News from the Panhandle

The Great Omnipotent One is back on-line. His cable line was torn from the house during Ivan. Evidently the cable people came to fix it on the day the Brain Surgeon and Rocket Scientists took that tree down over the power easement, starting that big fire, so when the cable guys saw that, they did a big "Oh. I see it's not a good time. We'll just come back another day." heh heh heh. Evidently that day was yesterday.

I finally got an e-mail reply from my best girlfriend from college. She lives in Navarre. I thought because I got her answering machine the day after, that perhaps all was well. I should have known better; I had read Navarre took a big hit. She managed to e-mail me from some unknown place. She was on her way home to shovel out muck from her house as it took in 6-8 inches of water. Another guy we went to college with lost his entire home. He had a great house on the Blackwater river. Meanwhle, my friend is doing this all alone... this clean up. I mean, she has her family, but they're cleaning up their homes too, and she has triplet boys that are 7 and her husband is a Marine stationed in a bad place. So I am worried for her. I'm hoping to get phone soon so I can see if I can ship them anything. (She has cell service.) I did e-mail her back and I told her I could send her anything but D sized batteries, because I honestly believe there aren't any more D sized batteries left in this state.

It's funny the memories some of this jars. Memories of college. She and I did everything together. She was already engaged to her husband and I was dating a Navy pilot. We studied all the time and were always in the computer lab. Just ask VW, that's where we all met. Anyway, there was a great guy who worked in the lab, who I will call "K". K was an officer in the Coast Guard and was getting his Masters in Computer Engineering. He's a brilliant guy. We used to go in and harrass him constantly. (Wondering if this is bringing back memories for VW!) He used to laugh hysterically at my friend and I (well all of us actually, but mainly at HER) and at the time I didn't think anything of it, but looking back, he was 5 - 6 years older, had been around the world with the Coast Guard, had probably seen damn near everything, so I'm sure the antics of the coeds around him were more than amusing. (It is from this phase of my life that I got the phrase "Mammary Man" that I use frequently... in particular in reference to Harvey!) Our lives were very innocent and our futures blindingly bright in our eyes. He was an established man, very responsible, bought himself this great house on the Blackwater River. He knew where he was going, no questions really. His future was not bright to him, but grounded and very well lit.

I look at the paths our lives have taken now. Her path has been so hard and so different from mine. I'm glad she kept in touch with K. He has been a WONDERFUL friend to her. I miss them both and my heart is broken that he lost his lovely home and that they are both suffering.

They are in my constant thoughts and prayers.