Lucky Day
On this day last year, I was in my niece Sara’s house with her husband Michael, her daughter Rylee, my other niece Jana, and her boyfriend David, and my brother Bob, and his wife Barbara, my other niece’s husband’s mother, Jeanine, Nick and Val and Val’s mother Lorrie, Wade, their dog Zeus, and Steve & Arlene – we had arrived at 3AM from a 16.5 hour drive after having to leave under a mandatory evacuation. We were preparing to come back the next day after the hurricane passed through New Orleans. My friends Nancy and Bill stayed behind and didn’t evacuate. My neighbors who I was just getting to know – Ham and Teresa – Harold – had all stayed behind.
Today, Steve and I are divorced and he is living in San Francisco.
Today, Sara and Michael are expecting daughter number 2 and have moved to Houston where my other niece Dana lives with her husband and two children.
Today, I am still living at the American Can Company. The LaLa is further along than it was then, but the road to completion is long.
To commemorate what this one year has meant to us and our city, we are gathering, about 100 of us, on the bayou for the biggest potluck you’ve ever been to and we’re going to rejoice in the wonder of being in New Orleans, with our loved ones (most of them), eating delicious food (sorry Arlington and Texas but your FOOD SUCKS), drinking cold crisp Rose wine or whatever cocktail is brought, and marveling at how lucky we all are on this day August 29, 2006.
September 2nd, 2006 at 2:49 pm
Hey, Rachel-
Not ALL the food in Texas sucks. We think the food on East Grand is pretty damn good. Late reply, I know. Glad to read that LaLa is progressing.
Nancy
September 9th, 2006 at 7:18 pm
Sorry N – I certainly neglected to mention the GIANT hospitality we received by way of good food and drink from Mellon, Nancy, etc – thanks!!