New Orleans Status Updates--NO POLITICS

[Jon]

Although they don't live in New Orleans, my family in Meridian, MS was hit by the hurricane. The house has some roof damage, and has not had any power since it was knocked out. There is extensive damage in the yard, and we lost a shed, but no one was hurt, fortunately, b/c no one was home. Unfortunately, no one was home b/c my mother had a stroke the week before and was in the hospital. She has no feeling in the right side of her body, some intermittent swallowing problems, and a lot of cognition problems. She doesn't really recognize my stepfather, and she thinks I'm in college still (I haven't been in college in over a decade). She can't have a conversation for more than five minutes at a time before she zones out.

I know this topic was really supposed to be about the hurricane, but her situation is partly due to the hurricane. They had to relocate her from a different floor b/c the wind damage to the hospital was pretty severe on the upper floors. Some of her treatment was delayed b/c of the power outages in the hospital.

I'm glad that she is still alive, and did not have to face the problems of the people in NO. It's also good to hear that some of our FOFC family members are okay.

[sachmo71]

Originally Posted by Jon

Although they don't live in New Orleans, my family in Meridian, MS was hit by the hurricane. The house has some roof damage, and has not had any power since it was knocked out. There is extensive damage in the yard, and we lost a shed, but no one was hurt, fortunately, b/c no one was home. Unfortunately, no one was home b/c my mother had a stroke the week before and was in the hospital. She has no feeling in the right side of her body, some intermittent swallowing problems, and a lot of cognition problems. She doesn't really recognize my stepfather, and she thinks I'm in college still (I haven't been in college in over a decade). She can't have a conversation for more than five minutes at a time before she zones out.

I know this topic was really supposed to be about the hurricane, but her situation is partly due to the hurricane. They had to relocate her from a different floor b/c the wind damage to the hospital was pretty severe on the upper floors. Some of her treatment was delayed b/c of the power outages in the hospital.

I'm glad that she is still alive, and did not have to face the problems of the people in NO. It's also good to hear that some of our FOFC family members are okay.

Jon,

The good news is that with strokes, much of the damage can be overcome with therapy. Good luck to you and your family; we'll say a few prayers for you.

[Ksyrup]

Not an update, but just a Katrina-related observation I thought I'd pass along...

We flew up to Michigan for a family wedding this weekend and flew back on Sunday morning. On the plane to Cincy (our connection) was a blues/jazz band from New Orleans that had just played the International Jazz Fest in Detroit and was on the way to a gig in Ohio. While on tour, Katrina had hit and left them homeless. They decided to keep touring because they had no homes to go back to. It sounded like they were going to extend their tour if possible, just to delay having to go back and/or trying to find a new home base. Very sad.

[Eaglesfan27]

I'm officially stressed out now. We have made a verbal committment to those 2 apartments in Shreveport, LA for at least one month. I finally found out where my boss is located. He is in Jackson, LA at a hospital up there with the patients from NOAH. Being the dutiful employee, I called him. He wants me to come up there if he can find housing for me. He isn't guaranteeing that he can. However, if he does, it is unlikely that he would find housing for my in-laws as well.

They would have to squeeze into our place which would cause all kinds of complications if I want to keep us all together. However, I feel since I made a verbal committment to that apartment complex in Shreveport, I should take those apartments for at least the month that I verbally committed. Also, I've contacted my friend at LSU-Shreveport's medical school and she informs me that there is a permeant opening for a professor of psychiatry there and they would love for me to take it. My wife is dead set against even considering relocation to Shreveport as she still will have family and friends in the New Orleans area.

So I have to be careful to be gracious, keep my options open, yet not mislead. I don't want to say "No, I'm not taking that job" to my friend in Shreveport just in case LSU-New Orleans cuts my job for some reason. I also want temporary work if that becomes necessary.

Ultimately, I may have to have my family live in Shreveport and drive back-and-forth to Jackson, LA. It is a 220 mile trip that will likely take in the range of 4 hours due to some of it being on back roads. I assume I'd stay in the place that my boss might offer me for 4 days a week and return to family for a 3 day weekend or something for the next month. I'm waiting to hear from him later today to see if an apartment is even available. I'm hoping there isn't one...

