Bridghid Parkinson

I posted my experiences in the storm to my myspace blog. www.myspace.com/dbparkinson but the entire experience (June, July, August and September, just in general) has been overwhelming.

June and July initiated my move into a new apartment--just me and my cat, "Stormy". He's a mixed Sealpoint Siamese. He's adorable and playful and just an all around sweetie. Don't tell Stormy, I'm really not a cat person. He adopted me and I didn't have much of a say in it. That, as they say, was that. This little prince of a cat doesn't like the fact that I set out ground rules about not jumping up on the counters (Come on--How else is he supposed to sit on the top of the refridgerator?) but...well, you know cats. They are going to do as they darn well please. I still miss my Basset Hounds.

The move got finished in the end of August...and I am still facing stacks of boxes. At the end of July it was announced that my oldest half-sister discovered her recent bout with pneumonia was really Stage 4 cancer. We worried about needing to evacuate a woman from Ike (in Florida) that is close to taking her last breath. My youngest sister went out there with her and spent a few days before she passed on September 8th. When Judy called here, we were getting word that Ike could come into this region, and I got to tell her that I didn't plan to leave. She wasn't happy about that. I told her it wasn't my first rodeo, but it darn sure was the biggest bull I'd ever seen. All my previous hurricanes had been Catagory 1. Well...If I needed to have her come get me, all my important stuff was still in boxes!

The week went downhill, not much real work got accomplished in the office and less in the apartment. By Thursday, I developed a 'nervous tic' at the corner of my right eye that just wouldn't go away. I did entertain the idea of going to San Antonio with a coworker and meeting Judy for the remainder of the ride to my hometown. I started to get flashbacks of 1978 where tropical storm Amelia trotted into Central Texas dumped a bunch of water on us (and upstream) and left the town in a devastating flood. Yeah...my luck, Ike would head in over Central Texas and I would be stuck in another notorious Hillcountry flood. No thanks.

I spent a little too much money getting 'supplies' but I had no idea what could happen. I knew a power outage was coming, so I got non-perishable foods, water, and the like. I grabbed candles, batteries for the radio, and a few other things that I had once missed during my experiences in other storms. I could crochet and read, or write on a notepad, if the sun was out and sleep when it was dark.

The beat-by-beat report of the storm is in the myspace blog.

I got very lucky. Our power lines are buried and I never lost power. That's why I was able to keep my running account going. It was keeping me sane. The wind never lets up in a storm like that and the sound of breaking glass and unknown crashing flower pots was about to drive me up a wall. I couldn't sleep. I hurt (hurricane aches are a dog) and I had to keep going somehow. I had my radio, my computer and me--and that goofy cat under my chair! I told him he was now 'scardy cat' insteady of Stormy.

The aftermath took my breath away. I came out of the storm almost unscathed. I had a lot of branches around and I got two good walking sticks out of the branches on my doorstep. The plywood held so everything inside was fine. Outside...every tree was missing branches, if it wasn't completely uprooted. Business signs travelled at least 2 blocks (remember- blocks are pretty big down here) and some of them, I can't figure out where they started. Highway signs travelled miles in the wind. One of my teachers used to collect traffic signs to decorate her living room. I think about her, especially at times like this where I see a half dozen on the ground. Standing on the sidewalk looking around at my area of Houston (NW Side by 290 and the Heights) it was almost the same as a punch to the chest. We were over 50 miles inland and the storm still ripped up this area like a chainsaw. I couldn't stop the tears from rolling down.

At my office...the Clark Kent job...everything looked normal at first and I reported such to our management. There was a tough looking security guard and I didn't want to make a stir with the building management so I didn't go inside. I should have. Windows were intact but the seals didn't withstand 100 mile an hour winds. We had water all over the floor. The disaster crews came in and ripped out all of the wet carpet and damp drywall and left enough destruction of their own. There was no power at the building and wouldn't be for two weeks.

