FOUR YEAR POST

When Google took over my old Soggy-blog from Yahoo, my access to the blog was lost. It recently reappeared through a silly-type movie blog I was posting to, so... I feel a need to finally post something new, something to give me "closure." Yeah, right! I've come to realize that the feelings towards The Great Flood will never go away.

I also have not read the old posts; the raw emotions expressed and the desperate overtones of it all are too upsetting. So this is a "fresh" post, no connection to any older posts. I also assume some of the links are not working. This blog is a product of it's time; a snap-shot of the goings-on in Arabi four years ago. A soggy time capsule!

I've been through a lot since Katrina; career rocky, PTSD symptoms, loss of church friends...divorce. I'll not write about these issues directly either... the loss is still too fresh.

Also I will not touch on the effect Katrina still has on my family living in New Orleans. Suffice it to say I wish everyone there could or would take a vacation for a bit; recharge their batteries.

New Orleans will destroy you if you are not careful; too much drinking and a "Laissez les bons temps rouler" attitude. But off the High Horse with me! I am no one to judge. Anyway, I didn't sleep well and wrote most of this post last night after a saki or two. So read on and muse a bit... I must get it off my back and out of my heart.

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Over four years have gone by since "The Great Flood." Expecting a wonderful, insightful new post from your old friend? No. Two words, though, "I'm done." I'm done. I cannot afford to expend any more energy on the "Walking Wounded" of Katrina/Rita (Although, to be sure, I am one of them).

I must now concentrate on my daughter's future, and on my own. Please do not misunderstand me; I have total empathy for the friends and strangers who have suffered and in many cases are suffering still. But, to me, that's a given.

If I say, while in New Orleans, "I grew-up in Arabi," and the listener doesn't get it, then... conversation over. But if I see "IT" in their eyes... then no more is needed but a calm and gentle support. Yes, I still got that melancholy feeling when Christmas came along this year, and I couldn't take that nurturing walk down Benjamin St. to my Aunt and Uncle's house; to sit in their welcoming den. Their house, for me, was a yearly symbol of love and stability. (I actually stood on their empty lot when I was recently in Arabi. At least I THINK it was their lot; hard to tell now).

How do I feel about "IT" all? I read a funny Blog now, written by a newspaper reporter in Minnesota, Lileks.com/bleat. Anyway, a drug-store in his neighborhood recently burned down. It was a local institution. As his daughter was looking upon the smouldering mess, she remarked, "I just can't believe it's not there anymore!" I actually teared-up and needed to walk out into the sunshine for a bit and calm down. It still amazes me that after all this time has passed; my emotions can be so thinly under the surface.

So... that sums it up for me..."I'm done," but, "I just can't believe it's not there anymore"

I hope all of you are well. -Earl

Welcome to our "Unhouse"

Unhouse4
Originally uploaded by ellis_earl.

Independence Day!

I've dropped my New Orleans bookmarks and left Arabi behind me (Or should I say Arabi has left me... one shovelfull at a time).

My parents are free of the burden of our old destroyed house (my Mom calls the lot our "Unhouse"). My Aunt reports that the rest of the houses are gone now as well (My Uncle says he didn't even recognise thier lot).

And I'm finally free of the old, "Our neighborhood will flood, my parents will drown and our house be destroyed" anxiety . Nothing like a nightmare coming true to STOP you from biting your nails!

In L.A. wev'e a small pool on the lawn and a new flag and my daughter knows only that her Grandparents in New Orleans are "fixing up" thier new house after a small storm. Almost everyone made it through the storm and that means life is good.

Here's wishing you all peace of mind and gratitude for the freedom of clean horizons.

-Earl

Sound familiar?

Again
Originally uploaded by ellis_earl.

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (AP) - Up to 200,000 people in the Wilkes-Barre area were ordered to evacuate their homes Wednesday because of rising water on the Susquehanna River, swelled by a record-breaking deluge that has killed at least 12 people across the Northeast.

Thousands more were ordered to leave their homes in New Jersey, New York and Maryland. Rescue helicopters plucked residents from rooftops as rivers and streams surged over their banks, washed out roads and bridges, and cut off villages in some of the worst flooding in the region in decades, with more rain in the forecast for the rest of the week.