[Wolfpack]

bind (bind)

n. Informal. A difficult, restrictive, or unresolvable situation
ex. "Eaglesfan27 is in something of a bind with his job and family situation."

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Just wanted to give a little levity to the situation.

[Eaglesfan27]

For the psychologically minded, one might even say I'm in a double bind

[NoMyths]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

For the psychologically minded, one might even say I'm in a double bind

*groan*

[flere-imsaho]

I don't know if this is New Orleans-related, specifically, but I work for Northwestern University, which just announced the following:

Northwestern University will offer students enrolled at colleges and universities in hurricane-stricken areas the opportunity to take classes at Northwestern this fall as visiting students.

Northwestern will waive tuition for those students, allowing tuition revenues to continue to go to those students “home” institutions. If students have already paid their fall semester tuition to their home institution, Northwestern will provide available space in classes at no additional cost. If the visiting students have not yet paid tuition at their home institution, Northwestern will charge the home institution’s tuition and transfer those funds to it.

“Northwestern stands ready to assist students from those institutions affected by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath to the greatest extent possible,” said University President Henry S. Bienen.

Interested undergraduate students should apply through Northwestern’s School of Continuing Studies. The application deadline for those students will be extended to Sept. 15. All courses in which space is available offered through the School of Continuing Studies will be open to these students. In addition, where capacity is available, the visiting students may enroll in undergraduate courses in other Northwestern schools.

Fall quarter classes at Northwestern begin Sept. 20.

Students seeking to enroll in the emergency visiting student program should contact Lesley Todd at the School of Continuing Studies at 847-491-5251, by e-mail at [email protected] or go to on the Web.

Credits earned by visiting students at Northwestern may be transferred to other colleges and universities. At the end of the fall quarter, Northwestern will give students enrolled through the program transcripts for the courses they complete.

Northwestern also will make available a limited number of rooms in the University’s residence halls. Students interested in university housing should inform the School of Continuing Studies during the enrollment process.

Northwestern’s Graduate School will attempt to accommodate any master's or doctoral degree-seeking student from a New Orleans-area university who wishes to be a visiting student at Northwestern for the fall term. Emergency visiting students in the Graduate School also will not be charged tuition for their studies. Graduate students from the New Orleans area who may have an interest in studying at Northwestern University for the fall term should contact Associate Dean Simon Greenwold at [email protected] or 847/467-1829.

Northwestern Law School will offer enrollment to 15 second- and third-year law students from Tulane University and Loyola University of New Orleans. Those students are expected to arrive sometime next week.

Please pass it on to whomever it may be of use.

[Klinglerware]

Brown University is doing the same for Rhode Island residents and siblings of Brown students...

As relief organizations provide food, water, clothing and other essentials, Brown will take a number of steps to help some of the students at higher education institutions who have no hope of attending their colleges and universities this semester. We will accommodate as many of these students as space allows, providing free tuition for one semester.

Brown and the seven other institutions in the Rhode Island Independent Higher Education Association (RIIHEA) will offer admission for the upcoming semester to Rhode Island residents whose studies at colleges and universities in the devastated areas have been interrupted by the hurricane. Students will apply through RIIHEA, which will coordinate with member institutions. Brown will supply a staff member to assist this effort for undergraduate students, graduate students, and medical students who are Rhode Island residents. Displaced students who are Rhode Island residents may contact RIIHEA directly at (401) 272-8270.

Students who would otherwise be enrolled in colleges and universities in the affected communities and who are siblings of currently enrolled Brown students will also be offered admission to the University for one semester. They may contact the admission office directly.

Brown will accept undergraduates for one semester from Xavier University of Louisiana, Dillard University, and Tulane University whose studies have been interrupted by the disaster. Brown will encourage Leadership Alliance institutions to join us in this effort. Leadership Alliance students whose studies have been interrupted by the hurricane may contact the Leadership Alliance at Brown: (401) 863-1474.

The College Admission Office is developing a streamlined process to handle the admission of all students as special students when they present evidence of enrollment at an institution that has suspended its operations because of the hurricane. The College Admission Office may be contacted at (401) 863-2378. The application is available online (pdf).

Although we have no space available to house students, we will do everything possible to help them find housing during their time at the University. Efforts will be made to arrange accommodations for students with demonstrated need as determined by the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA).

