Up on a rooftop… Wednesday, Aug 31 2005
It's all about me! and Newsworthy 12:07 pm
Got a surprise call this morning from my friend Rudy who was the only of my friends to stay in NOLA. He was on the roof of the American Can Company apartment building where he lives. He was only up there so he could get better cell phone reception. I couldn’t believe he got through to my phone! He said that he and his parents are fine and they have enough water and food for 4 days. He could see all the water surrounding the Mid-City area and some minor fires, but he actually sounded in good spirits. They’re listening to the radio for reports and he knew more than I did! I called his friend Kristi to let her know and so she could call his sisters.
I’ve also received emails from a few other friends who evacuated and spoke to my friend Lara’s mother last night in St. Francisville, LA. Lara had been there all last week filming a movie with Hillary Swank, so thankfully the production crew has the hotel rooms reserved for another week or so, but who knows where they will go after that. Poor girl. They’re house randomly burned down several years ago so this is the 2nd major loss for them.
I just can’t fathom all of this yet. If you have ever met me, you know within an hour’s conversation that I am a New Orleans girl and how much I love that city. To see it slipping away hurts so badly. I was to go there this weekend to celebrate my 30th birthday and to see friends I hadn’t seen in months, even years. Now who knows when I will get to see them. My AC will never get to see the NOLA I knew, and I had such plans for us to go to the Carousel Bar and tons of other places that I’m sure are now submerged in water and totally destroyed.
I’m trying again to distract myself with work, but to hear of the looting makes me so angry that I want to spit, kick and scratch. This scares me the most:
The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports today that a Wal-Mart in the Lower Garden District was looted, and the entire gun collection was taken.
And still no word from my parents.