Thus was the case for us in Middle Tennessee this past weekend.

It started raining here late Friday night, and it really didn’t stop completely until late Sunday night.  Some areas of Nashville got 18+ inches, which, by the way, is about 25% of our yearly average rainfall.

I live a little south of Nashville, and I think our totals were more around a foot.  We are fortunate that our house is on a hill.  We had zero water damage.  Others, though, were not so fortunate.  The really bad news is that most people in these parts do not have flood insurance.

On Sunday afternoon, despite the media’s warnings to stay indoors, we decided to try to drive around a bit to see what the landscape looked like.  Yeah, we’re like that sometimes.  Pirates, ya’ know.

We had a hard time even getting out of our neighborhood, and after about fifteen minutes of cruising very slowly around in rushing water, we decided that it would be fool-hardy, even for pirates to try to go any farther, and we came home.

I was able to snap a few photos on our little jaunt though, and I thought I’d share them with you.  Keep in mind that what you’re seeing here is mild in comparison to what was happening in other surrounding areas.

This was the main street that runs past our neighborhood…

The streets…

Front yards…

Back yards…

This little video clip shows an area that is usually a dry ditch…

So far, we’ve had 28 deaths in the area, and apparently there are many people who are unaccounted for right now.  Homes are under water.  Even though in the outlying areas, the waters have receded in our sunny, 80 degree weather, in Nashville the water is continuing to rise because they are having to drain area dams so that they will not break.  One of my favorite tourist spots, The Opryland Hotel has eight to ten feet of water in some of their atrium areas…

It’s a real disaster here.  Period.

Please pray for all of those affected by these floods.  If you feel inclined to help those in need, you can contact the Red Cross.

M  My dad would not let me wear one white glove to a school

dance like all the other kids.  My dad didn’t care what

all the other kids were doing.  He told me this many, many

times.

I    I always have liked the video for “Beat It.”  I recently just

let my kids watch it on YouTube. They liked it too.  I think

why this song appeals to me is that it has more of a

rock feel to it with its cool guitar licks, compliments of

Eddie Van Halen.

C   Crazy….just found out yesterday that MJ was originally from

Gary, Indiana!

H   He was seriously talented.

A   And he became seriously weird.

E   Elizabeth Taylor….I never understood their friendship.  How

did they meet?  What did they talk about?  What did they

give each other for Christmas?

L   Love, love, love the duet “Say, Say, Say” he did with Paul

McCartney….and the video too!

     J   Janet, I believe, did NOT have a wardrobe malfunction during

the 2004 Super Bowl.  I know this has nothing to do with

Michael, but I was really grasping for a J.

    A  Always have wanted to know how to do the moonwalk. Always.

     C   Can someone tell me they were NOT appalled when he dangled

his baby out the window?!

         K  Know how I found out about his death?  My sister called me.

She always calls me when celebrities die.  She was the first

person to tell me about Heath Ledger too.  I don’t know what

it is, but Debbles is very Johnny-on-the-spot about these

celebrity deaths….and I’m glad.  I like being in-the-know.

S  Sold his Neverland Ranch, but I predict that place will be bigger

than Graceland someday.

O  Over and over and over and over and over again….that’s how

often we’re going to be seeing his music videos played now.

Just this weekend, I saw videos that I’ve never seen in my

life, and I grew up in the 80s.

N  No, I will not be doing similar acrostics for Farrah Fawcett, Ed

McMahon, or Billy Mays.  While one death (or life) is certainly

not more important than another, I just don’t have it in me.

Sorry.  I know you’re disappointed.