Graduate Students:

The Dean of the Graduate School has sent a letter to Chairs and Directors of Graduate Study asking that they accept qualified students from graduate institutions that have been forced to close as a result of the hurricane. Admitted for one semester as exchange scholars on special student status, they will not be charged tuition. Places will be assigned on a space-available basis, which varies from department to department. Students may call the Graduate School at (401) 863-2600 to inquire.

The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) will send a message to Brown faculty members requesting that they reach out to collaborators and colleagues at affected institutions and invite them to send their post-doctoral fellows to Brown, and to come to the University as visiting faculty, if space and other necessary facilities can be provided to support their research. OVPR will provide limited funding for travel or minimal research expenses. Inquiries should be directed to OVPR at (401) 863-7999.

[Klinglerware]

Dola -

Many schools have similar programs/offers in place for displaced students and faculty. I'd scout out school websites to look for the most appropriate offer...

[chinaski]

There will be 1500 survivors just 6 blocks up the street from me staying at one of our many vacant schools. Ive been up there the last 2 days helping clean and setup. I setup all the pc's and the network for the computer room today. The first batch of people will be arriving tonight at 7. I went from going down there to down there coming up here.

[chinaski]

My GFs mom finally got word on her great aunt, shes alive and made it out just in time. Her 84 year old boyfriend drove from Alabama after she told him she wouldnt leave her house, he literally saved her life and 4 of her friends. Every home in her area was destroyed.

[wbatl1]

Originally Posted by chinaski

There will be 1500 survivors just 6 blocks up the street from me staying at one of our many vacant schools. Ive been up there the last 2 days helping clean and setup. I setup all the pc's and the network for the computer room today. The first batch of people will be arriving tonight at 7. I went from going down there to down there coming up here.

What general area of the country are you in (not to be personal but just because the idea of vacant schools is foriegn to me. All of our school enrollments are growing like a weed)

[chinaski]

Originally Posted by wbatl1

What general area of the country are you in (not to be personal but just because the idea of vacant schools is foriegn to me. All of our school enrollments are growing like a weed)

This is in Portland Oregon. Seems like we're constantly in a school budget crisis, and every year more schools close down.

[ISiddiqui]

I just heard that Stephon Marbury is personally given half a million for the relief effort. He was really shook up and during a speech could hardly speak because he crying throughout the whole thing. It was really touching.

[Eaglesfan27]

Finally talked to my boss who claims he has been trying to call me without luck over the last few days (which is suspicious since my cell phone has generally been working the last few days.) He'd like me to come to Jackson, LA by myself "as soon as possible" but understands that I have family concerns to attend to. This request goes against the general policy that LSU has at this moment of all staff being on special paid leave at least through September. He would like me to come and stay there in a trailer once I get my family settled in Shreveport. I asked him if any of the other faculty are there (naming them all by names.) He told me not one of them is, and none of them are planning on coming there at this time. One of those faculty members is at the same level as me having just started. He told me that none of the faculty are there. However, he does have 3 state MD's that there are there because they get paid extra to be there. Also all of the Child Fellows are there and are getting paid extra to be there (6 child/adolescent psychiatry fellows.) Therefore, I've decided that my wife and family need me, I can volunteer in Shreveport, and I'm not going to rush to go to Jackson, LA at this time.

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

I'm officially stressed out now. We have made a verbal committment to those 2 apartments in Shreveport, LA for at least one month. I finally found out where my boss is located. He is in Jackson, LA at a hospital up there with the patients from NOAH. Being the dutiful employee, I called him. He wants me to come up there if he can find housing for me. He isn't guaranteeing that he can. However, if he does, it is unlikely that he would find housing for my in-laws as well.

They would have to squeeze into our place which would cause all kinds of complications if I want to keep us all together. However, I feel since I made a verbal committment to that apartment complex in Shreveport, I should take those apartments for at least the month that I verbally committed. Also, I've contacted my friend at LSU-Shreveport's medical school and she informs me that there is a permeant opening for a professor of psychiatry there and they would love for me to take it. My wife is dead set against even considering relocation to Shreveport as she still will have family and friends in the New Orleans area.