Wilkes-Barre, a city of 43,000 in north-eastern Pennsylvania coal-mining country, was devastated by deadly flooding in 1972 from the remnants of Hurricane Agnes. It is protected by levees, and officials said the Susquehanna was expected to crest just a few feet from the tops of the 41-foot flood walls.

But Luzerne County Commissioner Todd Vonderheid said officials were worried about the effects of water pressing against the levees for 48 hours. The flood walls were completed just three years ago.

(AP) Kim Courtright, 21, of Bethlehem, Pa., stands in the flooded basement of his friend Sean Kearns...
Full Image
"It is honestly precautionary," Vonderheid said.


"We have great faith the levees are going to hold."
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Sounds all too familiar, doesn't it? Well time moves on and it’s their turn now. Good luck.

This blog is transforming ASAP. The Archive will remain for general interest but my blogging on New Orleans will cease, as there is nothing I feel I can add to the story at this time... at least until the next great development or storm (After all, who wants to read about the murder tally. Or about the latest misspent funds or freezer full-o-cash?).

No, it’s time to move on.

This blog will now become a “jumping off point” for P.T.S.D. (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) resources, links, and P.T.S.D. New Orleans related articles.

Thanks for reading. I hope the pics and stories were helpful to those of you who couldn’t make it back.

I want to thank all of you who helped me find my loved ones during Katrina. Without your help who knows how long it would have taken to discover their fate? And without your warnings I wouldn't have been prepared for what I was to find in The Old Neighbourhood.

I also want to thank the neighbours I ran into while in The Big Easy, you really lifted my spirits. God bless you all and let us pray we never need see our families go through something so terrible again.

And a special "Thank you" to my cousin St. Bernard Parish Firefighter Norman Ellis.

"Thank you Norman on behalf of the many people you rescued. And thank you especially for checking up on my parents the day before Katrina hit and ensuring that they evacuated. They surely would have drowned but for your love and concern. You are a real hero and you have my love and respect."

-Earl

P.S.- I will update the pics as necessary.

Elvis has left the Parish

Elvis has left the Parish
Originally uploaded by ellis_earl.

Lunch in New Orleans… well, almost

Yesterday I spent the day at Disneyland celebrating Mother’s Day with my wife and daughter. We went to New Orleans Square and spoke to a musician playing there who turned out to be from Mandeville, LA! A nice older black man who said his Aunt’s had lost their home when trees fell on it. We talked for a bit and then headed over to a café for lunch.

Being in New Orleans Square always makes us think of the real thing and we decided to call Mom and wish her a Happy Mother’s Day. The call went well until she told my wife that, “Tomorrow the house comes down.” It turns out that my aunt went to a meeting in St. Bernard and the authorities said that all the houses would be demolished on Alexander St… and also 1832 Benjamin St. as well.

By the time I post this the house should be on it’s way. My oldest sister went by there yesterday and saw the cranes and trucks parked along Alexander St. I’ve been scanning the net but haven’t seen any pics yet. It’s kinda’ funny that after all this time and two visits to New Orleans (more on that later) when I heard the news of the demolition my stomach turned and I felt a bit nauseous. My Mom says she and my sister might go down there in a week or so to see if the house is really gone. When my sister went to the Old House yesterday she said she got mad when she found someone had looted the stove top for scrap. We Parishites are protective of our garbage!

And as we strolled New Orleans Square I got a bit of that sorrowful feeling I get when I realize again what has become of the Old Neighborhood. I’m still sad to see it go.

The following post I’ve had for three weeks now but couldn’t get up any energy to post it as it seemed so thin and inconsequential. Well, here it is anyway. I’ll hammer on an extra P.S. to get it current and post any picks of the “Park Arabi” groundbreaking ASAP. - Earl


“We Open”

Well, just returned from The “Not So’ Big Easy anymore. Saw a lot of activity on the streets in terms of workers repairing everything from streetlights to the cable supports for the St. Charles Ave. streetcars. All in all things ARE moving forward at a good pace. Saw signs everywhere stating “Help Wanted” and a curious “We Open.” The Quarter seems just about “normal” now, trash on the sidewalks n’ all. It seems that the ruined neighborhoods will be rebuilt better than before The Storm but The Quarter will remain it’s old filthy self.

