Way Past Perpendicular - Hurricane Irere

**This blog entry is sooper late - but bear with me..I thought I was quitting!

Behold the horror and misspelling of IRERE! (IRENE'S hood cousin!)

While chatting with Hench today - it occurred to me that I may want to recap the mysticism of Hurricane Irene for posterity and capture the logic of my alter ego..the birthday princess.

To understand Tidewater residents especially Norfolk people, you must understand a few things.

1. Norfolk floods like you see on TV all the time. Especially downtown.  If you live in an area that floods like that ..odds are you should permanently evacuate that housing situation.  My last job on Hampton Boulevard found me constantly finding new and innovative ways to skirt, ski, skate, slide, or slip past ponding rivers and instant lakes.  So now anytime rain falls from the sky the navigational system in my brain kicks into "rerouting" mode. (I literally hear the Magellan girl saying.. reroute to blah blah blah.)

2.  Local news vs. National news forecasts were different.  Please please don't misinterpret this - thank heavens we have someone to tell us "shits about to get crazy".  Some people were not fortunate. Local news said: similiar to Isobel, power loss, tidal flooding (if you live in area that floods), risk of tornado - no lightning due to the speed of the storm..winds have caused downgrade from Cat 2 to Cat 1.  Although A. Fox is a madman and gave us the magical fingers in door demonstration of geometry.

And the new Norfolk catch phrase "past perpendicular."

National news said:  EVACUATE! STORM BIG AS ASIA! 60 MILLION PEOPLE! SKY IS FALLING! And Virginia Beach residents took advantage of what we actually seen outside and responded like this.

3. The actuality of the day(s) preceding and the event itself was again very different HERE than what the TV was cooking up. All through my birthday (celebrated with unicorn horns and a feast of sorts from my good friend G), my family was texting to GET OUT. And I was like "what in the world!, PFF! I'm in heaven why would I leave??" Crazy talk. That and I had about 8 dollars to my name - no money for friggin gas (I think this is why poor people fair worst in these things..it's not like I (we) have a horse and wagon out back or a hotel fund...scoff.)  That and I just furnished my house - my selfish side said "we will float away on top of the sofa, tv and the Apple."

4. The fact that the 25th was my birthday - somehow overruled the logic of mother nature.  This is very stupid, but when "the fever" and a natural disaster hits at the same time: then you can tell me how you bravely forgot about yourself and drove off into the middle of nowhere.


In the days following - the water dried up probably faster than ever before. My neighborhood lost two trees and one beloved member of my flower bed met it's doom (my favorite f*n flower).  I learned that Norfolk's power/electrical grid has a priority list and apparently people that live near Cogans, Doumars, and No Frill Grill are not on that priority last.  I also learned that people that live near hospitals are not spared either - it's just usually the case that those locations have some sorta back up power implementation in place.

The next hurricane I may drive home..or start working out more for my own showing on the weather channel - especially if it's on my birthday. 

580 pixels - check dimensions tomorrow.

I'm not asking you to leave.....

I really loved this silly little blog for a time.  And as silly as cliche's are, I really wanted to say peace out instead of just disappearing off somewhere else. You see OEF was here before Friendster, Myspace, Facebook, Twitter.. It was this happy retreat where I could share my life. Fast forward to present: there are too many ways to share and like that guy in college.. I am now "the 30 year old".  People are more single serve cones and like their life experiences in 140 characters or less.

I'm still too lazy to communicate the old fashioned way - i.e. the phone.  I still see Hench and G in cyberspace (everyday) and occasionally in real life. That being said - I started this blog with a group and it feels odd to jabber on here in a solo capacity.  I came to this conclusion oddly enough watching the Temptations concert at Town Point Park, and then felt robbed when I found out it was only one member of the Temptations.  I shivered thinking: OEF featuring Leslie...or myself standing by the microphone with two empty mikes by my side.  It's the same old song, but a different meaning since you've been gone..

You can still find me over in Lavaponyland and on Facebook and I'm going to eventually start my own solo writing blog when the time permits. It'll probably be lists of things I like or song lyrics..or lists of things I f*kn hate! Or maybe more of the same.