So I have to be careful to be gracious, keep my options open, yet not mislead. I don't want to say "No, I'm not taking that job" to my friend in Shreveport just in case LSU-New Orleans cuts my job for some reason. I also want temporary work if that becomes necessary.

Ultimately, I may have to have my family live in Shreveport and drive back-and-forth to Jackson, LA. It is a 220 mile trip that will likely take in the range of 4 hours due to some of it being on back roads. I assume I'd stay in the place that my boss might offer me for 4 days a week and return to family for a 3 day weekend or something for the next month. I'm waiting to hear from him later today to see if an apartment is even available. I'm hoping there isn't one...

Just curious, why is your wife not wanting to move to Shreveport permeantly? Will she have a job in New Orleans with her hotel (is it damaged?)?

[digamma]

A close friend's family runs a company that provides maintenance and janitorial services for large office buildings in NO. His father ventured back into the city over the weekend to check on an number of the buildings they service (as well as their own offices and warehouse). He had to use a boat to go from building to building. Though he had attempted to prepare himself, he said he was still amazed at the destruction of the city. He said the desertion was eerie and it was, at times, frightening. Most troubling, though, he said were the bodies. He passed a number while on the boat, and at one point, he said he simply pulled over to the side and broke down in tears. I really can't imagine what that would have been like.

On a positive note, they are all safe and their personal property sustained little damage. Their warehouse is flooded and probably ruined. They're trying to figure out what to do to keep their business and their employees going--though they do have some hope because not all of their business was located in NO (some spread across LA and into Texas).

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

Just curious, why is your wife not wanting to move to Shreveport permeantly? Will she have a job in New Orleans with her hotel (is it damaged?)?

She goes to school at a college in New Orleans and doesn't want to transfer permeantly. She also doesn't want to leave behind friends/family who will return to the city in the future. They are the main reason we moved to New Orleans from NJ in the first place.

[Galaxy]

Didn't realize she was still in school? She go to college, or a culinary arts school?

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

Didn't realize she was still in school? She go to college, or a culinary arts school?

She goes to a college with a culinary arts program. She also has to take things such as French this semester. She is also working on a "hotel and restaurant management degree."

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

She goes to a college with a culinary arts program. She also has to take things such as French this semester. She is also working on a "hotel and restaurant management degree."

Ahh...Cool. I am a hotel and restaurant management major. Taking a culinary arts course this year, but your wife's program seems more focus on culinary arts and less on management (as it is the reverse here). My one professor last week was worried about one of his colleuges down in the region.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

Ahh...Cool. I am a hotel and restaurant management major. Taking a culinary arts course this year, but your wife's program seems more focus on culinary arts and less on management (as it is the reverse here). My one professor last week was worried about one of his colleuges down in the region.

They are actually 2 completely seperate 2 year programs that she is overlapping slightly to be done in 3 1/2 to 4 years (she would have been done in 3 1/2 before the storm hit. The storm will likely mess with her having enough accreditation hours in each field to be done in that time period now. She is a 3rd year now and is almost done her culinary arts degree. She only needed about 120 more hours working in a restaurant to be done that degree.)

[Eaglesfan27]

Tomorrow morning/early afternoon we'll be leaving Arkansas and driving to a hotel in Bossier City which is next to Shreveport as they finally have rooms available and that will make it easier to move into the (monthly) apartment on Friday.

It will nice to be back in the state of Louisiana, despite the wonderful hospitality of many great people here in Arkansas.

[JeffNights]

Ok i heard a frightening rumour.

As for the bodies, they will put them all in a mass grave, then make it a memorial?

a mass fuckin' grave?

[HomerJSimpson]

Originally Posted by JeffNights

Ok i heard a frightening rumour.

As for the bodies, they will put them all in a mass grave, then make it a memorial?

a mass fuckin' grave?

Unidentified bodies? Surely not the ones with known family members?

[JeffNights]

Originally Posted by HomerJSimpson

Unidentified bodies? Surely not the ones with known family members?

Beats me, its a disgusting rumour I heard.

[NoMyths]

Trident Technical College here in Charleston just announced that they will be giving free tuition to students displaced by Katrina, as well as assistance with books and housing.

[duckman]

The mayor has ordered a "forced" evacuation of the city.

[sachmo71]

Dear America,

I suppose we should introduce ourselves: We're South Louisiana.

