Change O' Plans

Well…there's be a MAJOR change of plans as it concerns our Labor Day weekend. My parents(Ron) went to Mexico Beach to the El Governor Hotel to begin setting up for the weekend. When they got there they encountered what's called 'Red Tide'. Basically Red Tide are algae beds with toxins that cover the gulf. This algae basically suffocates the water and kills fish. In addition, Red Tide is very irritable to the eyes, throat and breathing. So when mom and dad got to Mexico Beach that started feeling the effects of Red Tide. In addition, it had killed thousands of fish that had washed up on the beach in front of our rooms - so it smelled really, really bad as well too. Mom said that access to the beach was cut off because of the Red Tide and the dead fish. So mom and dad made a decision not to stay because of the Red Tide and dead fish. They called me and told me that they were going to come back home. We also decided that we will not be staying in Mexico Beach this weekend either. We've decided that we'll just stay home instead. Oh well…some things just can't be helped. So if you we planning on coming to Mexico Beach to see us…forget about it.

Been watching what with what has been happening in New Orleans and Biloxi/Gulfport area. Over years I have spent a lot time in the Biloxi/Gulfport area. When I was in the Air Force I did all my training at Keesler AFB in Biloxi. I figured it up and with all the training courses I've attended, I've spent about nine months of my life in Biloxi. Plus the weekend trips to see friends, going to New Orleans for work and vacation etc.all means that I'm quite familiar with the area from Biloxi to New Orleans as well. So it kinda of has special meaning to me. I'm incredibly sadden by what I'm seeing. First the devastation from the Hurricane is beyond anything I have ever seen. My mind just keeps reminding me that - that could have been us. Second, what is happening in New Orleans is just sickening. And when I say that I mean that on so many different levels. There's the total flooding of the city and all the people who are stranded and can't get out. What they are going through is simply horrendous. Then there's the armed gangs and lawlessness. If I didn't know better I'd swear I was looking at third world country when I see the news. Hard to believe that all this is happening just 300 miles away in New Orleans. Get involved in this one folks cause this situation is going to need all of our attention.

For those of you who are interested in finding out exactly what's happening in New Orleans may I recommend a couple of web sites. The first one is http://www.nola.com - Quite simply this one will break your heart. This website normally covers 'All Things New Orleans' - since the hurricane it's function has changed. Message boards have been put up concerning looking for missing people, people letting others know they are okay and people offering places to stay. And pleas for help from folks still trapped in the city. Many have contacted loved ones outside the city who then post on the site. Some of these posts are simply to much for me. I am humbled and overwhelmed when I read something's that are happening and going on in this city. Another site worth looking at is one called http://www.katrinacentral.com very similar to the other site and serves the same function. If you do check this sites and read this, remember these are real people. It's easy to forget in today's world of blogs and websites. But these are some really desperate people. Also, I recommend reading the comments on my previous post. My good friends Brian and Tina Franc posted their story of Hurricane Kitrina - please check it out. Enough of the PSA.

Gas is outrageous. Went home from work on Tuesday and the gas station across from me was $2.53 per gallon for regular. The next morning it was up to $2.98 per gallon!. It went up 45 cents per gallon overnight - simply unbelievable. Because of that I have decided to no longer go home over lunch. The cost is one thing but the availability of gas is another. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find a place to get gas. Our area depends on getting gas from the Gulf of Mexico and the Intercostals waterway. Again, because of the storm the Intercostals is difficult to get through. Causing gas to become scare or waiting in lines for very long times. Even Kiel said he waited nearly an hour in Orlando. Anyhow, I figured that I would save nearly 5 gallons of gas or $15 a week by not going home at lunch. So today I brought a couple of packs of crackers, a Pepsi, my Bible (The Message), a couple of other books and a Chris Tomlin CD. So during lunch I closed the door to my office, listened to my CD, ate my crackers, drank my soda and read. First I read from The Message - great paraphrase/translation of the Bible by the way. If you're ever found the bible difficult to ready check out the message. I then read a book, that oddly enough I picked up in Biloxi last year after we returned from our cruise on our way home from New Orleans. The name of the book is called 'Epic' by a guy named John Eldridge. What's ironic is that it's a book called 'Epic' but it's very small and only has 104 pages. Plus it's in pretty big print too - so it's a very easy and quick read. But it's a book about the Story of our lives. I read some of it before. But with everything that is happening in the world and my life right now I decided to go back and read/finish it. It's pretty good. Anyhow, I like my new lunch hour routine. But it does seem to make the day seem a bit longer by not having a lunch outside of the office to break it up. Oh well I can deal with it.

Enough rambling for now. Have a safe and fun Labor Day weekend.