Hurricane Ian Diary 5: Huracán Ian Diario 5

 After being sick for two weeks, it was like emerging from a cocoon, as I had been on self-quarantine, not wanting to get anyone sick.  At first, leaving the house was like a new adventure, as the military posts were packing up, no longer offering the free food, though many still had water and ice, which was nice.  It's not like the whole thing cleaned itself up in that time, but progress was being made in the form of these huge, oversized double trash containers on wheels with a huge crane attached to grab massive fallen trees.

Después de estar enferma durante dos semanas, fue como salir de un capullo, ya que había estado en cuarentena, sin querer enfermar a nadie. Al principio, salir de la casa fue como una nueva aventura, ya que los puestos militares empacaban y ya no ofrecían comida gratis, aunque muchos todavía tenían agua y hielo, lo cual era agradable. No es como si todo se hubiera limpiado solo en ese momento, pero se estaban logrando avances en la forma de estos enormes contenedores de basura dobles de gran tamaño con ruedas con una enorme grúa adjunta para agarrar árboles caídos enormes.

Sometimes, it takes some destruction and going to a new location for transformation to begin.  When a neighbor asked if I would drive his car up to Michigan, I was not opposed to leaving for a bit while things got back in order, especially after having to visit my doctor on the front porch of his destroyed office, getting tested by the pond along the back of his destroyed building, and realizing that we would not even send in prescriptions, as most of the pharmacies I used were destroyed or simply not open yet.  First, I had to go get the car up in St. Petersburg, and I couldn't leave for that far, until I could actually get gas.

A veces, se necesita algo de destrucción e ir a una nueva ubicación para que comience la transformación. Cuando un vecino me preguntó si conduciría su automóvil hasta Michigan, no me opuse a irme un rato mientras las cosas volvían a estar en orden, especialmente después de tener que visitar a mi médico en el porche delantero de su oficina destruida, haciéndome la prueba. estanque a lo largo de la parte trasera de su edificio destruido, y dándome cuenta de que ni siquiera enviaríamos recetas, ya que la mayoría de las farmacias que usé estaban destruidas o simplemente no estaban abiertas todavía. Primero, tenía que ir a buscar el auto a San Petersburgo, y no podía ir tan lejos, hasta que pudiera cargar gasolina.

Once more than one gas station had opened up, driving up to St. Petersburg, I was apprehensive, not knowing what further destruction I would see.  In the aftermath of a natural disaster, you simply expect the entire rest of the world to look as destroyed as your own neighborhood, but once I actually left, and drove north on the highway, the signs of destruction simply grew less and less, until like nothing happened.  Getting out of the car in St. Petersburg, meeting my friend, I couldn't help but comment how their trees still had leaves, and there were still visible flowers, not like in Port Charlotte, where it was definitely looking more like Halloween with the barren trees and not much green but the grass.

Una vez que se abrió más de una estación de servicio, conduciendo hasta San Petersburgo, estaba aprensivo, sin saber qué destrucción adicional vería. Después de un desastre natural, simplemente esperas que el resto del mundo se vea tan destruido como tu propio vecindario, pero una vez que me fui y conduje hacia el norte por la carretera, las señales de destrucción simplemente fueron cada vez menos, hasta que como si nada pasara Salí del auto en St. Petersburg, me reuní con mi amigo, no pude evitar comentar cómo sus árboles todavía tenían hojas y todavía había flores visibles, no como en Port Charlotte, donde definitivamente se parecía más a Halloween con los árboles yermos y no mucho verde pero la hierba.

It's like I had blinders on, and I was only used to seeing the post-hurricane destruction.  Getting back to the real world, where people had already moved on from the hurricane drama, was shocking to me.  It's like everyone else had already moved on, turned it into old news, not realizing how things still looked.

Es como si tuviera anteojeras y solo estuviera acostumbrado a ver la destrucción posterior al huracán. Volver al mundo real, donde la gente ya se había mudado del drama del huracán, fue impactante para mí. Es como si todos los demás ya hubieran seguido adelante, convertido en noticias viejas, sin darse cuenta de cómo se veían las cosas.

