Florida Poets

[LoGic]

just checkign on my florida poets, to see how you guys are doing?!?!
 i see mother nature is having her way...
y'all are in my prayers/chants/mantras/ i hope y'all stay safe,
 and are able to whether this one out! keep yall heads up!

[Casandra]

Hurricane Frances, as of the 8am NHC and NWS updates, has weakened to a Category 3 storm.  Most of the computer models forecast an increase in strength and intensity over the next 24 hours as she (although personally, I think its a HE, but whatever) moves excrutiatingly closer to land.

Slams expected to be affected by Frances: Ft Laud.,  Miami, Delray, Orlando, Winterpark, Jacksonville, Tampa, possibly Pensacola., or if you prefer: EVERY SLAM IN OUR STATE.  The storm is estimated to be about 400 miles wide from top to bottom.  I-95, I-75 are clogged with evacuating cars.

Of course, Orlando and Winterpark are a pretty inconspicuous target for this storm: two areas that are still recovering from Charley.  Here in Delray, we're a little concerned about our venue: Dada is arestaurant within an old florida home, like, turn of the century old.

At 8am, West Palm Beach (20 miles north of Delray) leads the state in terms of strike probabilities, but that's most likely due to the fact that most of the forecast tracks have the center of Frances moving to just offshore Palm Beach County and then turning more Northwest and coming ashore slightlly north of us.

Thanks for your prayers.
We are just waiting this thing out right now.

I'll post another update later.

Peace
Casandra
Delray

[Chris Robbins]

Down there in Florida, it seems y'all can't get enough tragedy... or that the world can't find enough to give you. Please heed the warnings and take shelter, having been in the Carolinas when Hugo was a direct hit, a Cat. 3-4 hurricane is nothing to fuck around with. i am not a praying kind of person, but you all are in my thoughts. If any of you have your homes destroyed, real-estate is very cheap in Lexington and we would love to have you.

Sincerely,
Chris Robbins

P.S. - hang on tightly to something/someone, or you might end up in Oz!

[ms_spelt]

I am a praying type of person.
don't mess with mutha nature and nevr underestimate the value of prayer.
I've never encountered a hurricane before but i have been raised most of my life in the wilderness where mutha nature can humble you all sorts of ways.
you can allways find another venue.
if the storm wants to smash it to kindling let it.just don't be inside when it happens.
relocate your slam either during and/or if necessary after the storm.
but don't fuck with it.
please.
please be safe.please take care.
one florida poet gone in the last week is allready one too many.
huddle together in whatever evac center in whatever gym they set up for you and do the slam there for the rest of the evacuees-it'll one to tell future generations about and you will ive long enough to tell that story,goddess willing.
all my love
ms spelt

[Casandra]

Ok, here's the post storm wrap up.

Most of Broward County lost power for a couple of days.
All of Palm Beach County (with the notable exception of my friend Trudy, which I can not explain) lost power, and much of it is still without power.
Needless to say, the counties north of Palm Beach (Martin, St Lucie, Indian River) also lost power and are for the most part still struggling with damage and such.

I was at my parent's house in Lake Worth (although its practically Boynton Beach).  We were visited by the southern section of the eyewall, and let me tell you, that is some terrifying shit!  For those who don't know, the eye was more than 40 miles wide.  Our roof sustained minimal damage.  We lost a banana tree and we may have lost a lemon tree.  Not to mention a weeks worth of living.  We still don't have electricity.  We lost it Friday morning.  (I'm at work in Delray Beach right now).

Luckily, the storm did FINALLY leave (one of the biggest problems with it was that it barely moved.  It was moving about 4 miles an hour!)  and the rain has let up so we've all been cleaning up.  Also, this was a strong catagory 2, not the catagory 4 we were expecting.  I am eternally grateful for that.  Had it been a catagory 4 we may have lost our home.

We are watching Ivan in the Atlantic to see whether we will have another week without electricity.

Thanks to all who prayed.  I'm not one to talk about other people's business, but a poet lost a family member in the storm, and he will appreciate your prayers as well.  Other than that, everyone here in South Florida is safe.  I haven't been able to get in touch with Orlando or WinterPark.  I think Pensacola is ok (Asia went up there to escape this SOB and he's coming back now).

Anyway, thanks.
Peace
Casandra
Delray Beach

[Casandra]

Not that it matters much
I want to give two shouts out:

First, to the emergency coordinator at the FPL Staging Area on Powerline Rd in Broward County who gave me ice when he shouldn't have.  He helped us eat for two more days!

Second, to Shootouts restaurant in Boynton Beach.  I have never appreciated hot food in an airconditioned enviroment so much.  Plus, their food was excellent.

Also, we had to cancel our slam last night because curfew is still being enforced in a number of municipalities and we don't need any excuses for police to arrest poets!  That being said, OUR VENUE IS OK!!!!  Hooray!  Dada is still standing, the big tree out front is too, and we look forward to the resumption of normal poetry activities next Tuesday!

Casandra
Delray

[ms_spelt]

i just got word that Ivan is turning it's turbulent eye towards Florida.
 :roll: Three Huricanes.
Jeb Bush is a Jonah.It's so very clear to me now.Throw him over board that the rest might be saved.and then set your sights on that nasty ass waterhead swine brother of his that he snagged the last election for when it fell off the back of the Democracy truck.
Remember-People voted Nixon back in and boot stomped the progressive politics of McGovern like a narc at a biker rally.
W with nothing to lose in his last kick at being president makes Nixon during Watergate seem a blessing.
It can't be allowed.
Three Hurricanes.
In an Election Year.
God is pissed at Jeb.Not Florida.
be strong Florida.hang together lest you hang seperately and know that you are loved.
much love
ms spelt

[Casandra]

Ok, so we still don't have power at home, and our phones went out again, so I've been spoon feeding my parents the Hurricane Ivan news I access @ work.  For us, things are looking up: every advisory since Thursday pushes the storm further west.

Pray for Pensacola.  Pray for Jamaica: the clean up is about to begin.  Pray for Cuba, pray for the impoverished who are about to lose what little they have.  Pray for the Caymans.

I agree, ms spelt, in fact: the NOAA site is alerting everyone to an active El Nino year, which to me can only mean that:

God is mad at the Bush sons. (If not their father).

Luckily,
Writing doesn't care if Bush likes it or not.

Keep writing everyone.

Casandra
Delray

[Casandra]

So, yeah, we have another hurricane coming.

I might just skip town on this one.

(insert sigh here.)

Casandra