Hurricane Stuff

Non-family members will have to tolerate this interruption of bloggyness for some practical things. This is one of the few places some of my family members can get in touch and/or I can leave a message for them. My sisters both live in places that were hit by Katrina (one in New Orleans, on in Gulfport) so they are, even though it's not as bad as it could have been, smack dab in the middle of this crap. One is able to access the blog and email through her work account, which thankfully was in Baton Rouge and not New Orleans-- so she still has a job!!

For Judy: I don't know if you saw, but Nissa & Aaron offered you their guest bedroom if you need to come here. Andrew also said that we will pay for you & Dot's gas to get here for the Baptism (or for any other reason, of course!) We can wire you some cash, or we can figure out some other way to get it to you. I'm going to send you an invite to become a member of this blog so you can actually post to the blog itself if you'd like, instead of just the comments. Haloscan is notorious for going out when you really need it. Plus, other folks who read the blog might be interested in things you have to say.

For Dottie: I doubt you'll see this, but if you do, same goes for you. We want family to be here for the baptism, so we'll give you some cash to get here. It'll be a nice break from the crap you're all going through right now! And, if necessary, you guys can all stay here too! I know your place is liveable, but still.

Celina: If you or Richard talk to Dottie, tell her this stuff.

It's a logistical nightmare, folks. Not to mention the nightmare of people behaving like animals in New Orleans. Shame on the looters, shame on those people who are being violent and have caused the stoppage of rescue efforts! And those poor people sitting on their roofs will have no idea why no one is coming for them! I was telling Andrew that I can see why people would be looting food & stuff, because it's definitely in short supply in that area right now, and it's not like you can go in there and buy stuff. But clothes? DVD players? You know, you really won't need those things when you don't have POWER cause the authorities will not be able to get in there and fix things. And your clothes will not do you any good when you start to starve because people won't come in to bring new supplies because you're all behaving like animals and the relief workers are afraid to come in there.

And I can't even begin to think of how bad it's going to get when people's short term food supplies begin to run out.

Ugh. I definitely spoke way too soon on that post where I said NO had dodged the bullet. It all looked so hopeful at first-- the streets of the Quarter were on TV, looking no worse than after a day of Mardis Gras. But then the levees broke.

Anyway. Family members o' mine, know that you can come here. You know we don't have a lot of room, but we have a lot of friends and we have other resources that can be used.

No matter what happens, know that we love you guys and we're here for you. Don't stay someplace that gets unsafe, Dot. Get away, come here, go up to your son, drive out of town. I wish ya'll hadn't gone back already.