Katrina Update #44Katrina Update #44Another sign of progress — they took the refrigerators away from the curbs in our area yesterday. This has done an immense amount of good for our morale, not to mention our sense of smell. It was pretty ripe out there, made tolerable only by the knowledge that after 5 weeks without electricity, the smell emanating from the collective refrigerators really couldn't get any worse. Whenever I saw flies start to appear I would go out and douse the appliances with Clorox bleach.
About 9:30 yesterday morning, three double-tandem trailors roared down Seventh St., their height just below the trees and overhead wires. Behind them a flatbed truck with a Bobcat front-end loader on it. Behind that, a compact car with a worker and a huge "Men Working" sign hanging out of the trunk. These things were massive — so much so I imagined that if one were opened, dozens of Jawas would scurry out. I don't know where the trailers were from, but the cab had "Calumet, MI" on its door. For those of you that don't know, Calumet is in the part of Canada otherwise known as the Upper Penninsula of Michigan, mostly indistinguishable from Canada save to whom the residents pay their taxes and a very big lake to the north.
First, a worker went around to all the refrigerators and taped them up with extra strong cargo tape. (I wonder how many refrigerator doors flew open, spewing rotten food all over the street before they learned that trick? If it were me, one would be enough.) Then the Bobcat proceeded to pick up the refrigerators, one at a time, and put them down next to each other in the middle of the street, near the intersection with Carondolet. As this was happening, another worker unfolded a hydraulic crane with a giant claw on its end from in-between the tandem trailers. This was folded between the trailers so it could pass beneath trees and wires.
One by one, the crane operator maneuvered the claw, picked up a fridge, and set it down in the trailer. In order to fit as many as possible, they were neatly stacked — not just thrown in. Watching the operation reminded me of those toy crane machines you can find in arcades and some restaurants. It was all I could do not to chortle a few of those Tim Allen grunts while watching the darned thing. (OK, maybe I did one or two.) The one thing I GARONTEE I was not going to do was yell "Hey Mister, throw me somethin'!" at the crane operator.
I quickly grabbed the video camera and shot the following movie:
Last night we went to Coop's for dinner. He now has about half his normal menu available, and we had Redfish Meuniere that came with a house salad (Green Goddess dressing never tasted so good), and the Meuniere was spectacular.
- Mama is back! She came back with Jaclyn yesterday. She did not tell anyone she was returning, so it was quite a surprise to see her. She also reports that she has spoken to Tom Rick, who left New Orleans and is starting a new life elsewhere.
- Jarret was promoted permanently to a cook's position at Coop's Place, and Coop was positively effusive about how the quality of his performance yesterday.
- Megan got a job at Schiro's in the Fauburg Marigny. This is a quaint little place that includes a restaurant, B&B, neighborhood grocery store, liquor store, and laundrymat all in one location. I helped set up the wireless network there and recommend it as a great place to stay. It is about six blocks from Coop's Place.
- I sent Amber Dodge $180 from the MacChuck Katrina Fund to go towards a deposit for an apartment. She reports that Dairobi is having a very hard time getting a job since he has no ID with him, but they like it there and have given no thoughts to coming back to New Orleans.
- Some of you may have heard about the teenager who stole a school bus and drove 60 people out of New Orleans. This was what we would refer to as a "troubled teen," with several arrests, including possession of cocaine and auto theft. But when it appeared his neighborhood might flood, he stepped up and (he says) the experience has changed his life. You can read the incredible story here.
- In the Here-We-Go-Again department, there is Tropical Depression 24, soon to be Wilma, the 21st named storm of the season. Only once before in the 153 years since records have been kept, in 1933, have there been this many storms. It is more then 5 days from landfall somewhere along the Gulf Coast. Current projections have it going well east of New Orleans, but it is way too early to tell for sure.
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