6/6

[fflo]

Because of the death of President Ronald Reagan, this morning we will not be joined by puzzlemaster Will Shortz, who will re-join us next week at this time.

And that's because, of course, we can't have even 3 minutes of the most mild amusement in this time of great national sorrow----not only because it might offend any number of the masses who are out there just a-mournin' like crazy, but cuz we've got to get back to our "coverage" of his being dead. You know, to help the people process this loss.


So on with the day.

On this date in 1966, not long before my 4th birthday, a tornado came through our neighborhood in Manhattan, Kansas, killing no one but causing a good bit of damage, some of which was of the weird/freaky type you sometimes get under those circumstances. As I recall, the chandelier of a not-even-next-door neighbor ended up in our bathtub; our clothes hamper landed almost a block away, but was mostly in tact; and across the street one house had lost just its right side, letting the aftermath rounds-maker see into their home as if it were a dollhouse. (A big dollhouse.)

We lived in an apartment for a few months while the house was repaired. For the rest of the time we lived there---another 6 years---my brother and I would still find little roofing tacks in among the rocks that formed a little decorative sea between the front walk and the yard.

Comments

[fflo.livejournal.com]

Glad you can enjoy a tornado! I love wild weather, too, to tell you the truth; just can't get comfortably into a storm with that sort of threat level, at least when it's that archetype of external danger (as it is for many a Kansas child, I imagine).

St. Jude's---is this to say you attended a religious school? (Why don't I know this answer already?)

[atleastdefiant.livejournal.com]

I guess not--I'd wager Alabama tornadoes are more tropical storms, whereas Kansas gets more on the Wizard of Oz level.

Oh yes, I'm a Catholic by-product--I hide the scars well. St. Jude's was humongous and old. We had the hospital, monastery and convent on campus, as well as grades K-12. We used to get beat up by the kids from the performing arts school across the street. How sad is that? Alex works at a performing arts school. Roughnecks they are not.

[fflo.livejournal.com]

I should have known this. Hey, at least you're not a recovering Catholic itself!

Of course I remember our talking many times of the trauma of exposure to religion & qualms about even modest associations with it today (not to mention being around the very proper and pious and white-gloved). I didn't know it had been such a hard-core environment for ya. Sheesh.

...used to get beat up by the kids from the performing arts school across the street. How sad is that? Alex works at a performing arts school. Roughnecks they are not.

I love how you said that.

Holly went to a performing arts school. (Classmates included Nick Lachey, former member of 98 degrees and current odd celebrity husband of odd celebrity.) I guess the small liberal arts college she ended up at was much more conservative than her high school. For me it was exactly the opposite.

[atleastdefiant.livejournal.com]

Oh, St. Jude wasn't so bad. I may have been a bit of a little fascist--I remember enjoying the uniform distinctly more than I should have.

what's the point of going to a conservative college? i saw animal house, that's all i ever wanted my college experience to be.