Steering Clear of Lovely Rita

Trip Start Sep 22, 2005

Trip End Mar 03, 2006

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Flag of United States Walnut Creek, California
Thursday, September 22, 2005

I should be in the air right now, but instead I'm obsessively watching Doppler radar accounts of Hurricane Rita. My flight was scheduled to layover in Houston. I probably could have snuck by Rita and made it to New Orleans, but it seemed imprudent to intentionally fly into a region from which everyone else is fleeing. The volunteers at Lamar-Dixon are on notice for a possible evacuation. I'm disappointed, but I can't be of help to anyone if I'm stranded in Texas (though I could take the opportunity to have a chat with GW about global warming data). Thankfully, Southwest airlines went out of their way to help me reschedule, and I fly on Tuesday. The silver lining is that I'll have time to do some of the little things that I hadn't yet gotten around to, like pack.

My anxiety about the situation in Gonzales grows, but I feel buoyed by support from home. So many of you have sent in donations and kind words, and I've felt overwhelmed by your response

Rita, That Meddling Witch

. During my travels over the past year, I realized (or confirmed) that Americans don't have the best reputation abroad. The actions and attitudes of our elected leaders don't always reflect the compassionate nature of our citizens. But in Katrina's aftermath, people have responded with money, food, clothing, time, and more. When we know that others are suffering, we as individuals rally and lift each other up. This is the American spirit, and I hope that my friends abroad are seeing it. Thanks so much for helping one person go and do whatever one person can do.

OK, really, no kidding this time, I'm flying to New Orleans in five days. Hurricanes be damned.

For beautiful and terrifying NASA images of Hurricane Rita, please visit http://www.quehubo.com/eng/rita/rita_gallery_2.php. Note: For some VERY odd reason this link sometimes takes you to the Colombian Yellow Pages. If this happens, please try cutting and pasting the link again or, alternatively, you can crank call Colombia.

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