Squidgy called me earlier tonite [we got off the phone approximately an hour ago, after an hour or longer conversation]. It's approximately 12:45 AM now. She tried calling about seven times yesterday, but the phone lines in that area keep getting overloaded, so couldn't get through. When she called, I thought it was already morning, as I'd fallen asleep exhausted from two nights of 3-3.5 hours sleep each. So, as we were hanging up [her cell phone was getting scratchy], I thought I'd have to rush, but would still probably be late for work [thinking, "oh well, they'll understand"] ~ and she was saying something about midnight. I had no idea what she was talking about, as I knew there weren't that many time-zone changes between us, so said, "Just let me check the time" and then realized the radio I'd heard as I woke to the phone ringing hadn't been alarm-triggered, but had just never gotten turned off to begin with. I'd initially thought it was my neighbour calling to be sure I'm awake, as she has lately, but the fact that it turned out not to be her, didn't alter my perception that it was morning.
Ironically, I had just called Rick in San Francisco back again last night and left a message that I still didn't know anything, but would let him know as soon as I did. He called me back at work today and we talked for over 1/2 hour, each looking at Mapquest, etc. and checking different avenues [not literally and no pun intended] to ensure we had her correct address, talking about her resilience and other tendencies as a person [I brought you in on that, Joe
], and checking various articles for more info on how her area fared. He had a Harvey, LA address, and all I knew was Gretna, but we both had the same phone number, so figured the address he had must be fine. The two are very close. I suggested he call her number to see if it's her voice or a generic, voice mail or actually her, and then let me know. He was going to get back with me later, after he had. She then called him, earlier today, after getting his message this morning. They had significantly worked together and been very good friends, but hadn't been in contact for a long time. She was thrilled to hear from him. When she called him [at work], as soon as he heard her voice, he hollered out, " . . . and SHE'S ALIVE!!!" and everyone started clapping and cheering in the background. There are other, former co-workers still working there.
She sincerely thanks everyone here who has been concerned about her, and has been "amazed" by how many people from all over the country "actually were" [via her voice mail messages], and asked me to please tell everyone that right now, "I'm up to my ass in alligators, but will get back with them as soon as I can." Rick had commented today that she's really a free spirit [same thing as you said, Joe
], and just may not be feeling the need to check in anywhere.She checked into the newsgroup a couple weeks ago, but said there didn't seem to be much activity at all there, and didn't really know what the deal was with that. I said I knew that at least some from there seemed to be spending more time here on the Forum. She asked if Elizabeth Hoffman[n?] [East coast] is around, and I had to say I really didn't know, so Elizabeth, if you're here......
, or if anyone knows her, if you could pass it on that Squidgy asked about her.You were right, Joe [of course
], about her sensibilities. She said she evacuated a day-and-a-half before it was mandatory [and commented that, with my living in Florida, I knew what that was all about]. She said as soon as it gets to 25% chance of hitting and evacuation is recommended, she's gone ~ avoiding the routes that are recommended, so she doesn't get caught in traffic tie-ups. So, she was at her sister's in Baton Rouge when she found out it was headed for New Orleans. She returned home as soon as they let her [on that 'day trip only' basis, so she could get pictures, her Leonard music and materials, etc. [She had turned Rick on to Leonard when they worked together.] Her phone messages were via some special arrangement the phone people made, like some "answering machine in the sky," so people could still end up getting messages. She's also spent some time sleeping in her truck on the road; at a motel; and at a shelter, where she was helping out [as you also guessed, Joe ] ~ ironically ~ inputting missing/found/searching info on the Red Cross site, for people at the shelter wanting to reconnect with their relatives and friends. Now, she's at her house, again. Her cat's been with her the whole time .Her house is okay. She lost a fence. The two, big maple trees that snapped in half in her yard fell away from the house. Her year-round-foliaged, fruit trees were stripped bare of their leaves. She found a bullet hole in one of her windows, and has some areas of her roof damaged. The neighborhood, heroin addicts who had stayed behind helped protect her house, along with other homes in the area. Where windows were broken in their area, they entered the homes and carefully removed the food [only! knowing it would spoil, anyway] to the outside and had BBQs, etc., and then boarded up the broken window[s] and kept others from stealing or doing damage. [This reminds me of a report I heard on NPR where an older evacuee staying at the Superdome said she had never cared much for 'thugs' but her respect increased when she saw them (supposedly looting) going to the stores, bringing back food, formula, diapers, baby food, nutritional supplementation, etc. for babies and older people. A lot of misrepresentation with what some people were doing, it seems. Likewise, it turns out, the number of violent crimes at the Superdome was also grossly exaggerated.] A number of animals left behind in Squidgy's area were flung by the winds and found lying about with broken necks, etc. A Rottweiler made it, however, and was tied up. They let it loose, and it started patrolling the area homes, helping protect them. When she got home, and went to go out her back, patio door, it was standing in her back yard.