Once the realization set in that since St. Petersburg looked fine, the rest of the country should be okay as well, that gave me the confidence to drive to Michigan.  Packing up the cats, grabbing the essentials, that drive seemed longer than normal, perhaps since I was still fighting feeling better, something my former fiance yelled at me about.  I say former, because when he said I was too concerned about my health and my house getting destroyed, for me, that was enough to call off the engagement.

Una vez que me di cuenta de que, dado que St. Petersburg se veía bien, el resto del país también debería estar bien, eso me dio la confianza para conducir hasta Michigan. Empacando a los gatos, agarrando lo esencial, ese viaje me pareció más largo de lo normal, tal vez porque todavía estaba luchando sintiéndome mejor, algo por lo que mi ex prometido me gritó. Digo anterior, porque cuando dijo que estaba demasiado preocupado por mi salud y mi casa siendo destruida, para mí, eso fue suficiente para cancelar el compromiso.

Yes, I thought my house was fine, as the roof was still on, until the insurance adjuster brought the water camera over and explained that I had water standing in my walls and ceiling.  They had talked about destroying and rebuilding nearly half the home, to the point that looking at new houses came up.  Still unsure of what's going on with it, I though that and my health was reason to be concerned, and being with someone who is not concerned about me going through a Cat. 5 hurricane is enough to call it quits.

Sí, pensé que mi casa estaba bien, ya que el techo todavía estaba puesto, hasta que el ajustador de seguros trajo la cámara de agua y me explicó que tenía agua estancada en las paredes y el techo. Habían hablado de destruir y reconstruir casi la mitad de la casa, hasta el punto de que surgió la idea de buscar casas nuevas. Todavía inseguro de lo que está pasando con eso, pensé que eso y mi salud eran motivos para estar preocupado, y estar con alguien a quien no le preocupa que yo pase por un gato. 5 huracanes es suficiente para dejarlo.

Seeing how my contract with MLB ended, I guess that makes me a free agent in all respects.  No, I still cannot say what team I was working with, but I can say that a lot of the stadiums we had been playing at in Southwest Florida are not quite the same as they were back in August, which breaks my heart.  I do not think anyone knows how next spring training will be yet, as the northern stadiums are probably fine, compared to the southern Florida stadiums that look like giants ripped through the roofs and tore up seating, tossing aluminum around in massive piles that would make most scrappers grab their trailers.

Al ver cómo terminó mi contrato con MLB, supongo que eso me convierte en un agente libre en todos los aspectos. No, todavía no puedo decir con qué equipo estaba jugando, pero puedo decir que muchos de los estadios en los que habíamos estado jugando en el suroeste de Florida no son los mismos que en agosto, lo que me rompe el corazón. No creo que nadie sepa cómo será el próximo entrenamiento de primavera todavía, ya que los estadios del norte probablemente estén bien, en comparación con los estadios del sur de Florida que parecen gigantes que atravesaron los techos y rompieron los asientos, arrojando aluminio en enormes pilas que harían la mayoría de los chatarreros toman sus remolques.

Regardless of who I was engaged to, I am not one to sit around and cry in my beer, especially since I don't really drink beer.  Instead, I high-tailed it to Michigan to see the white-tailed deer high-tail it at me.  Best way to cure a broken heart is not by smashing your finger while destroying a wall, though I thought home remodeling would have been a healthy way to vent until that happened; really, the best way is to grab some friends and head up to the haunted Eloise Asylum put on by Alice Cooper.

Independientemente de con quién estuviera comprometido, no soy de los que se sientan y lloran en mi cerveza, especialmente porque en realidad no bebo cerveza. En lugar de eso, seguí con la cola alta hacia Michigan para ver al venado de cola blanca con la cola alta hacia mí. La mejor manera de curar un corazón roto no es romperse el dedo mientras se destruye una pared, aunque pensé que la remodelación de la casa habría sido una forma saludable de desahogarme hasta que eso sucedió; realmente, la mejor manera es reunir a algunos amigos y dirigirse al Eloise Asylum embrujado creado por Alice Cooper.

One thing I will say is that it was true to the era, featuring things like lobotomies, deprivation chambers, electroshock therapy and all those wonderful tools that not all that long ago were considered totally acceptable treatment.  Who cares about the insane when they can perform brain surgeries on them?  Truth is stranger than fiction, and if you want a dose of haunted truth, then Eloise Asylum will make you forget about how bad you thought you had it compared to the many who checked in and never left.