Spent most of our time in Mandeville, stayed at my sister’s house with my parents. They are doing well and enjoying the central air and good plumbing. My daughter liked the wild birds and I liked driving the Causeway and watching the pelicans. We even found a great sushi restaurant! Mandeville is looking up. Upscale stores everywhere. Way too many tall trees on her property though. Gonna’ try to get her to cut them down before June 1. As for Da’ Parish though…

Wow! Wow, with weeds. Since the old neighborhood has so far held off the bulldozers I decided to take my wife down to Arabi to see (and smell) The Old House. I think she finally understands my aversion to clutter. As we topped the bridge over the canal… wow, its still a shock to see the devastation, six months later. At least the plants are growing back, the last time I visited everything was dead grey.

We picked up a few souvenirs and took a photo of us with the Condemmed sign pasted to the door of the Old House. One funny note, we overturned my Mom’s bed to look for any jewelry we might have missed. No jewelry but about two hundred pounds of Mardi Gras beads! I wish I had a picture for the blog. Beads, beads everywhere.

We also ran into two former neighbors and caught up on things. One was getting wrought iron chairs for his mother. He really didn’t want to be there but said that if he didn’t go to Arabi and get the stuff his 79 year old Mom would, and he was afraid she would fall and hurt herself. The other neighbor was with her kids running some errands in New Orleans and just couldn’t stay away. I must admit that The Old Neighborhood holds a morbid sway over my mind as well.

Now if you go down there you’re greeted with a green ghost town. There are more people, believe it or not, LIVING in Arabi! They sit in cheap plastic chairs and watch the tourists, video cameras thrust from rental car windows, gawk through their “neighborhood.” The look on the residents faces isn’t as much defiance as just a kinda’ pathetic haze. I don’t envy them their location come this hurricane season.

If you’re out of town and need cheering up go to Louisiana Speaks and download the latest drawings for the proposed New Arabi. I hope they really can do it. And, yes, I know the water should be drawn in brown, not blue. How about chocolate brown?

Anyway, the highlight of our trip was a visit to my cousin’s place just across the border in Mississippi. Fish, horses, chickens, snakes, lizards, and uninvited turtles, she has it all (and on a lake to boot). My daughter loved collecting the chicken’s eggs and having her papa paddle her about the lake. My cousin even put on a puppet show complete with original music and lyrics. When it came time to leave, my daughter had to be dragged away.

Of course they lost power during The Storm and had to bath and wash clothes in the lake for a while, but all is well now. My cousin is hosting her parents until her brother can complete a home with room for them. Her husband even built a good, solid porch in front of their FEMA trailer, complete with table and chairs and the best view of the property. They even retrieved the street numbers from their old house on Benjamin St. in Arabi and put them up. We plan to return as soon as possible. It was a great visit hosted by a close and loving family.

As to the coming hurricane season and “rebuilding,’ who knows? What with the blame game in full swing and denial at its zenith, who can tell what will become of New Orleans? When Willie Nagin makes a runoff and 1.5” of rain burns out three huge pumps… get your rubbers out. Already the weather is threatening.

What will eventually become of New Noo Orlins… who knows? But I do believe It will be better, albeit with trash on the sidewalks. Until then when I think of New Orleans I’ll keep one phrase in mind, “We open.”

P.S. – Just read my oldest Sister’s Katrina Story, written on her computer at work. A concise and moving account of how she and my parents “escaped” Uptown and how they eventually made it back to town (Sis in her old apartment and my parents in Mandeville). Reading it really brought back the emotion of the time and the fear of not knowing if anyone had lived through the flood. I really don’t understand the pull of new Orleans, especially now when most of it is a wreck.