She has some funny stories and, of course, some sad ones, too. ["America's Most Wanted" came through for filming at the shelter where she was helping out ~ we both had the same feelings about their motives (at least one of them), even though they said it was because they were doing a benefit.] She's met a lot of good people. She's made a rather large, but good deal, purchase
, elsewhere, for back-up . She said that everything you see on TV is just how it is, but that she was very lucky in her area. They had some heavy destruction from hurricane-spawned tornadoes, and the hurricane winds and rain, but not the flooding. Some small stores have been able to re-open, but the three Wal-Marts located within 5 miles of her have been unable to, due to the extensive looting and trashing of them. She said the stench from across the river in New Orleans is unbelievable. She encountered it when she gave a hitchhiker a ride to Algiers [which is a 5-minute ferry ride across the river]; as he opened the door to run from her truck to his house, with his mouth covered, he told her, "Don't breathe it!" As soon as she can get straightened around somewhat, though, she's going to go help out in N.O. "and have a few beers with some of the FEMA guys." She's got her rubber gloves, dust mask, etc. and will be sure to keep protected from the magnitude of toxicities there. She said when she breathed in the stench from across the river, she could feel the germs, bacteria, toxins, whatever entering her body ~ and followed up by drinking some mouthwash.
She said that, where a Cadillac dealership was broken into and many, extremely expensive vehicles were stolen, some of the policemen who quit the force were part of that looting and theft.
She does know who I am, and said we talked in New York [about New Orleans
, in fact] ~ but, with so little sleep, and on such a crazy schedule [with sign-in and the tickets for the scavenger hunt, bus trip, etc.], I really had forgotten. I remembered the conversation when she briefed me on it, though. She's going to try to go to Berlin and bring her son .She said there's about to be a big scandal about the levee breaking. She read in today's newspaper down there that the levee repairers had discovered, in the course of trying to do that, that instead of the contracted deal [with "money greasing the palms" of those that got the business because of who they know ~ "the way business gets done down here
"] of their going 30 feet underground, they went only 3 feet underground, so the bracing strength just simply was not there. She said that the good thing about the big, expensive contractors like Halliburton, etc. is that at least they get the job done and do it right. She talked about the rip-offs that are occurring in the area from the smaller guys that want the money, but not to actually do the job. Someone came to her, wanting to do a job, but said that FEMA didn't give him any tools. She told him he was supposed to have his own, and to leave. She also found a yellow slip in her mailbox, that she'd signed for work to be done, indicating that work was done, but that nothing had been done. So, she set about with local people she knew, who needed money, to get some stuff done, and is now waiting to hear back on calls she's made regarding the ruse related to the yellow slip. She has people [customers of hers] wanting her to come help them, but right now, she's needing to help herself. She got tired of waiting on help, and went out and bought a chain saw to start on the trees in her yard, etc. I cautioned her on how they can kick back, even though she said she's being really careful. I figured she had to already know that, but when it comes to chain saws, an extra caution is sure worth the breath! There's a lot more that we talked about [including non-hurricane- related things, including how it can be living as single women], and I could on and on about the hurricane stuff, but it's now almost 1:45 AM, and I do need to get some sleep
. I just wanted to get it here that contact has been made 
, and that she's okay and really appreciates, and is humbled by, people's caring 
.At now nearly 2:15 AM [I added stuff back in the body of the posting ~ and still keep thinking of things], I have 2-3 hours left before I have to get up for my 10-hour workday, and then 3-4 more at my second job ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ so GOOD NIGHT!!! Another, short-sleep night that's DEFINITELY worth it
!!!Love,
Elizabeth
************************************************************
[Well, I sure enough overslept ~ despite my neighbour's actually calling in the morning ~ woke up again at 6:15 AM (after her earlier call), and I have to leave by 6:30 in order to be on time without speeding. Got here at 7:02, with more than a bit of speeding, and sub-normal preparation for the day (but my animals got fed
).]
Oh, yes, Joe! She is, indeed, delightful 
