Post Rita

So, Rita clobbered Beaumont and Lake Charles, and evacuees will be heading back to Houston and the coast over the next couple of days-- so even if we could go back to New Orleans now, sounds like a hard time to negotiate the route between here and there.

At least no NEW levee breaks in New Orleans, as far as i've heard, just more of the same. As has been usual for a while, more contacting and hearing of people back home who had adventurous escapes, more stories of beautiful homes full of unique art flooded. Fortunately no new notes of deaths; there are still folks we're concerned about unaccounted for.

There were fears of storms, but it was a beautiful day here in Austin. We went to Highland Mall where I got to meet some nice trad jazz musicians AND saw Hello Kitty.

I also went ahead and bought a cheap prepayed Austin area self-phone.

Hope to go home soon, but dunno when "soon" will be, and this is the closest I have to home for now.