Take a hike, Ike!

Pick a place a hurricane can strike and I probably have relatives, friends or both living nearby. A week ago, I was worried that Ike would slam into my parents. It is going far away from them now--right towards my husband's family and my friends in Houston.

My daughter has, up to now, been relieved that hurricanes don't hit Indiana! We received some thunderstorms left over from Gustav however, and Ike looks like he's trying to swing on up here, as best as he can!

It looks like a good weekend to visit Kansas. Or Canada.

I don't know if many of my friends in Houston read this blog but B ~ I know you do. Post a comment when it's all over and you have power to let me know y'all are OK, please!

Carnival time!

And then there are parties that go on for weeks! One in particular does not end until midnight on Tuesday!

I used to say that New Orleans could find any excuse for a party and a parade but of course, nothing compares to Mardi Gras! Katrina left her mark but even that disaster couldn't keep New Orleanians from celebrating Carnival!

I'm still praying for New Orleans--especially this week. I don't know if they have the resources (hospitals, police, etc.) to keep up with Mardi Gras quite yet but I'm encouraged by their enthusiasm.

So for all my friends from New Orleans: Laissez les bon temps rouler!!! Have a piece of king cake* for me! In the spirit of the season, I've downloaded some carnival tunes and will subject the children to them after school. I would love to share some of these songs with you all but am not sophisticated enough to know how to insert audio into my blog. If one of my readers is techno-savvy enough to give me directions, I'll upload them! In the meantime, I'll just keep singing along to myself...I went on down to the Audubon Zoo and they all aksed for you...


*Looks like Haydel's isn't completely back up and running yet but I'm sure somebody is making king cakes!

Please Pray II

I'm repeating my request from last month, with a few changes.

Please just pray. I was so worried a few weeks ago about what Katrina could do if it hit New Orleans. Then it hit. Things were torn up but it turned out so much better than I'd feared. All of those prayers worked! Then the levees could not hold out any longer.........and all hell broke loose.

My family (on my husband's side) all got out OK. Some homes are fine and others are destroyed. Those family members were able to get out and stay with our other family members---in Beaumont, TX and San Antonio, TX.

So please pray again. These cities aren't "bowls" but this is an enormous storm.
So many of my very dear friends from New Orleans moved a few years after I did. They all live in Houston now. Please keep them in your prayers.

For those friends who may read this: Come on up!!!! (I have lost touch with a few of you but y'all keep in touch with each other and one or two of you read this blog---come on up!!) My house, almost smack-dab in the middle of Kansas may not be the most exciting place you've seen in your life but I will promise you that no hurricane will hit central Kansas!!!! Come on up!!! I'll have a hurricane waiting for you---but it will be in a big glass with lots of rum!!! ; )

Just take a deep breath and hang in there. Last year, my family dealt with many hurricanes hitting Florida. This year, my in-laws and friends are dealing with the hurricanes hitting the Gulf. Next year, they've got to just head straight up to Greenland, right?

Daily Affirmations with Opehlia (Katrina’s little sister)

Katrina, Katrina, Katrina!
Everyone always paid attention to Katrina. I can do anything that she can do!

At least, I think I can. Here I come, Florida! Watch out!

Okay, wait. Let’s think…think…where do I want to go first? My cousins visited Cape Canaveral last year. Jacksonville is good but you hear things about Daytona…I think I’d like to see Daytona.

It is so hard to decide. I guess that’s why Katrina always gets all the attention. She didn’t waste time like me. She just started going and hit Florida right in the bottom! After that, she didn’t want to slow down so she just sped up and ran! My big sister could really get moving when she wanted to!

I know I am not that fast. I never did have the windspeeds that my sister did. Once you slow down a bit though, it gives you a chance to think about things. I like to consider my options. It’s nice here off of the coast of Florida. What if I just go ahead on in and hit Flagler Beach? Sure—it’s pretty, it’s historical—but once I get there, will I be sorry I did not head straight for Fernandina?

I’m just not ready yet. I had better head back out east for now. There is nothing wrong with that. There is no use rushing these things. I’ll just come back when I feel ready.

Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail

I am not a good planner. I rarely have a plan. Knowing this however, I will not run for public office.

City officials knew the predicament New Orleans was and is in. This was not “news” for anyone in New Orleans.

However, as Katrina spun closer to the Crescent City, Mayor Nagin told everyone to leave town and that they would open the Superdome as a shelter of “last resort.” They would send buses around the city to pick up those who relied on public transportation and take them to the Superdome.

The term “last resort” should be used when all other strategies have been exhausted. I do not understand why part of the planning and evacuation strategies did not include a way to actually evacuate the people who had no other way out. There could have been a plan to put thousands of people on trains and buses and send them to Baton Rouge, Shreveport—ANYWHERE ELSE—before having to resort to the Superdome for a very last resort.

Storms turn at the last minute—often—which is a big reason so many people stayed. They were tired after evacuating several times within the past year, spending hours and hours in traffic, spending money on hotel rooms and gas, only to have storms turn and miss New Orleans.
So I understand why there were still so many people in their homes when the storm hit. Many waited to see if it would really come. Then it was either too late to leave (electricity would have been out so they could not fill their tanks at the pumps or get cash from an ATM). Some people even made it through the storm and were glad that they did not waste the time and money to evacuate—until the levees burst. They could not leave as fast as the water was rising.

I really do not blame government officials at any level for what happened to the people who made the decision to stay. My heart aches for those unfortunate people but their situation is not the fault of the president, the governor nor the mayor.

However, in the future, officials need to have plans in place to give people the information and options to get out when they have no other resources.

As my mother mentioned, when Andrew hit south Florida, people only had one way to go—north. When Katrina was heading for New Orleans, people could have gone west or north. Even heading east, which still would have taken them into Katrina’s path, would have gotten them out of the sinking city.

Now I have a plan. I will write the Great American novel. You all buy it. I’ll take the proceeds and buy a fleet of buses and maybe buy out Amtrak too. I’m gonna park ‘em all out in Elysian Fields and the next time there is a storm on the radar, I will personally go down and make sure they load each one with as many people as they can fit into each one.