We have arrived on your doorstep on short notice and we apologize for
that, but we never were much for waiting around for invitations. We're
not much on formalities like that.

And we might be staying around your town for a while, enrolling in your
schools and looking for jobs, so we wanted to tell you a few things
about us. We know you didn't ask for this and neither did we, so we're
just going to have to make the best of it.

First of all, we thank you. For your money, your water, your food, your
prayers, your boats and buses and the men and women of your National
Guards, fire departments, hospitals and everyone else who has come to
our rescue.

We're a fiercely proud and independent people, and we don't cotton much
to outside interference, but we're not ashamed to accept help when we
need it. And right now, we need it.

Just don't get carried away. For instance, once we get around to fishing
again, don't try to tell us what kind of lures work best in your waters.


We're not going to listen. We're stubborn that way.

You probably already know that we talk funny and listen to strange music
and eat things you'd probably hire an exterminator to get out of your
yard.

We dance even if there's no radio. We drink at funerals. We talk too
much and laugh too loud and live too large and, frankly, we're
suspicious of others who don't.

But we'll try not to judge you while we're in your town.

Everybody loves their home, we know that. But we love South Louisiana
with a ferocity that borders on the pathological. Sometimes we bury our
dead in LSU sweatshirts.

Often we don't make sense. You may wonder why, for instance - if we
could only carry one small bag of belongings with us on our journey to
your state - why in God's name did we bring a pair of shrimp boots?

We can't really explain that. It is what it is.

You've probably heard that many of us stayed behind. As bad as it is,
many of us cannot fathom a life outside of our border, out in that place
we call Elsewhere.

The only way you could understand that is if you have been there, and so
many of you have. So you realize that when you strip away all the
craziness and bars and parades and music and architecture and all that
hooey, really, the best thing about where we come from is us.

We are what made this place a national treasure. We're good people. And
don't be afraid to ask us how to pronounce our names. It happens all the
time.

When you meet us now and you look into our eyes, you will see the
saddest story ever told. Our hearts are broken into a thousand pieces.

But don't pity us. We're gonna make it. We're resilient. After all,
we've been rooting for the Saints for 35 years. That's got to count for
something.

OK, maybe something else you should know is that we make jokes at
inappropriate times.

But what the hell.

And one more thing: In our part of the country, we're used to having
visitors. It's our way of life.

So when all this is over and we move back home, we will repay to you the
hospitality and generosity of spirit you offer to us in this season of
our despair.

That is our promise. That is our faith.

(Chris Rose Times Picayune)

[Eaglesfan27]

Quick update:

After a rather pleasant 3 1/2 hour drive, we've safely arrived in Bossier City at our new hotel. This room is nicer than our old room and only slightly more expensive (and of course it is still part of the chain that accepts pets.)

We'll be in the hotel for at least the next 2 days and possibly up to the next 8 days as we know the 1st apartment will be ready on the 9th, but the 2nd one will be ready anywhere between the 9th and 15th.

[sterlingice]

Katrina kills most fish in New Orleans aquarium

Survivors being prepared to move, association reports

(CNN) -- Hurricane Katrina killed most of the fish in the New Orleans Aquarium of the Americas, the American Zoo and Aquarium Association Web site reported.

The animals were killed when the facility lost power and the staff had to evacuate.

A small staff is tending to the surviving animals and preparing to move them out of the facility, which is at the foot of Canal Street along the Mississippi River.

The Aquarium of the Americas was considered one of the foremost aquariums in the world, the conservation Web site Mongabay.com said.

"It had 10,000 fish representing more than 530 species and featured four enormous exhibits -- Mississippi River gallery featuring catfish, paddlefish and alligators; the Caribbean Reef exhibit featuring a clear, 30-foot-long tunnel surrounded by aquatic creatures; the Amazon Rainforest display featuring piranhas and tropical birds; and the Gulf of Mexico exhibit featuring sharks, sea turtles and stingrays -- in addition to a number of smaller displays."

Some animals survived the loss of power, the American Zoo and Aquarium Association Web site reported.

"The sea otters, penguins, leafy and weedy sea dragons, birds (macaws and raptors), and the white alligator are fine," the association said on its Web site

"Midas, the infamous 250-pound sea turtle, survived and has been coaxed into the holding area in the Gulf of Mexico Exhibit," the association said.