It's been real y'all.

The critical hour...

I'm trying desperately hard to keep my eyes open at my place of employment in these last 2 hours (120 minutes).  I don't want to resort to Red Bull or 5 hour energy (pretty sure I'm at the conclusion of a crash from said beverages).  I seriously feel like one of those kids from the Nightmare on Elm Street movies, except instead of Freddie Krueger, I'm facing something much scarier...UNEMPLOYMENT.

Just kidding..but seriously. So tired...not bored..just sleepy.  Energy where are YOU!!!?

Moving Day...

From Everlong by the Foo Fighers...  

And I wonder
When I sing along with you
If everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I'll ever ask of you
Got to promise not to stop when I say when

I normally don't post song lyrics as entries..but how else to sum up the close of a Leslie Era, but with a song that it began with.

Wax Ecstatic

Wow, remind me to never post directly after a wine festival (or for the record visit stores I frequent during the non-intoxicated work week). Apparently my drunk logic lends itself to curious nostalgic emo. I'm also submitting this image (stolen from Lani's wall) to verify that I should wear sundresses more often, and dark large black glasses instantly make you anonymous in a crowd.

Nothing epic to write home about today so far. Lots of work - BUT - I will give THOR - the Leslie stamp of approval. Also oddly, this is the 3rd feature length movie I've watched (at all recently) and all 3 have had Natalie Portman in them. Not by active choice but by fate. I'm curious to see if she cameos in Bridesmaids and Harry Potter just to keep the streak running.

On whale painted parking lots...

I had been looking for awhile to find something joyous in the elevator and parking lot situation at the new jobby and this morning I found it. In pouring rain, I have no outside transition from car to office. There is now garage, lobby, elevator, desk. Which = dry non-pooftastic-Mufasa hair.

Still nothing positive to relay on elevators.

Where we last left off....

What I really need to insert right here is a montage video (which I'm learning how to make...so soon very soon). To make a long story short - I got a new job. I blogged about my hopes and goals for 2011 on my other blog. Which I silently call my "Kelly Rowland" blog because Gardler and Hench are this blog's Beyonces.

I miss writing here and am getting encouraged to write again - and so hesitantly I'm going to try to come back again.. one more time - so let's start with an old email to get everyone back up to speed..This is from January, but it works well for a then to now.

Greetings Scoobies,

I was seriously settling down to respond to each of you in slightly different ways, but since I'm telling the same story over and over again. I thought this might be a better option.

Sorry I've been "off the grid" recently - no phone calls, no texts, barely an email.

I started my new job Monday and privacy comes at a shortage here. They are doing construction, and while I'll have my own space soon (March) I don't have it now. We are packed in here tight..and I am sitting less than a foot away from the marketing vice president! So it's not in my best interest at the moment to spend too much time on my phone or even in gmail. Much like Rock Band, I have to "win the crowd" to stay in the game. Anyhoo, currently I'm running two programs off a tiny laptop on a table in the center of the room. I'll return to your social Leslie as soon as I can...hopefully Feb. (or even mid Jan.) but for right now - I'm texting in the quiet spaces of the ladies room. (Hence the non response or Leslie under fire texts).

While the logistics situation isn't optimal I'm really enjoying the nature of the work and the design projects.

My graphics counterparts are talented and they both bring different things (video editing, flash, an awesome font collection) to the table and I think there's alot I could learn from them. I even hesitantly showed someone a powerpoint trick yesterday, but since they are doing this themselves...I'm trying to keep the ppt secret hidden as long as I can. (Forever if at all possible.) It's cool for me because I'm knowledgeable about print aspects of gd so I've been helping them package media kits and get things ready for the printer.

Given my limited technology situation at the moment - I've only been given a few small tasks, but even small is not small as it has to be approved through a marketing team (reminds me of working for the paper again). And they really pay attention to resolution, colors, if something is offensive..etc. etc.

----- insert elevator music in the section where the primary details are..sorry stalkers...I won't list that on here ever ------------------

At any rate, miss you all - and hope to be back track (socially, lux lunching etc ..by Feb).

Peace and grooviness

- Leslie