I was perfectly OK until I looked at the calendar. Then I got a tremor in my hands and my legs felt decidedly noodle-ish.

But, you know, it's good to be able to forget about a terrible anniversary until you look at the calendar. It's good to be six years out and, though changed forever, moving on. I'm going to spend today running ordinary, boring ( Read more... )

I'm having trouble reading my friends list because so many of you are in the path of this terrible storm and it brings back all the memories. And I'm feeling like a shitheel because if you are actually going through it, I should damn well be capable of reading about it. My thoughts, prayers, and slack are with you all ( Read more... )

My best friend in Amsterdam (a Louisiana native) has made this site for his parents, who lost everything to Katrina six years ago, rebuilt, and recently lost everything again in one of the tornadoes that have plagued the nation. So you'll know a little about him, Jason is a yoga instructor and hotelier, fluent in English, Dutch, Italian, and ( Read more... )

I woke up very late today and found that I could not get through the newspaper. My brain just refused to process it. So instead of continuing to slam my head against murdered babies and pipelines and global overpopulation and reports that national news media are saying the BP oil disaster is allllllllllll fixed now, I got online and booked a room ( Read more... )

Two things, at least tangentially related. Last night I had a couple of beers, decided "Fuck August 29, fuck the federal levee failure, and fuck hurricane season," and made reservations to spend nine days in Amsterdam in late August/early September. Chris can't go, but I'll be able to bring him back a good birthday present. I can in no way afford ( Read more... )

We made it home. We'd had such a wonderful time that we were able to endure the first night without air conditioning. Well, I was. I don't suffer so much from the heat as long as I don't have to do anything strenuous; I mostly just lie around and become stupefied, like a basking reptile. But Chris suffers, and he didn't sleep much that night, and ( Read more... )

The Chandeleur Islands, severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina, are among the most important nesting and breeding grounds for Brown Pelicans.

I finally made groceries after weeks of bare cupboards. Currently trying to decide whether I feel like cooking or not, and if so, do I want to make lasagna or buffalo meatloaf? My friend Harold (from OLGC) is recovering from cancer surgery and eating a low-fat, high-protein diet to help him grow a new liver, so I thought he'd enjoy a buffalo ( Read more... )

I'm flat-out sick about this oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which, as the link explains, is really more of an oil river. I've been birdwatching at every location mentioned in the link and know some of the areas very well, have seen many lifers and favorite birds there. This is the worst thing that's happened to southeast Louisiana since Katrina ( Read more... )

Jesus. I didn't know the tornadoes in Mississippi were so devastating until I read the paper this morning. (My mom is fine; she lives farther south.) Oh, weather, weather, weather, how I hate you sometimes. You make me want to channel the People's Poet ( Read more... )