Fall Break Begins

Well, we left Gulf Breeze around 6:00 pm CDT and arrived in Tallahassee around 9:45EDT. We got checked into our motel room and are settling down for the night. Tomorrow we head to Florida State University for a walking tour. Amanda applied to FSU as well as LSU. She already received her acceptance letter to LSU but wants to have applications in with at least 3 colleges with UCF the third.

After the FSU tour we head to Orlando for our Disney vacation!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

My nephew celebrated his 8th birthday today!

After reading my last blog entry my father sent me an e-mail describing some aspects of his home life during the 30's, 40's and 50's.

My fathers first experience with a phone at home involved the use of a "Party Line". Each home had a particular ring and you knew to answer when your particular ring sounded. Of course anyone else on your circuit could listen in if they wanted to. Imagine today talking on your cell phone knowing that 20 or 30 other people might be listening without your knowledge. He also pointed out that the first T.V. they had in their home was in the early 50's and that there were a few shows on certain days. The radio and phonograph provided most of the

My father also related a few stories about trips to his grandparents house in the country during the 30's. No indoor plumbing, no electricity and no toilet. They used an outhouse that was quite a distance from the house, oil lamps and raised their own pigs and cows. An almost self-sufficient life.

All this makes me wonder briefly about the changes my daughter's living environment will undergo.

Information Management

I have been struggling for quite some time at work and in my life with the amount of data and information that plays before my senses on a daily basis. The year I was born found my parents living in a house with 1 single line analog phone, 1 Black & White T.V. and a couple radios. The T.V. had a pair of rabbit ears on it and on a good day picked up 4 stations. (ABC, NBC, CBS & PBS)

Fast forward 42 years and in my house I have 1 single line analog phone, 2 900Mhz cordless phones with a digital answering machine. I have 4 color T.V.'s 3 of which are connected to our cable subscriber. Our cable subscriber offers 100's of channels including digital music, and on-demad movies. I have a personnal computer connected via broadband to the Internet and a wireless router so that my laptop from work can connect. Through my Internet Service Provide my family has access to 4 individual e-mail accounts. I have 4 cell phones as well one for each family member. My house has an intercom system that allows AM/FM radio reception and we have 5 or 6 various AM/FM/Cassette/CD portable stereo's. Finally I have plenty of outdated cassette tapes, VCR tapes and numerous DVD's for my entertainment.

Each of these items requires attention, care and maintenance. Each of them also provides a variety of information for my senses but to what end. What value do these items bring to my life?

Reporting for Duty

My brother-in-law, his son and I went to the Naval Aviation Museum Saturday. I really enjoy walking around so many classic aircraft and displays. It really is one of the finest museums I have been to.

A Good Week

Well, it is Saturday and all in all the past week went very well. Madison & George seemed to acclimate their new school, Oriole Beach Elementary, very well. Of course it may have helped a bit since their Aunt is the school secretary. It has been reported that the Santa Rosa county school system has taken in over 350 kids since Katrina. Escambia and Okaloosa Counties have also taken in hundreds of other displaced students. For Santa Rosa county it will be very interesting to see the impact of these students on the schools yearly ratings. (FCAT and school grade)

Sabin back to LSU!

It will be very interesting to see how the folks in Baton Rouge respond to Nick Sabin bringing the Miami Dolphins in on 30 Oct 2005 to play the New Orleans Saints in Tiger Stadium.

I really enjoyed watching the LSU Tigers defeat the ASU Sun Devils Saturday night. I am still not certain if our secondary is that bad or ASU's quarterback was just that good. I mean the Tiger defense allowed 560 yards of offense! Bo Pelini our defense coordinator better be putting in alot of extra hours over the next couple of weeks coordinating.

TGIF

Overshadowed

Well this has certainly not been a typical week but then again I do not think I have had a typical week in a very very long time. From the arrival of family from Louisiana to spend some time with us, to my oldest daughter turning 17 (Happy birthday Amanda!) to my nephew turning 7 (Happy birthday Quinn!) to the carnage I have been seeing related to hurricane Katrina, it has definitley been a unique week.

I found myself on several occassions this week amazed at the outpouring of time, money, effort and love in the face of the devastation caused by hurricane Katrina. Not from the federal government, not from the state government, not from the county & parish governments, not from the city governments but from the goodness and compassion of individual Americans united if their desire to help those in need! This is the story being overshadowed.

Monday 9:30am

Algeirs Point Levee

This is pretty amazing to think that this ship almost topped the Mississippi river levee in Algeirs.

Sunday 9:00pm - Thanksgiving

Well, we are starting to get reports from family and friends who have been able to check on their homes already in Kenner & Metairie.

Kenner, Dave & Yvette - no flooding, no damage.
Kenner, Missy & George - no flooding, no damage, cat safe, have power!
Kenner, Ed & Linda - no flooding, no damage.
Metairie, Stan & Gayle - no flooding, neighbors carport in their backyard.
Metairie, Ed & Josie - no news yet.

Sunday 7:45AM

Helping those of help others.

There was a group of people that stayed behind in Louisiana to do their jobs in the face of the storm. Their presence after the storm saved the lives of thousands of storm survivors. Many placing their own lives at risk to help those in need. I am not talking about the police, the fireman, the paramedics. I am not talking about the National Guard, the civic leadership or .....
I am talking about the doctors, nurses and technicians who stayed in the hospitals and nursing homes to take care of their charges. Above is a picture of some of those people finally getting evacuated from their flooded remanants of a hospital.

Saturday 0645

Well, it has certainly been an incredible week in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. The outpouring of all forms of aid and assistance has been unprecedented and will continue to set records. The devestation of the Gulf Coast is unprecedented and the ripple effects of the storm continue to race across the Southeast. Just look at the graphic depicting the loss of power following the storm. (Move your cursor off & on the image to make it change.) There also some animated before & after graphics as well.

Work has been very busy as Eglin coordinates their contribution, a 1,000 bed refugee camp and two 250 bed emergency hospitals, to the overall reflief effort. It has amazed me though how so many people around me watch the news and go about their normal lives seemingly viewing this disaster