Conversations With A Woman 2.0

...please consider donating to the American Red Cross or the relief organization of your choice to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.


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My beloved friend Jef is 5.4285714 in dog years today!

:-)
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I met L & G yesterday for lunch. This resulted from a call on Thursday night that I made to G that went a little something like this:

G: Hello?
Me: I. MUST. HAVE. MEAT.
G: Umm...do you want me to go out and bludgeon something for you or what?
Me: No, but I really need a steak. Do y'all want to go get one?

L & G being the accommodating people that they are agreed to meet me for a steak and afterward we walked off said steak at the IKEA store.

This was my second visit and L & G's first visit. As you drive toward the IKEA on 17th Street, you kind of go up a very slight incline and make a slight curve. Therefore, I began singing the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey (complete with timpani, because the timpani is the best part, doncha know?)as the very very large bright yellow and bright blue building came into our field of vision.

G had been sporting some very cute high heeled wrap-around-your-ankle shoes with a butterfly on them for the dining portion of our trip, and then changed to some "sport sandals" for hiking IKEA. As she looked around at the patronage as we entered the store, she lamented that all the gay men were going to be making fun of her because her shoes were not as fabulous as the rest of her outfit. She thought about going back to the car to get the bag that contained her fabulous shoes so that she could prove that indeed, she did have fabulous shoes for her fabulous outfit, but they were just too fabulous to be hiking around in IKEA.

The last time I was at IKEA, I bought a colander. I was most proud of my colander, and even prouder of the joke I made: "Them Swiss folks sure do make some good holey things - like cheese and this here colander!" I shared my Oh-so-clever joke with L & G and after a second L says, "Umm...IKEA is Swedish not Swiss." Swede - Swiss - To-may-toe - To-mah-toe - Let's call the whole thing off!

This trip I bought a kitchen timer, 2 rubber spatulas, a set of 2 cutting boards, and a bathmat and spent less than $10.00! Woo Hoo!

My dogs were barking by the time we decided to leave. We stopped by the snack bar in hopes of sampling a SWEDISH (not Swiss) meatball, but alas you can only get those in the restaurant upstairs. However, we did have a lovely beverage and a cinnamon bun!

If you have not had the "IKEA Experience" yet, I highly recommend it. You'll be amazed at the stuff you find that you didn't know you absolutely had to have at that very moment - like a rubber spatula!

:-)

// posted by Joan @ 10:03 PM

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If ever there is a true and diverse barometer of how people are feeling and what they are thinking about, it's blogging. I have wandered through some of the regular blogs that I visit, in addition to others that I just happened upon, and everyone is talking about Gulf Coast disaster and how incredibly helpless they feel.

We're talking about bloggers that are as close as Baton Rouge, LA to as far away as Germany. It's interesting to me that the bloggers from other countries are saying things like, "Our country is offering help, but we've been turned down or there has been no response." Why have they been turned down and/or why have we not responded? WHY?

People keep bringing up that America responded to the situation in SE Asia when the Tsunami hit faster than we are responding TO OUR OWN CITIZENS!!! WHY???

I watched "Nightline" last night and Ted Koppel was talking to Louisiana Senator Melacon and Koppel was saying that perhaps the Govenor of Louisiana didn't ask for help from the Federal Government fast enough or correctly enough? Senator Melacon reacted much more diplomatically than I would have to that question, but basically he was saying, "The area is deemed a disaster area by the State and Federal government BEFORE Katrina hit and the federal government wants a written invitation to come down here and help?" Amen, Senator Melacon!

Wednesday the news kept showing two bodies outside of the convention center in New Orleans. One is in a wheelchair and covered in a sheet, and the other is wrapped in a sheet. Thursday there was a picture of Harry Connick, Jr. touching the body in the wheel chair and obviously praying or crying or both. This gut wrenching scene was both horrible and beautiful at once. That person and that person's family may never know that Harry Connick, Jr. took a moment to acknowledge this life that was lost, however at least that person got a tiny bit of dignity in their undignified death. Not because it was Harry Connick, Jr., but because it was one human to another.

One thing that really upset me was CNN.com having headlines like, "Fats Domino missing in the aftermath of Katrina." I mean absolutely no disrespect to Mr. Domino and his family when I say this, but WHO CARES??? Don't get me wrong, someone should be concerned when he is missing and I'm glad that he was found, but damn it! There are THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS of people who have NO IDEA if their loved one in the area is dead or alive and we're shining a light on a celebrity? What I'm saying is, if your are going to run headlines like that, run them for EACH AND EVERY missing person or don't run them at all.

I looked in on the NBC Concert to raise money for Katrina last night. Aaron Neville's "Amazing Grace" was beautiful. The gospel song that Faith Hill sang brought tears to my eyes. Hearing Harry Connick, Jr. try not to cry while he sang, "Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans?" made me cry. However they couldn't have picked a better song for the finale. A New Orleans jazz band playing and Harry and the other singers singing, "When the Saints Go Marching In." THAT, my friends, is the true "Sprirt of New Orleans." I hope that, coupled with the troops with supplies and water that finally got to the area yesterday is the glimmer of hope that eventually the Gulf Coast will see better days.
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I have a friend who lives and works in the New Orleans area that I have been worried about since it looked like Katrina was headed straight for New Orleans.

I wrote my friend an email Sunday night and simply let her know I was praying that she was OK and asking that she get in touch when she can. She wrote me an email that I received this morning:

doing ok - busy but often I cry...life is sad for many down here on a good day...these are very very bad days and that is breaking my heart
house has tree in bedroom
very busy helping to organize recovery efforts
thanks for your note and prayers
we all need them down here
I'm safe but what's happening here is worse than the news is telling you

I am absolutely horrified by what is going on in New Orleans and all of the other affected areas. I sit and watch the coverage on the news and cry because it is so unfathomable that this is going on anywhere, much less in America - the richest country in the world.

Yet my friend, who is basically at "Ground Zero," says it's much worse than what I'm seeing on TV??? All I can do shake my head and wipe away my tears.

I am praying hard and sending healing thoughts to all that are affected. I hope you'll join me.
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