I did read some disturbing news on an Arabi news site, http://www.topix.net/city/arabi-la, regarding an increase in depression in children, the reason I first started this blog. I can’t stress enough the possible ill effects of returning children to neighborhoods that have been destroyed. Their fear of future flooding and possible drowning is rational and reasonable. Katrina wasn’t Betsy. In some neighborhoods it was Hell on Earth. Bodies are still being found in the rubble. If you know of children who are showing signs of depression or anxiety disorders PLEASE, I beg you, seek professional help immediately. A little book on “coping with return” just won’t cut it. Katrina was a horrible event that I fear will have long-reaching effects on the young of New Orleans. If you are returning and bringing kids please build higher and drier. Please build safer and better than before. Please have an evacuation plan of you own. People, especially kids, need hope to cope. Don’t drown your worries in booze and jazz, ensure the safety of your family by planning ahead.

As for me I think I have finally hit the Compassion Fatigue wall and will just wait and see what this hurricane season brings. Honestly and somewhat ashamedly I really don’t care that much about New Orleans’s future anymore. My family lived through it and at a base level that is what means the most to me. Those who moved away are staying away and those who have returned are dead set on evacuating if need be.


-Earl

P.P.S.- 17th St. Canal levee fails before being topped by flood waters… New higher levee protecting destroyed 9th ward threatens New Orleans proper… Times Picayunne gets Pulitzers for printing false stories and outright lies (and scaring all of us worrying for the safety of our missing families)… Levee repairs not ready for the start of hurricane season… no coherent evacuation plan. Vote accordingly

Oh, and I got a phone call from Moml last night. My Aunt and Uncle visited the Old Neighborhood to check the progress of the demolition. There house will go next week... like Elvis, our old house has left the Parish.

There, up to date. -Earl

Here come the Green Zones!

Check it out!

More gratitude, less attitude, Pardner.

More gratitude, less attitude, Pardner.
Originally uploaded by ellis_earl.

At four months out people in Los Angeles were tiring of Katrina. At six months out people are sick of Katrina.

They are sick especially of the constant whining and ingratitude displayed by the locals on T.V. and in print. For me the beginning of my draining compassion goes back to the statements of a woman in the Not-So-Superdome-Anymore. She complained about the MREs she was GIVEN to eat. "I cain't eat 'dis! It ain't even hot!" Food just not warm enough for gratitude, I suppose.

And the icing on the "Don't bother me with Katrina cake" was watching drunk locals slogging along a very trashy Bourbon St. wearing "costumes" critical of the only people and agencies who are actually helping them. Helping them with personal effort and big-piles-o tax money. BILLIONS of dollars just not enough to inspire gratitude I suppose.

And the message sent by airing the debauchery? Once a year New Orleanians can dress as condoms (or cross-dress, etc.) and drink on the streets ... that's a good enough reason to spend Billions of dollars rebuilding (Actually building from scratch) Ghost Towns which lie below sea level?

The rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, the Port of New Orleans, The French Quarter... to me that is all N.O. has to offer the rest of the Country. I can hear it now, "Why do we have to offer the rest of the Country anything!" Yeah, offer nothing and expect everything.

Most people who've visited N.O. tell me, "I had a great time, hardly remember anything, and I never left The French Quarter." Who but a Revolutionary War buff (Like myself) would visit Chalmette? But to watch N.O. natives on the news saying repeatedly, "We aren't getting enough," and, "We're not getting it fast enough," and, "What we're getting isn't good enough," and "Give, give, give but don't ask me to take any responsibility for choosing to live below sea level," and blah, blah, blah.

What outsiders hear is simple, "After all we've given, all you can do is complain. "And what they then think is understandable, "Well. do it yourself then... we don't want to hear it anymore... you're on your own."

Does anyone think rebuilding in Arabi or the 9th Ward only to be re-flooded this year will send a message that New Orleanians can be trusted to reasonably spend relief money? We already are hearing of disappearing dollars.

Tourists will not be visiting St. Bernard but it would serve well to fix-up N.O. proper. And I sense that after only 6 months "nostalgia" is setting in among the locals and especially among the displaced. Even I have to remind myself to remember the trash, crime, and danger of late nights in The French Quarter, and this was BEFORE Katrina (Not to mention riding the rims if you had a blowout in the wrong neighborhood form fear of getting knifed or worse if you stopped)!

