Drove my chevy to the levee, but......

the levee was GONE. Drink until Nagin makes sense.

....Those were a couple of slogans seen in the weekend's parades. Yes, it's carnival time down here--the time of year when, if the weather's cool enough to be driving around town with your windows down, you may find beads tossed into your lap. Or..if you find yourself sitting in your stopped car on the interstate muttering, "Damn. Damn. DAMN! WTF is the problem now?!?!" you may realize that the 'problem' is a parade making its way down the interstate on its way to the staging area.

What do you do as you sit in your stopped car watching floats being driven aong the highway? Do you curse at them for holding you up? Do you give them the finger (as many do to the poor innocent guys repairing the roads)? Hell, no! Just roll down your windows, stick out your hand and yell, "Throw me something, Mister!" :) OK, the floats are unmanned since they are being pulled down the highway, but....the truck driver is usually well supplied and more than willing to throw you sumpin'.

Anywho....the parades are rolling, the beads are flying, and people are trying to decide if having Mardi Gras this year is a good thing or a bad thing. Good = money for New Orleans and the state. Bad = seeing all the people out of camera range in New Orleans working so hard to rebuild their homes and lives.

The theme of our city's big parade, which is the Spanish Town Parade (http://www.spanishtownparade.com), was -- “FEMAture Evacuation.” Lots of FEMA blue being used on parade floats here and in NOLA. People are even wearing blue tarps. :)

Check this link for a smile:
http://www.mardigrascostumepics.com/katrina_costumes.shtml

Oh, well! So goes it down on the bayou. HAPPY LUNDI GRAS, Y'ALL!

It all started with a new guitar......

then there was a new house, and then a new car. Where will it end?!

Let me hasten to say that NONE of this happened to me!.. but to my daughter, 'A'. It all started when she called to say she had bought a Gibson or Fender guitar while on a buisness trip. (OK, I know it borders on sacrilege not to remember which kind -- but it's one of them!) Then I got a call that she and her roommates had bought a brand, spanking new house. Then....she called to say she had bought a new car. Now I remember that the car is a Honda -- and I think it's an Accord. ....I am so bad with details sometimes.

The guitar is hers. The car is hers. The house is part hers. She and her two roommates went into some kind of financial agreement to get the house, so it's maybe 1/3 hers? I'm not sure of the details :) yet, but I'm sure I'll find out in due time.

So, my daughter has a new car (which I want), a new house (which I want), and.... a new Dyson (my house-warming gift to them -- which I want).

Sheesh! I want her life.

120 days until......

HURRICANE SEASON!

I heard someone say that a day or two ago. All I can respond to that is -- Well, thanks for that comment, moron! As if we didn't know that. As if that fact isn't playing around in everyone's minds. Whaddayawannado, idiot? Have a count-down on the nightly news?!?! ....Excuse me, but, WTF!

Since I can't point my finger to anything else, I'll blame that comment for the
boil-over my city seems to be experiencing today. ....Not that we aren't on a constant simmer these dazes. Lately, it seems to me that threats (verbal ones) are the weapons of choice whenever people disagree about what should be done regarding rebuilding this hurting state. Threats like the one mentioned above -- only x-amount of days before.... Threats like -- well, it could be Baton Rouge next. Threats like -- what would Jesus do?

This current boil-over concerns the placement of.. what else but? ..FEMA trailer parks. Apparently, FEMA trailers are being installed in a couple of parishes that some lovingly refer to as 'white-flight parishes' and it's not going over too well. (To say the least.) It is one hell of a mess.

On one side: Property values. Safety. Perception of trailer parks and their residents. Perception of many who lived in New Orleans pre-Katrina. Already over-crowded roads, schools, etc. Out right prejudice.

On the other side: ....Lest you think all those slated to be moved into those trailer are happy about it, consider this. How would you like to be: Moving to the sticks with a bunch of rednecks pointing shotguns at you. Moving to the sticks. Living in a trailer. No public transportation....which leads to no way to get ANYWHERE -- not to jobs, shopping, doctors, etc. New Orleans was a city, a city that was setup quite differently than where many of its displaced are finding themselves.

Let me say here that, even though I know there are those (residents and displaced) who have the feelings mentioned above, I also know that there are many (residents and displaced) who are trying their dead-level best to do the right thing. And, based on my personal experiences, I think most of us are in that category -- trying to do the right thing. ....Even though, listening to the press, you might not think so.

So, at this moment in time (I'll most likely feel differently in an hour) the only way I can figure to maneuver in this mess is to be a realist. August 2005 changed our world (speaking locally). In one day Baton Rouge and New Orleans were changed and things will never be the same. All we can do is what we do every day, try and make decisions that will shape us into the person we want to be.

And, in case anyone still feels the need to remind us.... Yes, we realize that the season is 120 days away. And, yes, we realize that it could be us next time.