (my friend) Dave. He enjoyed it, but he didn't understand it.  ¶ 8/11/2006 11:05:00 AM 1 comments

  See who's On Notice in my life today. make your own
http://www.shipbrook.com/onnotice/  ¶ 8/10/2006 02:00:00 PM 2 comments

  "Either it'll rain, or it won't!" I'm currently watching the NOAA Boys sweat it out on CSPAN after being asked of global warming. It's sad when these guys have to tow the 'company line'. Of course it's too early to know any certainty when it come to global warming, but I would think it would be better to be acting on the side of caution rather than 'waiting for more conclusive evidence.' Saw where our President has a bio of Lincoln on his summer reading list, and while that makes sense given his current state, I'd sure love to see him read the book I'm reading right now, The Weather Makers by Tim Flannery. This is the kind of book that should give Stephen King goosebumps. I'm talking scary, and it's such a personal issue. I really want to get to Alaska.

I talked with Ben today and he seems to be doing so amazing right now. What he's experiencing working for Larry Joe is awesome for him. He's been down on the coast for the past month and he's about to head off for a few weeks in Nebraska, Colorado, and northern New Mexico. Plus, he recently got to go up in a helicopter down around the Hill Country. We've always wanted to go up in a helicopter and Ben beat me to it! And he loved it! Gosh!! Luhkey.

Then we had a conversation about a diner in Stephenville called Peackocks'. If you're ever down that way stop on in, they make a mean pancake. But go to the classy one , the one by the Piggly Wiggly, not the trashy one on the other side of town. Although the trashy one is the one that's open 24 hrs, so I guess it depends on when you're hungry. I love Texas.  ¶ 8/08/2006 02:52:00 PM 0 comments

  and the walking man walks It's been a tough week. A long, tough week. Between Dad's house fire and missing the family and travelling for work and some serious work-related discussions, plus personal life transitions and friendships and...and friendships.

Then this morning I found out that yet another of my relatives has died in Africa. So many auto accidents over there, I have lost so many relatives this year, half of whom I never even knew. Of course they were all rich, so as soon as I hear back from MR. ALEX KING, BANK OF NAIROBI then I should be rolling in the dough. But until then...it looks like just another weekend.

And anyways this change I been feeling
Doesnt make the rain fall

I went to Emmitsburg, Maryland for a NIMS Summit at the DHS Training Center. I won't get into the details as it's shop talk, but it was a good experience. Met some great people, had some engaging discussions. I flew down but drove back with my collegue Joe. While we were at the summit his family were looking at colleges in DC and Philly. I saw a Mennonite family in their wagon somewhere around Lancaster. That was cool. Found out Joe and his family liked a lot of the same music as me. Driving over the GW Bridge and through the Cross-Bronx Expressway we heard a few Ben Folds Five songs come across the radio. 'Video.' 'Tiny Dancer.'

Jesus freaks out in the street
Handing tickets out for God
Turning back she just laughs
The boulevard is not that bad

Sometimes, what's in your head is just wrong. And what's in your heart is just right. It's when they combine forces that uncertainty appears...and that is why we drink. I mean...pray. Yes, prayer trumps wine. Every time. And that's a rhyme. Now pass me the lime. If you could be so kind. Because it's all in my mind. And I'm not sure where I'm going to land.  ¶ 8/04/2006 09:46:00 AM 2 comments