Of Linemen and Real Live Bars
I am normally a frequenter of Orleans Parish Bars - It kills me to not be hanging out at St. Joe's, Cosimo's, Hong Kong and New Orleans Yacht Club - so to find myself in a typical Metairie bar and being thrilled about it is quite a shock. Yeah that's me in the white shirt, my friend Paul and one of the bartenders.
Laughing, lots of laughing - even while punctuated with stories of lost jobs and homes. Amazing to sit there and listen, and realize how much individuals have lost. Good friends who have been fired and have no hopes of restarting their jobs in New Orleans, no place whatsoever to live, car notes on cars which are now totaled in the floodwaters... the tales are endless.
But then you run into some good hearted electric linemen from across the country, who are waking a co-worker, a 27 years old guy from Michigan down here working to get our power back up, who was electricuted to death of Friday.
Every story puts the one before it into perspective.
Yet, amidst all these personal horrors and complete destruction of lives... we can still laugh over a beer... or two.
This is healthy. We are not beaten.
But then the National Guard comes in and shuts down the bar...
Paul and Burke amongst three lineman from Massachusetts, New Hampshire and another state - which I forget (sorry). The guy in the orange is Brian Murphy from Billirca, MA.
posted by TAG at 3:23 PM
9 Comments:
Have you been following Interdictor's blog? Their partying was an early bust, too, last night :(
http://www.livejournal.com/users/interdictor/
PS...fantastic city pics on the site, btw.
The guy who was "electrocted to death" - do you mean that he is still alive, after all?
Thanks for everything, Troy, all these days.
Its nice of you to mention the linemen. The news seem to skip over the fact that so many people from all over the country are there working. My BIL was a lineman from Texas and I remember him going into hurricane areas and helping them get back online.
Glad to see you're doing well and still have your sense of humor! :)
Unfortunately, the 27 year old lineman was in fact killed repairing our electrical lines.
This is "gonzo journalism", a la Hunter Thompson style....love it and keep up the good work, we were in Fla for the early part of the storm and counted on your evaluations and honesty each night, looked forward to your stories.....You have a "knack" for writing.....someone should get you to write a book.....read "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" if you haven't.....
CF in Harahan
Sorry, Troy, I misunderstood the word "waking".
Best wishes to all.
Forget the bars! Go to a church and pray and thank God you're alive!
Hey Anonymous- bars are a religion in New Orleans.
Damn troy, I bet your mama did gasp when she saw your beard!!! Hahahahaha!!!
PJ "Caesar"
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