Homeless in Dallas

So I guess we are officially refugees now. All indications are that the city will be evacuated and that the infrastructure won't be functional for four to eight weeks, at best. We're lucky to be staying with The Wife's sister in Flower Mound, TX at a nice house in a very exclusive golf course subdivision called Tour 18 where people happily spend $800 a month to water the landscaping. Too bad I don't play golf! My currently accessible possessions include two pairs of jeans, five shirts, four pair of underwear, a couple of jerseys and riding shorts, my bike, and little else. I'm sure there are thousands more in the same situation. One of the neighbors came by today with a bag full of clothes for The Wife, and everyone has been very kind. The Mom has been pretty much of a nervous wreck, but I think she is slowly beginning to accept the reality of the situation. It is difficult, to be sure, and the uncertainty is particularly troubling. The rampant looting and general lawlessness of the relatively small number of scumbags still out roaming the streets is, for lack of a better word, sad. For what it's worth, know that most of the population of New Orleans is as disgusted by it as anyone - probably more so.

It has been quite comforting to hear from the other area riders, most of whom are scattered around Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. There are a number of them who haven't reported in to the NOBC e-mail list, of course, and I hope they are safe and sound somewhere - and that they brought their bikes with them!

The brother in law is supposed to be leaving New Orleans in the morning. It is a very dangerous place to be right now, on many levels. The flood waters have begun to recede a bit and federal, state and local agencies will soon descend upon the city to begin the recovery effort. I will try to get in a good ride every day, but it will be mainly for the psychological benefit now. There are some very nice roads here around Flower Mound and although I have to get in the car and drive a mile or two to a place where I can start my rides because of a narrow busy highway that's just too dangerous to use, there are some nice rolling hills around here and it is pretty pleasant in the morning. There is a nice weekend training ride as well, so I will probably try to make that if I can. If I cannot get in touch with anyone at Tulane who can find me something useful to do, I may go see if I can find some temporary work around here.

We are hoping that by the weekend some sort of plan and timetable for the recovery and return efforts in New Orleans will have begun to take shape and we will at least be able to make some plans. I have still been unable to contact any of my co-workers at Tulane, and am hoping that Tulane will find another university soon that can host the tulane.edu mail so that communications can get going again. Cellphones continue to be useless for anyone in the 504 area code and the land lines went down some time during the day today.

We are holding out some faint hope that the house escaped major flooding and looting. It is a raised house, about 6 feet off the ground with an unfinished "basement," as we call such things in New Orleans. The property is slightly higher than most of the surrounding neighborhood as well, and has never flooded in any of what we used to call the "big" floods. If we got a few feet of water in the basement, it would not be a huge problem, since there is little down there of significant value, the walls are unfinished, half of the floor is dirt and most of the electricals are three or four feet high. Anyway, I dare not hope for too much.

I had a long talk with The Daughter in Iowa City this evening. She has been making a scrap book on the hurricane for us. I must admit that I have begun to avoid watching too much of the reporting coming out of the city at this point. It is just too depressing. But it is late and I am tired and as Scarlet said in her fabricated Hollywood South accent, "Tomorrow is another day."