Arrival

Here are some photos from today. Enjoy.





First of all, getting up at 3:30 is awful. Just awful. Air Tran was so disorganized and most of us thought we'd miss the 6am flight. Not a great way to start the day.

Irony: flying 40 minutes to sit in an airport for 4 hours only to get on a plane at 11am for a 30 minute flight.

After I arrived in N.O, I was greeted in the baggage claim by a jazz ensemble complete with tuba! So fun! Then I got to stand in a line for the shuttle bus for what seemed to be an hour. I really think it was a whole hour! Fun. I almost made it on the one shuttle until the driver realized where I was staying (must have been off the beaten track for him) and he said he was "in a bad position" because he didn't have enough gas! So, I waited about 20 more minutes. Nice. Thanks dude.

So, on my flight into N.O. I sat next to a couple that is from the city (born and raised here). They live a couple parishes up from St. Bernard Parish. Talk about interesting conversation. According to this couple -- a white couple in their 60's -- none of the "blacks" really want to work and make things better. According to this couple the blacks want the government to do everything for them. So, that's one perspective. I really am looking forward to seeing this and hearing the other side of the story.

So as I drove by the Superdome today and then the Convention Center, the visions of what happened in those places were not far from my mind. Where was our government? I don't mean to get all political, but why can we fund a war on foreign soil when we can't even take care of our own? I will stop with that.


I met some great ladies today who are staying here at the St. Charles Guest House with me and who will be working on the project this week too. Joanne from Mass, Cheri from DC, Chris from Tampa and Mary Lou from Naples. We've already laughed a lot. Joanne and Mary Lou came because they saw Oprah where she featured this organization, the St. Bernard Project. I had no idea they had received this much press. So, it will interesting to see what the week will be like. I hope no camera crews are around because it's hot, humid and I'll be sweating it out. Kidding. Who cares? It's one week of my life to be a little uncomfortable. These folks have been uncomfortable for 2 years!