As I was sitting here yesterday afternoon putting my thoughts together on said Charlie’s Deli, enjoying my standard bologna sandwich (Boar’s Head All Beef – very good) and chips, I felt a little something, and heard a little squeak from someplace (not uncommon so far, being on the helo route to the test ranges for the base), but then, whoa, this isn’t a chopper. Shaking continued and even increased a little – then my lightning quick mind, honed from living in California, said “It’s an Earthquake!” So I sort of wobbled to the door and went outside, and there was the gray lagoon with waves in it!! Not normal wind induced little things, but as if somebody was shaking the whole pool. And, in fact they were. They didn’t slosh over the edge or anything, but was nothing like I had seen before. Then the shaking stopped, then it started again, then finally subsided. Wowee. And it’s funny. I can be on a boat in heavyish seas and (unless I go below) I am never seasick. I guess if I can see the reason (and a horizon) i don’t get queasy. Well, no horizon nor obvious cause here, and I really did get a little unsteady on my feet. Took a few minutes to get the gyros re-caged. Then the text messages and emails started, saying it was a 5.9 (later reduced by a tenth) centered in Mineral, Virginia.
Immediately the “media” stormed onto the air, with preliminary reports of no damage, no injuries. These claims were sort of false as later there were pictures of a parked car covered in chunks of concrete, and various pictures of food on floor in convenience stores, busted bottles of wine (a real tragedy) and reports of various ceiling accoutrements falling to the floor. Today the DC schools remain closed, and several federal buildings are closed for inspections.
Of course all the folks on the other coast who experience several of these a year, began to scoff at the crying of wolf, and various chicken little comments, including signs like the following:
Which are kind of cute, but given above maybe not too appropriate.
Good Night, Irene, Good Night
Well, I hope Leadbelly has some influence up there in heaven, and convinces Irene that a voyage out into the Atlantic is much more pleasant than stopping in at places like the Chesapeake Bay or Ocean City. Having had a poor experience when Isabel visited in 2003. Storms that begin with “I” are not fond with us. Fortunately every update seems to indicate the track is in fact moving to the “right” away from us. I think I have passed this on before, there is a nice site called “Stormpulse” that I follow.
And of course the folk at the Weather Channel after three years of hurricane drought, have dusted of their “Hurricane Authority” signs (from their stock of “winter storm authority”; “tornado authority”; “severe weather authority” and whatever “authority” they can self proclaim) and are spending full time covering the storm. Foaming at the mouth, seemingly rooting for it to come ashore – the same network that features idiots in cars chasing tornados and cheering when one happens, never mind life and property. I sometimes wonder whether they think their purpose is to show as many people in distress as they can, or to just report the damn weather.. Anyway, we’ll hope that Irene does go for that ocean voyage. Oh, the local weather lady on channel four came up with one yesterday.. she was talking about the track of the storm and how it might threaten New York City, and earnestly added “a lot of people live up there.” Gosh, ya think!
Atta Boy, Chef!
And lastly, just to put in a food note, have you noticed that Anthony Bourdain got himself in the spotlight for castigating Paula Deen, Rachel Ray, Guy Fieri, and Sandra Lee.
Paula Deen: “She revels in unholy connections with evil corporations, and she's proud of the fact that her food is f’ing bad for you," (readers will know you can’t see a Smithfield Product without her glassy stare)
Rachel Ray: “Does she even cook anymore? I don't know why she bothers”
And equally negative comments about the game show host er, I mean cook Guy, and dear Sandra Lee, the fashionista of the “almost homemade” school of “cooking”.
While some don’t care for Anthony and think he’s just a pain in the butt, I kind of like and agree with him. What’s happened to cooking? Show biz. But we’ve covered that ground before.
I would hope Anthony would remind you to
DFD, ....but I think maybe not.
Happy Birthday (yesterday) FOJTY! Last time you can be a thirty something!!
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