Packing for Reconnaissance

Tonight Therese has her final class of the semester at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She took two courses at UNO, which must have been hard for her given all this turmoil, and after tonight she will be just two courses away from finishing her Masters as a Reading Specialist. Then around midnight we'll head out down I-29 to Kansas City, cut across to St Louis, and then south on I-55 to New Orleans. The trip usually takes about 17 hours, but with heavy snow reported in Kansas and Missouri it might take longer. We plan on being in New Orleans about a week. Our goals are to take out walls and treat the foundation and studs for any mold, to try to meet with a plumber and city inspector and get gas hooked up again (for hot water, heat, and cooking), and to talk to a few electricians about the possibility of getting the electricity turned on upstairs, as the upstairs didn't flood and won't need to be totally rewired. We also plan on seeing some friends, eating some great food, hearing some jazz, and getting the house ready for the triumphal return of Gilgamesh and Kalypso shortly after Christmas. To reach that end I have a generator, some kerosine heaters and lamps, and a few solar lights and candles. Hot water will be the biggest obstace. I plan on placing a large black hose on the balcony, which I hope will heat up during the day, and then each evening there should be enough "warm" water for two short showers with a hose. Oh yeah, and we're putting the two dogs in our completely filled car. That should be fun. I hope the next time I can enter a post I'll be using the new free wireless in the French Quarter. Laissez les bon temps roulez.