More Katrina photos to come

Please pardon my absence in the last few weeks, both from this forum, and from others I favor (I think you know who you are). I appreciate that people have continued to come back to People Get Ready despite my absence. Because my internet access since Katrina has been extremely limited, I don't have much time to post or read, but I hope soon to rectify that situation.

I spent much of the day today traveling around New Orleans, taking in a wider perspective of the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina. I have a number of photos which I hope to post early this week.

I'm logging this post from Cooter Brown's, a bar tucked at a bend in the Mississippi River where St. Charles Avenue meets Carrollton Avenue. For those familiar with New Orleans, this is just about the end of the line for the streetcar, which turns up Carrollton at St. Charles and stops at Claiborne. Cooter Brown's is one of a limited few places in town with wi-fi access.

I've heard there are other odd hotspots around town - mostly unsecured residential connections like the one at St. Charles and Arabella. My favorite coffee shop is CC's at the corner of Magazine and Jefferson. Although the shop is still closed, the owner left the wi-fi connection on for would-be patrons. They've earned my loyalty. People can be found seated in chairs on the sidewalk, or parked in the street, tapping away at their keyboards. It's been an incredible gesture of good will that I won't soon forget.

Back to Cooter Brown's - I passed on MRE's or soup cooked on the propane camp stove tonight, opting instead for a meal of solid protein - a bacon cheeseburger and a Belgian beer on draft. The place is packed, but I found a spot off to the side where, after finishing off my burger, I am now enjoying my beer, and watching the second White Sox-Astros World Series game. No - I don't usually pay attention to sports, least of all baseball - but this is an incredible series. Of course, being one who always roots for the underdog (er, and being raised just 90 miles north of Chicago) I have to support the White Sox. Besides, I love watching Cuban pitcher Jose Contreras. He's so relaxed on the mound - so cool and professional - but extremely deadly with that forked ball when he stays inside the strike zone.

So that's all for now. I'm going to finish my beer, watch more of the game, and then head home to bed.