Life and Death

I'm pretty busy these days, but I'm nowhere near having the same problems as the folks in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. I still consider my hurricane damage from last year more of an inconvenience than anything else, and Katrina pretty much proved it. Now, granted, if another storm comes through here, I'm probably screwed. My roof leaks in heavy rain, and it looks like I'm going to have to replace the tarp again. We had another contractor out Monday evening (that would be the fifth or sixth visit by various people to see the damage - but not so much as a screw turned in repairs), so maybe it'll be fixed up before the next storm.

Anyway, Katrina. As much as it would have caused all sorts of problems to Florida, the 'what if' part of me thinks things would have been much better if it had tacked north of Miami and hit our state full-on. It would have only been a Category 1, and would have lost a decent amount of energy as it went through. By the time it got to where it was going, perhaps it would have been weaker. I dunno. Not like I can travel in time or affect weather patterns. So, instead, I'll be sending a financial donation out tomorrow when I get paid. I hate giving blood (bad experiences as a child with incompetent nurses), but if I can get somewhere to donate soon, I will. The amount of aid and support Florida received last year demands that I return the favor in kind, even if I didn't actually need any of it.

But enough of that - not like I can say anything on the subject that hasn't been said. Cities are destroyed, people are dead, gas prices are up, and still, we carry on. And for my family, life grows.

My sister had a baby girl on Monday, making me an uncle for the second time. Cute as a button, Kylie Jade is healthy and was born with no complications. Mother and Father are doing fine, and my other neice is apparently quite proud to be a big sister. Assuming the gas prices stabilize (and they should), we'll be heading down to Tampa this weekend to visit with the newest member of the family. And yeah, since we have two boys and the factory has been closed, our trunk will be full of cute little girl outfits. I went down Monday night for a quick visit in the hospital, so we'll need some more time for adoration.

In other news, I saw the movie Sky High Friday night as part of a 'you have to watch the kids all weekend, have a night to yourself' deal with Patti. It's not great cinema, but if you're only slightly into superheroes, it's a fun flick. Essentially, it's a tip of the hat to the classic superhero genre, written in a family-friendly way. While there is a 'love story', it's a typical pre-teen thing with mistaken intentions and a romantic kiss being the biggest sign of affection. So, nothing even close to adult content, and the violence is limited to the PG level - no blood, guts, or deaths. Some of the lines are pretty cheesy, and the love story is the cliche "boy doesn't realize the girl next door is the one for him" - but there are a few plot twists that aren't completely telegraphed. The message of the movie, while obvious, isn't beaten over your head. The message is essentially one condemning 'powerism' (a Hero vs. Sidekick duality), which can be a metaphor for anything from Jocks vs. Geeks to outright racism and homophobia. So anyway, if you have a soft spot for flying women or guys who can turn into rock monsters, take a look. I didn't bring the kids, but I'll let them watch it on DVD. (My four year old might get a little bored with the mushy parts, and my six year old will likely tolerate it. Better to risk it with the DVD than a public theater I can't pause or fast-forward.)



Link of the moment: Like super heroes? Catch up with what's going on in the Incredible Hulk's life.