Katrina Revisited - Part I

Over the holidays, the roomies, boyfriends, and I made a saltwater fishing trip to Venice, LA. We had a blast playing in the boat; finding reasons to laugh at one another; and enjoying a little fresh air, sunshine, and seaspray.

The only low note of the day was the devastation we witnessed. Please realize that it is just over the five month mark since Katrina. Yet as we toured the "boot tip" of Louisiana, we saw an area with still no power, still with destroyed houses spray painted with the results of the body check.

I kept thinking of the Biblical line "not one stone shall be left upon another." That's almost what it looked like.

Here are some pictures. Please bear in mind that UPCI has almost reached the $1 million mark in donations for relief of storm-affected areas. Your giving in finances and prayer is still much needed.

This map shows where Venice is located.

Katrina Revisited - Part II

The following pictures show more damage from Katrina in and around Venice, LA.

Refrigerators lined the median to be added to the mountains of trash and debris.

Katrina Revisited - Part IV

(Top) As we were driving out, I realized I kept noticing American flags. Right in the middle of leveled homes and piles of debris, crisp new flags waved in stark contrast to the rubble around them. I couldn't help but think of it as a sign of the resiliency of the American character.

(Bottom) One resident said it best... in spray-paint on the remains of his home: "We will be back"

Katrina Revisited - Part III

(Top) On the structures still standing, spray-painted messages were left with instructions to the demolition crews. Many face total loss and left simple instructions: "Push down" (demolish).

(Bottom) A church building in the Venice area, denomination unknown.

Youth Congress 2007 Update

Like me, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, you may have had a fleeting thought in the back of your mind about what would happen to Youth Congress in 2007, since it was originally scheduled for New Orleans. A reliable source tells us that Youth Congress 2007 will probably be staying in the South. It won't be New Orleans, but it's looking like it will still be in a Dixie state. This is all off the record, of course, but we'll keep you up to date as we know more.

Duct Tape Reports from the Field

I'm always glad to witness the way duct tape is changing the way we live and view the world around us. Today I'm especially glad to share some poignant reader reports illustrating the magic of the tape.

From Michelle:

I just HAD to write you. We travelled from VT to MD. On the way down, we saw a pickup truck with a load of SOMETHING in the back, piled twice as high as the cab. It was covered with a blue tarp, which was holding the whole thing to the truck with about 3 rolls of duct tape. It was hilarious! I SOOOO wish my camera had not been packed in the back of the car! I would have taken a picture for you... it was quite a sight!

Dear Michelle,

If only....

Happy Taping,
Lee Ann


From Darelene:

I was in Kohl's last night and by the register was a calendar..... with a use for duct tape for every day of the year! When I saw it, I thought of you! I thought it was worth sharing!

Dear Darlene,

You're not going to believe this, but 2 separate people got me this for Christmas! I think news of my duct tape obsession has spread. It truly is an awesome calendar.

Happy Taping,
Lee Ann


From Stu:

I had a ductape sighting the other day at Wally-World parking lot...The car's back window was broken out (the usual burgulary method) and the owner had the whole thing patched up with duct tape. I immediately thought of you and sending a photo of it to you, and perhaps starting a duct tape book.

Some folks walk thorugh museums to gander at art, but for me (and you?) I see the rare beauty in a work of ductape taping, as though it exudes an anti-indutrialisitic aura of human creation, a touch of humanity and ingenuity, not fragrant with poverty, but rather the innate desire to rise above obstacles in the human toil.

Lee Ann, it was breathtaking!

Dear Stu,

In the words of a very appropriate song: I can only imagine...

Happy Taping,
Lee Ann

Texas Wins Rose Bowl, Girls and Sports

The Yellow Rose of Texas
I am elated! USC has finally been defeated. I’d like to point out that I predicted as much. However, what I didn’t realize was how much of a nail-biter the game would be. That was perhaps the most dramatic football game I’ve ever seen. I know it’s practically sacrilege to say this, but I think I was more excited about Texas beating USC than about LSU winning the Peach Bowl. Well, that might be going a little too far, but still…

Sports for Chicks
So as football draws to an end for me until next September (I don’t recognize NFL as true football), I thought about what sports mean to us ladies.

Football
I realize that I don’t appreciate nearly all of the technical and sporty aspects of football. My highlight from the Peach Bowl was the cute little party trays we used for the nacho chips. But perhaps because I grew up in south Louisiana and LSU football game day is treated more sacredly than most religious observances, I’ve grown to enjoy football season.

B-Ball
Basketball is just way too much for me. All the running around – I can't keep up with who has the ball and what all the fouls are about. For other less sporty but equally enjoyable reasons, some of us gals make the annual trek to Jackson every year for one of the many church basketball tourneys. I always cheer at the most inappropriate time because I don’t understand what’s going on.

