"Hurricane" Irene, Part 4...that should be about it from here...

Okay!  It's now 10:21 am Eastern Time as I write this, back to work at WITF.  My colleagues, Tim Lambert and Megan Lello are working it on 89.5, but I have not had time to really listen in; getting ready for very abbreviated sports reports for KYW 1060 in Philly.

I needless to say didn't sleep an awful lot; found plenty of things to do around the house while keeping an eye and ear out on things.  Had a couple of minor power outages, but the electricity came right back on. 

The worst of the storm has moved northward...

http://www1.whdh.com/video/7newslive

I haven't watched Boston TV in years, even when I go up to visit.  Looks like they're doing their best.  I give kudos to the NBC 4 crews in New York for doing a very good job, without sounding like they're covering the end of the world.  A lot of local and some cable outlets could take lessons from those folks.

I finally awakened this morning to find still windy conditions and occasional bursts of rain.  The house survived the night okay, and the property looks good.  Couple of big downed limbs, but one of those was already headed for the ground anyway.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150275719565787.336997.552340786&saved#!/media/set/?set=a.10150275719565787.336997.552340786&type=1

Not a lot of exciting pictures, sorry to say.  My old friend Alexandra who lives in NYC said Irene was all hype.  She certainly still caused plenty of damage along the coast.

Another old friend Ardyth rode out the storm on Long Island, in the mandatory evac. zone:  she reports they had power nearly all night, some heavy waves washed over the boardwalk onto the beach, but flooding has closed a number of highways.  So no one's going much of anywhere.

Irene is now a tropical storm, but still can cause trouble as it blasts through New England and into Canada.  But it looks like we came out of it without too much difficulty. 

Anyway, I do not expect to blog much more about the storm, unless something really unusual happens.  I did this mostly as an exercise of my skillz; keeps you busy and going.

I well remember the days when we had to go mad trying to rig any possible way of getting information, begging, borrowing and pirating if need be.  The Internet has made it easier, though not always perfect.

Looks like we're cool...now back to your regularly scheduled blog...haha!

Irene Update, Part 2

So far, the night in the Midstate has been pretty quiet...we've had steady rainfall for more than four hours, and also a bit of wind.  Nothing too terrible.  My NOAA Weather Radio tripped only once about 35 minutes ago.

Reports have been interesting, from different places, via Twitter:

RT @usedwigs: NJ News Traffic Advisory: Please avoid Highway 9, it's jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive. #hurricane

It's so wet at Fenway, fans are playing 'Marco Scutaro', not 'Polo'... "Marco" from 1st base side, "Scutaro" from 3rd... #hurricaneirene

Those are the more humorous ones.  A old boss of mine had a boat near the Rappahannock, and hopefully got that to safety. 

On Long Island, an old friend of mine, and nearly 3/4 of her condo have stayed, despite the evac. order; Ardyth's reports include:

"Just starting to get some wind, been raining on and off all day."

"Lightning and thunder just arrived." (10:02 pm, Eastern)

"...the worst of it is not due to arrive for a few more hours."

"The only thing I'm really concerned with is the storm surge @ high tide tomorrow.  There's a canal 2 blocks away."

"We can't leave the house now...I hear the wind howling now."

Those all in the space of about 10 minutes.  Ardyth is Long Island tough, so they should be alright. 

My old friend Alexandra has just chirped in from NYC:  "All good...Irene is hype...just some wind and rain here."

Well...we'll see...let's hope the track of the storm continues off the coast, as this shows:

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/feature?section=weather&id=8320373

This is pretty neat...anyway, I am appreciative to NOT be in the middle of it, not for nothing.  I've been through two hurricanes, and survived countless Nor-Easters to respect Mother Nature.

NBC 4 has done a very good job of covering the storm tonight; still doesn't look like the worst is there yet...appears to be about 2 am for the city, by a rough look at the above link's model.

Mayor Bloomberg is talking once again...will go check this out.

