[CAUT] For Les and Avery

[David Doremus]

Leslie W Bartlett wrote:
> There are folks who have to put up with this, and then go back to 
> nothing.   I have some seen some TV, and they're showing all the 
> wealthy houses on the beach, but little of the "normal" where the 
> normal people live.  So for us without power- we have it marvelous. 
> With gas heat we still have warm water, and our grill works so we can 
> cook a bit, but beenie weenies can be eaten right out of the 
> can...........
>
>
I was very glad to hear it was not as bad as it could have been. This 
was a big, big storm. TV always looks for the sensational, very rich or 
very poor, rarely the ordinary working folk. South Louisiana flooded as 
badly or worse in Gustav and Ike than in Rita, a lot is still in "Look 
and leave" mode. Cell phones are the first things to go in a storm, 
Cingular died immediately here during Gustav and was out for a week. Try 
texting. After Katrina no voice calls were going through but texts (low 
band width, I guess) worked very well. A grill and a small generator to 
run a fan and a fridge make a big difference. Just wait for the lines in 
the grocery store thats first to reopen, or if FEMA sets up an 
ice/water/mre station...good place to reconnect with old friends and 
neighbors though. There are always positives, even if they are hard to 
see at first. I may actually unboard my shop this wek if it stays dry 
for more than half a day!






--Dave

  New Orleans