Before we get started, once again, I have a fresh new episode of the podcast that’s (not) sweeping the nation, for ya. This is the last installment that will be available to everyone, and I’m reasonably OK with how it turned out. Oh, I have a black belt in beating the shit out of myself. But it went fairly well, I think. Check out episode 3 of The Jeff Kay Show, right here.
Starting with number 4 the “show” will be accessible to anyone who pledges $4 or more at Patreon. It’s an interesting and fun way for me to say thank you to the folks who choose to be a patron. I’m enjoying it, and hopefully you guys are, as well. I’m viewing it as a challenge. I want to get to the point where I’m halfway decent at it. Not sure if that’s attainable, but it’s my dream, boys and girls. Please stay tuned.
And by the way, the next one is already recorded. The guy who does production work for me is going out of town next week, so I had to do two this week. Number 4 is far and away the most ridiculous and freewheeling episode yet. I recorded it immediately after I finished the new one above, and it was difficult to talk that much. My mouth was getting dry and it was… something else. Now I know why talk shows take callers or interview people. It gives the hosts a break! Talking for one hour straight is tougher than it seems.
Anyway, if you want to continue on this dubious journey with me, or would simply like to support my efforts, please pledge at least $4 per month at Patreon. Thank you, guys! Sincerely.
Last night at work everybody’s phones started shrieking with some kind of ungodly howl o’ the demon. TORNADO WARNING, mine informed me, and immediately we were told to get everyone into “the shelters.” They’re not really shelters, they’re just pre-determined interior rooms with no windows, etc. Needless to say, I was grumbling under my breath about this nonsense, this gross overreaction. We have work to do, goddammit!
But we all piled in together, and immediately the temperature started rising. It’s amazing how humans can heat up a space, lickety-split. Sweet Maria. And after about 20 minutes they announced the ALL CLEAR and everybody dispersed. However… ten minutes later it happened again. So we had to corral the entire population into the shelters and hunker down again. This time for about 45 minutes.
The whole time we were locked down I was texting Toney about how stupid it all was. She was confused because it was a beautiful summer night up where we lived. I was being exceedingly cynical about the entire exercise. But I had no way of knowing that Wilkes-Barre was now…. gone, or something. Check this shit out, from The Washington Post. And be sure to scroll through the photos at the bottom of this article.
Buildings are collapsed, cars are upside down. It’s wild. As I was driving home on the Devil’s Parkway I had to repeatedly pull to the side to let screaming emergency vehicles pass. And I could see from the interstate that there were roughly 10,000 (my unofficial estimate) police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances down around the mall. Craziness!
Yeah, all I know is… Cracker Barrel better be OK.
Have you ever been on lock-down at work, or anywhere else for that matter? When Toney and I were at WEA Atlanta there were bomb threats during the big Ice-T “Cop Killer” controversy, and we were repeatedly standing in the parking lot while they checked things out. One time, I remember, it was freezing cold out there and I shouted, “Ah, come on! The only bomb in that building is the new Madonna album.” That got a decent laugh.
And a few of my co-workers and I hunkered down during a robbery once at a grocery store in West Virginia. Masked bastards came in carrying shotguns and I nearly shat myself that night, my friends. Scary!
Do you have anything on lock-downs? For weather or anything else? Please use the comments section and I’ll be back on Monday.
Have yourselves a fine, fine weekend!
Now playing in the bunker
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We have fire alarms going off several times a year and we sheltered-in-place last year because a tornado was spotted nearby. I saw all the overturned and flipped up U-hauls in your area on the news this morning. crazy
I’m still tripping that a stranger walked into our house Monday afternoon. My husband was there and bumped his chest against the guy to back him up out of the house and down the steps. My husband switched instantly into silver-back gorilla mode. He was a little freaked out afterwards but was pissed off during. I would hope I would at least ACT like I was pissed instead of scared. Hope to never find out for real.
I had that happen twice where I use to live.
stranger(s) in your house? Unsettling, to say the least!
Yes – first time a kid walked in looked around and left.
2nd time – two guys said they were looking for a woman who lived there. I told them there was no woman living there. They wanted to come in and look around.
Thankfully – both times ended without anything bad happening.
I don’t even like strange cars turning around in my driveway let alone some asshat waltzing through the front door. Glad it all worked out peacefully and without incident.
Locked in the NORAD Cheyenne Mountain Complex in the early 80’s. Almost two days before we were able to go on with normal life. Received an attaboy from a 4 Star a couple of months later. Good times were had by all.
1st time – a perceived bomb scare – turned out to be a package from a Jesus freak
2nd time – white powder/anthrax scare – turned out to be baking soda
I recall the stories about the gas station.
I live in North Alabama, otherwise known as tornado alley. We get ushered into a shelter of some sort quite regularly. I’d say we don’t go more than 60 days without a tornado warning of some sort. It happens so often now that most people will go look out the window first, to see if they can see it, before they head to their shelter. Rubber necking rednecks.
Most of the buildings in the area, especially schools and government facilities, are specifically designed with tornado safe rooms. I’ve sheltered in the basement of a government agency more times than I can count (all for tornados save for one active shooter event), the hallways of a shopping mall, the bathroom of our old house, the closet under a stairwell. The object is to get as low as possible, and to put as many walls as possible between you and outside.
After years of grabbing blankets and pillows and trying to fit 2 adults and a dog in the bathtub, we decided that wasn’t good enough now that we have kids. We forked out $5K to have a tornado shelter put in our garage. It’s a 6×9 reinforced steel room with bolts that go through the floor and down 12 inches in to the ground. It can withstand 250 mph winds and the impact of the debris that hits you.
That’s what does the damage. Not so much the wind itself, but the large debris the wind is carrying. At 250mph, a cotton ball could kill you, never mind a tree limb or your neighbors car.
Whats up with the Uhaul footage at the end? Thats just a normal day at the rental place…
About 10 years ago one of our sites got bomb threats regularily. I rolled up more than once to saunter into the building out doing service calls coming in the back laneway and finding the place deserted… Thanks for letting me know people… Guess I know who my friends are…. I started using the front entrance, the cops always congregated there, so if I saw cop cars, keep on driving.
We just had tornadoes about 3 weeks ago. Of course us dumb asses stood there looking out the window watching a transformer explode. A lovely arc of crackling debris. We decided to wait it out in the bar down the street but they were closed on Tuesday. I got home after 7:00 even though I live 18 minutes away. There are still trees down from.nor eastern we had earlier. The entire area looks like a war zone.
The audio session (podcast) was terrific! My only bad comment is to use the word “like” not so often. It is too yuppie. Thanks!