EDITED TO INCLUDE LINKS:

My parents made it to Tampa yesterday and I was in Cocoa Beach with friends from DC. My leasing office let them in and AC and I made it here. Poor AC–imagine meeting your girlfriend’s parents under these circumstances. My dad can’t stop crying and we’re all just trying to hold it together. I can’t see some of the map resources friends have sent me because google earth isn’t Mac compatible. I don’t think it looks good for Cameron Blvd. but I’ll remain in denial for as long as possible.

Rudy got out of NOLA on a plane Al Gore sent! And here is an article that quotes him. He has told me of a site where he’s posted his story but I was driving when he called me. I’ll get it here ASAP.

But Trina the cat didn’t make it. My parents took her with them but she couldn’t handle the travel, heat, etc. :(

Here is a link to a Salon.com article Chris Rice wrote.

Oh and I heard that people in the French Quarter don’t want to leave and that, “Not even Hurricane Katrina could prevent the Decadence Parade from being staged in the French Quarter. The annual Labor Day gay celebration drew about two dozen people. Street musician Matt Menold summed it up best: “It’s New Orleans, man. We’re going to celebrate.”"

And of the unique list of “22 reasons America needs New Orleans” , this is my favorite. “Get em while they’re HOT! Get em while they’re DOGS!”

The Lucky Dog is a venerated local frankfurter that has come a long way, culinarily speaking, from the days when Ignatius J. Reilly peddled them to tourists in “A Confederacy of Dunces.” Now they are really good, especially if it is 4 a.m. and you are hungry.