How to go AWOL and destroy a city without really trying.....
MAD: The week of April 11th saw some interesting developments. Jake rocked out Houston and College Station, me and Jon got sick again, and my old friend Paul visited from Japan. Here's Jake's thoughts on Houston.
Jake: Houston is a worthless city full of degenerates and punk rock scum. So needless to say I was right at home. Good times. Bwina and I lurked through the shadows in vain attempts to get lost, and almost died......a few times. We went to a museum to culture ourselves...........and almost died. Later that weekend, we got really bored and decided to stalk some myspace buddies of hers. I met two fellas by the names of Zach and Crass - 2 punk rock gentlemen that very much reminded me of myself 3 years ago.
We had our fun, but had to leave. I was angry at Houston for making me leave, as well as a few other distastes that emerged. Plus, I missed the band and was suffering from music seperation axiety - if it weren't for all that, I may have stayed forever. But still, I think Houston is not for me, and like I said, I was angry with Houston! So... as I left via a Greyhound bus, the clouds rolled in, and the skies began to darken......(enter Mad)
MAD: Back at home things were pretty dismal. I got sick, Jake was gone, but the best part was seeing old friend Paul Lyman after two years of serving the US Navy in Japan. I didn't get to see him much due to my illness, but my health took a turn for the better toward the end of his stay. His arrival coincided with Jake's departure, and according to his itenerary, he would be leaving on the morning of Tues, April 12 - thus giving him one chance to see the band play before another several year seperation.
Sadly we were mistaken.
Paul was actually set to leave on the morning of Monday, April 11th - practice day, as well as the day of Jake's return. When we found this out we were crushed. He has supported this project for the last year and a half without ever hearing us. Now it seemed all his METAL hopes were in vain.....
....or were they?
Me and Desiree saw him off at the airport that morning amidst heartfelt farewells and METAL letdown, but his departure was not an easy one. When we got to the airport the line to get to his flight was about a mile long. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get any headway. His first attempt to leave Corpus failed. He missed his flight.
Me and Desiree stuck around for a while afterward, just in case he needed a ride back into town. Paul decided to get the next flight - a flight that would stop in Houston before heading to Japan. Satisfied that our boy was taken care of, we made our last farewells - one of the last things Paul said to me voiced his regrets for not being able to see the band play. We went our seperate ways once again.
About three that afternoon, a phone call woke me up. I answered the phone to hear Paul's voice on the other end.
"Dude! Where are you calling from?" I said.
"Here in town, you'll never guess what happened." he replied.
"Dude, what fucking happend?!? Don't tell me you missed the OTHER flight."
"Dude they cancelled all the flights to Houston, there's some kinda huge fucking tornado shit tearing up everything up there, and nothing is flying in or out of the city!"
Upon hearing him say this, I knew the truth. A "huge fucking tornado" was obliterating the one city that stood in the way of METAL. Houston had Jake, and Houston stood to take Paul away a day too soon. An act of random chance? Nay. My response was immediate.
"That's no tornado...."
"....that's The Vortex."
Needless to say, we got our guitarist back in top form, rocked the sweet effin' bejeezus out of that practice, and made an old friend very proud. We returned an ecstatic Paul to the Navy the next day, our METAL mission a succes, and all it took was the destruction of one city to do it.
No hard feelings Houston.
-vgZero