Some Reason for Optimism

Although I didn't get to ride today, at least the emotional roller coaster seemed to be clicking its way upward a bit. As we headed out of Dallas en route for Jackson, LA, I got a call from Kenny B. Kenny is still in N.O., and has become unofficially attached to the California National Guard (and yes, it sounds like he's loving it!). He said that there was a long segment on the national news the other night with him and some of those guys doing good things via boat through the still-flooded streets of New Orleans. It might be found on KPIX.com, but if it is I won't be able to see it with dial-up. He had called to say that he thought his initial assessment of the water depth at my house was probably too high and that it might not have gotten much flooding at all. That was nice to hear. The Sister who is currently stranded in Ft. Walton somehow got the local sheriff to lend her a laptop, so she can get online and tend to some business. The business at hand, for her, is finding work. She is a graphic artist, like Amy B., and there's not much call for that in New Orleans lately.

On our way down to Jackson today, we decided to take old La. Highway 1 from Alexandria to New Roads rather than risk having to deal with the heavy traffic we heard about on I-10. It turned out to be a really nice break from the speedy but boring Interstate, and cut nearly an hour out of our trip to boot. The best part was taking the old St. Francisville ferry across the river into town. As it turned out, the house we are staying in is in the old part of town, almost directly across the street from where we often start road races here. It was built some time around 1860, maybe earlier, and so is very interesting to an old house buff like me even if it has been remodeled a few times (it's had two fires in its history).

One of the other evacuees staying in the house is Jim, who is also from Tulane Psychiatry, and he arrived with a case of Army MREs that he picked up at the Red Cross shelter. So we had MREs for dinner. Mine was Tortillini with tomato sauce, peanut butter and crackers, a slice of pound cake, an apple drink mix, and apple sauce. Along with all that is a chemical package that heats it quite hot with the addition of water. There was a little bag of candies, a napkin, spoon, wet napkin thing, and a little bottle of Tabasco sauce. It was actually pretty good.

Tomorrow I will try and sneak out for a quick ride early in the morning. I have apparently been volunteered to do some tree-clearing at Jim's house out in the country where three trees fell during the storm, one on his little guest house out back. Should be interesting.

A few minutes ago I checked my bank account and was amazed to find that FEMA had direct deposited $2,000 as promised!!! That will certainly relieve a bit of the stress around here. I have to say that it's a little bit disconcerting to be on the recieving end of this sort of thing for once. Or perhaps a better word would be "humbling."