September 19, 2004
I have been back in Bay Minette since Friday, but today is the first day that I’ve been able to go somewhere that has electricity to get online. I’m happy to report that, while Ivan definitely left his mark, at least here in Bay Minette we were very lucky.
The random way in which Ivan hit the area is strange. Unlike a huge swath of destruction like Frederic or Camille, this storm obliterated homes without touching the neighbors, turning six-lane highways into dirt roads while leaving power lines intact. We were fortunate in Bay Minette that, although we took a direct hit from the storm, the level of destruction was minimal. A few gas stations destroyed, a few roofs removed, and a few broken windows. The saddest loss in my own town is that of the many beautiful Bradford pear trees that were planted along the streets of downtown when I was a kid. Most of them are gone now.
We are certainly fortunate. Our neighbors in Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, Pensacola, and Atmore were all harder hit than we were here. We’ve got a lot of cleaning up to do, and it will likely still be several more days before we’re again enjoying the benefits of electricity. But we survived the storm, and for that we can all be grateful.
I’ve posted a set of photos showing Bay Minette after the storm.
September 15, 2004
We’re leaving now for higher ground. I’ll probably be without Internet access for a few days as a result. Good luck to everybody in Ivan’s path. Everybody else: pray for our stuff.
Cheers,
Matt
September 13, 2004
Well, the splotchy, doughy-faced Marietta man who came to Savannah to burn down one of our churches has admitted to torching the place.
“I’m guilty as hell,’’ Smith tells detectives during a taped interview within hours of his arrest Oct. 7. “There’s no two ways about it.’’ What’s more, he felt no remorse. “No. I’m saying that now. Maybe when I’m sitting in a jail cell, I will,’’ the 31-year-old Marietta resident tells police.
Now thankfully, the damage from the fire was minimal. Although I haven’t been there in over a year, I love the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Savannah. It is, by far, one of the most beautiful churches in the country. Whether you’re religious or not, you can’t help but feel moved when you’re in a place like this.
What really made me wonder though, is why a man from metro Atlanta would come all the way down to little Savannah to try to cause a ruckus. Why not just find a church there? The city’s sure big enough.
“I thought it was very beautiful. The whole place is a work of art and I appreciate its beauty.” “I just picked it (the cathedral) because it was the biggest and the best,’’ Smith tells detectives.
So, that’s it. Stuart Smith drove all the way from Marietta to Savannah because he wanted to set fire to the biggest, best church he could find. “A work of art.” And knowing that, one almost takes what he did as a compliment.
Apparently, there’s nothing worth burning down in Marietta.
Quotes taken from the Savannah Morning News.
September 12, 2004
From the Buchanan Wedding Road Trip. Coosawatchie, SC.
Final in a series.
September 11, 2004
From the Buchanan Wedding Road Trip. Hardeeville, SC.
Fourth in a series.
September 10, 2004
From the Buchanan Wedding Road Trip. Hickory, NC.
Third in a series.
September 9, 2004
From the Buchanan Wedding Road Trip. Charlotte, NC.
Second in a series.
September 8, 2004
From the Buchanan Wedding Road Trip. Between cities, NC.
First in a series.
September 5, 2004
It’s that time of year again, when Saturdays aren’t just a day to recover from your Friday night indiscretions, but an opportunity for debauchery all its own. Yes, it’s college football season again, and boy am I glad it’s back.
I’ll readily admit that I didn’t care about sports—at all—for the first 22 years of my life. Then I met the biggest group of superfans ever, the Bulldogs fans at Huc-a-Poo’s Bites and Booze. These guys love the Dawgs like fish love water, and the spirit is contagious to say the least.
That’s not to say credit shouldn’t be given elsewhere. Many people, from my dad to my best friend Camp, have tried their damndest to explain to me how the sport worked, get me pumped up about it, babysat me through a game when I didn’t know what the hell was going on. And as cool as it was for them to try to explain it to me, I still just didn’t care. It’s something about this atmosphere here…the spectacle of all these people decked in Georgia red, hollerin’ and cheering when things are good and hollerin’ and cussing when things go wrong. It’s intoxicating (and not just because they give out free shots when we score).
I’m not going to write about our rank in the polls, or our standing in the SEC, or the Georgia-Georgia Southern game yesterday (except to say we won), because all of that is tangential. Of course we care about it because we want to see the Dawgs do well—a national championship would be nice—but it’s really all about coming out, having a damn good time, and rooting for the home team. Being a Georgia fan is a hell of an experience. Of course it doesn’t hurt that we’ve got a great team this year, too. But beyond the stats, the scores, the lineup and the schedule, it’s about getting together and cheering on a common goal. What can I say; I’ve got the fever. Go Dawgs!
