The Big Easy

Funny... that's one of my favorite movies, with Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin.

Had planned to go there one day, perhaps Mardi Gras, perhaps a quieter time of year, but... I've heard nothing but good about it (except for the humidity, which I just can't take).

It's been so difficult to process the week...
I knew the storm was bad over the weekend... I mean, they almost cancelled the MTV Video awards! No, but really... there are so many weather 'incidents', and the weatherpeople always blow them up equally, which is to say Huge. Perhaps that's part of why so many didn't take it as seriously as they shoulda.
It's not like anyone coulda predicted what happened, exactly, but, measures could have been taken to help prevent this unholy mess.
Such as - strengthening the damn levees for one! Budget cuts on that??? What is that about??!
All major cities, not to mention every town and every family, should have an emergency plan lined up. The powersthatbe should have drills and plans for what to do should X Y or Z happen.
Terrorists, weather, whatever....
But it seems everyone has their head up their ass, and think things will always be hunky dory.. or will always happen to people "over there".....

I went out today to do some errands. Thought it was a sort of cool day, so wore my capris and a knit shirt and my Birkies. Was fine in the car with the AC, but once I got overwarm doing something, I couldn't cool down. Kept having to drink something, wipe my brow with a damp paper towel, and get back in the air.
I took my blood pressure pills right before I left, so, increasing, had to go to the 'ladys room'. But, was in a hurry, and driving, so... forward ho.
Then all the fucking drivers out there seemed to be just complete idiots. MAJOR smashup on the highway, actually, think I saw about 3 wrecks today... and people just totally doing whatever the fuck they wanted, without regard to other drivers around them.
I didn't set out in the car pissy, but increasingly, the hotter I got, the more I had to pee, and had a headache coming on... I was just like GRRRR. Couldn't wait to get home and change my clothes and chill out in my AC'd bedroom watching tv and surfing.

Now, I say all this because.... many many times this week I have so empathized with those poor poor folks. Without ANY of the conveniences I had today - a fresh shower, a couple meals, plenty to drink whenever I wanted, accessible bathrooms - whether I chose to use them or not, a car, with AC, able to come home and be by myself, a change of clothes, brushing my teeth, access to the outside world.......
I mean, they have had NONE of these things, for DAYS. It is UnConCeivable!!!
And the NERVE of fucking Trent Fucking Lott to say, "this isn't a time to complain", getting all pissy with Anderson Cooper on CNN - what an ASSHOLE.
Not to mention those folks are watching people drop dead right in front of them and just pushing them to the side b/c there's nothing else to do with them!

I just don't understand.
No one does, and no one has a good fucking answer.
HOOOOWWWWW is this, the U.S. of A, the "BEST", the Richest, nation in the world??????
How could our own people live like that for even a full day, let alone all fucking week??!!!!!
All the needless deaths..... that Could and Should have been prevented.

And the animals. I can't help but think about them. Poor poor babies.... the N. G. not letting people take them on the buses to Texas... Oh My God. They make it thru the biggest natural disaster ever, carrying their bundles of fur, and are told they have to just Leave them.
And then all the ones left behind when evacuating.
I can't stand it.

So much suffering.
I know it goes on all over the world. I want that to end too.
But to see it like this, close up, happening moment by moment, is just... life changing.

We've already begun talk about our own plans if something were to happen here.
I bought extra jugs of water today. Extra leashes to keep in the car. Planning to make a list of Exactly what to pack if we only had 5 minutes to get out. From clothes to wear to momentos to take in case we lost everything else. I don't want to ever be in that kind of situation if I can help it.
I watch Survivor every year and while I enjoy it, I've always said I could NEVER be on that show b/c I couldn't be without all my 'necessities' of life. And here these people are, living it.

So sad. I feel fragmented... broken into a million pieces, because, like 9/11, everything I thought I knew before is different.