Una cosa que diré es que era fiel a la época, con cosas como lobotomías, cámaras de privación, terapia de electroshock y todas esas maravillosas herramientas que no hace tanto tiempo se consideraban un tratamiento totalmente aceptable. ¿A quién le importan los locos cuando pueden realizarles cirugías cerebrales? La verdad es más extraña que la ficción, y si quieres una dosis de verdad embrujada, entonces Eloise Asylum te hará olvidar lo mal que pensabas que lo tenías en comparación con los muchos que se registraron y nunca se fueron.

I will say this was almost as much fun as standing in a flock of geese on the move at Calder's Dairy.  Almost as fun, because Calder's always has awesome ice cream.  It wasn't quite so fun to have to get towed from a smart car's battering smoking there, but the ice cream is always awesome, just FYI.

Diré que esto fue casi tan divertido como estar parado en una bandada de gansos en movimiento en Calder's Dairy. Casi tan divertido, porque Calder siempre tiene un helado increíble. No fue tan divertido tener que ser remolcado por el humo de un automóvil inteligente allí, pero el helado siempre es increíble, solo para su información.

Soon, it will be time to get back to Florida, as there's still insurance people and destruction to deal with.  In the meantime, it's nice to catch a breath of fresh air and see the rest of the planet continues to function.  Keep up on the latest at www.outlandishwriter.com , www.amazon.com/author/marisawilliams and www.marisadreamhome.com for real estate. 

Michigan's Cannabis Cup

Ravenously hungry. Stopped more than a few times for food and snacks. Still feeling starved.

Watch out for the zombies! Herds shuffle along the road. They don't notice where they're stumbling.

Beware of zombies. They mumble and groan as responses. Beep the horn and see if they wave.

Most people were actually cool, even if some of those people were basically bonified zombies by the time they could hardly make it out the door. On the loud speaker, people were feeding into the fear and loathing, warning that the cops would be out in full force. Meanwhile, on the outside, a burner with a headful of dreds hears “Is This Love” blaring from the loud speaker of the cop car, police nodding their head to the beat, seemingly not phased to see a bunch of stoners leaving the High Times Cannabis Cup.

In the FAQ for the event, there was a specific question asking if there was free weed with an admission. The answer seemed pretty straight up; sorry about your luck. There will be nothing to see here people.

Instead, I think one of the first booths in the medication area was my favorite. Herbal Solutions had a big set up with plush white leather chill spots on the inside for owner Adam and friends, surrounded by a rectangle of tables, each side of the rectangle offering up a sample to try as people stumble by. A free dab sounded pretty enticing, and the thought of being able to try a few different things, make my way around the table did not seem like that big of a challenge for a seasoned professional to try to handle.

Au contraire, mon frere. First side is no big deal, two dudes side by side. Joke, chat and toke.

By the second side, the third dab in, get ready to tap out. Walk away. Catch your breath.

Tears water the eyes. Blink them away, but they stream down the cheeks. Wipe with the hand then.

Try to stand strong. Try to look cool. Try not to cough.

What was that? Four foot of glass? Memory is hazy.

There's no holding back a big cough after trying to teach that thing a lesson. There's a light-headedness and maybe a stumble backwards. Eventually, that dreaded cough comes out in full force.

Learn a lesson. Smaller hit next time. Don't try to be a hero.

Is it really only the second side still? There's another right next to it waiting to be tried. Then there's the table next to it with a couple more samples, and the next side, with a few more, all waiting still...

Suck it up. This is just the first booth. There's a whole haze more to feel your way through.

Overhear a phone conversation. A says it's the most smoke they've ever been in, and the other questions, “I thought you said it was an outside event?” A clarifies that they are outside; it's just thick.

The old speedway looked a little different from childhood memories. Instead of attending races with grandpa, it's now filled with a maze of smoke, free dabs, food that's begging to be eaten, and amazing wonders, new stuff and things maybe only heard about before. What's that metal and glass setup?

Learn about new things first hand. Technology has soared to new heights. Get a little higher.

About the time to rest is when it's time to attend a conference. Hear tales from the War on Drugs, learn a few new growing tips, try some new cooking techniques and hear the heartbreaking stories of kids. Donate to a few causes that reminds as bad as one thinks they have it, someone is always worse off.