I think I'll get down for a bit...I likely will be awakened by anything that goes down outside my bedroom window...if the storm doesn't wake me, the cats will!

Again, be safe, my friends and all others...

Irene Update from Midstate PA...

A pretty quiet evening on the whole for this part of the Mid-Atlantic; my guess is we in the midstate are going to get off reasonably lightly.

The past 2-1/2 hours have had light to moderate rains and breezy conditions, but nothing serious.  That could change as the night goes on.

http://www.my9tv.com/subindex/news/live_video

An interesting steady cam on the Jersey Shore somewhere...the sound of the wind, the rain hitting the camera and the ground is different.  There are some voices, but I don't know if they're camera minders or people just out for "fun."

http://www.weather.com/tv/tvshows/Livestream

The Weather Channel has done pretty well on the coverage today and tonight, mostly because the Drama Queens aren't on much, if at all.  The people who do the real work are at it, and it's good work so far.

Now if you've watched any of this, the closer to shore you are the more dangerous this is.  Then, there are some people who have no clue whatsoever:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY4gJoKwtAQ&feature=player_embedded&has_verified=1

What do you want to bet someone's gonna demand that idiot be charged for indecent exposure?  Actually, the whole world now knows he's a moron, so that should be enough shame for him...do have to admit though, it was pretty funny.

Twitterverse for me is pretty quiet, don't have a lot of followers.  Some of the comments and re-tweets are pretty funny.  A literary agent named JC reports her cousin in Vermont is terrified she will die.

Um...as a native Vermonter, the storm's not going up there...she stands a better chance of being butted by an irate deer while jogging than dying from the storm.

I'm so having too much fun...no specific duties until tomorrow morning.  Quiet day at WITF, covering KYW Sports...wall to wall weather coverage of course:  Phillies game postponed, Union match postponed, just about everything shut down and done till the storm passes through. 

I thought tonight might be a good stretch of my skills as a blogger, to keep you in the loop.  Just for fun more than anything; right now, pretty quiet.  Still very light rain, and the wind has again picked up, but nothing too terrible at this point.

The cats are pretty calm about it all; you can generally tell if something's up, based on their behavior.  Baldrick I think was a bit worried early on yesterday, but now everyone's laid back.

Hell, even the deer are back...more pics on my new folder on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/tory.gates

Yeah, having too much fun here...I will see what else there is to do while listening and checking in on things.

If you're in the zone, I wish you safety through this time and to be careful. 

1 million w/o power in the Mid-Atlantic, heavy gusts in Virginia; I'd check with friends down in the VA/DC region earlier...it's getting a bit more hairy now, I'm sure.

Okay...again, be safe!

Annapolis/Jersey Shore Aftermath, the Big Lebowski, and More Strange Threads

Well, it's Saturday and I have to get ready to get back to work.  WITF has me this weekend; and KYW sports updates will be my second shift job for the next two days.  Back to normal...I doubt it.


Walkman time:  "A Growing Time," by Dan Fogelberg.  From the posthumous album he was working on and finished before he passed on.  Typical Fogelberg; but it's really a very good song.


Okay...again I wish to thank everyone for their support during a very trying time.  That trip to Annapolis was not a total loss, because the rough draft of "Silk Road Days" was completed before the shit really hit the fan.  I am going to eventually read the book, and make notes as I consider what to do to make a 600 page story worth reading.


I think it will be a three part story, and that's about all I can think of that will make it work.  It rather is in three parts anyway, so I believe it will go well.


"Don't Want to Fight," by Alvin Lee.  Nice...from the fantastic "Detroit Diesel" album.


I have not heard from the hotel; I have sent a message to first praise the manager for her calmness under pressure.  Also to see about a refund, and see what else can be done.  I am also seeking a copy of the police report, just in case I need some kind of record of what went down from the officer's point of view.


The cops by the way, while legitmately tough dudes (not boys you want on your bad side), were very professional and understand.  I really appreciate how they handled it, and went to a great length to find out that the accusers were a bunch of liars and attention seekers.  Add to it, their parents are a pack of sorry individuals.


