Truncated first post back in town
Hi from New Orleans-- or at least Terrytown, Louisiana, across the river from the city.
I'm over at Ms. Hollie's place, which has electricity and net access.
I checked out my place, hoping to be able to make a first post from home on my laptop, but not even the old rotary phone could raise a dial tone.
The city looks like it was hit by a hurricane. And that's the part that didn't flood.
Driving into town, we see the latest decorating style seen everywhere throughout the better parts of the metro area is a blue tarp on the roof and a dead refrigerator on the front curb.
I sang to myself:
It will remind you of old-fashioned lace;
A glass of wine will greet your smiling face
(Bring your own wine, and a clean glass. And what you smiling at?)
Actually, we did get wine (and pizza and a smile) at an open restaurant near Hollie's, offering a limited menu called "Special Katrina Overcomers Menu".
No power yet in my part of Carrollton on the lake side of St. Charles. Exactly one business is open: the Maple Leaf Bar, running on a generator, with bottles of beer in tubs of ice.
My home is surrounded by trash, downed branches and tree trunks, fallen gutter pipes, and broken glass. I can see daylight through the roof in much of my attic; a fair amount of what was in my attic will have to be tossed. Some water dammage in the 2nd floor ceiling, and along one wall. A couple of windows blown out. And that's about it. In other words, I'm one of the very lucky ones.
Not bad, not bad at all.
Ms Hollie's place is also fortunate; a few square yards of siding blew off, some leaks in the roof, and one of two fridges is out on the curb. The house on one side of her is uninhabitable, and the one on the other side is in the blue tarp roof club.
So. We're back.
Start serious cleanup work tomorrow.
I'm over at Ms. Hollie's place, which has electricity and net access.
I checked out my place, hoping to be able to make a first post from home on my laptop, but not even the old rotary phone could raise a dial tone.
The city looks like it was hit by a hurricane. And that's the part that didn't flood.
Driving into town, we see the latest decorating style seen everywhere throughout the better parts of the metro area is a blue tarp on the roof and a dead refrigerator on the front curb.
I sang to myself:
It will remind you of old-fashioned lace;
A glass of wine will greet your smiling face
(Bring your own wine, and a clean glass. And what you smiling at?)
Actually, we did get wine (and pizza and a smile) at an open restaurant near Hollie's, offering a limited menu called "Special Katrina Overcomers Menu".
No power yet in my part of Carrollton on the lake side of St. Charles. Exactly one business is open: the Maple Leaf Bar, running on a generator, with bottles of beer in tubs of ice.
My home is surrounded by trash, downed branches and tree trunks, fallen gutter pipes, and broken glass. I can see daylight through the roof in much of my attic; a fair amount of what was in my attic will have to be tossed. Some water dammage in the 2nd floor ceiling, and along one wall. A couple of windows blown out. And that's about it. In other words, I'm one of the very lucky ones.
Not bad, not bad at all.
Ms Hollie's place is also fortunate; a few square yards of siding blew off, some leaks in the roof, and one of two fridges is out on the curb. The house on one side of her is uninhabitable, and the one on the other side is in the blue tarp roof club.
So. We're back.
Start serious cleanup work tomorrow.