1. VatulBlog existed long before New Orleans and Katrina. It will continue to be my online voice no matter where I physically live. I’ve been a journal keeper from a very young age and don’t plan to stop soon.
2. Once I leave New Orleans, I will still read all of your blogs and continue to pass on your important messages and opinions to readers. However, I will no longer keep track of how many days it has been since Katrina’s landfall. As Michael Homan notes, it’s only healthy that I let that go. Come to think of it, I don’t even know why I started doing it other than to keep time while I was away in Houston and perchance to say, “It’s Day 1500 and the recovery is complete. The floodwalls offer us Category 5 protection, all homes and schools are rebuilt, the economy is off the charts and crime is the lowest it has been since 2005.” A girl can dream.
3. More 3D modeling, visualization and simulation talk. While employed by an oil company, I haven’t been able to grow the technical aspect of this blog for proprietary reasons. Sure, there will be projects and technical developments at my new job that I cannot divulge, but data visualization technology takes from and gives a lot back to the OpenSource and OpenData community. I’d like to learn and teach more in that regard.
4. Genealogy. Now that I will be closer to family on both sides, writing up our family trees and scanning old pictures can finally happen. Be on the watch for old black and whites of Tamilian and German-Dutch relatives.
5. We’re moving to a town that somewhat/somehow thrives while economic devastation consumes surrounding areas, including the Rust Belt to the immediate north and east. We will also be right in the heart of a farming and Amish stronghold, of which the latter interests me from a community-sustainability standpoint. How are the Amish and their lifestyle going to weather this storm? How did they survive the Depression? But, first, do they want to and how would they interact with a curious female documentarian of Indian origin?
6. Lots more photographs. One thing I will have more time for is exploring the countryside and figuring out my under-utilized Canon EOS’s bells and whistles.
Never fear (or go right ahead and be scared), VatulBlog and I are not going anywhere.
I’m going to miss you.
Are you saying they buck the trend up there too?
Well, houses aren’t selling for what they used to, and I mean even lower than a decent market correction. Banks are banks are banks. Besides that, though, there’s something about this town that keeps it afloat. Can’t wait to find out what.
Well that’s good. Out of the sinking town into the floating one, I guess.
Of course the way I look at it, sinking really just means we’re waiting to float so it can’t be all that bad.
Well, I may be getting a job offer down there in the next few days. Perhaps my wife and I will be able to work towards the dream of “It’s Day 1500 and the recovery is complete. The floodwalls offer us Category 5 protection, all homes and schools are rebuilt, the economy is off the charts and crime is the lowest it has been since 2005.â€
Incidentally, part of the job will be helping to design floodwalls that offer Category 5 protection.
Best of luck in Ohio.