First Day Back At Work: How strange it is to see everyone again with whom I worked in New Orleans up until five weeks ago. It’s like reuniting with friends after the winter holidays, except that instead of asking your buddies what they got for Christmas, the questions are minor variations on “Is your family alright?” and “How did your place make out?” All day long, I’ve done nothing but walk from door to door to announce my presence and exchange hugs, smiles and Katrina stories. Tears, there have been those, too. My colleagues’ tears are mine because I feel what they feel. A floor full of the shell-shocked, but hopeful and moderately cheerful, mourning in our own ways, as we fumble through Houston and coming to terms with our temporary, yet new, workplace.
Speaking of the new digs, I no longer have the gorgeous sweeping view of the CBD, French Quarter and the river and am in an inside office. But, fate (my manager, actually) wasn’t unkind and I have been placed in the same office as my sarcastically brilliant Russian friend, AM. I’m squeamish about sharing personal space, but I’ll make an exception when it comes to AM. Jaded – check, funny – check, smart – double check.
The One Shell Square re-entry window still places us back in NO around January 1. Let me tell you how extremely unsettling it is to listen to those who have mentally prepared themselves to stay in Houston until March or May. One co-worker murmured, “It’s so sad to be here when there’s so much work that needs done back home.”
AM’s manager walked into the office to give us a mini-briefing. At its conclusion, he said, “We need more laughter around here, ladies. Our spirits could use some raising.” Does he really want to hear the kookaburra? “Just you wait until I start laughing. Then, you’ll beg me to stop,” said I.
DB, lifelong New Orleanian and mother of our team geologist, CH, stopped by with little baby O, whose blue eyes and smile have grown considerably since I last saw him before the storm. While her parents lost the entire first floor of their Lakeview home to the flood, C’s brand-spankin’-new Mid-City home took on only a couple of feet of water.
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New Orleans Is Still Metroblogging: Those snarky metrobloggers are still at telling it like it is, all the way from calling out greedy landlords and Michael Brown’s “comparing mangoes and papayas” to heading back in and supporting New Orleans music while an expat!
Outside Looking In was markedly overpowering: “[nola.com] has some tremendous pics of all the folks going back and beginning the cleanup Uptown … We’re jealous and frustrated, at least in some ways, feeling like there’s all this activity we can’t take part in for now.”
If you want to support the NOLA Metrobloggers and their displaced families, you might consider buying one of these lovely t-shirts.
Speaking of purchases and the upcoming season, I urge all of you to purchase gifts for one another that benefit Katrina victims and Gulf Coast rebuilding. As an example, check out the Walter Anderson Museum store. The museum is situated in Ocean Springs, MS which was damaged during Hurricane Katrina. (Thanks for the tip, Claire B.!) Alternatively, consider donating money to the Red Cross or the Humane Society in the names of your relatives and friends. Homeless humans, doggies, kitties and birdies (ok, and ferrets, too) need our love more than ever.
