It's aliiiiiiive!

[sff_corgi_lj]

South Beach, that is. At least along Alton Road. I saw Epicure's exterior lamps, and neon, and functioning traffic signals! Wild Oats still seems to be running on genny, though. It's so sad! They've got this huge pile of garbage. :( All the Odwalla juices are marked 'no sell', because their refridgeration lapsed. (Hey, they're pasturised and sealed, I'd be willing to take a chance!)

The three service stations around 18th Street, which is where the functioning traffic signals seemed to cease, had the police running some rather interesting logistics managing the fuel traffic. Actually, of the three (BP, Chevron, Citgo) the Citgo seemed to either have run dry or not managed to get their pumps functioning. The other two were beyond jammed.

I, on the other paw, have 5/8ths of a tank left.

---=>°<=---
38%, last heard, of at least Dade County electrical customers have been restored by now; also, at least 99% of those damaged substations. Go, FP&L! You're playing it just like Scotty! My street is starting to get bracketed by restored sections now. It'd be ever so nice [/understatement] if we got it back before it got icky-warm again.


Oleg Lundstrom (sp?) just died. Now, I didn't know who he was either at first, but apparently he was Russia's answer to Duke Ellington, so to speak. They played a bit of one of his most famous works, which I think is called 'The Mountains of Georgia' or maybe 'Georgian Mountains'. I'm going looking for a recording, the thing gave me chills.

Look for the obit on NPR's 'The World' website.


The soi-disant President flew down today -- gee, I hope our hurricane didn't interrupt one of his vacations! -- glad-handed people in the supply queue up in Pompano, then choppered down (in Marine One, of course) to the National Hurricane Center to glad-hand some more and pretend to understand find out from the director what he needs to make their job their easier or at least, even more accurate.

He went to a church assistance site, apparently. God must have been surprised at that, considering the man's track record compared to the pseudo-Christian blather that keeps coming out of his mouth. One interviewee, I think in Pompano, allegedly said 'He makes you feel like he really cares!' Madam, he cares about how his photo op comes off, he could care less about your personal situation. That's been proven.

More gushing of the rather sickening ilk came out of the mouths of Tony Segreto (usually quite respectable, to my mind) and his co-anchors, as they went on and on about how one volunteer, whose roof had been taken off, was still out there helping other people get water and ice -- Pres. Bush signed the man's cap (apparently Gov. Bush's autograph was not in demand today). The anchors, who tempted me greatly towards reporter-cide, kept repeating how it's not political, it's the office; when the President shows up, he's like a rockstar, and these people will tell their children and their grandchildren and their great-grandchildren about this momentous occasion... blah, blah, blah. Gag.

'Mister President! What are you and your brother planning to do to provide relief to the hurricane victims in Belle Glade? Even the ones who are HIV-positive?'

'Mister President! What are you going to do about global warming?'

'Mister President! What offense against good sense are you going to nominate to the Supreme Court now that your buddy, Harriet Miers, has had the dignity to withdraw her nomination?'

'Mister President! Can you explain without invoking either voter base or family ties, why the response here in South Florida was so much better for less damage than the response to Katrina's damage in New Orleans?'

If you had a chance -- seriously, you're standing there innocently and all of a sudden the Secret Service dressed in dark glasses, earpieces, guyaberas (AND narrow ties?) come sweeping up and around you, and you're face to face with... [fill in your favourite description of the soi-disant President here].

Think fast. What you [Poll #599836]---=>°<=---
(psssst -- if Al Gore had shown up, I would have been a lot more impressed and flattered. For one thing, it's not Al's job to do so at this stage of things.)


The tree schleppage IS FINISHED!!! I actually got a couple extra sets of hands helping drag stuff out to the street. However, the pile is still about 85% mine (give or take 5%). I'll show you a picture eventually.

And no sunburn! :D


gryffinjack!! TROPICAL STORM BETA!!


heidi8, I'm not sure if you didn't get my e-mails or we're just missing each other's communications, for which I apologise. Since I'm still not certain of your hours (naptimes and such), I hesitate to call again. Still up for a lateish lunch tomorrow?

Comments

[heidi8.livejournal.com]

Hm, I'm not sure if I've gotten all yours. How late is late? My great-aunt is coming down from boca and we're having an earlyish dinner but lunch 130 or earlier should work.

[sff-corgi.livejournal.com]

13:30 should be doable, since I won't be covered in, y'know, bark dust and stuff. :) Call me around 11ish, so I can make sure where to go?