Air pumps are key for an aquarium, according to Mongabay.com.

"Aquatic plants, animals, and waste-converting bacteria all depend on oxygen dissolved in water for respiration."

Zoos weather storm better

Meanwhile, New Orleans' other animal centers fared better, with only a pair of river otters reported dead at the Audubon Zoo and a whooping crane lost at the Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species.

"From what I understand, we didn't take any water," zoo spokeswoman Sarah Burnette told CNN on Sunday. Most of the damage to the zoo -- which houses about 1,200 animals in natural habitats -- appeared to be limited to uprooted trees and plants, she said.

A crocodile from the research center was missing, said Rhett A. Butler, a conservationist and founder of the Web site mongabay.com.

The Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species is several miles from the zoo on New Orleans' West Bank.

The American Association of Zoo Keepers said Sunday that other zoos in the Gulf Coast area fared well too, though the threat was not over.

"We are thankful that most of the reports we have received about the zoos and aquariums in the area are hopeful," the association said on its Web site. "It is still too early to assess the full impact and the danger is not over yet for some areas. Flooding continues to be a problem and is actually increasing in the worst-hit areas."

Burnette said the zoo took pointers from the Miami zoo after deadly Hurricane Andrew struck in 1992, then the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.

"We have worked closely with Miami MetroZoo ever since Hurricane Andrew, and we totally revised our hurricane plan after talking to them. We have a protocol we go through whenever we know something's brewing," she said.

In anticipation of Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans zoo stockpiled fuel, food and other supplies, Burnette said. When it hit last Monday, the staff fled to the sturdy reptile building and raided the cafeteria for food. Some staff remained at the zoo, she said.

"We did plan well, but I think we also were really fortunate to be on the natural bank of the Mississippi River," Burnette said. The land is on higher ground than other parts of New Orleans, which is several feet below sea level. In the center of the zoo is a 28-foot, man-made "mountain" that was built decades ago when lagoons were dug, she said.

Meanwhile, the 211-member American Zoo and Aquarium Association began a fund-raising initiative, headed by the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, to provide relief.

The association posted on its Web site what it knew about the status of zoos in the hurricane's path:

• New Orleans (Audubon Zoo), Louisiana: Audubon Nature Institute executive staff continue to assess the impact of Hurricane Katrina on all Audubon facilities. Audubon staff are working round the clock on recovery efforts.
• Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Zoo: Power is back on at the zoo. There are lots of trees down, but no animal losses. Cleanup efforts are under way.
• Alexandria, Louisiana, Zoo: No animal loss.
• Jackson, Mississippi, Zoo: The zoo suffered slight building damage and has about 35 trees down. No injuries to staff or animals.
• Birmingham, Alabama, Zoo: The zoo was without power for a day, but power is restored. Trees down, but no animal losses.
• Montgomery, Alabama, Zoo: The zoo has resumed operations. There are trees down, but no animal losses.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/09/07/katrina.zoos/index.html

SI

[Pumpy Tudors]

sachmo, that was great. I never read the newspaper much, but on the few occasions I've read a Chris Rose column, I've gotten a kick out of it.

[sachmo71]

Now I'm thinking of all the new ghosts in New Orleans...like they needed more.



And yet another effect of this storm that I hadn't thought of...
My wife was on her way out to go to the gym. I asked her if she wanted to get frisky tonight, or if I would have to fly solo (it's been almost a week), and she said "if we don't watch Katrina coverage, I'll be fine."

TV OFF!

[Buccaneer]

eat things you'd probably hire an exterminator to get out of your
yard.

True dat.

[Dutch]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Quick update:

After a rather pleasant 3 1/2 hour drive, we've safely arrived in Bossier City at our new hotel. This room is nicer than our old room and only slightly more expensive (and of course it is still part of the chain that accepts pets.)

We'll be in the hotel for at least the next 2 days and possibly up to the next 8 days as we know the 1st apartment will be ready on the 9th, but the 2nd one will be ready anywhere between the 9th and 15th.

I just sent you probably the largest PM I've ever sent anyone. I did get an error about my mailbox being full, so if you didn't get it, let me know.

