|
Posted by Doug&Michelle on October 4, 2005, 9:50 am
> Hi!
>
> Olwyn sent me this update, which I am posting to the list for her, because
> she hasn't been able to get it to post.
>
>
>
> (snip)
>
> For those who came in late, we rode Katrina in New Orleans, and didn’t
> leave town until the levees broke. I was sure our part of town would not
> flood (it didn’t) but I was afraid of being caught in “moat effect”. I
> already had bronchitis, but dh cannot drive after dark, so I drove all
> through the night to get to the house in a hick town outside Lake Charles
> where this woman had been calling me twice a day to say “when are you
> coming?”.
>
> Imagine my surprise when, after we arrived, she said “well, I know you
> sew, and you won’t have anything to do while you are here, so you can make
> some clothes for my grandchildren”.
>
> I was not fit to do that at first, but I did make dinner two nights to
> have it ready when she got home from work.. Her poor, henpecked dh loved
> my cooking, and said so, but she refused to eat any of it and went and got
> something else. She is also an obsessive-compulsive cleaner, and goes
> round every evening attacking imaginary spots on the kitchen floor with a
> spray bottle and cloth. Her dh mentioned plaintively on more than one
> occasion “she won’t even sit and watch a movie with me”. Needless to say,
> she does not do any form of needlework.
>
> I gradually got sicker, not better, went to the local walk-in clinic, but
> found that (a) they only operate 9 to 5, and (b) don’t take insurance,
> which they don’t tell you until after you have produced your card, and
> then they also won’t take cash-apparently it is illegal. Oh well, off to
> the local ER to get some prescriptions renewed. Was so sick I didn’t even
> protest when they told me I was going to the 4th floor. Was there for 9
> days – the limit for pneumonia – the first week passed in a blur. DH
> spent all day every day at my side, and only went back to the house to
> sleep. Was discharged to the house of our hostess, with visiting nurse
> coming in daily. Meanwhile, hostess was getting nastier and nastier, even
> though we tried not to be any trouble at all, and stayed in our room
> whenever she was home. After all, she had begged us to come, and I didn’t
> get sick deliberately.
>
> Then Hurricane Rita came, pointing straight at where we were. No place to
> which to evacuate, not a hotel room in about 700 or 800 miles. Rode it
> out, and the next morning there was no damage to the house itself, just
> trees down all over.
>
> After two days without electricity, this woman went completely berserk.
> She cannot live without central a/c and all her appliances. We tried to
> help, offering to do all the outdoor cooking etc., then she ordered us
> out. We only had ¾ tank of gas, nowhere to go, and me sick. Oh well.
>
> Got on the road – didn’t dare use the a/c even though there was a heat
> advisory. Stopped two places where there was gas, waited in line nearly
> an hour, then the pumps ran dry just before our turn. Carried on, on
> fumes and a prayer, and made it to Baton Rouge. Found gas, then a decent
> meal (with a gin and tonic first. Wonderful!!) Called a friend, whom we
> knew was already sheltering other friends of ours whose home is under
> water, and she said OF COURSE we could sleep on her floor that night if we
> could move the furniture out of the way (tiny one person apt.)
>
> Two days ago (? I think, I have completely lost track- maybe it is three
> days) We arrived here in Kenner, LA, which is a suburb of N.O but which
> has power, water, and some stores open, and are staying with long-time
> friends who live here. We are allowed back into the city today, so will
> go and check, and I will report back later. My area never flooded, so I
> am not expecting major damage, but who knows what utilites are available,
> we know the water is not drinkable.
That sounds awful. Poor Olwyn Mary. I hope she gets better soon. I always
get so upset when bad things happen to good people and I am so far away to
give any real help (sure money helps but.........)
Michelle Giordano
| 
Yahoo! 
Google 
Windows Live 
del.icio.us 
digg 
Netscape 
XML Sitemap