New Orleans: Hurrication/Evacuation Proclomation

Even with the tensions of others surrounding me the past few days, not to mention the calls from relatives regarding my where abouts and means out of New Orleans since my transportation is bi-pedal.
Plenty of options.
Plenty of typical taurus bull in me, too.
I had a plan on wed. but, was still waiting until Sat./Sun. before the trek out.
Today, there was work to do.

And then a much needed bicycle ride through the quarter and along the river.

Lovely evening.
Decadence weekend is not so decadent this year.
The Eerie silence and humid air clinging a bout.
We rode past the convention center to see with our own eyes that the National Guard was posting up.
Reassuring indeed considering.
The river is lower than I have ever seen it.
I am no meteorologist but I believe it is the suction caused by Gustav. ?.
Frenchmen Street was quiet.
It seems that this go round folks have chosen to exit for the weekend and wait it out elsewhere or tourists know their flights lead them out by Sunday OR they are looking forward to the city emptying out.
If it is a 3 or lower, I'd stay.
Probably be the same affects practically in Baton Rouge where thanks to Helen, i have a place to crash or there is my Uncle Anthony (too many others) or P's parents even. Worse Worse Worse case scenerio I'd have to ride a bike, which is not that big of a deal.
But, I have a vehicle.
So, I have chose to ride it out until tomorrow or Sun. morning.
Then, tonight, last stop Molly's I ran into Pableaux (SGT. Pableaux).
I mentioned how impressed I was that the military was already showing a presence.
He mentioned how if I stayed that I'd be one more person he
'd have to worry about. In general, any one how stays does somewhat jeopardize operations whether we want to see it that way or not. Anyone poses a threat.

Which got me thinking also of the looters and low life thugs who are viewing this as an opportunity to prey and have there fantasy thug life while the storm gets us out of town.
That is when I decided to leave.
It is not Gustav I fear. It is the predators lurking around, waiting to strike. Creepy ride home from the quarter... lots of strange people looking intently with sinister smirks.
I wish I could leave now actually.
Bypass BR and head to the mountains or Arkansas or Nashville.
Make it a hurrication not an evacuation.
I mean if I can't come back until Wednesday or Thursday, it would be nice to try and make the most of it.
I already got a bag together on Wed. when the first predictions came out..just in case. I checked over it this evening adding my passport and a few toiletry items.
It was then that I realized that for the first time in my life, I am truly excepting of loosing material possessions even down to my grandfather's art and my photographs and memorabilia.
It is inanimate and of no real use except sentimental value.
My life however, is not worth hanging around to see what happens in the lull time of the storm
or the chaos that could break the day after. The day after a tropical storm or hurricane is so peaceful and serene filled with wonder, really.
Best to leave the protecting to the National Guard.
Fridge is cleaned out. (not repeating that fiasco)
House is tidy.
Back yard is free of debris. Tree limbs are iffy.... But, I feel secured and ready.

Now my instinct says go on, get cha self out.
That is my midnight rant.
I know where my dawgs at!!!!!!!
There is nothing we can do but wait.
We live here ready to leave.

Forces

Everything is a force of nature.
We must concentrate forces and work together in order to remain in our bowl below sea level.
In the same day Gustav is stirring up activity in the Gulf with New Orleans dead center of the potential direct hit areas the list of The New Orleans 100 comes out.
100 organizations, musicians, artists, businesses, and social entrepreneurs stirring up change in New Orleans.
A juxtaposition indeed.

In describing today’s accelerating changes, the media fire blips of unrelated information at us. Experts bury us under mountains of narrowly specialized monographs. Popular forecasters present lists of unrelated trends, without any model to show us their interconnections or the forces likely to reverse them. As a result, change itself comes to be seen as anarchic, even lunatic.


“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!”
- jack kerouac

So call me a lunatic but I am dedicated to a place, a people, and a history I am fortunate enough to be a part of.
I know what it means to miss New Orleans.
And so do thousands of other human beings
And so I say to those who spend their days commenting irrelevant and non-factual information onto sites across the web, I have the following information for you.
We are all in the same boat.
Levees.org
The hurricane did not destroy us, the levees and governmental failures share responsibility for that.
And remember over 20% of the countries goods come through New Orleans, not to mention the amount of oil.
Y'all are guaranteed to be affected so please don't be so quick to wish us harm. After all, we welcome your visit any time.
We're not going anywhere else.
It's likely you won't either with such ease if we are to fall ruin.
Wish us well. Send the good and leave your bad for your own community.

Tropical Storm GUSTAV

Looks can be deceiving.
For the record, I don't feel it. I just don't feel a wrath upon us.
And I refuse to give it energy until Friday albeit prepared for departure if necessary.