I got the call to go to central Texas on the Monday following the storm. My hotel would be covered and I would have an allowance to eat in local restaraunts. I didn't need that much persuasion because I knew I'd just have to wait out the work crews to get our office back together. I worked and slept and never saw much of the Killeen area. I needed that monotony. I talked with other customers also in Houston and between us, we started to heal. The tic by my eye finally went away on Thursday. The bonus from that work got me another "Sparkly" and offset all the costs from the storm. Cindy--wait 'till you see my sparkly. BTW---that is the upper management boss that I provide reports for on occasion. She likes sapphires, too. The sapphire I wear to scare off the fools in the bars got seriously "Upgraded." That is one heck of an Ike souvenier.

I've returned to my poetry roots to document the experience because simple blogging is just not going to cut it. I rode through Houston in a van with coworkers on the way to Central Texas and I can't accurately describe in simple words what it was like to look out over the Houston slyline and see buildings that are beyond empty...almost 'dead'. Photos can document the damage in the daylight but I'll never forget the goosebumps from seeing it at night. If a city could lie down, whimpering and crying in pain...Houston has in this storm.

But--the signs of recovery were almost immediate. After I inspected the outside of my office building (before the rain even stopped!) and I started noticing others were coming out of their homes. I'm walking home and I smell...barbeque. Yeah, Di is home. It brought back immediate memories of when Tropical Storm Amelia moved into Central Texas and caused the flood. We had a two week long barbeque. Teenagers were already wriggling up to the broken branches of trees and pulling out the debris.

Bit by Bit...Houston is recovering. I've heard others report that they are sick of hearing about it...it was "Just a Category 2" storm. Well, keep in mind...it was a 400 mile wide storm with winds in the upper levels that reached Catagory 4 ratings and ripped large panels of the roof off Reliant Stadium. The official rathing was for winds of 110 mph, specific to this storm. Catagory 3 hurricane starts at 111. Buildings downtown, rated for Hurricane forces, had shattered windows and streets were covered in glass. That's just Houston. The Eastern Gulf shore north of Matgorda...Galveston and the Bollivar Penensula are devistated. People are missing. It's believed some have been washed out to sea. People died in Louisiana. Power was knocked out in Arkansas and even Illinois flooded. The storm wasn't downgraded until the eye passed me. That is why the damage and the recovery is so remarkable.

This wasn't just any hurricane. It afftected more than the almost 7 million people in Harris county...there were millions more in the region. Don't browbeat Mayor White for off color language (rhymes with truck) when dealing with the truckers that carried emergency ice and water supplies, but were standing around Reliant Stadium like a bump on a frog. I don't think I would have been as delicate as our Mayor and I am grateful that he's that willing to fight for us...millions of us. I never knew truck trivers could be offended by a couple cuss words. Rumor has it that Mayor white could break arms over the telephone and not say anything banned on TV. Can you imagine the frustration we are dealing with when a disciplined Mayor finally lets something off color slip? Give him a break.

The estimates of costs from just the power failure are already in the 6 billion range. That doesn't include storm damage. That primarlily covers things like lost food and the added expenses of generators for the ones that went that route. Our office generator used 1300 gallons of fuel a day. The tree hugger in me had a nervous breakdown. All of my effort to be green in the last 10 years was probably lost in one single generator. The replacement of the transformers in the office area were cause for a party.

We are getting back to normal work. By this spring, you'll hardly notice the damage. Most people wont even remember the carport that got twisted like a gum wrapper. The new leaves will cover the spot were the chainsaw took down a broken branch. We'll have our Livestock and Rodeo Show in March, swap a few wild Ike tales, and we will be back to business as usual.

After all...this is Texas. The heart of the state is her people. While this may be one of the worst storms we've faced in 100 years...it just makes the tales the old-timers will tell later a little more lively.

For Christmas, I asked my brother-in-law to paint up a characature of a curly haired cowgirl on a huge bull named Ike with a hurricane symbol brand.

Would I do it again? Yep. I think God blessed me to keep the power so I could write out these experiences in a couple different formats. I'm up to 50,000 words in different articles and poems. That's a novel in less than a month, with more source material for unimaginable adversities in stories. I think I did fine.

That which does not kill me makes me stranger...Really, Larry!!

First off... Christmas and the winter holidays are a very busy season for me but I'm happy to say now... "Merry whatever and many more to come". I know how it is, you can't please everyone and I do think the holidays are a special social season that everyone should enjoy... even Laura and her fork.

