The Damage: LSU

We also went by LSU to check out my work and also so Fritz could find somewhere to charge his laptop.  We heard they had power.  Turns out it was mostly generators.

Tiger Stadium is still standing, but can't say the same for the Oak trees around there.

Pics from the Quad

This tree took the concrete up with it.  It was crazy to see.

Markus and Fritz surveying the damage.

It was very sad to see the campus and it's beauty partly destroyed by the Hurricane.  I love the oaks around campus, but these talls ones just didn't quit make it.  To think of all the years it took to look like they did, and for it to come down to this.

The Damage: Perkins Rowe

On Tuesday we ventured out to get some ice at Fritz's theatre so we wouldn't lose the last bit of our meat.  This is what we found there.

I'm surprise more palm trees didn't fall.  I don't even want to know how much those things cost!

The Chandelier in Grand Hall of the Entrance to Cinemark.  Looks real secure, don't you think?

Hurricane Gustav at the Wilson House

Hard to believe it has been a whole week since Hurricane Gustav hit.  Markus and I were feeling much differently about this storm than Katrina.  It's just different when you are a renter vs. a homeowner.  Every single noise we heard we would walk outside and take a look.  All we did last Monday was look outside I swear.  And pray that nothing happened to our home.  Here are some pics around our house to recap what happened a week ago.

Markus and Bogey looking out at the deck

Markus and Bogey looking out the bedroom window to the front yard

The view from the front door

The house is still standing.  After the bad winds subsided, I snapped this pic.  It was still raining though.

The side yard.  Just branches everywhere.

The Backyard.  In the distance the fallen fence

The fallen fence.  The only thing holding it up is the shed in the neighbor's yard.  It's their fence, but poor Bogey lost half of his yard.  More pics of our riggin' job of a fence.  

Ahh... yes the utility pole in the backyard.  Here you can get an idea of just how close this is to our house.  It's still standing though.  Thank Goodness!

My favorite picture from the Hurricane.  Bogey wanted to look out the window too.  He didn't really like all the funny noises that came with Hurricane Gustav.  He was a sweetie.

And there you have it.  Our rendition of Hurricane Gustav picture style.  What a boring and worrisome day.  Bye Bye Gustav!

Things I Learned During this Hurricane

In no particular order:

1. Ice melts (even if it is in the freezer)

2. Some food needs a refrigerator or it will go bad, very bad (like the onions I thought were good and didn't throw away until day 6 with no electricity)

3. My shower radio was our only source of information and it had to be held at all times or static would erupt

4. Camera batteries don't last forever, and can't be charged when you have no power.

5. Cold showers turn hot at the end (I promise)

6. Cutting up limbs and sticking them in black trash bags gets them picked up faster

7. Pancakes on the BBQ aren't so bad

8. PB & J really is a meal (who knew?)

9. People in my neighborhood are very nice (nothing like extension cords crossing the streets to share generator juice)

10. Generators sound like pressure washers

11. Curfews made me feel like a teenager again.

12. Ice is a commodity (I heard it on the radio)

13. Closing the blinds and shades keeps your house cooler and darker

14. Tealight candles in little glass containers put off a good bit of light

15. Taper candles put off the most light

16. A/C IS a necessity 

17. We got really lucky, I have nothing to complain about after driving around BR for a little while

18. My dog hardly ate a bowl of food over the course of 4 days, but when we went to Pawpaws he hate 4 bowls in 2 days (the heat really affected him)

19. Living on Highland Rd. isn't all that beautiful (just wait til my camera battery is charged)

20. Oak trees fall down, and they are everywhere

21. The wind didn't whistle during this hurricane like it did in Andrew

22. Bobby Jindal has his SH*T together, (I need the "I voted for Jindal" bumpersticker)

23. I met Jacques Doucet and he is very personable

24. The people on WJBO are awesome.  I'd like to do something for Clear Channel people.

25. Gustav was worse for BR than Andrew

Overall this has been a very humbling experience for so many in our area.  I have come to realize that when we are prepared, we shall not fear.  Ultimately the Lord will provide.  May yall be blessed as you try to pick up the pieces and move on.

