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I've
decided
is:
Everything
is
New
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Rare, my turn to spout.
(Sent to friends and relatives)
There is nothing here that is the same as it was before.
Everyone, literally everyone you run into is different. Mean
people are contrite, nice people are short and nervous, the
strong are weak, and weak are stronger. By that same token, some
are just worse versions of what they were before.
I have been going to work via my old route, Almonaster Blvd,
which has (had) a few industrial sites, but was mostly junk yards
and dumps. It looks like a bomb went off on it. It takes a lot,
IMO, to make a road lined with dumps look devastated, but it
does.
I returned home one day via Chef Menteur Hwy., an old US route
(90) similar to those old 1950's main drags most everyone has in
their area (y'know, the old Miracle Mile type stuff). It looks,
literally, like a war zone.
And, yesterday, I took the 510 to I-10 and went home the long
way, through New Orleans East, the same way I return from trips
North. It's absolutely indescribable. I have been seeing some
stuff on the way in, dark dark sections of the city I have to
pass to get to Almonaster. But what's out here is truly
mind-boggling. Mainly because, except for visible damage, it
doesn't look much different than before, except there is no one
there. Car dealerships that look normal, until you look close
and notice the water lines on the cars in the lot, and the lines
halfway up their buildings. Shopping plazas that are either
deserted, or are being used as huge staging areas for cleanup
crews and equipment.
Then, there is the damage, 3 or 4 miles, MILES of abandoned
apartment complexes. Building and homes ripped clean open, or
collapsed in on themselves. Piles and piles of furniture,
drywall, wood and trees, some of these 20 feet high, that go on
for blocks. I had to remind myself to keep breathing, because
literally, you just stop. Then you start shaking, and it's a lot
harder to stop that.
Beyond that, I have not seen. I don't think I want to see
Lakeview. Though yesterday, an accident on the bridge had
traffic backed up, and me going down into town to use one of my
"shortcuts". Red lights are few and far between, replaced with 4
way stop signs. Only when you reach the real core of the city do
you find working lights. I went past the dome, down past the
convention center, all largely cleaned up. But, under the road
and ramps leading to the bridge, the parking lots that were there
are all full, full, full of wrecked cars, trucks, vans, etc. All
obviously flooded, crusted with mold and water marks.
Looking up any side street, anywhere in the areas that were
flooded, and it's just like looking at an old west ghosttown.
Dirt streets (the mud is now dirt), and empty, decrepit, or
destroyed buildings.
I've mainly been coming home from work, and just staying
inside. At least here, nothing is out of place, it's all where
it was before. It's my island of a past normalcy in a sea of the
bizarre. I had two dreams while I was away, both involved my
having to abandon my vehicle (out of gas, or broke down) and
walking through a neighborhood. It looks just like the dreams
did, only dryer now, and without the *Poique* *Poique* classic
sound effect of dripping water that the dreams had.
Since my side of the river is basically back up and running,
it's absolutely Packed, everywhere you go, much like metairie
used to be. When you make a trip to the store, it's just like
the old Saturday trip to the grocery store, where you went once,
spent all day, and stocked the hell up. No short trips to "pick
up a few things". You have to get as much as you need, or can
handle, in one trip just to make it worth the time you're going
to be spending in that store. Sections of parking lots I've
rarely ever seen cars parked in are now full, for as long as the
store is open.
Of course, 24hr stores are right out anymore here. The stunted
hours making the crowds that much heavier. If you don't get it
then, you won't be getting it until tomorrow. I took the truck
in last week, had a check engine light. I find out that they are
taking reservations for any work done, and no more express lube
for the time being. Cost me 2 days off from work, because I had
to leave the truck there. This kind of thing used to be, "I'll
wait here for it". And now I've got another appointment, for a
recall notice. And I'll have to go when they have an opening, no
matter WHEN it is. Such are the tougher parts of doing business
here.
I finally, after calling for 2 weeks, got in touch with the tree
people up the street. This was Saturday, and they surprised me
by saying they would come and give me an estimate on Sunday. But
they never called, and never showed up. And now their phone
isn't answering again. Saw one of their trucks today, while
coming back from the Home Despot (yes, I spelled it Despot).
They were hauling shingles... *Poing* I try not to figure
anything out.
On the bright side, you can play "Name those license plates"
here now without taking any trips. So far, I've seen, Texas,
Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi (Duh). But also
Washington, Oregon, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, Kansas!,
Missouri!, Michigan, Minnesota, Virginia, and Both the Carolinas.
Mainly on work trucks and vans. Seemingly all on this side of
the river.... Heh.
My new neighbor is doing ok. Though a problem with the hot
water in the trailer brings her into the house in the morning for
a shower. The trailer has had an "inspector" out here twice, and
as yet, no repair man. So, my single, gluttonous use of hot
water in the morning has had to be curtailed, lest there be none
for her. Not to mention having to get up at a stable time.
Speaking of which, I've found I no longer need an alarm clock.
I've been waking up promptly at 4:30 am almost since day 1 of the
storm. I only really noticed it while I was in KC. My clock
radio, alas, was a casualty of the storm, having gone wild while
I was here before going to KC. It turned on the radio by itself,
would not turn off, and the numbers were "spinning" wildly until
I unplugged it. Yeah, it got cooked.
I used to think the Navy was my "big test". Passed it. But
this I think will be the biggest test, because I can recognize
even now that it's getting to me.
Like I said, "What's New?".... Everything, and I haven't even
mentioned work yet...
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AUTHOR OF THIS MESSAGE
Corsair
MESSAGE TIMESTAMP
12 january 2006, 01:28:41
AUTHOR'S IP LOGGED
68.230.224.3
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