Kentucky Ice Storm
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Kentucky ice storm 2009
Kentucky Ice Storm
While traveling the last 2 years I have heard some pretty funny stereotypes about Kentucky.
Most Chinese people that could speak English would ask me where in the US I was from, the conversation went like this:
“Where you from?”
“I’m American”
“Ohhhhh….are you from California or New York City?” [ Any place not related to Hollywood excrement doesn't exist or count.]
“I’m from Kentucky…its kind of in between the two”
“Ohhhhhhhhh! KFC! You eat lots of chicken! You a cowboy?”
-sigh-
Sadly, many people right here in the US think Kentucky is part of the “south”. For me, the “south” conjures up images of days spent sipping lemonade from the porch, walking around barefooted, and watching the cotton wave from baking hot fields.
Not quite. Sure, it can be 90 - 100F in the summer, but thanks to the windstream express delivering the worst Chicago has to offer, winters can really suck. Add to that the fact that the government budget monkeys are also under the misconception that this is the “south” and only appropriated 2 snowplows and enough salt to clear 1 street - and you have problems. Half the city is shivering in the dark without power right now for the 3rd day in a row.
The temperature outside (and inside for some people) is lingering around a ghastly 21F. Yuck. Luckily, I haven’t heard any gunfire from outside yet, so I am assuming martial law hasn’t ensued. I guess I bought all those cans of SPAM for nothing…..just like Y2K. Bummer.
The trees have it worse than us. They have barely recovered from the pounding taken during the 2003 ice storm, and now the cracks! of ice-heavy branches splintering off can be heard all around the neighborhood. If I were a tree I would just pull up roots and leave.
I finally managed to slip and slide my way down to a nice wooded park just a few blocks away, where some kids were enjoying their brutal pounding trying to sled on the packed ice. At the bottom of the hill lay twisted metal wreckage from sledding incidents and lost gloves. It was a scene of carnage.
“Wanna give it a try, mister?” One eight year old looked at me with a snot-sickle. He had a black eye, abrasions on his head, and stood like his spinal cord had seen better days. I assume they were sledding injuries from today.
“No thanks” I told him and he dutifully drudged back up the hill, his one good leg doing all the work and one seemingly broken leg dragging the snow behind him. If the hill could do that to a rubber-boned 8 year old, you would probably have to put my assorted parts in a bag at the bottom of the hill. Sledding a concrete half-pipe would have been softer.
The official Kentucky Ice Storm slideshow can be found here.
Just for fun, here are some random shots:
9 Comments »
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Kentucky, USA
Where the f*** is the Obama administration when you need them! I guess if you are a democrap, you are not held to any sort of standards regarding natural disasters. The people of KY need relief!
Too funny. I get the same thing about KFC while traveling abroad. Nice pics…
I do so enjoy your writing. You take people with you in your text. I think I’ve met that same 8 year old with the snot-sickle!
The pics were beautiful! I’m a Kentucky native but currently reside in Texas. I’m humbled by the damage of the storm and captivated by its ironic beauty.
Thank you.
These are my usual two scenarios.
Random Stranger: “Where are you from?”
Me: “Tulsa, Oklahoma.”
Random Stranger: (sings) “Ooooklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plains!”
Me: “I’ve never heard that song before! No really, you’re the first.”
Random Stranger: “Where are you from?”
Me: “Tulsa, Oklahoma.”
Random Stranger: “Oh my god! Do you know Hanson?”
Haha, and I thought I had it bad from Kentucky!
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don’t blame chicago, we get it from minnesota. as far as obama, i heard you guys had fema and the national guard down there in 2-3 days. is this true? and does anyone remember bush’s katrina legacy?
i think she is exactly right. and the people who are dissing kentucky need to get over themselves. kentucky is just has good as any other state is this country. how would your momma feel if you were talking like that and dissing other peoples hometowns???
yeah i remember that storm..it was soo bad. i was out of power for 13 days