Oh Ophelia.. What Are You Doing? Why do you tarry so long?

I tried to go to sleep, but I couldn't.

I did somethings in my room.. paperwork or busy work. Tried to decide which purse to use tomorrow. What do take to the college for my class. I took tylenol. Some herbs. Drank water.

Watched the Mayor of New Orleans talk on Larry King. Is it just me or is that man batting badly these days... he and the Mayor don't mix (oil and water) and it was worse with the Dali LLama. Kept think the Dali was sitting there thinking.. "and why am I here?"

Heard preliminary reports show that .......ummmmmmmm ..........the water in Nola isn't as toxic as they expected. Yes..lead, some problems.. no they haven't gotten to that BAD area of town where there is still a lot of water but so far... very good news. Very.

And, Opheila dallies and dabbles at making a landfall.. and then slip slides away. She keeps flirting with the coast and all the while she is drenching the area in heavy rains with strong steady winds and nonstop, ongoing..on and on and on.. and well how long will their kids be home from school.

Best line in Larry King interview (okay am stuck on this) .. he says very seriously to the Mayor.. so tell me, "what happened in New Orleans" or maybe "what went wrong" and the Mayor says looking him directly in the eye .. most likely thinking what the Dali was except he knows why he is there.. bottom line.. City is out of $$$. So.. he says, "We got hit by the hurricane Larry." Well give or take words.. it's late. Like DUH .. bet the Dali is sitting somewhere in his room trying to think positive, compassionate thoughts and shaking his head.. thinking "no words."

So... it has been my biggest worry the last few days that Opheila will create a Floyd like situation in that region because she can dump copious amounts of tropical rainfall in hours.. just hours and she isn't moving. She is slowing down. Whatever moved her.. stopped and she is parking herself over the area. Hopefully.. maybe.. tomorrow.. hopefully.. something will start impressing her enough to make her want to dance away into the Atlantic. I don't sound very sure do I?

This is in ways a disaster happening and later everyone will say how much damage was from a Cat 1 Hurricane... ala Miami and Katrina but... they will have more rain, they aren't as able to handle it as Miami is.. and ..longer wind.

This is like Frances and Floyd stuck together in the OH MY GOSH.. storm of Opheila..

Will be a mess and already they are doing their jive talk on "officially she has not made landfall" on all the channels. Nice but no cigar.. the area is being affected by tropical storm force winds nonstop and.......there will be damage........tons of damage.. and will FEMA respond and give money or will they explain to NC and other areas.. sorry Charlie but this year a Category One Hurricane isn't really cutting the grade. Better luck another year...

Lastly here.. I really have been thinking on moving out of Miami. You know that sort of thinking on it where you work your way through the reality that you will move and begin to let go of your connection.

Yes, I want to move to the Keys. No, I can't afford it. Don't have a job. Will work onit.

Someplace near water, football, hurricanes.. Southern.. and really did check into jobs in the La area around Baton Rouge (has LSU and the Saints) and requested some information from the local Synagogue. Just looking around. Nice place, they put me on their email list.

Just exploring opportunities and options.. looking around.

So..today I get this in my email. Sort of puts in perspective the things going on out there in the real world while we sit and watch on CNN and Fox and well..

Will check the link to the Federation there and make some donation. Imagine what places like Baton Rouge and other areas are going through trying to help people they have to look at, want to help, feel frustrated and overwhelmed without the proper resources.. their main resource being a desire to help and compassion. Chesed.

I know I am giving Yiskor money for my father for Rosh Hashonah to Bnai Zion in Key West. It is the Synagogue my Great-grandparents helped start.. great great? way back in the 1880s. Before they picked up like others and moved to Tampa.. Most of Key West moved to either Tampa or Miami at some point. The tobacco people went to Tampa..the businessmen moved to Miami.. that in itself tells a story. I should talk to Prof. Paul George tomorrow on that one. Never thought on it before. Marking the donation for the "kiddush for Shabbos Afternoon Fund" because .. my father loved to enjoy a good kiddush after Shul on Shabbos. Figure he would like that.

So.. check out the ways you can help the Baton Rouge community..here or elsewhere as they try to help the people of New Orleans living in their very beautiful town. Baton Rouge is beautiful, as is Lake Charles and some other parts of Louisianna. As is and as will be New Orleans again some day.. sooner rather than later. Or..is that another state?

Going to bed.. going to pick out a beautiful CD.. drift off to sleep.. I hope..

*Open Meeting for members of the Jewish communities of Baton Rouge andNew Orleans* Please join us as we gather as ONE community to addressthe current emergency. Date: Sunday, September 18, 2005 Time: 6:30p.m. Place: LSU Faculty Club - website Corner of Highland Road andRaphael Semmes Guest Speaker: Eric B. Stillman, Executive Director,Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans. Thank you, FederationOffice http://www.jewishfedbr.org