[Dutch]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

Katrina kills most fish in New Orleans aquarium

Survivors being prepared to move, association reports

(CNN) -- Hurricane Katrina killed most of the fish in the New Orleans Aquarium of the Americas, the American Zoo and Aquarium Association Web site reported.

The animals were killed when the facility lost power and the staff had to evacuate.

A small staff is tending to the surviving animals and preparing to move them out of the facility, which is at the foot of Canal Street along the Mississippi River.

The Aquarium of the Americas was considered one of the foremost aquariums in the world, the conservation Web site Mongabay.com said.

SI

I went there when it was nearly brand new. It was an awesome place.

[Pumpy Tudors]

UPDATE:

I spoke to my father today for the first time since the hurricane. He's staying in a hotel in Atlanta indefinitely. He's heard from just about everybody on his side of the family, and the two people he hadn't heard from were pretty nomadic anyway. They might not have even been in the New Orleans area when the storm hit.

Still no word on my aunt and cousin on my mother's side, though.

[Farrah Whitworth-Rahn]

EF - Just saw this and thought of you. Might be worth looking in to.

linky

Tom Planchet

7:02 P.M. - FEMA Official: If you were hit with any sort of disaster-related loss, you qualify for federal assistance. If you had to spend a night in a hotel, FEMA will cover it. Save your receipts, keep track of everything you’ve bought.

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by sachmo71

Now I'm thinking of all the new ghosts in New Orleans...like they needed more.



And yet another effect of this storm that I hadn't thought of...
My wife was on her way out to go to the gym. I asked her if she wanted to get frisky tonight, or if I would have to fly solo (it's been almost a week), and she said "if we don't watch Katrina coverage, I'll be fine."

TV OFF!

Been hanging out with HA?

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by sachmo71

Now I'm thinking of all the new ghosts in New Orleans...like they needed more.



And yet another effect of this storm that I hadn't thought of...
My wife was on her way out to go to the gym. I asked her if she wanted to get frisky tonight, or if I would have to fly solo (it's been almost a week), and she said "if we don't watch Katrina coverage, I'll be fine."

TV OFF!

T.M.I.

[Passacaglia]

Meanwhile, the 211-member American Zoo and Aquarium Association began a fund-raising initiative, headed by the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, to provide relief.

Lincoln Park Zoo? Uh-oh..

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by Dutch

I just sent you probably the largest PM I've ever sent anyone. I did get an error about my mailbox being full, so if you didn't get it, let me know.

Unfortunately, all I got was my original message quoted with no further reply

My box is only about a third full as I cleaned it the other day. Any of the info that you can re-send will be much appreciated. Thanks

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by Farrah Whitworth-Rahn

EF - Just saw this and thought of you. Might be worth looking in to.

linky

Thanks for the info. I'm saving receipts for however it might help.

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Thanks for the info. I'm saving receipts for however it might help.

Have faith, FEMA is really, really good at paperwork.

EF, I hadn't said this yet but I thank you for putting an encouraging human face on this tragedy.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Dutch

I went there when it was nearly brand new. It was an awesome place.

I went there in 8th grade. Very cool

SI

[sachmo71]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

T.M.I.

sorry, bucc.

[Tigercat]

Well apparently my parents are back in their house in St Charles Parish (outskirts of N.O.) with family members that lost their house or still can't get back to their houses.

I would be back there myself, but I want to see if I can't speed up my Master's work here and defend my thesis before I head back down there for a long haul of repair and rebuilding work... So thats left me up here camping out without any regular internet or anything else civilized until I can get everything in order with my school situation. So frustrating, I really want to be down there already with everyone else.

Glad to here of everyone else and their families doing well. We could use all the good news we can get until we see whats under the rubble and water.

[mrsimperless]

They had an interview with a woman on NPR last night (All Things Considered, I think) that was still in NO. Apparently everyday her and her friends were gathering at a sports bar called (someone) White's Sports Bar. The place was located on Bourbon St. It was a very odd interview to say the least. The thing that seemed to worry this woman the most was getting booze to the bar every night. She kept talking about how they had trouble getting beer there in the evenings. The interviewer would ask her about things like food and water, but she would always go back to the alcohol. Very, very weird interview.

[mrsimperless]

Found a link to the story where you can listen to the interview if interested.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...toryId=4836552