Just what was REALLY in the 9th Ward, Arabi, or Chalmette? Since I grew up in Arabi and went to Chalmette High (Nothing scarier than enraged owl) I'll speak about them only. 'What was REALLY there?"... A collection of mini-malls and middle-class homes. Ben's Pizza and Rocky and Carlo's. Chalmette Battlefield. Really not much that one can't find elsewhere nearby (Metarie et all).

SHOCKING FACT!!! There IS life outside of St. Bernard Parish! I hear people on the forums yearning to "Go home," well your home isn't there anymore.

Hear me, "It's gone."

And believe me it tears my heart to say so. My whole childhood and early adulthood were wrapped up in Arabi and Chalmette. Some of my fondest memories are from those areas. Lunch counter sandwiches and Aurora Kong with Grandma. "Don't lose the pieces," she said.). But all of that is gone now. All we have left of that are a few good polaroids from the destroyed and horizontal fridge in "The Old House."

Foggy memories of youth can't be allowed to determine the city's future rebuilding plans. My Parents, Aunts and siblings have made peace with "The Old Neighborhood" and "The Old House." I'm even at the point where I'm looking forward to seeing what the Arabi "Green space" will be like. Will we be able to take a boat out? Curiosity is a strange thing.

In my opinion it would help the entire relief effort if New Orleanians would go out of their way to at least appear grateful at any opportunity.

Thank the Corps of Engineers for attempting to rebuild your levees before the next hurricane season. Thank the American people for Billions of tax dollars in aid. Thank the Feds for trying to come up with a reasonable rebuilding plan. And, yes, even thank FEMA for giving money to people who (Like my Parents) chose to live below sea level WITHOUT FLOOD INSURANCE.

It's hard to face the simple fact that by by who you've elected and where you've chosen to live you have brought this situation on yourselves. And who since Betsy and Camille can say they didn't know the danger of living in New Orleans? Well, after playing Creole Roulette for forty years your number finally came up. Other than the insurance companies, who really owes displaced residents a dime? One penny? Be grateful for any assistance you may receive.

My Aunts, Uncles and Cousins ARE rebuilding, but not in St. Bernard and certainly NOT below sea level. Only one of my Cousins is staying and this because he is a firefighter in Da' Parish. Yet even he is living elsewhere (His home was on the same block as my parent's home) and commuting. By the way... his estimate for Chalmette "coming back,"... 10 years. Arabi? Never. Green zone. A sober estimate from a rescuer who has been there from the beginning.

A true hero he was rescuing people in St. Bernard Parish while everyone else was occupied with The 9th Ward and N.O. proper. Cousin Norman even rescued my Cousin Butch who then "commandeered" a boat and helped in the rescue effort. Butch also lost his home, his business, is rebuilding (Wisely outside of St. Bernard) and was even deputized by the local Sheriff! Amazing stories and amazing loss, yet they are both grateful for what they still have and what they kindly have been given.

And they don't blame their misery on anyone or anything else. They accept that they chose to live in St. Bernard and that they choose to live where they are re-building now.

Let's sum it up. The only bit of good news I've read lately coming out of the New Orleans area is that the city of Mandeville has implemented new building codes since Katrina. All news homes being built in vulnerable areas must be elevated 11'! 11f'! Thank God someone's finally got it!

Also, to tie-in with the general theme of "We're tired of New Orleans and it's me, me, me citizens," I've linked a story from Houston about "Compassion Fatigue." Those kind folks were only trying to help but didn't know what they were getting into.

Here's the link:Compassion Fatigue!
So don't blame Blanco or Bush (Or even that idiot Nagin) for reaping the results of your choices. And do put on a grateful face, especially on T.V. or in print whenever you get the chance. Be grateful and thank EVERYONE for their aid... or next flooding (Which could be this year) people will be very unwilling to give even another dime. Picture this... "You mean all those FEMA trailers in St. Bernard are under water AGAIN? I guess those folks don't know how to rebuild their own city. Good luck to them, but I'm not sending another penny!"