I would love to know what school district or districts these individuals "represented."  Because they represented their school or schools, and their state very badly.  I am so tempted to find out, so I can send letters to their school boards and superintendents, to let them know what Grade A Assholes were sent off for a trip.


I wonder if that will be the subject of discussion, and whether those shits have queered the deal for the good kids who deserve a trip somewhere.  Wonder if they'll ever do any of those trips again.


Anyway, I really don't care because there was nothing I could be charged with, I did nothing wrong.  At all.  Period.


"Woke Up Dreaming," by Joe Bonamassa...fabulous guitar work.  This guy is way more than a blues guitarist.  


The tone changes with the music, hmmm...okay, on Friday I went up to visit Alice at her place, and we had a nice time.  She has been raving about "The Big Lebowski."  I've never seen it, til now.


A brilliant, bizarre, and well crafted crazy flick.  Jeff Bridges is fantastic, John Goodman did a fabulous job, in fact everyone in the film did damn well.  The odd cameos by Sam Elliott (straight out of Lonesome Dove) were a great add.


Loved it; great to see Jimmie Dale Gilmore in a brief acting role, and the scene where Goodman pulls heat on him over a bowling match is just weird as shit.


I also got to turn Alice on to Jim Jeffries, as his HBO special, "I Swear to God."  She digs him now.


We got to talk, have dinner, etc.  Alice is okay; she dumped her bike the night before on her way back from a show.  A little banged up, but she and the bike survived, thankfully.  Wasn't her fault; some dipshit slammed on his breaks, forcing a big rig to do the same, and that's what caused Alice to wreck.


Also got the new Bruce Cockburn CD, "A Small Source of Comfort."  Fantastic package, yet again.  Bruce is a big influence on me, and I generally snag anything he puts out.


I took a chance, as I'm wont to do:  Vusi Malahsela has a new CD called "Say Africa."  An amazing folk/African album; Taj Mahal produced and Angelique Kidjo guests on it.  Really special recording, with some fine songs.  


So...what now do I do?  I have to carry on, despite the lingering weirdness that stays with you when something really fucked up happens.  I just have to move forward with my life, and leave it as experience.


Unless that hotel offers me something, I will NEVER stay in a big chain hotel ever again.  The only one I will is one in Cambridge, because it is well staffed, the rooms are quiet and security does not take shit from shit, you dig?


True, you cannot pick your fellow guests, but you can minimize the risk and the bullshit.  When you put large numbers of people:  convention-goers, class trips, rock bands and their crews or sports teams, you are in for trouble.  Especially when alcohol is added to the mix.


You should read my June 2 blogs to get the full rundown if you don't know.


Urgh...I am again trying to look ahead here.  "Silk Road Days" is working on the brain, and I can't imagine myself writing anything new for a while, even thought I've some ideas in the can.


I also have to consider editing and rewriting of SDS-1, aka "Sweet Dreams:  Searching for Roy Buchanan."  I sense one day soon I will have a deal to get this book out, but before that, rewrites and whatever else will be required.  I'm ready as I'll ever be.


"Long Hauls and Close Calls," by Hank III...scary weird shit.

Annapolis, Silk Road Days, Being Stalked, Attacked and Questioned by the Police...And a Few Thoughts About New Jersey

Well, well, well...wherever do I begin?  It's about 8 am; I'm back in PA, after my short mini-vacation was utterly trashed by some individuals I'll talk about in a minute.

I took a two-day trip down to Annapolis, MD for a Writer's Retreat.  I wrote about this earlier; the aim was to get away, relax, finish the rough draft of "Silk Road Days," and have a little fun.

Well...the first part of the trip was okay.  I was staying at a large chain hotel, because the price was right.  Not a bad place, really; nice staff, clean room, though the restaurant fare left much to be desired.

I got to see a bit of Annapolis, which was cool, saw some the Naval Academy points of interest, but was not really there to be a tourist.  I was there to work.

