suncrushr

I'm Home

2005-09-08T22:16:06Z

I'm home, safe and sound.
Things went well.
That is all.

Covington Update

2005-09-06T05:13:10Z

Well, here's the update.
We finally got started on the road on Saturday morning.
We got all the way to Jackson Mississippi with no real troubles.
In our original plan, we were to then stop in Jackson and fill up all the tanks for the generator, as well as top off the tank for the van and find some last minute supplies, like the cable we needed to lock the generator to a tree to prevent theft. Well, we managed to find an open 24 hour Wal Mart even though everything else in Jackson was closed. We got the supplies we needed, but then we found out how dire the gas situation was, even as far north as Jackson.

At about 3AM we found out that we needed to wait in line until 8AM to get gas because they were all out and a truck was coming. We waited until 6AM and then found out that the truck was not coming, but the gas station across the street was going to let out 1500 gallons of its reserves, first come first served, with a 25 dollar limit. So, we got in line, and we were the 55th person in line. The gas was enough to top off the van, but not enough for the generator's tanks.

So, we headed south again with about 3 hours to go until we got to Covington, thinking of course that we were not going to get any gas for the generator, but then Trip stopped at what looked to be a Texaco that was about to open, about 20 minutes south of Jackson. Our luck suddenly turned around. Not only were they about to open, but we were only the 5th in line, and they had plenty, so they were going to let everyone fill up as much as they could buy. So, we topped off the van, and filled all the tanks for the generator. I gave Trip and Sherie a high five, becuase that meant that we had gotten though this thing with our main mission fully accomplished, as long as we didn't get turned away before getting to Covington. We didn't., and we got there late on Sunday morning.

Since we got here, I have met my Dad's fiancee and her daughter, (they are both awesome people) and we have all been very busy. We got the generator up and going with no troubles, and I got the 500 watt (5000BTU) air conditioners installed in the three bedrooms, so now we can live and work in relative comfort. We also brought a lot of drinking water, so the water supply hasn't been an issue at all.

We have been cleaning up the yard. Trip has been using the neighbors chainsaw to cut tree trunks all over the yard, the fence, and roofs of our house and the neighbor's house, and then we've been dragging the tree pieces to the front of the yard for eventual pickup. Every time he fires up the chainsaw he smiles and says, "Where's the zombies?", and then he revs the engine. I really love how he keeps his humor intact even when his back is screaming in pain. We cleared most of the back yard, and the tree parts on the busted up shed, as well as the tree parts that landed on and smashed my dad's car. Its probably salvagable, but we'll see, since the roof is dented in and the windsheild is smashed. Sherie has been busy with Kat (my soon to be sister) cleaning the small brush off of the yard with rakes. They have been doing a great job so far.

Eating has been interesting as well. I've been eating a lot of canned foods, like spaghetti o's and clam chowder (the good ready to eat stuff). I just take off the lid and chow down , since running a 1000 watt microwave on the generator would waste a lot of gas, and cooking over a hot stove would be about as fun as jogging a mile in this heat. Room temperature spaghetti o's and clam chowder are pretty good though. I haven't lacked for a hot meal though, since the national guard passed out lots of MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) to each household here. Its neat. You put the food pouch in the plastic cooking bag with the dry chemical pack, add water, and the chemical pack makes it hot. It was weird eating an omelette from a plastic bag though. It didn't taste half bad either.

I'll have stories to tell when I get back. Trip may be staying here a bit longer, but I need to leave on Tuesday night since I need to get back to work by Thursday morning. Sherie will be returning with me. Lastly, I am able to make this update, since after we powered on some of the small electronics here, we realized that the dsl light on my dad's dsl cpe is on solid, which means that there is at least a connection to the dslam on the other side of the line. Sure enough, we fired up the computer and got on the internet. Amazing considering that the most major city near here is under water. Anyway, its nice to see some small miracles here when so many things have fallen apart. There are a lot of houses down and buildings destroyed. My dad was very lucky in the end. I'm just glad I can make his life more comfortable for the next few weeks while the power infrastructure is being fixed so he can concentrate on helping people at the hospital. All the lines are down, and there are transformers on the ground all over the place, with some power poles down as well. 140 mph winds can really knock things down.

