Toil and Strife

My employers' website was updated last night to indicate that the office will reopen on Tuesday morning, and we should report back to work that morning.

Mayor Nagin announced in the last few days that the city of New Orleans will allow residents in areas that did not flood to return on a tiered schedule beginning on Monday, our area being allowed back in on Friday.

You can see that this is something of a problem. I'm supposed to go back to work on Tuesday, but cannot go back home until Friday. On top of that, even when we do return home, the water in the house will only be safe to flush the toilet with. We won't even be able to bath in the water due to the high level of toxic chemicals still present in the water.

Anyway, I e-mailed the office to ask about what I should do, and I'm waiting to hear back from them. To be honest, I don't want to go back home because I don't like the idea of living in a place where I can't even shower, but I DO want to go home because at least we can start cleaning the house and yard up, pack all of our belongings and generally prepare to leave the city for the last time. I'm glad because sitting in Lafayette, powerless to move forward with plans and decisions that have been made in the past few weeks is driving me nuts. It will be great to get back to New Orleans, settle our affairs and move on.

Despite the fact that area will not be opened officially until Friday, we are probably going to try to drive into the city tomorrow night (Monday.) I don't think our house has power yet, and I don't have a computer of my own (I've been using my Dad's for the last three weeks) so I may not be able to update much. If I'm at work, I may have a little time to write, so check back and hopefully I can keep you guys up to date.