June 24, 2008
the price of oil
This one is difficult to write. In the mid-1980s, when OPEC
decided to make the price of oil cheap, domestic exploration
and support along Louisiana's coast ground to a halt. It affected
a lot of ordinary people. We used to have a middle class in this
town once upon a time.
These pictures are of what is left standing today where my
family used to run a handful of support companies. The most
successful of these sandblasted and painted platforms. When
my dad taught me how to sandblast a couple of years ago he
told me "You are now doing what your grandfather did to make
his fortune." He was lucky enough to retire. My dad went
back to school at 30 to learn how to do something else.
We closed up shop and sold all the boats and the equipment
that we could, and I think we were gone from here in 1988.
There was a small building attached to the side of the more
intact warehouse, on that slab. It has since been torn down.
We used to stop by every day after school.
I'm surprised they cut the grass, to be honest, but things
are looking better along this strip of road, as the rent
is cheap, and new companies (and the old ones that survived)
are sprouting up in a small revival of the industry thanks
to the price of crude.
We are back too, though as programmers instead of running
boats offshore and employing all manner of crazy people.
As a final note, sometimes the photography gods give us
gifts. Click on the pictures for enlarged versions - my
favorite is this last warehouse. These look great big.
candice at 23:32 | link to post
June 21, 2008
dogs and balconies
I think this is properly called a gallery that we have,
since it is under a roof, but I really don't care. What
I do care about is that the yap-yap dog (and its owner)
in the adjacent apartment is gone! No more yapping tiny
dog out on the balcony all day! It's nice to actually
be able to go out there, without it trying to pick a
fight with Susie and being generally noisy.
It is summer, which in my world, means work more. See
you all on the flip side.
music: Doves: Firesuite
candice at 19:39 | link to post
June 07, 2008
orange fiat spyder
I don't know my Fiats well enough to tell you the year on
this little thing other than 1970-something, but this car
just makes me happy. I see it all over the place and never
manage to get a picture.
music: Drive by Truckers: Sink Hole
candice at 14:43 | link to post
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