Afterall, even though the High Times Cannabis Cup is one of those cool events that people just love to attend, there is actual a political purpose behind the event. It's about legalizing an herbal remedy that can help a number of sick people, myself included. I would have loved to report that I skipped around the event like Alice in Wonderland, but truth be told, I was recovering from surgery and basically felt like a zombie, barely able to stumble, because I have not regained normal gait since having my surgery.

Why am I a medi patient? I jumped off the side of a mountain when I was 19-years-old, and my West Virginia cliff diving experience left doctors saying I'd never walk again. Luckily, I can walk now.

I had shattered my pelvis, compressed my spine, messed up both my knees and ankles, my shoulder and all kinds of stuff. It's been over a decade, and I'm still finding out new things, like my spine is bulging to the left, which is why I am leaning to the left more. Doctors didn't know what to do with me when I had my accident, so they gave me a slew of medications, including one that gave me kidney stones and another called Vioxx that gave me a heart attack at 24-years-old. No, I was not one of those lucky ones that received some of that $4.5 billion settlement; I did not even have health insurance.

While there's people that want to knock Obama Care, I was finally able to see a doctor for the first time in more than a decade. People with insurance take that for granted, but when you've had a major injury at a young age and things keep going wrong and you can't see a doctor for a decade, you really appreciate just being able to walk in the door of an office and don't care if you have to wait an hour. To finally know what is wrong and be able to have someone help fix it is a godsend for people like me; even when you know what's wrong but have no way to fix it, after more than ten years, finally getting any kind of medical coverage is like seeing light after being trapped in darkness.

People don't understand that it's not just bums who did not have health insurance for years in this country. Real estate agents don't get benefits like health care, artists and musicians do not automatically receive health insurance, and there's plenty of others who can work as hard as they are physically able but do not automatically receive any sort health coverage. I wrote more than 100 books, but the million dollar fairy did not fly down with money and health insurance for me.

When I did not have any insurance, my pain did not go away. It's not like my physical ailments stopped hurting since I did not have access to doctors. Instead, after having various complications with pills that doctors shoved down my throat, I turned to hippies and yogi masters, and, of course, weed.

I'd rather smoke a joint than take a pill. I'd rather eat a brownie than take a pill. Too bad if you don't like it, because I've already had bad complications with pills, and you're not going to change my mind.

That's just my story. Want me to tell you about my friend who is a six-time cancer survivor? She swears by the cannabis, it being the one thing that helped her be able to hold down food through the vicious rounds of chemo; otherwise, she would not have been able to eat or keep on enough weight.

Though the Cannabis Cup is a fun event to attend, there's this lingering darkness that flickers in the form of fliers and posters asking for help with people who have it worse than anyone there, people in wheel chairs wheeling around, those little reminders that this little weed is actually helping the sick. For some, it is a beacon of light, a hope to possibly ease some of the suffering. When throbbing pain is so bad that the heartbeat can be seen through the red inflammation, cannabis helps take the edge off.

One of my friends smashed her face against a steering wheel in a car accident. Not only did she require plastic surgery and suffer a host of other problems, but she became a medipatient. My other medical patient buddy was hit by a car exceeding 55 miles an hour while he was riding in the bicycle lane.

There's a lot of opinions about medical marijuana use, but talking to real patients can open ones eyes. Sure, there's the cultural phenomenon, the whole hippie movement, but there's also healing properties, and not to mention all the other uses for the plant matter. One thing that surprised me was that there were not more hemp merchandise vendors on site showcasing more potential uses for the plant.

Don't get me wrong. There were lots of vendors, and plenty with hemp related stuff for sale. However, I would have thought there'd have been more textile vendors with hemp bags, clothing, maybe tie dye...

Maybe I got lost at that first booth. It took quite a while to work my way around it. Though many booths had multiple dabbing stations, the first booth had both dabs and the more traditional bong rips.

Call me old fashioned, but there's something tasty about a good bong toke. I enjoy looking at the bud more than the stuff that looks like ear wax. I like to see the actual product in flower state as I smoke.