Well, I'm off to bed, so good night all. Things are safe here, and we have gotten a lot done. I just hope that one of my favorite cities (New Orleans) can eventually rise from the ashes. I'll be home soon, with stories and pictures and videos to show.

-=Rob=-

Covington, LA

2005-09-02T06:54:25Z

Covington, LA
That's where I'm headed on Friday night.
Covington is a town on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain.
Its where my dad lives, just blocks away from the hospital he is a chaplain for, St. Tammany Parish Hospital.
Those of you paying attention to the news know that things aren't doing too well there.

The good news is that my dad and his friends are safe. His house sustained some damage to the roof, and he lost a shed in his back yard, but other than that he is OK. He's lucky considering that there are many downed houses in the area, but his survived.

The bad news is that he will be without power for two weeks to a month, and he has to boil all the water they consume in the house to remove any contamination. He is horribly uncomfortable, with no air conditioning in 90+ heat and 30-60% humidity.

So, Trip, Sherie, and I are going to drive down to Covington starting Friday night, and we don't plan to be back until next Wednesday. We are bringing my dad many supplies, including groceries, a 5500 watt (8500 watt peak) generator which I purchased today, and gas tanks. We are also bringing a large amount of drinking water. Also included are some high efficiency window air conditioners, so we can make a couple bedrooms more liveable in the house. I haved planned out his energy usage to keep it below the 2500 watt average usage, so that he can get by on a mere 10 gallons of gas per day. Gas is available about an hour and a half away in Baton Rouge, but I plan to make it so he can keep his traveling to Baton Rouge down to maybe once every 3 days.

According to Bob, (my dads buddy) who has already made the trek to Baton Rouge twice, gas prices are anywhere between 3 to 4 dollars per gallon. They have a good steady supply of gas, and price gouging laws are in effect, so they won't see the 6 dollars per gallon that Atlanta, GA has seen. As a matter of fact, he told me that the National Guard and other groups had a giveaway of 10 gallons of gas per person for hospital and emergency personell today, so I'm thinking getting gas won't be too hard. They are supposed to have minimal power back on not too far north in Hammond as well, then those gas pumps can be turned back on too.

Looting in the area is minimal, with security high and only abandoned homes and closed shops some times seeing some looting. Nevertheless, I am bringing a very thick chain and locks, (the kind not easilly cutable) to chain the generator to a huge tree in my dad's yard. I will also remove the wheels. So, in essence, the generator will be completely secure. Even if the chain is removed, good luck to anyone trying to drag a 200 pound generator over my dad's back yard. Since you'll have to disconnect the cables, I'm pretty sure my dad will get to you before you get it even one foot. I also plan to arm myself, but I won't go into details about that.

I hope to only be there until Tuesday, and get back here by Wednesday, and the drive can be anywhere from15 hours to 18 hours depending on traffic and stops. With three people who can drive, we shouldn't have to pull over for sleeping too often.

I look forward to seeing my dad, and his girlfriend when I get down there. I really miss him, and it will be the first time I meet her face to face, but I have spoken on the phone with her many times now, and she's really cool.

I'm a little scared right now, but I think we can make this all happen in a calm and orderly fashion, and from what I've read/heard, the roads should be pretty clean.

Well, wish us luck everyone. I will be documenting what I see, both down where my dad lives, as well as on the way, with both my digital camera and my dv camcorder. I will post some pictures when I can, either when I get back, or if infrastructure allows it, when I'm down there. Cell phones are working intermittently, and my dad's land line is working all the time, but some times lines are too busy to get through. I will be leaving his phone number with some key people though, so communications should be possible.

Thanks to all for their concern and support.

-=Rob=-

Matter + Form

2005-04-08T19:36:45Z

I got the new VNV album a few days ago.
All I'm gonna say is that its awesome.
You'll have to listen for yourselves, but I really love the songs Homeward and Endless Skies especially.
Its all really good though, with some great new instrumentals in the mix too including one called Lightwave, which in my opinion is the new Electronaut.
Entropy is a kick ass song too.

