Day 5

My 16 year old discovered my blog. She was shocked ( and a little horrified) I was doing this. When she saw the title she asked, "What about after Katrina is over, what are you going to call it?" I realized we'll always refer to life in Baton Rouge as "After Katrina" and "Before Katrina". It's hard to realize what life is going to be like. Will traffic always be this bad? How long will the sound of helicopters compete with the buzzing the mosquitos? When will people stop telling horror stories? We'll definately have access to alot more services that we've never had. More flights out of Baton Rouge. Maybe we'll get our 504 area code and UAL back! Could a Commander's Palace, Lucky Dogs or Emeril be in Baton Rouge's future? Hoping for our own Central Grocery.

There just are not enough gas stations, restaurants, apartments, you name it, Baton Rouge does not have enough "stuff" for this overnight influx of people. Businesses are just now relocating. there are no apartments left. Houses are selling as fast as they go on the market. Gov. is snatching up warehouse space. I almost wish I was in real estate again. But I'm not that desparate.

I wrote yesterday about the supplies I collected for the hospital evac site at the NO Airport. I got fussed at for doing it, but oh well. The caseworker who brought them down said the doctors and nurses practically cried when he walked in with them. They said all of it had been ordered but hadn't made it down yet. These items eased the suffering somewhat. He told me what he really could have used was those bendy straws. You know--those straws that make that zip sound when you stretch them out. Those were such a treat when I was a kid. The sick people had a hard time drinking the Ensure with a regular straw.

The caseworker said they were asked to move about 10 people into a side room. They were told that's where they put people to die. I can't imagine having to make that kind of decision. I thought of Sophie's Choice, when she has to decide which of her children to send to the gas chamber and which to send to be raised by the Germans. How do you make that kind of decision? How do you live with that memory? I can understand that in times like this people have to make horrible decisions. I don't know. I shudder at the thought of being left alone in a room to die. Wish someone could at least be with them as they take their last breath.

I heard today (2nd hand) a morgue is being built south of here which can handle up to 50,000 bodies. No one knows how many are dead. Or at least they are not releasing their guestamate News just announced 161 people died in Mississippi. They told also of shrimpers dying on their boats in the Intercoastal canel. God--Cajuns are soooo hardheaded.

My husband's cell phone keeps ringing--he's asleep. It's probably the folks at the arena. I'm not going to wake him up. Screw them. He's hardly slept since Monday. He's snoring is so sweet. I haven't heard that for a while.

I'm frustrated at the lack of coordination at my office. I've been assured that tomorrow will be better and we'll start actually doing more. I can't get people off center. I'm not being very efficent at anything these days. I haven't been a good mom; not doing a great job at work; and my house looks like the eye of Katrina when right down the middle. I'm sinking deeper into the fog of depression. I cry over everything and have a headache. Just want to go to sleep. Or go see my momma and daddy in Denham Springs but I don't want to use the gas. I'm sad and scared.