PreKatrina Haunts
My landline at the Can got turned on today and lo and behold I had 25 voice mail messages on there – some pre-Katrina:
Aug 27 – 4:59 PM – Les calling from El Dorado where he went “in case” Katrina hit – he said, “y’all must be busy having a hurricane party”
Aug 28 – 9:20 AM – Nick calling saying “someone’s having a fit because he can’t find his Star Wars sticker book – can you grab it?”
Aug 28 – 10:45 AM – Lisa calling to see if we were evacuating.
Aug 28 – 11:30 AM – Lisa again.
This afternoon, went to meet mom for lunch at R&O’s and she ordered what looked like an awesome soft shell crab poboy and I got my favorite – shrimp remoulade and a cup of gumbo (when is Commanders re-opening?). She had followed me there and almost got into an accident pulling into R&O’s parking lot. After lunch, three hours later, I was contemplating my new roller device to take the canoe out when she phoned – she had been in the parking lot of Whole Foods on Vets for 3.5 hours because she had crashed into 3 parked vehicles and had been fielding ambulance, police, Whole Food employees, other drivers questions in the hot sun – they had towed the Volvo saying they thought it was totalled. She said it was as if the car hydroplaned but “there was no water.”
Meanwhile her towing service calls her once they get the car to Kenner and said the battery was dead and they couldn’t get the windows up so she had to come there and put garbage bags on the window because it looked like rain. I said I’d go do that but she said “no, it isn’t going to rain” – we hung up and the sky opened up – pouring, lightning, thunder – water water everywhere.
My mother is going to be 71 in December, but it feels as if she is perpetually 14. I have been her mother all my life. For some reason, I derive no joy from this angle of motherhood.
L called and wanted me to join him and T at Pal’s – they’ve been on the night crawlers tour of New Orleans since T got here last Monday. L’s own mother awaits in El Dorado, awaiting his care very soon.
S called and booked a ticket to come here July 4th weekend – hip hip hooray – we’ll go to Paul’s going away party at Bacchanal on Saturday when she gets in – and then she has to leave on Monday afternoon.