Nine Men Out
As much as basketball is too fast, baseball is too slow. I admit to playing a little all star softball back in the day, but as far as spectating goes, forget it. Until they let me come up with a speed version of baseball that involves all 9 players of both teams on the field simultaneously and wraps up in 4 innings, no baseball watching for me.

Something Old, Something New
All this lack of appreciation for sports led me to realize: I need to come up with a sport we can ladies can enjoy watching. I’m still not sure yet what this perfect sport will involve, but I have some ideas. Contestants must have cute uniforms. Coed teams are a must. And just for fun, duct tape must be involved. If you come up with any good possibilities, let me know at lblogger@ninetyandnine.com.

Ninetyandnine News
Ninetyandnine has a new monthly blogger and a new blog look! Check it out.

Coming in 2006

So you may have figured out by now that I was a huge Southampton fan. This time two years ago, a “Predictions for What Will Not Happen in 2004” list ran that I thought was very entertaining. In that spirit, I’m coming out with a similar list.

2006 Predictions

1. Oprah finally gives up and marries Stedman.
   
2. LSU wins the national NCAA football championship… again.
   
3. Hilary finally cracks and admits she’s running in 2008.
   
4. Republicans threaten with Condi and Democrat party leaders make Hil back down.
   
5. Angelina steals Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt runs off with Katie. Jen tops it all by adopting 27 kids from Elbonia.
   
6. I will be offered a glamorous, lucrative, and prestigious position on Donald Trump’s staff with the job description of “taming that beast of a hairdo.” To my family’s great dismay, I will turn down the offer, fly to a little-known third world country, and spend the rest of my life barefoot with my guitar, handing out tracts and performing the ‘96 Hillsongs album in its entirety.
   
7. Jealous of Janet, Brittney Spears will also have a wardrobe malfunction while performing in the Superbowl halftime show.
   
8. Wal-Mart will capitalize on the “all in one” trend and one-up the competition by taking the Supercenter to another level. In 2006 a model Supercenter will be opened in Bentonville with a 40 screen movie theater; a coffee shop with 19” flat screen monitors and high speed internet at each of its 275 portals; a deep sea aquarium; a Sam Walton / Faded Glory brand museum with interactive video tour; a shooting range for the Sporting Goods dept; a studio kitchen for rotating guests to include Emeril, Martha, etc.; and a six story parking garage with valet parking by the West Coast Choppers crew.
   
9. An eight year-old in Minnesota will figure out how to hack the World Bank using the new xBox, some aluminum foil, a used coat hanger, his Mom’s credit card pin number, and… duct tape.
   
10. Dennis Rodman and Al Gore will team up to start a fashion line.
    
11. I will finally get to tour a little place I like to call the Vatican, otherwise known as the UPCI headquarters. I will be so inspired by my visit that I base my next College & Career Sunday School lesson on the visit using the working title “The Pride of St. Louis” and a model of headquarters which I will create out of popsicle sticks and… duct tape.
    
12. Apostolics so completely addicted to Everyone’s Connected will create a virtual General Conference. I will protest and attend the real thing in Columbus, OH. Because I think it’s only fair to the organization, I will even register.

The New Year's Holiday Report

2006
So here we are. 2006 has rushed in with a whimper. This was one of the more ordinary New Years I’ve had. The Benchwarmer(s) put it best about the weirdness of the New Year holiday and how each year is so up in the air. It’s also rather odd to me that we get equal time off work for New Year as Christmas. I know it’s the first day of the year, but really… it’s just another day. Having time off work is basically society’s way of saying, we know you’re all going to party a little too heartily and won’t exactly be fit for work the next day. Hey, but whatever, I’m not arguing. Great to have time off work however it comes.

La Fete
This year we had a party for the church youth group. Afterwards I went home and rung in the New Year by re-organizing my clothes closet. Life and times of the literate and duct tape loving bloggers around the world. Pathetic as the closet cleaning was, it did get me in a “take stock of my life” mood. Nothing like staring nostalgically at your favorite 3 year old sweater before forcing yourself to return it to the wild, aka the Goodwill store, to get you in the mood for self-reflection and some out with the old.

Non-Resolutions
My pastor said during Communion service that he doesn’t make resolutions, he makes commitments. I liked the sound of that. In the spirit of that thinking, I’m not officially making resolutions. I do have some goals for the New Year:

• Start 3 new Bible studies.
• Join a home prayer meeting group.
• Pay off the boat note.
• Petition Cold Stone Creamery to start up the Buy 9 Get 1 Free program again.
• Improve my phone call back turnaround time.

Auld Lang Syne
Does anyone know what Auld Lang Syne means? I sure don’t. I actually have always thought the words were “Let all acquaintances be forgot, and…” That’s not really appropriate when you think about it. Why would you want to forget all of your friends as part of your New Year tradition and resolutions? But it looks like "auld" roughly translates to "old." So “let old acquaintances be forgot?...” I assume it’s a rhetorical question to which the answer is no. At any rate, I hope you and yours have a good New Year.