Today's Frog In Exile News

Ms. Hollie & I took a half-day vacation from our refugee status yesterday to visit St. Augustine Florida, 45 miles away.

Old Spanish colonial town, a good part of it jammed with tourists, also a bohemian and artistic community.

Felt like home.

The local jazz band playing "Girl From Ipanima" on the main square, however....

Well, I still havn't been able to round up enough fellow evacuees here in Jacksonville to start a brass band and a carnival krewe, so we'll probably be heading west within the week.

Things seem to be comming together faster on the West Bank than in Orleans, so I may wind up crashing at Ms. Hollie's in Terrytown for a bit.

Thanks to Ms. Hollie for keeping me sane through this all.

More on what's going on with Froggy

The reason I wound up in Jacksonville is because my dad was having heart surgery here. Before the hurricane I'd been offering to come over and help out and was told no. Well, the evacuation gave me an excuse to say, "Guess what? I'm coming to Jacksonville anyway."

The timing seems of our various misfortunes seems to have worked out on both sides. I've been helping care for my dad as he recovers, and Hollie and I have had something to do and distract our attention. Dad is recovering very well. A few more days of this.


My friend Ms. A who I evacuated with the Houston during Ivan last year also wound up here in Jacksonville; she's already found an apartment and a part time job, intending to stay.

This is not the place for me.

Jacksonville is a nice city, but full of malls miles from where anyone actually lives; long drives to go anywhere.

If I can't go home, Austin seems the most likely destination in the near term.

Back to New Orleans is still my plan A.

The Westbank suburb of Terrytown with Ms. Hollie may be my base for a bit as we get the city back together.

First tentative sign of recovery

As a participant in the last New Orleans parade before the storm (Krewe of OAK Midsummer Mardi Gras the Saturday night before Katrina hit), I'm glad to hear that this is no longer New Orleans' most recent parade.

WDSU short story from here:

NEW ORLEANS -- Not even Hurricane Katrina could prevent the Decadence Parade from being staged in the French Quarter.

The annual Labor Day gay celebration drew about two-dozen people.

As street musician Matt Menold explained, "It's New Orleans, man. We're going to celebrate."

Carrollton, Louisiana

New Yorker article on my general section of town: http://www.newyorker.com/talk/content/articles/050912ta_talk_baum

[edit, link dead at the New Yorker; archive.org copy]: https://www.newyorker.com/talk/content/articles/050912ta_talk_baum