Anyway, enough of that, like I said, you'll have to listen for yourselves, but I'm really digging it.

-=Rob=-

VNV Nation

2005-03-22T18:47:42Z

Special thanks to Privateer for pointing out that the VNV North America show dates are now posted here.

FORMATION TOUR 2005 - NORTH AMERICA
with special guests Imperative Reaction and Soman

all shows are "all ages" unless otherwise indicated

May 06 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room – On Sale: 3/25/05
May 07 - Tampa, FL - The Masquerade – On Sale: Now
May 09 - Charlotte, NC - Tremont Music Hall – On Sale: 3/25/05
May 11 - Atlanta, GA - Earthlink Live – On Sale: 3/25/05
May 12 - Nashville, TN - Exit/In – On Sale: 3/26/05
May 13 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues (18+) – On Sale: 3/26/05
May 14 - Austin, TX - La Zona Rosa – On Sale: 3/24/05
May 15 - Dallas, TX - Gypsy Ballroom (17+) – On Sale: 3/26/05
May 17 - Phoenix, AZ - Marquee Theatre – On Sale: 3/25/05
May 18 - Anaheim, CA - House of Blues * – On Sale: 3/18/05
May 19 - Los Angeles, CA - Avalon * – On Sale: 3/18/05
May 20 - San Diego, CA - 4th & B * (21+) – On Sale: 3/18/05
May 21 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore * – On Sale: 3/27/05
May 22 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore * – On Sale: 3/27/05
May 24 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theatre – On Sale: 3/26/05
May 25 - Vancouver, BC CAN - Commodore Ballroom (19+) – On Sale: 3/25/05
May 26 - Seattle, WA - Showbox – On Sale: 3/26/05
May 28 - Edmonton, AB CAN - Starlite Room (18+) – On Sale: 3/25/05
May 29 - Calgary, AB CAN - The Whiskey (18+) – On Sale: 3/25/05
May 31 - Salt Lake City, UT - Lo-Fi Café – On Sale: 3/25/05
Jun 01 - Denver, CO - Gothic Theatre – On Sale: 3/26/05
Jun 02 - Kansas City, MO - Madrid – On Sale: 3/26/05
Jun 03 - Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line Music Cafe (18+) – On Sale: 3/26/05
Jun 04 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave – On Sale: 3/26/05
Jun 06 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues (18+) – On Sale: 3/26/05
Jun 07 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues – On Sale: 3/30/05
Jun 08 - Detroit, MI - Majestic Theater – On Sale: 3/25/05
Jun 09 - Toronto, ON CAN - The Phoenix – On Sale: 3/26/05
Jun 10 - Montréal, QC CAN - Spectrum – On Sale: 3/25/05
Jun 12 - Boston, MA - Axis (18+) – On Sale: 3/26/05
Jun 14 - Covington, KY - Madison Theatre – On Sale: 3/30/05
Jun 15 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero – On Sale:3/23/05
Jun 16 - Washington, DC - Nation (18+) – On Sale: Now
Jun 17 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza * – On Sale: 4/01/05
Jun 18 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza * – On Sale: 4/01/05

All shows are "All Ages" unless otherwise indicated.

* = a different set list will be played at these shows

That's right folks, tickets on sale this Saturday for the Chicago and Milwaukee shows.

I'm really looking forward to these shows.

how old am I?

2005-01-18T05:21:13Z

You Are 35 Years Old

35

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe.

13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world.

20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences.

30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more!

40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

Party!

2004-10-19T21:50:35Z

We have decided to have a Halloween party at my place this year.

This party will be on Saturday October 30th. The party will start at about 6PM and go until whenever.

It's open invite, and please BYOB. Costumes are optional. We will have a good time socializing, drinking, playing games, watching movies (Army of Darkness anyone?), and maybe dancing if people are up for it.

Should be a good time had by all. Please let me know if you are coming, and spread the word!

If you need infos on my location, just let me know.