Square One

I awoke around 6:30 AM to a very dark house (I just didn't have the energy to take down the hurricane boards yesterday). I had a nice walk through the neighborhood, surveying the damage to other homes along the way. We in St. Charles Parish have been truly blessed. No one's home was destroyed (from what I could see), and for those who have sustained damage, it's moderate to minimal.

When I returned home, I saw that I had a call. The first two numbers were 44, and my first thought was that it might be Espen, even though the country code for Norway is 47. Shortly after I returned the phone rang again. It was Charlotte calling from Scotland (she's on vacation w/ Shawn). I realized she was the one who'd called earlier. We chatted for a bit and I told her I thought Espen had called but realized it was her and expressed my disappointment. She apologized and tried to change her voice to sound like a Norwegian man. I told her it wasn't going to work, but we got a good laugh out of it anyway.

Later, I showered and went to work. I was catching up on email when I saw one dated Friday afternoon from my boss requesting I call him on an STL number. I called him & let him know I was at the plant. He said he'd originally emailed me to request I pick up Marcelle (my friend & co-worker from Brazil) from the airport in Dallas so she could ride back with me. He told me to call our plant manager to find out what her status was. I called Roy (the plant manager) and he told me her flight's been delayed until Tuesday (she'd gone home a few weeks ago for her mother's funeral). I told him she might try having her flight changed to NO since the airport's supposed to be open this Tuesday for commercial traffic. He said he's going to call her tomorrow. I asked him about her living arrangements when she returns (she was renting a house in Jefferson Parish, in an area that's probably been hit pretty hard by the storm). He said plant staff had thought about that. I offered my home (Marcelle & I have become pretty good friends since we met last year and clicked instantly). He said he thought about that as well and has also offered his home but he's leaving the decision up to her.

After talking to Roy, I reviewed the current domicile status of our plant employees. Several of my co-workers have lost everything, most of them black, but I guess that's to be expected with the neighborhood racial segregation that exists in New Orleans (as well as most US cities) and where the storm hit. I'll certainly open my home to my friends if they need a place to stay.

I returned home and finished cleaning out the refrigerator (which still smelled like a dead animal since I didn't have the right tools to get at the lowest parts of the freezer). I then headed off to Walmart to get some food. After standing in that long line for thirty minutes, I picked up some essentials with Marcelle in mind. The most obviously absent food from the store was meat. Thankfully, I like the meat sources (and most foods) that most other people don't like...chicken, turkey, & vegetarian.

I came home and caught up on my bills and cash flow forcasting (my home is still a business to me) and got an initial figure for how much this storm is going to cost me. I then did some laundry and house cleaning. I texted a few friends to get a feel for how many people I'll be hosting over the next few weeks as they head back to Jefferson & Orleans Parishes to assess the damage to their homes. I talked to Dom for a minute (he has a place) and touched base with Jamaal (my "boyfriend" from college). When I looked up from the clock I realized it was probably cool enough outside to tackle those hurricane window covers. I got right down to business with my electric screwdriver, but my vigor has resulted in a minor injury to my right knee (never mind that I feel like 2 or 3 of the vertibrae in my back are fused together, which is worse than I felt when I woke up in Dallas at Char's house yesterday). My neighbors from across the street saw me moving the small ones, and without me having to ask, grabbed their own electric screwdriver and came over to help me remove the big ones. I might just have to start calling Vicky & Mark Mr. & Mrs. State Farm. Hopefully my knee doesn't get much worse, but I think it's already starting to swell.

I'm tired now. It's been a long day and I have a lot of work to catch up on at the office tomorrow. Just thinking of having a housemate (even Marcelle) is something I need to mentally prepare for. I'm so accustomed to having my own space, but in this case, I'm sure I'll adapt just fine. Marcelle's an incredible person, and if her influence on my life so far is any indication, it's going to be a great experience.

Romans - "All things come together for the good of those who love the Lord."