Oh, it's raining here in L.A. I barely get to see it before it's down the gutter, into the drain and out to sea. Living in California you visit the water and when you leave it stays put. I'll always think of New Orleans every hurricane season but I'm darned grateful I chose to live in a drier city. -Earl

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P.S.- OSCARS!
Can anyone say pompous, pontificating, self-absorbed and self-congratulatory? When the best films aren't even nominated and the best "clips" are from fifty years ago (i.e.; Ten Commandments), what's the point? I watched just enough to now know that McCarthyism is BAD, homosexuality (especially between two unnaturally good-looking cowboys) is GOOD, films are a "Social Statement Medium," and... and... (*yawn*) blah, blah, blah... *snore.*

Catch it next year if you can't sleep.

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P.P.S.- Why John Wayne? Why not! I can hear him now, "Now that that pesky house is gone, I'll have a lot more room for the barbecue, Pardner."

Popular Debunking!

Popular Debunking!
Originally uploaded by ellis_earl.

WARNING! BLOG WILL TEMPORARILY SWERVE!

But first... Go purchase the latest edition of Popular Mechanics to get good stories on debunking Katrina myths, rebuilding New Orleans, new home design, what to expect this coming hurricane season, and a whole lot more. scant mention of Da' Parish but chock-full-o logic and facts.

Do I think anyone in N.O. will take the advice given, especially on house designs? Ha!

As far as I can tell, people intending to "rebuild" want the parish to return to the way it was, which it never will. But take heart that whatever returns will be better than before. I even hear that my parents neighboorhood might be a "green" area or even a sort of lake.

Imagine... boating through the old neighboorhood while feeding the ducks and pointing out where my realitives and friends used to live to unbelieveing tourists! Wild!

I am glad I visited St Bernard Parish and saw it with my own eyes, upclose and personal. I still feel the effects of the trip in renewed gratitude for the simple things... Hot water... fresh water... any water at all. If nothing else I'm grateful that my family and I live in a dry city (Haughty Voice: "We even have power and sewage service.").

I'm sure whatever becomes of Arabi I can still count on the daily ritual of being eaten alive by mosquitoes at dusk when I visit.

OH NO!... SWERVE!

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Just got back from a trip to Tombstone Arizona with my wife and daughter. Imagine my surprise when we were greeted by English accents at the Trailrider's Inn! Turns out the owner is from London and so was a friend of his who was visiting for a few weeks. Neat Inn with a great little pool and friendly service. Give it a try if you're ever in the area, pardner.

Well, the pace was slow, the food large and carb-filled and the cowboys real. We rode the stagecoach and heard the history of the six-block-long town. Bought some great souviners, used the jazzusi and generally soaked up the dusty local atmosphere. Although there are at least six gunfights a day at various locations we managed to miss them all, although we heard a few shots on the last day in town. I could have stayed on for a week or two... or a month... or... who knows?

Stopped at an ostritch farm on the way back to L.A. and my daughter had a great time feeding the great stupid birds and the deer at the ranch with them. We also stopped to see the roadside DINOSAURS in Cabazon, CA. We went inside the belly of the brontosaurus and perused the gift shop. A gift shop in the belly of a dinosaur with more square footage than our house!

All in all a great first family road trip. Wifey and daughter had a great time but it's good to be home.

WOHA!... SWERVE!

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So get up to date on what really happned during Katrina and prepare your minds for the coming hurricane season. Things will be different, but then I read,"All things work for the good of beleivers." I trust it is so and wish all you rebuilders only the best. God bless and good luck! -Earl

P.S.- FAMILY UPDATE! My sister the nurse is finally back in her "Who cares about Uptown" apartment and she is feeling a lot better as things seem a bit more normal. She had to buy a new couch as my Dad had slept on it during thier Katrina stranding and the inside temperature soared to over 100 degrees. Between the sweat and the "Katrina funk" it was history. I think she's most happy because her cat is most happy. Cat people!

As to my parents they are well enough, although my dad hurt his back when we visited the "old House" in Arabi. He hit his head on an open electrical box cover and fell onto the junk in our yard. We got a picture of He and I sitting in the junk and I'll post it soon. Anyway, they are doing as well as can be expected although they haven't yet received any more money from FEMA. I suspect it will come when the dozers finally roll.

Also, my Dad wants to visit the old house one more time. My middle sister says she will take him there but won't go into the house again. She's done with it all and is going to try to look for flowers around the neighborhood while he treasure hunts. That's all, look for the "junk" photo soon -Earl