I’m calling them visits because they are my auntie and uncle, but for the record they were interviews too!

Over the nine years it took me to write this book I visited Les Rogge three times. Once at the beginning around 2000, the next when the books was really coming together in 2007, and again in 2009 to finalize details, gather quotes and get approvals. The first time I didn’t know his wife, my aunt, Judy, so I didn’t get to visit with her. Over the years of putting the book together I was introduced and developed a relationship with her. The first time I met her was in 2007; we met at the prison to visit Les.

I liked Judy instantly, and watching Les and Judy together was a lot of fun. The first time I met her we visited with Les, and then she took me to her home near the Gulf. She showed me the damage that Hurricane Rita caused to her house, her neighborhood and the extreme damage to the coastal properties that was going on nearly a year old. Nearly a year and people still had blue tarp roofs covering what was left of their homes. I saw homes in the ditches and in the middle of wetlands. Literally these homes were moved, intact, from their foundations hundreds of yards away.

Although Judy’s home wasn’t moved it was badly damaged, and she was in the middle of rebuilding when I visited in 2007. Apparently the state spent most of the recovery money on hurricane Katrina earlier in the year, so the people of the area were left without any help and cleanup was simply ignored.

When I went back to visit in 2009 she was still laying drywall and fixing the roof, herself, and I’m sure she’s not complete with the repairs as we speak. The house that I saw in the ditch had actually moved down the ditch a hundred yards from the hurricane they saw just recently, if you can believe that. A lot of the debris had been cleaned up or had grown over, but the emotional scars were still visible. I went back to the hardest hit areas on the Gulf from Rita, and it still amazed me that these homes and businesses literally had a foundation left, that was it due to the extreme winds, and the foundations were still the only things left beside makeshift new business building and such. I even saw a bank that was now in a mobile home, something Les would have only dreamed of if he were still in business!

I plan on going back to Texas and Louisiana for my fourth visit next year after the book has been released, and maybe I can buy Judy a cup of coffee or two from the royalties from the book! Maybe we’ll even have made enough to upgrade to a medium.

Here are some pictures from my trip:

For my first entry I thought I’d start with something funny.

A few years ago I took out the tape measure, found my age in inches, grabbed up the tape till I hit 73, the life expectancy of the average American male. Then I folded the metal tape on my age inch of 40, and as it demonstrated that I was past the halfway point in my life I decided that a family of four was enough. So my wife and I decided I would get snipped.

My wife talks to my mother, and Mum talks to Les. Les heard that I was planning on getting snipped and that my insurance policy didn’t cover snippings, so I was going to be out of pocket for something that should really pay me. The next week I get this letter in the mail (unedited):

June 19^th, 2007 from Les Rogge at USP Beaumont

Dear Dane;

I was talking to your mom, and she told me after this cute little girl your going to give up sex!!!!!!!

But she said no.. Your going to have a V.C.. And I thought that was a very good idea, and having one done my self, I was going to give you some congratulations.. Then she told me that it costs about 700 dollars, and that was a lot of money to you.. So I thought that having one of these little things my self, which I got for free from the State of Washington. And that I was very observiant (?) I could save you some money on this decision..its a very easy little operation…in fact it should not even be called a operation. Its like body piercing..so heres your advice, straight dope..

First.. put in acopy of “Rambo” part one in the video machine. (Got to get in the mood). Then once your comfortable with a little self mutilation, we can continue. Shelly, should help with this part…she needs to find a crochet needle..and a sharp (really sharp) knife. Next you drop your pants and grab your balls and feel for a clear area, and depress the knife in throught a slit you just made.. There no blood here so relax.

Next is the simple part..Using the crochet needle insert it in your little bag & pull out the only piece of noodle you hook with the needle. Pull it out – theres no pain –(no nerve here)

Have Shelly tie a short length of dental floss around the noodle, tie it tite – you don’t want ‘any leaks’ down the road! Tie a couple good knots – I recommend a Bowlin. Then shove the noodle back in the little slit – strap on a kotex and your done!

You’ll feel like some one kicked you a few days ago!- So take one of your dads pills & smile you saved $700.

All ways at your service

Love Uncle Les

Don’t forget to turn off “Rambo”

It’s setup week for the Nish blog.

There were so many stories that didn’t make the biography Wanted: Gentleman Bank Robber: The True Story of Leslie Ibsen Rogge, One of the FBI’s Most Elusive Criminals that I would like to share with readers of the book. Call it dessert.