The good news is:  I did finish the rough cut of "Silk Road Days."  This is an extremely long, rambling bit of fiction, and I have a lot of work to do to get it beaten into shape.  To get it done, though, very big accomplishment.

Here's where the trouble began...yesterday afternoon, four (at least) busloads of kids were brought in...13 year olds, with a woefully inadequate number of parental units as alleged chaperones.  I soon learned the parents were out for fun a lot more than the brats.

Four of the kids were ensconced in the room next to mine; early evening or thereabouts, I'm aware of this screeching, crashing and banging out in the room next door, the hallway and up and down the hall.

I kept hearing someone say, 'Shhh,' or words to that effect, because at least one of them knew they were too loud.  It just kept on.

I finally had enough.  I went to my door, opened it, looked into a now empty hall, and said to no one, "What the fuck is going on out here?"

Ok, probably shouldn't have said, "Fuck," but considering these retards were from, it's every other word for some of them.

To my left, from the room, next door, I see a pair of girl's eyes peering out at me, and the door slams.  Ah-ha...well, I left it at that.

Not long after I came out and found all four of the girls, door of their room open, standing in the foyer and the bathroom...I asked what was going on out here, and they denied anything happening.

Liars.  Bad liars. 

Still, I let it slide.  At about 8:30, I left to get dinner and to try and finish the draft.  As I left, there they all were; again, door open, queued in the bathroom to get mirror space.  All not wearing very much (13, remember that), and some looking like they were wearing their mother's uncool from the 80's bustiers and shit.

I apologized to them, in case I'd scared them.  They said no problem; I was curious, I had to ask what they were up to, and they said they were part of a class trip.  Cool; I left, no problem, right?

WRONG.

I go get dinner, and I sit and finish the script.  Relief!  I get back about 10...now, the kids were having some kind of party in the first floor banquet room...and yeah, I rode down in an elevator full of kids, mostly girls to this thing.

The alleged parents were around, but really were spending more time hanging out amongst themselves, and as time went on proved they were NOT looking out for their charges, but more intent on looking our for what THEY wanted to do.

More on that in a moment.

Gotta love these alleged parents...all swaggering around the hotel in their knickers, their t-shirts, their gangsta tattoos and gold chains...oh yeah, and that's not just the men, either.

The kids are all precancerous orange/brown in color from the sun and tanning booths, all stick figure thin, all hair, braces and skin.

So anyway...I get back.  Party's in full swing, and there's a few adults hanging out.  I go upstairs to my room, turn on the Stanley Cup Playoff (fantastic finish, by the way, feel sorry for Tim Thomas, there was no way he was gonna stop that puck), and I'm playing my guitar.  Not loud, not at all.

Well, I realize that outside MY door are four adults...three women and a man.  They're just standing out there, doing nothing, loitering.  Didn't realize why.

Anyway, I talk to Alice by phone, and she tells me about her night as a costume tech for "Beauty and the Beast."  Someone apparently got hurt; I'm on my cell as I leave the room to get ice, and I say to Alice, "It's not a good show unless someone gets hurt."

Humor...irony...WHAT PART OF IRONY DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND, BALDRICK?!?

About 11, I am getting ready for bed, when there is a knock on my door.  Two very large police officers are there, and want to talk to me.

WTF is this?

I let them in...they tell me that some of the alleged parents had ordered the hotel to call them about me.

I was questioned...my ID was taken and run by one of the officers...I was asked about my interaction with the girls.

"Did you touch any of them?"

I categorically denied any such thing, and I explained exactly what I have written above here.  So I'm stuck in my room, while the cops go around and ask more questions.  They come back, they leave, they come back, they leave.

Then the hotel manager calls my room.  She informs me that the parents claimed I had made threats against their children; the conversation those four parents overheard me having with Alice made them think I was planning something.

Apparently, those four girls started flapping their gums, and embellishing their tale.  It passed from person to person, getting more and more outrageous with each telling.

