finally back online

I have been offline due to technical issues since right after the hurricane hit.

Here is correspondance I sent just after the hurricane to a friend of mine who sold her house and went to Sri Lanka to help the people there rebuild.

In the upcoming days I willl write more about Katrina, but for now- here is that correspondence.

Hey Sue
Just got done reading your blog. Sounds like you're doing well, surviving local political conditions and all. I laughed so hard when i read about the monkeys. I hope this finds you in good spirits. You are making such a great contribution there Sue, you should be very proud of your work there.

Have you gotten much news there of Hurricane Katrina? It is so bad I can't turn on the TV without crying. Lousiana , Missippi and Alabama are the poorest states in our country and they are devastated.

They are calling it "our tsunami". I know it really doesn't compare to what the people are going through in Sri Lanka. But 300,000 people are spending their 4 th day in 90 degree heat with no food or water. New Orleans is a "toxic soupbowl" . The most frustrating thing is that I experienced the afternmath of Andrew first hand, and here it is 13 years later and the response by the goverment is worse than ever. The people affected the most are the poorest. They are dying of dehydration on the side of the road as National guard troops drive by to "protect" the property of the rich people. Funny people in the suburbs around New Orleans had water and ice yesterday.

Sometimes I'm not sure which is worse, people who have next to nothing and lose everything, and don't have the money to rebuild. Sri Lanka.
Or people who have nothing, lose everything and our country has the means to help, but won't. Or is so inept and it takes so long to get help to the people, that many people die needlessly.
My heart is very very heavy.
The last time a hurricane was headed our way we were not in a place financially or emotionally where we could evacuate. I know how those people feel who had no option but to stay.

My family and I are discussing changing the way we're doing things here to provide a bigger budget to escape a hurricane and to try again to move out of Florida and away from Hurricane Alley.