You will notice the blog is closed to comments. Sorry- if it's important that you reach me, you will know where to find me. I welcome comments, I really do! What I don't welcome are the bots from the websites of adult videos that are adding their website to my blog to increase their footprint on the web. This is mine, I don't care for their sites, and I am not going to add mine to theirs. 

Now... Stanley came for a visit, again. I do love this dog dearly- but for every sweet memorable event he gave, he gave me three, "Damnit!" moments. Typical of bassets, he is attention starved. I have a nice green khaki skirt-- kind of looks like the old solid color Army Uniforms. It's long, comfortable in summer or winter, and just one of those nice multi purpose pieces that goes everywhere. Stanly walks up and starts rubbing his head on my leg. Cute? Oh, HECK NO! Not Stanley!! He's found a wonderful portable napkin and I am now wearing the latest collection of eye-boogers, drool and dribbles from the water dish. Thanks Stanley, I'm so glad to be of service. We discovered Stanley ATE a sock- and in the normal course of events, it certainly did pass. No tummy ache... nothin. But... there is no doubt this dog loves his Auntie Di. I had a furry shadow for a week.

Works in Progress... or newly completed items...

EGYPT... "Anchient Jems" is finally finished. Imagine that you are an archeologist and you have a chance to study your subject in first-person. Toss in one HOT Priest, the antics of a few Egyptian Gods, and the liberal ideas of the Twelfth Dynasty society. Indeed, it gets interesting. Months ago Jewel was telling me, "You need to try time travel..." Well, I did. I just didn't anticipate that my first episode would chomp off 3700 years and drop her into Egypt. Can you imagine coming back and reading about yourself with the perception of the people that you are a Godess? Of course, that's not the ending! I won't tell you that!! Shame on you!

JADED BEASTS 5-- CROW LIKE ME. All I have to say is WOW... that was a whirlwind of fun to write. You may be familiar with the book, "Deaf Like Me" or the HBO series called "Dead Like Me" but it's not the same. Logan is a Guardian. He's a spirit that has watched over Tommie since she was born. Tommie, a computer game programmer, is murdered when the criminsal element she discovers in her office comes after her. They need to get her murderers, liberate the hostages they have, and run from the 'psychic types' that can actually see the Guardian Spirits. I've been through China Town and that region of Philly. They go up I 95, down to the court house and police stations, too. I wish I could have included some of the historic sites I have seen- up to and including Ben Franklin's grave and the Liberty Bell.

SPELLFIRE... I do love Spellfire.

THE GROLLIM (Spellfire Commemorative) are creatures inspired by a modern ghosts legend in Kentucky, around an old medical quarantine ward for tuburculosis patients. I watched some documentary and Spellfire seemed like the perfect, logical place forthe location of an imfirmary of that type in Texas.

FOR SO LONG (Spellfire Harvest of Heroes) is about two WWII Era people-- now obviously ghosts-- that live in Spellfire. Well, let me clarify that- Jack's been there a while- he discovered Spellfire when he met James Dallingham, the Texas Ranger, during th Korean War, and now that Rosie has finally entered the realm of living-without-a-human-body, he sure would like to have his wife back.

HEART OF A RANGER (Spellfire Seasons2) goes into a little more about Capt. James Dallingham. He is, without a doubt, a typical old Texan. Of course- he fought during the Texas Revolution so he's entitled to his quirks... but Miss Sarah, in spite of her 1800s birthday, is more modernized. Our darling captain is dragged, kicking and screaming (well, OK... he enjoys it) into the 21st century but he does take a stand that some things need to be done properly. And he's right.

CUTS BOTH WAYS (Spellfire Evening) Imagine that you have two ugly little minions of a bad-guy standing in front of you and one of them is holding a dagger. What do you do? Most of us would "Kill it". Guess what... wrong answer. You should know me better than that! That's way too easy. This one ventured into a little darker aspect of Spellfire. Jack loves his wife, and after all the years he waited for her, he was afraid of loosing her again-- and he was justified in that fear. He just couldn't keep up with the old-fashioned thinking that he had to protect her. She knew the risks of what she was doing, and quite literally, she was the only woman for the job. Could he let her do it, like the many times she'd let him work for his military service? That kind of love cuts both ways... it's not just the dagger. Jack proves he's a very big man, even when he's on his knees.