With the wax, it's easy to get really excited. Of course, when you actually talk to the vendors, only a handful can actually tell you the name of the strain they are sampling. Of the few that know what they are talking about, one readily admitted, “yea, most of this is actually CBD, with very little THC in it.”

That's good for pain. Not so much for a killer buzz. Just be mindful of little tricks like that around.

As with anything, there are tricks of the trade. When vendors are handing out free dabs all day, they might try little things like that to save money. Perfuming happens, as does the hardening of buds.

“Wow! This bud's so rock solid, it hardly breaks apart!” The texture is also a little off on the fingers.

It looks phenomenal. It smells wonderful. Something is just a little off though.

It's like elbowing the crowd aside to get an edible gummy. So excited, grasp the package, and it sloshes. Back to the refrigerator; guess these sat outside in the sun a little too long, but it'll harden.

Keep the common sense hat on to avoid being disappointed. Attend the seminars and learn some stuff. Wander to the VIP tent and get a free caricature sketched out on special High Times paper.

Waiting in line, a guy asks for a paper. Hand him one. He hands back an awesomely dank bud.

He saunters over to Danny Danko. The editor is here for free weed. Roll and pass; roll and pass.

Steady work, man. Rolling and passing out joints to anyone around in the crowd, Danny had many people eager to share space by him. Everyone was pretty laid back, all things considered, and not to worry, if the first few puffs didn't kick start the buzz, maybe the next few dozen'll kick in high gear.

Don't get so high that you forget your phone in the bathroom. Call it once you're an hour down the road, only to have some dude answer it. Stuff like that puts you behind schedule, but life happens.

The worst part about the Cannabis Cup is that it eventually must end. This year, unfortunately, the latter part of the last day basically got rained out. With tornado warnings fueling the paranoia, many packed up early and did not look back, but others seemed oblivious to the rain and soaked it all in.

By the end, regrets build up. Shoulda went to that one seminar. Didn't make it over to wherever.

For some, voting was the issue. Some had the best of intent on voting but could not find the tent. Ask around, and few can give directions; most remember seeing it, but the majority forget seeing it where.

With that in mind, my criticism would be to have an easier to find voting area. Put it up front, by the bathrooms, or have more signs pointing people to where they need to go, because too many were oblivious to where they needed to go for that. Also, invest in air conditioning, at least for the classes.

People looked dazed. For some on Saturday, it wasn't from being high, but heat exhaustion. Try paying attention at a seminar once you slime past people to take the last seat, and notice the guy on your left is passed out to the point that you have to fan and revive him with a few cooling air gushes.

My advice for an event like this is if you see something you like and might want, do not hesitate. If supplies are limited, it might not be there when you get back. This applies not only to big ticket items, but to something as simple as a peanut butter cup; when it's gone, it's gone, and you'll want to cry.

That being said, don't be afraid to shop around either. Unless it's a once-in-a-lifetime-take-it-or-leave-it, then chances are if one person has it, another may as well. For example, in trying to find a small glass piece, the first display is $60, next booth is $20, but a few booths down has the same size for $12.

The nice part about the latter part of the last day being rainy meant that people were ready to deal. They were packing up their stuff early, knowing they would not be selling as much as they had anticipated, and some vendors were offering up deals to anyone willing to brave a few drops of rain. Not even looking to make a purchase, when prices drop to more than half off, with free bonuses added in from people not wanting to carry stuff through the rain, then yeah, interest is piqued all of a sudden.

It's worth walking through the rain to find a few last minute deals. Don a rain poncho. It's all good.

From people dressed like big buds to girls wearing only body paint, there was plenty to do and see at the High Times Cannabis Cup. Though admittedly reluctant, fearing the worst, I was pleasantly surprised by the Michigan Cannabis Cup in Clio. The cops were not hauling people off to jail left and right, but jamming to reggae music; there were not violent gangs that left me in fear; I did not witness anyone get manhandled or murdered; in fact, I did not really fear at any time at all and felt safe.

Odd as that may sound to some, as I know many who were reluctant to attend. There were naysayers who had said, “it's not worth it,” but to them I can only say that you missed out. Shoulda been there.

Shoulda tried all the free dabs. Coulda hada buncha bong rips. Too bad, so sad, if you missed out.

Guess you missed all the sexy people. Guess ya didn't get to dance at the band. You sit home instead?

