Day 27 AM: Rita Came Through And Stayed

This marks the first VatulBlog post on a 28K connection using the one functional computer during power/cable loss – The Maitri Abides. Other unusual experiences of today include drinking coffee made in a French press (not bad if it didn’t taste like 10 parts coffee to 1 part water), listening to wind-up radio and reading by candlelight. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m an unadulterated product of my generation, but only consider the situation prehistoric when it comes to the use (or lack thereof) of my computer. While no sleep came last night (creaking trees, chirping electronics and beeping alarms, portion of the fence falling over and dogs whining from anxiety), this is not the magnitude of storm that should cause two weeks’ worth of power loss, as the local radio station says we may. Oh, and as I typed this first paragraph, we lost water pressure. Swell. In D’s words, “This feels like a vacation at a bad Mexican resort.”

txyankee sums it all up very well. Click here for his full post from earlier this morning. Seriously, the first thing By The Bayou, txyankee and I did after “motivating” at 6AM and making coffee was to get online.

There are several lessons I have learned from this whole thing. First, when you’re in the possible path of a hurricane, the uncertainty of the predictions are extra unnerving. Second, they are actually pretty good at the predictions, uncertainties included. The stress and emotions come and go. Third, we all deal with this stress differently: I try to do little things and make things perfect, and then retreat to the computer. G-Hopp hangs with the computer. SHG talks. D goes nuts in the kitchen.

15% laptop power remaining – time to hook it up to the inverter and then the car. How funny – during the storm, I have all the time in the world, but not enough with the power-hungry computer. I leave you with a friend’s opinion on Rita’s rain hitting New Orleans:

Disappointed as I am about the renewed flooding in the 9th and parts of St. Bernard, I am also relieved that it wasn’t worse (and hope no new problems appear). Those neighborhoods were already total losses. And now it’ll be much easier to get the water out since 40% of the pumps are now working (vs. 0% after Katrina). I also read an article yesterday where a scientist claimed the renewed flooding could be good for N.O. b/c it will clean many of the toxins from the ground which will expedite a comfortable reentry process. I always look for silver linings.