We’re Definitely Not In Kansas Anymore.
What. A. Weekend.
It was a tough one – I’m not going to lie.
A tough-but-fun one filled with old friends visiting from out-of-town, drinking lots of beer, a 2-year-old’s birthday party, a 19 hour power outage, a power outage during a 2-year-old’s birthday party, drinking lots more beer because it’s good beer and it’s about to get warm and because you’re at a 2-year-old’s birthday party, and oh yeah – the power is out.
It was a little like this:
Yes, the mother of the 2-year-old could very well kill me for posting this photo. But she doesn’t read this blog. And if you do read this blog and you happen to know her, let’s just forget about this little incident and think of the greater good. I think some people could really use some smiles today, you know? Thank you for your cooperation.
But really, electricity or no, the party was a lot of fun.
As far as I’m concerned, any time cake and beer come together is a good time.
Little did we know, things like this were happening not too far away:
Lowe’s store in Sanford, NC. Photo by: Ted Richardson, Associated Press
This is definitely not Kansas. It’s the Lowes where I shop regularly. I pass it on my way to work. Thanks to the store manager who ushered people to the back of the store, none of the 150-some employees and customers were injured while Nature, during her epic tantrum, hurled their cars like so many Hot Wheels at the front of the building.
I could go on.
A dear friend who lives very near the destruction said I should come document it with photos. I was tempted. Very tempted. But the thing is, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I didn’t want to stand there and freeze a moment of someone’s devastation. A stranger’s pain. It could’ve been someone I serve at the bar. Someone I get mad at for driving too slow. They don’t need me there now. At least not in that way.
I’m happy my friends are safe.
But I’m sad for the people who aren’t, because while I don’t know them, they could’ve been my friends at some point. But now they won’t. You know?
Also, I had a dream last night. I wrote it down at 5:00 this morning because it was so vivid, and I didn’t want the fog of consciousness to later make it seem less significant than it did at 5:00 this morning.
It could just be that anything that happens at 5:00 in the morning seems significant.
I don’t know.
But I’m pretty sure I’m going to share it with you later today. It was one of those dreams where people from different facets of my life appear in little cameos throughout. It makes no sense now, but it made perfect sense in the dream.
Picture Dorothy waking up from the land of Oz, saying, “You were there. And you!”
And that’s how this was. All over the place. A glimpse of what goes on inside my head.
Yet there seemed to be a point – one I can’t grasp. There’s the very real possibility that sharing it might change how you think of me, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take if someone could shed some light on what it actually means.
IF it means anything.
It could just mean I had too much beer and cake this weekend.
And you know what?
That’s probably it.
Comments
Holy Cow! I didn’t realize all that crazy weather stuff was in GA. I should probably call my parents(they live in McDonough.) When I saw the pics, I just assumed it was out in Tornado Alley. Scary.
I should have clarified – this is in Sanford, NC. (I just added it to the caption of the photo.) This is why I need to do a timeline – we lived in GA a few years ago, but in NC now. :) It’s weird because I grew up in Nebraska (Tornado Alley), and I’ve never seen anything this bad.
Wow, I hear you about your possible connection to the people that you could have photographed, but I think i would have went anyways. No necessarily with the intent on photographing people’s pain, but moreso the raw and unrelenting power of mother nature.
Its funny how dreams are sometimes. When I was in raft guide training we had run the river so many times that when we finally laid down to go to bed we still felt like we were moving, much like spending time at sea and then walking on dry land for the first time. One night I had a dream that my tent was literally floating down river with me inside, and floating towards a well-known dangerous hazard in the river. I was still asleep, but while I slept I sat up, unzipped my tent and bailed out of it to save myself. It wasn’t until I hit the cool wet grass that I woke up fully and asked myself– What the heck just happened? I love dreams like that, especially the ones with a false sense of reality.
p.s. – its true what you say. Beer + cake = best party ever, even if it is for a 2-year old.
– nate
I know… you’re right. And my inner photographer (even though I’ve never taken a class or anything) is dying a little. I might still go – it’s going to take them awhile to clean this up.
That dream is crazy!! Last night I dreamt a spider was crawling on my hand and woke up when I jerked and slammed it on the headboard. Not quite as dramatic, but scared me just the same. :)
Mmmm… beer and cake…
I wonder if I still have my dream interpretation book. Hmmmmm?
The damage looks surreal. Glad you guys are ok.
Yeah… it’s a crazy mess out here. Let me know what you think when you read the dream post! Though I’m thinking your book isn’t going to have an explanation for this one. ;)
I’m here in Kansas right now and I can’t believe that the worst weather we’ve had this spring is a little hailstorm. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the rest of the spring will be much milder for all of us.
I worry about what I put on my blog too. What if people don’t like it? What if people think I’m crazy/pretentious/vapid? What if it’s TMI or not enough?
Despite those initial doubts, be brave. Express what you believe in, talk about what you care about. I love your blog and I know lots of people do too. :)
You know, I’ve gotten the TMI complaint many times, but at this point, it’s like people have to know what they’re gonna get when they come here. Randomness and likely TMI. It’s how I roll. ;)
Thanks for the compliment, and I’m so happy the worst you’ve gotten out there is a hailstorm! The crazy thing is out here, they don’t tend to build basements because of the soil. At least midwesterners are smart about that!
We’re right up the road from you and we watched the weather news on the edge of our seats all day Saturday. Apex was always on the very edge of what they saw as the potential path of the storm, but it was so close that you could not posibly relax.
— Judson