Relief

After spending all weekend in DS we were anxious to get back to our house to see if we had power.  Yesterday my mom and sister told me they were working on our lines.  So I was hoping Sunday we'd have power.  Let me just say as soon as we opened the front door the cool breeze hit us.  It was then that I knew this reality was cleaning up for us.  Our neighborhood is one 2 different grids apparently.  Half still doesn't have power.  I walk outside and I hear generators.  We are the last house on our street and the power stopped at our house.  I feel very blessed to sit here and type this from the comfort of my home I once enjoyed and quickly forgot through Hurricane Gustav.  For 6 days we stayed without power.  I still can't believe it myself.  I'm grateful my house was spared through this disaster.  Goodness knows I couldn't handle a tree in my house, or a blue roof, or 21 days without power.  I'm thankful for those who reached out to us during this crazy time and will turn around and reach out to those who need us.  It should always be a continual giving circle.

Compliments of Unsecured Networks

Comes this blog entry once again. We are staying the night at my work. My boss got word that we were watching movies during the day here and left a message on my phone to just stay the night. I was like wow how sweet. Course once I told Markus it didn't take him long to decide what he wanted to do. All we had to do was go all the way back to the house to get everything to stay the night. We have power at work, just no internet. I'm just happy to be in the A/C. It wasn't bad (being without the A/C) until I came to work and experienced the beauty of it all really. Fritz and Markus met me here and that is why I'm even able to write this now. Fritz is staying the night with us, and charging his laptop. I'm just excited to have some normalcy with electricity and experience the internet. As of early this evening BR is 92% without power. We have yet to find someone with power other than my work, which is at the Southgates of LSU. A lot of this area has power. It's just crazy. I just can't believe what I hear on the radio. Today they were saying it's weeks instead of days til some will get power. I mean thanks for thinking I'm a big girl and everything, but honestly I CAN'T HANDLE THAT RIGHT NOW! There's nothing like driving over live powerlines in the street just to get anywhere. If this was KATRINA, I'd have power by now. I think the saddest thing about it all is my dog, he even knows something is wrong. He's just like a kid who can't talk, they know. Boy do they know. It just worries me. I wish I could make him more comfortable. I mean you plan for food for a hurricane, but not to be without electricity for weeks. We only go shopping every 2 weeks for the next 2 weeks. Since Gustav was coming we didn't even bother, cause we didn't want to lose anything more in the frig. I figured it would be a couple of days til power. So that is what we shopped for. I find myself getting very creative with meals. Last night, pancakes and the eggs we didn't want to lose. The night before, chicken and hotdogs on the BBQ pit in our shed. It still reeks of BBQ smell. Fritz was nice enough to bring us his tabletop campfire stove. We had a BBQ pit, but it helps to have something that will cook a little bit quicker than a BBQ pit. I just don't know how prepared I could have been for this. Who would've thought? Much less what if the eye of the storm went over BR? It seems as if the long lines await all of us in this area until the crippling effects of no electricity subside. At this point I'm just hoping I can keep sane. It's so depressing. I'll have to post pics that I took that the news sources outside of LA probably aren't showing. From what I hear they sure aren't talking about the devastion we've experienced. Though someone correct me if I'm wrong, I'd sure love to be wrong about that. We didn't even get the damage to our property that I captured in the pictures, but it's still hard to look at. I almost started crying as I was driving into work this morning. Thinking to myself, will this city ever be the same? I can see how people of NOLA felt when Katrina disturbed life there. I have this strange sense of BR pride that I just don't remember having before all of this. Like we will survive and get through this. I'm just grateful that the man I voted for the first time around had enough sense to think even if it doesn't hit, I need to get everyone out and keep them on their toes. I'm also grateful that McCain didn't steal him from this state. Cause look, we really needed him. Especially through this. He had his sh*t together. I hope those videos get put on YOUtube. It would be worth listening to again. And the rant continues...

NO Power

Yep we have no power and no way to check the internet, thanks to Fritz coming to my work where we have power I can get on his laptop and update this thing quickly. We have no power and doesn't look like it will be on soon. Power lines off Old Jefferson got mangled and snapped and trees have fallen into the power lines and people's houses in our neighborhood. We feel very blessed and lucky to have our house still in tact. It just sux to have no power. Will write back soon if we ever get the internet at the work. Keep the BTR in your prayers we will need it. Long lines at grocery stores, gas stations, etc. aren't the worst of it, it's the unknown that is the scariest. Love to all!