Just in case you're looking for an update, I'm safe, along with Jesse and Duncan.  We don't know anything about my immediate family, but I'm guessing they're okay too.  Still waiting for phones to work.  NOLA, in case you haven't watched the news, is fucked.  Along with most people's livelihoods for quite some time.  That includes the sweet job I just landed teaching full time at Loyola.  I felt really blessed to be welcomed into such a great academic community.  It was my dream job, for a couple of weeks.  We would have started yesterday.  I had an office that I only had to share with one other person.  Plus other perks.  My name on the door on a plaque.  I was ecstatic.  I hope the university re-opens this semester and still pays me.

I don't know what's going to happen to the whole city.  What about Chris and Claire's wedding?  What about people's jobs?  What about schooling?  Will the city empty out, everyone trying to sell houses and property to a dead market?  What about all the dead bodies?  The water is still rising because of breaches in the levee system at Lake Pontchartrain.  Where are the trapped people shitting in New Orleans? 

I just painted my office, splurged on a kick-ass bed (can count on my fingers the number of nights I enjoyed it), and acquired Calphalon pots, which I've been wanting for like ten years now.  I was finally getting somewhere, in a success-oriented, Americanist way, that is.  A nice house, painted lovely colors.  Quality things.  A job that could make me happy and pay enough for me to afford to save and also to take vacations.

I have Jesse.  I have my cat.  I may or may not have a house, a job, a city to return to.  And everyone has the same story right now.  Plus worse.  I hope mine isn't worse, hope my parents are okay.

We had sushi at Kyoto on Prytania the other night.  And French yummies at La Crepe Nanou nearby.  It was wonderful.  We have memories right now.  I don't know what else to say past that.

Comments

[Lei Lani]

I'm so glad ya'll are safe. I keep watching the news and it looks awful at home. There was a post on the WWL site that tulane would be closed for a while, but I don't know what Loyola was going to do. I hope you get to teach this semester. Take care of yourself, Jesse and Duncan. Miss and loves ya'll. Be careful. I hope nothing happened to your house!!!!

[ellie]

I'm very glad you're safe-- been thinking of you and hoping for an update, so thanks for that. I am really, really, really sorry about what's happening to New Orleans. I hope everything is as settled as it possibly can be when this blows over, and your dream job is still there for you-- I'm sure it will be. Where are you guys right now?