COMING... oh yes... SPELLFIRE HEARTS, Spellfire Shadows, and a few things I am cooking up. I got a little addicted to the "Paranormal watchers" and Time Travel romance. We do have something special cooking!! Haunted Passions is going to be reissued... with GRAPHICS. I get to show you some of the stunning buildings of Delaware... and that Kookie dog.

I messed with the style sheets again. Sorry- it was driving me NUTS that my banners and buttons were getting cut off on the right column. These really are pages I visit frequently and with the addition of webrings, they need to have the most space possible. If the bottom of the web page has a scrollbar- I'm sorry but I think it's better to have the larger page and have all the essencial details. Special thanks to Jenna Leigh who helped me out in examining my page and giving me recommendations for people with visual impairments.

Two releases are coming in April- "Summoning Dangerously" in Dragons, Myths and Elves Digest... and "Initiation to the Legends", the novel. These are both with Midnight Showcase.

I was wondering about what I should put in here today and I just wanted to drop some news. I've not posted as much as I would like- I don't always feel 'literary'. Since, I was in tech mode, I worked on my "recording studio". This does not look like a radio station and heavens it would be wonderful if I had a high caliber studio. The important part was a means to block out noise that I can't control-- a truck on the road, etc. I did go over to my friends and put my recordings through the acid test of studio monitor speakers and I liked what I heard- so did they!

If you are ever wondering about what it's like for a writer and where all this stuff comes from, it's work. I love it- don't get me wrong- but it's work. I think it was Lord Byron that equated poetry with sex or at least a moment of passion. When the mood strikes- I write down my ideas on pieces of scrap cardboard (Hey- recycling works) and set them aside for the days I'm not so creative and I can put words to the outline. I'm going to laugh... I'm always creative. How do I do it? I haven't got a clue. I look at old newspapers and see papermache is seven varieties. Yarn becomes blankets and sweaters. Rope gets crocheted into rugs... oh yes, I can!

My poetry strikes me that way, too. I get a series of events that makes me feel something acutely and my only way of expressing it is to write it down. I might even be in tears when I do it. I'm not angry- or upset- it's just that I'll spring a leak. My sons can actually handle seeing me in tears like that now. "Mommy is fine." I've written for three pages just to get the full sprectrum of what something meant to me or felt like to me and then I edit it down. Real names have been removed to protect the guilty... that kind of editing. Ha Ha.

James (my son) was good at summarizing, "You got in the most trouble in school for passing notes-- didn't you?" Umm... actually, no... but that was a close second. I really was NOT an angel in school. I have been a smart ass sarcastic all of my life and that was what has gotten my in the most trouble. I was never sent to the principle for 'smarting off' but I flustered a few teachers at some point or another and the threat was made several times. Thought you would enjoy that...

These varied quotes have helped me or gotten the “Whoo-Hoo!” vote of approval.

“Love is friendship set on fire." --Jeremy Taylor

“To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance." --Oscar Wilde

“Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." -- Albert Einstein

“I don’t deserve credit for turning the other cheek, because my tongue is always in it.” --Flannery O’Connor

"I have an existential map; it has 'you are here' written all over it." --Steven Wright

“Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." --Albert Einstein

“A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.” --Sir Winston Churchill

"I'm all in favor of keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of fools. Let's start with typewriters." --Frank Lloyd Wright

"An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered; an adventure is an inconvenience rightly considered." --Gilbert Keith Chesterton

"Argue for your limitations, and sure enough they're yours." --Richard Bach, Illusions

“Sometimes I wonder if the world is run by smart people that are putting us on, or imbeciles who really mean it.” --Mark Twain

"Wit is educated insolence." --Aristotle

"Always do right- this will gratify some and astonish the rest.” --Mark Twain

"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them." --Mark Twain

 “Any emotion, if it is sincere, is involuntary” --Mark Twain

“You can go to Hell, I’m going to Texas!” --Davy Crockett to the Tenn. State Legislature after his third term in office.

“You do not have a spirit. You are a spirit. You have a body.” --C.S. Lewis

“Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo.” --H. G. Wells