The manager, a lovely young lady was on my side.  She said there was absolutely nothing to this bullshit, but to diffuse the matter, she offered to move me to a room on the Club level, or the top floor.

I agreed to this, and the officer in charge took me up there.  He was as disgusted as I was; the story changed time and time again as he and his partner questioned the kids and the alleged adults.

No charges, no arrest, a lot of bullshit and blather over nothing.

Well...I didn't realize what potential danger I was in until I checked out.

I could not sleep.  I got up at 4:30 to leave, and I did this just to take myself out of the equation.  I did not want to run into any of these ignorant turds, and I did want to see the manager before she left for the night.

This lady was really sorry about what had happened.  I had been very badly wronged, the police had been called for nothing, and then I found out what she had to deal with down in the lobby that night.

She described it as a "lynch mob."  The mostly-inebriated alleged parents were after me; they had stalked me, staked out my room, and were looking for anything to get me on.  They were convinced I had molested or otherwise done something to one of their little darlings (which they cared fuck all about a few hours ago while chasing means to increase their blood-alcohol level), and they wanted me out of the hotel, under arrest, or dead if possible.

Now, they never found out my name, because hotel policy is no personal information is allowed out, despite their demands.  A lot of those alleged parents had been out drinking; because at 11 they came back from somewhere and were upset that they could not keep drinking because the hotel bar had closed.

Really looking after all those kids, aren't they?  Letting the little brats run wild through the hotel all night long, while they're out getting trashed. 

I guess they were pretty pissed off, and wanted me badly.  I don't believe they threatened me specifically; I would have been told if they had, and criminal threatening is a felony.

Guess where those busloads of greasy, oily, tattoo wearing dirtbags were from?  NEW JERSEY.

Now, to my friends who are from there and who live there, this is not about you; I know you, you are my friends and I know your character.  I also know this rabble of small-town, "Jersey Shore" wannabes do NOT represent all the population of your state.  But they sure do give it a bad name.

Of course, when members of said state have found God in Springsteen and Bon Jovi, and who think that Snooki, Vinnie and j-wow are cultural icons, well, that makes me wonder.

These people, these alleged adults who were entrusted to look after four busloads of barely teenage kids on a trip, were more interested in getting drunk, hanging out and partying on their own...they seemed rather content to let the hotel be the babysitter to their kids by and large.

Then the kids act up...someone (me) stands up for his right to have peace and quiet in a room that HE PAID FOR WITH HIS OWN MONEY (fuck knows where they got theirs), only to be stalked, attacked and treated like shit by a bunch of absentee watchers who suddenly smell their testosterone seeping through their nadds and their clits.

Sorry, but to be attacked like that, and the possibility of what bodily harm I might have faced if the wrong person of that group was in the hallway that night?

You have to think of the potential situation, and how violent it might have gotten.

So I left...perhaps this is overreaching, but I feel like shit.  I have been denigrated, my privacy was violated by their snooping and stalking, and I had to be moved to another room when that whole fucking rabble should have been forced to spend the night sleeping on their buses!

Fuck them.

Know what it was like to be in the vicinity of those jerks?  The sight and smell was enough for me:  take a quart of motor oil and five pounds of dirt; pour it all over your naked body, rub it in and just inhale.

That's what they looked and smelled like; I don't ever want to be near that again.

This is NOT a slur on all New Jersey people, nor on any ethnic group.

This is me, pissed off and doubting that humanity has any real character left in it.  Take a rumor, take a lie, take a half-truth, mix with alcohol, and watch out.

Fuck all those people.  If there's a Hell, I'll be there to welcome them in.  Scum.

I am still angry, can you tell?  I don't like feeling this way, and I don't like having my character unfairly attacked.  This is junior high school bullshit, when the loudmouth kid starts a rumor and starts repeating it, shouting it on the bus, screaming it in the halls, screaming it in your face, and knowing that the teachers don't give a fuck?

That's what these losers behaved like; adults in age, but not in maturity.

I have little faith in humanity anymore.  This is what we have descended to.  Lovely.