Katrina Update #84Katrina Update #84The last time I had updates 2 days in a row was on October 8th and 9th. But today's events compelled me to write another while I still remembered them. This was just a weird day by any description. Normal TV was pre-empted from 5AM until after the late news, and, as I sit here, my PVR is still recording shows that I won't be able to see for more than a week from now. We paid attention when we could, but both Janis and I were way too busy getting ready for tomorrow's road trip to Chicago (as you can see, I'm still getting ready).
The weird part was that there were all these memorial services going on all over the region, in just about every religion imaginable, (we saw snippits of Catholic, Jewish, Eccumenical, and "Interfaith" - I guess the Druids didn't have enough people to warrant their own), all televised. The TV was full of well timed events, "at this time one year ago." The local stations had gone out and solicited home videos from people and then showed them synchronized with the time of day. It was all very erie, since we live here and all, but we found ourselves fascinated not because we live here, but because it was just fascinating.
What was odd was that we felt no special connection to what we were seeing. We didn't even feel guilty for that. If anything, we sort of felt guilty for feeling guilty. Best I can figure, there was two reasons for this: we weren't here when the storm it; and very little of what we were seeing in the videos was recognizable to us, even if the area otherwise would be. Let me ask you this: if you saw an area about 6 miles from your house that you had driven through over and over and over, but what you were looking at was that area with miles and miles and miles of water covering houses to their roofs, how recognizable would that be? Only the occasional recognizable sign would give you any clue whatsoever.
The other odd thing about today was that for all the stuff they showed on TV during the day, there were no children. It was just weird. They are already in school down here, and, while I understand that they missed a lot last year, they are going to have a day off for Labor Day next week, etc. But, damn, this was K-day! I am sure the schools spent time - probably the whole day - in rememberance, but maybe this was a day families should have just been together - especially since so many were torn apart one year ago! But that's just my opinion.
As we went out to run our errands, we were surprised to see the town was as busy as usual. The streets weren't deserted as people reflected in their homes or places of worship, it was business as usual. While we were out I pulled up behind a jeep that for no apparent reason wasn't pulling forward. After a couple of minutes, more cars are behind me and they start honking. A women gets out of the jeep and starts yelling at everyone behind her. So I get out and she starts yelling at me. I take it all in for a minute and determine that at some point in the not too distant past there had been an accident that had left the driver's side door of a car parked on the right side unable to close. On the left was a parked an SUV. While there was maybe a foot on each side (close), there was plenty of room to get through.
So I look at her, kind of put my hands up in a motion to calm her down, and she starts yelling "You think you can get around me, c'mon - go ahead." She's screaming, cars behind are honking. It was getting quite unpleasant. So still with my hands up I say, "look, you have plenty of room to get through, just take it slow - I'll help guide you." She starts screaming again. "You thing you can drive through there, go on - drive it through." She's waving at me and then over to her open driver side door, inviting me to drive it through.
So I hop in and drive it through. No problem. I pull it over to the side and get out. She's quieter now and just sort of saying "I don't see how you made it through there," (yada yada yada). I just smile at her and say "it's all good, happy Katrina Day." It just came out. I didn't plan it. I hadn't heard it anywhere else (the media folk down here frown on putting the word "Happy" and "Katrina" in the same sentence.)
She gets this big smile on her face and kind of laughs and says "yeah, you right" (a colloquial saying down here). Then she says "look here, I'm blind in this eye, and there was no way I could tell how much room I had on either side of me with that idiot's car door open like that. Thank you so much, baby." (Yeah, they call you "baby" down here when they don't even know you. I like that, too.) Happy Katrina Day.
So later, we are returning Cary's car to him in the French Quarter (we had borrowed it so we could put the Jeep in the shop to have it made ready for the road trip). She ended up parking near where Jason Palmer is now working in the Marigny. Guess what he was doing? Standing out front greating people that went buy: "Happy Katrina Day."
...and I still love it. I recieved the following from KB in New York today:
Hi Chuck-
Felt it is about time I introduced myself. I've been lurking around your site for almost a year now. I am in upstate New York, but an old friend of Laura Roe, DR , Thomas - you know the crew. Its been over 20 years since I have lived in NOLA, but you know that no matter how much time or how many miles, once the city occupies a piece of your heart, its taken up permanent residency.
Thanks for all your news, updates, anecdotes over the past year. You have helped me keep track of friends and a city I love . And while Anderson Cooper has done a good job, its your personal notes that I have appreciated.
Today my 20 yr old daughter hit the road to return to the ninth ward, volunteering with common ground. After spending time there in the spring, she decided that its where her heart is now. So school is on hold . Hard to argue with her decision, she justs wants to help, and we raised her to do just that. She'll spend some time with Laura, but mostly be at Commonground through the fall.
So here I am in upstate New York, the leaves are turning, gardens are heading past prime and again I find my heart pulled toward Louisiana. I decide to check out your current update. Great,as usual. The positive review of Spikes documentary I especially appreciated, as I was dismayed about your previous comments. I watched it over the weekend, and agree with your current comments. Thank you again.
So that's it , I'll continue lurking, but now you know your news is appreciated.
Say hey to Laura if you see her. If she has a cute young bold blond with her, tell the kid to call her mama sometime.
Wishing you and your family well,
I wish you well, too, KB. Getting emails like that are what keeps me doing these updates. OK - as usual there is a lot more I wanted to say. But it's 3AM here and I need to get up and get on the road in 5 hours.
Happy Katrina Day, everybody!
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