WWW.RIDESIDE.NET

Posted by ConorClockwise on 2006-12-16 02:38:51 +0000

Have as much fun as is legal... and then some!

Posted by Miriam on 2006-12-18 02:13:40 +0000

Um, fun is not exactly what I'd call what I'm doing here. Have had some interesting conversations, and saw what I can only describe as total devastation. I am in complete awe of anyone who could come back to live in New Orleans. They must be suffering from such a sense of loss that it permeates the air. The Lower Ninth Ward is a mix of razed homes, the ones that were slammed together during the flood to create what looks like a modern art piece..."three-in-one-shotgun-house"? It's some kind of awful. Then, you see the French Quarter, and it's busy, sort of. It really reminds me of when they tried to make downtown Knoxville cool for the suburbanites. It took over 20 years, and there was no flood to bounce back from. I'm horrified, and scared for what tomorrow will bring when we go to do demolition work. It's going to be hard work, but also emotionally taxing. I just hope I don't cry in front of the volunteers I brought; might be hard since I feel like I'm on the verge of tears already. Love and miss y'all. Will try to write more in a day or two.

Posted by pamsterdam on 2006-12-18 03:12:21 +0000

Big hugs, Mir. You're a brave lady, whether you cry or not. Maybe it wouldn't even be a bad thing if you do cry. What you're seeing is mind-blowing. It might be cathartic for the volunteers (I'm assuming they're teens?) to see that it's ok to have intense feelings about this. xxx

Posted by tgl on 2006-12-18 10:38:56 +0000

Why did I think you were going to northern Israel? I'll say it again: Good luck in the Holy Land.

Posted by bizquig3000 on 2006-12-18 15:06:55 +0000

Godspeed.

Posted by Miriam on 2006-12-21 00:22:17 +0000

Thanks, Pamsterdam! I ended up crying a little. Not a lot...too many people around. The sadness in the people I've met is immeasurable. Of course, there are the few who can express how grateful they are that we're here, but they are so incredibly sad. I've met a few people that my boss helped right after the flood. They couldn't say enough good things. The cop's house my team has been working on is going to take until tomorrow to finish. He's a great guy. He saw the food we were eating (army rations and unpleasant kosher self-heater meals), and he bought us pizza the last two days. Today, he also gave us NOLA Police hats and Katrina pins. The light in his eyes seems to be back, now that he's taken out a little agression on a few stubborn nails and several walls and big hunks of wood. I just want to give him a hug. The dumpster trucks came today to pick up the debris we'd put on the side of the house; it took two trucks, a bobcat, and a pincher-crane to clear it off. As soon as they left, we hauled out more flooring and insulation. There are at least three holes in the roof, which tonight's rainstorm hasn't helped much. I'm sure we'll be muddy and soaking wet all day tomorrow. Could be a lot worse. Tonight I met a woman at the JCC's Debbie Friedman concert who started out helping the elderly in her community until she realized she had to start working on clearing and rebuilding her own house. She said she's now on her third electrician, and she has a long way to go. Met lots more people with stories of survival and sheer willpower to live in a place that is moving so slowly towards rebirth. I'm glad I'm here, but I would suffocate in the palpable sadness if I stayed much longer. The next trip here, I'll come to see the sights, and I don't mean the lower ninth or where the levees broke; been there, hard to see that.

Posted by Miriam on 2006-12-21 00:30:28 +0000

I leave for Israel on Monday; send good thoughts that rockets don't fall on my head. I'll be within 10 miles of Lebanon.

Posted by pamsterdam on 2006-12-21 05:22:39 +0000

Lots of love, my dear. I'm really proud to call you my friend. My - mostly casual, I suppose - interest in converting to Dad's Dad's faith leads me to read a lot. I recently came across this, and it made me think of you.

Posted by Miriam on 2006-12-23 13:41:17 +0000

Thanks for sharing that article! And all the love! I got back from NOLA yesterday morning and went straight to work, after dropping my stuff at home. The head of aquatics heard my breathing and decided to put me on oxygen for about 10 minutes, listened to my chest, and thinks I have pneumonia from irritation from the stuff I breathed in over the week. We called my doc, who is on vacation, and decided to start a course of serious antibiotics he'd given me just in case I still hadn't kicked my 3 month sinus infection in NOLA. So, labored breath and all, I'm heading to NYC in a few hours. Need to pick up a few more items, pack my bag, and head off for adventure. Will be sure to bring back lots of stories...and if I can figure out how to post them, lots of photos. Happy New Year and Merry Christmas!

Posted by bizquig3000 on 2006-12-24 09:15:47 +0000

Keep the posts coming. You're in my thoughts/etc.