Well, it's been a year and a day since I was in my house.
These were the words I heard my father-in-law say last night over dinner. I guess I really hadn't thought of that before. (I find it interesting that in New Orleans' above ground cemeteries one occupies the space for a year and a day, and then one's bones are shoved on over to make room for the next "renter.") So, I've spent the last year homeless in a sense. True, there are far worse ways to spend a year than living in a pretty nice travel trailer, and things were way better for us than for lots of folks.
"But wait!" I hear some of you say "I thought y'all got a new house?!!?"
Well, true, but, we don't actually live in it yet. For one thing, I've been working on finishing the floors for nearly three weeks (they're mostly finished now, just a bit more polyurethane), and then trying to let them air out so that Heather can breath in it.
Then I was trying to finish building the bed. "Why don't you just buy one?" Well, for one thing, I haven't actually seen the type of bed I want for sale, and for another, all of these house expenses and raised insurance payments do take a bite out of the old pocketbook.
Then of course there's yesterdays episode. Heather(who has been reticent or at least reluctant to move out of her new found "cocoon" of wheeled comfort)said, "I think I'm FINALLY ready to move into the new house" as we were driving into its driveway. We open the door with that phrase hanging in the air like a cartoon balloon, only to see a rather large puddle on the floor, and a large swelling bulge hanging down from the ceiling, dripping water. Ayyyyyayayayy. Long story short -- air conditioner troubles that made it overflow, ruining a 3-by-4-foot section of sheetrock in the ceiling. At least now we will be able to feel like our new house has shared in the whole post-Katrina experience, pulling out wet sheetrock, redoing and the like.
So any way, the anniversary of the storm passed somewhat unnoticed by yours truly. I didn't have much time to sit and reminisce, as I was a little more concerned with getting to the Waveland rebirth celebration on time. We played, it was fine. We had a good time, but then again, we always do when we play.
So after tearing out sheetrock yesterday we took Rodney (my father-in-law, who actually did most of the tearing out and fixin') and Denise (my mother-in-law) to "Los Tres Amigos" the newly reopened Mexican restaurant in town. We spent a lot of time talking about fixing our houses and when we'd get back in them.
"All it lacks is the finishing up," Rodney always says. He mentioned he'd been out of his house for a year and a day. A year and a day. ... It seems like much longer, but in ways, like yesterday. I guess there's not really much more to say about that.
On our way out of the restaurant we were stopped by a group of 20-something year old girls who had seen us perform at the Waveland Rebirth Ceremony. "Y'all played GREAT last night!" they warmly told us. That's what I love about this town. That's why I'm still here a year and a day later.
'Counting the days and hours'
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SORRY WE MISSED THE CONCERT, BUT WE LOVED SEEING YOU GUYS! HOPE YOU FIND A GOOD PLACE FOR THE MONKEYS!
HUGS, DeNEICE
DeNeice Guest, Waveland, MS (Sent Sep 1, 2006 10:50:54 AM)
Steve and Heather, great to hear you are almost in your new home. Welcome to the neighborhood from 'three doors down' not the band, but your new neighbors Geoff & Moli. And yes ya'll sounded great even in the sweltering heat.
Geoff , Bay St. Louis ,MS (Sent Sep 1, 2006 11:08:36 AM)
Hey Steve, Is the 3 friends resterant good or what Mississippi people "think" mexican food is suppost to taste like?.....Most of ya'll have had a bad trick pulled on ya if you think most of what you are served is "authenic"!
andy,booneville ms. (Sent Sep 4, 2006 12:01:10 PM)
Actually Andy, I could care less about whether the food is authentic or not. The food tastes really good, the waitstaff is authentic, and they are in a brand new building which is the prettiest Mexican restaurant I've seen outside of Disney World. (Plus all of the waitstaff humors me when I insist on conversing in my fledgling Spanish, and they don't run me off even when they're super busy, and I sit there for two hours copying out sheet music!) I'd go there even if they didn't serve food!
P.S. Thanks Geoff!!!
Steven Harper, Bay St. Louis, Waveland, Pearlington (Sent Sep 6, 2006 5:02:22 PM)
Cool,
andy,booneville ms. (Sent Sep 6, 2006 9:25:13 PM)
Hey, Monkey King I got a 1971 model Gibson SG I'm the only owner.....Do you play guitar?.........It's in nearly new condition! we'll pick!
andy,booneville ms. (Sent Sep 26, 2006 1:06:47 PM)
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