This was one of those things that once you attend, you can't wait to attend the next one. Mark your calendars and start counting down the days until the next one. Travel to another location for more fun.

Negril, Jamaica and Portland, OR, are the next locations. November 12-15 is a nice time to travel to the tropics of Jamaica, as it starts to get cold in places like here in Michigan. Good excuse to travel.

Central California will be going off in October. Visit www.cannabiscup.com for more information. For more by Marisa, visit www.lulu.com/thorisaz and www.thorisazviews.com.

Mayhem, Hell Yeah!

My mother always told me all that matters is health and happiness; you can't buy either one of them. When I had interviewed Tom Maxwell of Hell Yeah, he was having a little time off of the road after an injury. Little did I know that I would be seeing Tom perform at Mayhem, sitting with his hoof in a boot, and I surely did not expect to have my own health issues after covering Mayhem, but life happens.

Even though we were both excited about Mayhem, we had to talk health matters for a bit. “I shattered my ankle,” Tom said. “I wound up falling off back, hurt both sides of my ankle, had surgery, was in the hospital for three days. I went home on the third day.”

Still, he had a chipper outlook on the whole ordeal. “It's amazing. I'm not in pain. I had a surgeon in Germany. Flawless. My podiatrist looked at it back home and was super impressed by the quality. There's swelling and discomfort, and it may continue to swell into next year.”

He had mentioned, “even though I'll be back on the road, I'll be sitting down at the pedal board and throwing down as hard as I can. I'm at stage left usually, but I'll switch sides with Christian, hang out with Kyle. Plus, since I'll really be concentrating, I'll play the way we wrote it. Most of the time, sitting live is easier to play.”

His upbeat advice: “if you're handed lemons, make lemonade.” We chatted about the bands on Mayhem, how he had played with White Chapel previously. Hell Yeah had been playing the “Blood for Blood” record with some previous shows, but they are looking to promoted the new record now.

Our conversation changed upon reminiscing about how the Mayhem Festival last year coincided with a festival that Hell Yeah had played in Wisconsin, Rock USA Oshkosh. The Milwaukee stop of the Mayhem Festival was at a ballroom adjacent to the Ambassador Hotel, and Tom surprised me with his knowledge of the area. “I'm familiar with the Ambassador Hotel,” he said, “we tried to find the haunted room.”

Of course, the Ambassador Hotel is where Jefferey Dahmer had killed one of his victims, but Tom clued me into a darker past of the area, including the ballroom where Mayhem had been held. “Kids drown in the pool there, and in the 40's, it had been a shelter for neo-nazis. It has an insane history.”

We swapped stories of haunted history, then got back to the music. “I've pretty much been touring since last year. We have Mayhem, then Australia. We'll tour the album 16-18 months. Concentrate. In September, we'll come back, breathe, then me and Vinny will start out laying ground for the next record later this year, release next year.”

Like fueling up a tank, replenishing, this is the work of an honest record. They'll get deeper in songs. Music is like a machine taking them into battle where they will rage on for thousands across the globe.

In any battle, there are fallen heroes. We chatted about Dimebag for a moment, as I had brought up how he had collaborated with unexpected types, like from the country genre. I questioned Tom on whether this type of activity continued when working around his brother Vinny.

“We're involved with a lot of stuff. There's always fun people who want to collaborate. Usually, it's the same genre. We've not been approached by any country or jazz musicians to collaborate, but we're not pigeonholed,” he detailed.

He shared about the band comprised of his buddy Tommy Sickles from Nothingface. “Todd and Jason; one record, fun ways to keep grounded. There was one circulated of a string section that did a cover of “You Wouldn't Know” with nothing but cellos and violin. I'd love to add that to some of our music.”

As far as his biggest musical fantasy, Tom dreamed of headlining Download in a form of musical world domination, changing career for the better, pulling in 80,000 fans, and being supported by bands like Nine Inch Nails, Motley Crue and Ramstein. If you missed them on Mayhem, you can still check them out online. Visit www.hellyeahband.com, www.facebook.com/hellyeahband, and www.myspace.com/hellyeah.

For more by Marisa, visit http://blackwidowbook.angelfire.com, www.lulu.com/thorisaz and www.twitter.com/booksnbling.