New Orleans is a very rough shape. Some short bullet updates:
– At least three neighbors (ie: in our immediate block) are moving.
– At least one major medical center (LSU) is relocating
– Winn Dixie is opening tomorrow, a day earlier than planned
– CC’s (the cafe where I like to study) has it’s wireless working, although they remain closed
As for what is going on with Paul and Alex… I am at a loss. They are exhausted, emotionally wrought, and overwhelmed. The personal loss for Alex and his family is absolutely tragic. He and Paul worked their way into the kids’ playroom today… toys, games, collectibles, wedding albums… destroyed by water and muck. They estimated that to completely clean out the first story and spray for mildew would take the two of them at least three weeks of solid work. The mold is already spreading to the ceiling. At this point, it may be a mute point. USAA, their insurance (and ours) is being horrific — to the point where Paul wants to shop around for another as soon as we are able.
When they are not working at Alex’s, they have been making rounds through the city to check and secure the homes of other friends. They also have been cleaning up our neighbors yard (Weezie and Phyllis — Weezie is the retired medical anthropologist who I hang out and paint with!) and brought their rotting fridge to the curb for pick-up. Paul has plans to replace a few shingles for another neighbor (single mom) and run a few more helpful errands for others before leaving Thursday. Alex will fly back to Phoenix and then drive back to continue work on his house. They have been taking many, many photographs, although are disappointed in them. They say that looking at one photograph does nothing to describe the chaos and destruction that is everywhere.
I don’t know if anyone reading this can appreciate the reality of this… I am not sure that I can. But to hear Paul and Alex talk of the situation — put simply, it is much, much worse they any of us realized. The longer Paul is there, the less optimistic he is. This storm has completely up-ended our lives and perminently changed our world. We honestly do not know what lies ahead.
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