– Today – just like every Thursday – was another hectic day at work for me.
– I was facilitating briefings in our conference room for a good three hours.
– The way we do it it’s like “Survivor” and “The Apprentice” combined.
– I loved every single second of it.
– Today is the birthday of one of my earliest friends as a little kid.
– I think that she would have been 36-years-old today.
– I knew her as a 2-year-old.
– I lost track of her over 30 years ago.
– It’s weird how I remember dates like that.
– Numbers are my favourite toys.
– The heavy vehicular traffic has returned to Homestead.
– So have the bad drivers.
– Actually they never left – they just multiplied themselves.
– This morning and this afternoon I encountered lots of slow drivers.
– That’s very unusual since 8 out of every 10 motorists drive faster than me.
– I only check my old-fashioned USPS mail about twice per week.
– I’ve been doing that for awhile now.
– It seems to work out just right.
– I don’t get nearly as much junk mail as I once did.
– There’s a strategy involved in receiving less junk mail.
– I should write a book on it.
– Actually there’s plenty of tips online on how to weed out your mailbox.
– I also receive very few telemarketing telephone calls nowadays.
– Once again – strategy – and common sense.
– I only answer the telephone from people and numbers that I actually know.
– I essentially ignore the telephone after 8 PM at night – even if I know the person.
– I generally make zero outgoing calls.
– That’s on my old-fashioned standard telephone line.
– I only use my cell phone for text messages and now Twitter tweets.
– Some people spend many hours every day talking on the telephone.
– I may spend 15 minutes per week tops talking on the telephone.
– If I lost my cell phone tomorrow I wouldn’t look for it.
– I probably wouldn’t even replace it.
– I can live without a cell phone.
– You can probably tell that I despise telephones in general.
– I’ve had many traumatic experiences via the telephone.
– I’ve been hated-on via the telephone.
– I’ve been abused via the telephone.
– Well these are my ‘Mini Thoughts’ for this Thursday night.
– These are as spur-of-the-moment spontaneous as it can possibly get for me.
– Friday and Saturday are music nights here on the big green blog.
– I’ve got another Disco smash for you on Friday night.
– On Saturday night it’s one of the most unique ‘Retros’ I’ve ever done.
– Be sure to catch the memorable music fun this weekend.
– You won’t regret it pal.
– Until next time my friends – may the good news be yours.
Category: Life
For those of you who don’t follow me on Twitter @majorhitwaves I present to you the best of the best – my TOP 5 tweets of the week:
5. 4 out of 5 friends agree – I need an “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”. My home resembles an Air Force dorm room circa 1989.
4. @callfm sounds fantastic this morning (and every morning) all around the mean streets of Homestead and Florida City !
3. I’m off to Dunkin Donuts and then to work. That’s how I kick it at 6 AM on a Tuesday in August !
2. I’m headed to Dolphin Mall this afternoon for the first time in 10 months to see fabulous food and merchandise – IF – The Price is Right !
1. Table For One: I just now wrapped-up an ENORMOUS Lu-Dinner at the LongHorn SteakHouse ! I know that’s right.
On this exact date 17 years ago – the 22ND of August of 1992 – also a Saturday – we were given our final instructions and orders to evacuate the air base as quickly as possible due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Andrew. We had no idea what Andrew would bring, and it ultimately brought a once-in-a-lifetime storm of mass destruction to the base and the surrounding South Miami-Dade countryside.
It was the most horrific experience of my entire life – a Sunday night / Monday morning that I never went to sleep. I never wish to relive that night or the nightmarish week that followed. I don’t like to write about it, and I don’t like to talk about it. A lot of good ultimately came out of that storm. I’m pretty sure that I wouldn’t be living and working here in Homestead today 17 years later if it weren’t for Hurricane Andrew. I’d be elsewhere. But it happened, and here I am.
One song in particular was receiving heavy airplay on the radio during the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew. It’s the duet of Patty Smyth and Don Henley. Together they sang “Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough”. Patty co-wrote the Grammy-nominated song that played out like a post-love song. It was the story of two former lovers who were moving away from their relationship together and moving on with life.
I interpretted the lyrics in a slightly different manner:
—
‘I don’t wanna lose you.’
—
‘And I don’t wanna hate you.
I don’t wanna take you.
But I don’t wanna be the one to cry.
That don’t really matter to anyone, anymore.
But like a fool I keep losing my place.’
—
‘It makes a sound like thunder.
It makes me feel like rain.’
—
‘And there’s no way home.
When it’s late at night and you’re all alone.’
—
‘There’s a reason why people dont stay where they are.
Baby sometimes love just ain’t enough.’
This was treated at the time as my farewell love song to Homestead. I didn’t want to leave. But I had to. The Homestead that I had known for nearly 5 years prior to that was all gone. She was completely destroyed. My home was inhabitable. My job was non-existant. I looked at Homestead one last time in my rear-view mirror, as this song played on the radio and made me cry.
– School is back in session again here in Miami-Dade County.
– At least it is for the teachers.
– This morning’s typical drive to work was 10 times busier than it’s been lately.
– That’s because all of the teachers were on the road !
– They were frantically getting to their schools.
– They were making pit stops at gas stations to get gas, coffee, and donuts.
– The kids go back to school this Monday.
– I can hardly wait for out-of-control school buses to be back on the roads again.
– This Monday is the 17TH anniversary of Hurricane Andrew.
– He changed the Greater Homestead area forever.
– 3 out of every 4 Homestead residents today did NOT live through Andrew.
– I did.
– It was the most horrific experience of my entire life.
– And I wasn’t even in Homestead at the time.
– I was bunkered down at a house in West Kendall near SW 100TH St.
– First sight outside – a U-Haul on the top of the roof of another house.
– We’ve come a long way since then Homestead.
– Together we stand.
– It’s the 232ND day of 2009.
– This year is over 63½% done and over with.
– The 2ND decade of this new millennium is just 19 weeks away.
– 2010 is going to be totally MASSIVE for me.
– It will be the most important year of my entire Life.
– Well those are my spontaneous ‘Mini Thoughts’ for this Thursday night.
– Oh – before I go – don’t forget about the ‘Disco Party’ tomorrow night.
– I’ve got a jam that my friend Ela was probably dancing to when she was 19.
– That’s when she ruled the Miami dance club scene.
– When you hear it you will definitely get up and dance like a maniac.
– There’s nothing wrong with that.
– Until then you can follow me on Twitter at majorhitwaves.
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