Getting in the city

My advice for getting into the city remains the same: Don't try it lightly. Its getting tougher and tougher to get into the city. Not only must you have an official pass, but the pass must say EXACTLY who you are and WHERE YOU ARE GOING. This does not allow ANY joy riding or sight seeing. I have been fortunate thus far to get in and see what I have seen, but today was tougher getting through checkpoints than yesterday and yesterday was very tough. I still highly reccomend an armed police escort, not because of crime, but because the city is still under heavy military presence and a police escort erases all doubts in the minds of the military that you are up to no good. Once Uptown and the CDB open up this will no doubt get tougher. The streets are eerily silent, save for some work crews and military checkpoints.

One word of advice, though. If you do get an official pass AND you get into the city AND you do something foolish like venture away from the instructions on your pass then bring a carton of cigarettes with you. A few packs of cigarettes to a Private in the Army manning the corner of Carrollton and Claiborne, for example, goes a long way to letting you take the long way in. Or so I've been told. However, don't try anything funny in the city. Not now, its not worth trying to fake your way in, or worse, sneak your way in. If you get stopped without a proper pass (particularly with a carload full of stuff) then you will be arrested.

3300 block of Dumaine update

Here is the water story for the 3300 block of Dumaine. The Bayou half of the block, although wet, did not get into the houses. This includes the homes of McInnis, Defillo, Soloeiv, Mancuso (and In-laws) and the folks with the yellow house and the Keystone lot (can't remember last name, sorry.) I regret to say the water lines past the stoop starts around the Sergents newly renovated home and all homes back to Hagan took on at least a little water.

32-3300 Block of GRSJ

After doing more work at C&B today I helped Weiss move some stuff out of his house on the 3200 block of Grand Route and I walked around and looked every house from the Bayou to Mystery. If your house is at least 2 feet high then you are dry. If you are at sidewalk level you likely took a little water, but not much. For an example, the Sullivans (who's house is a foot or so lower than the average on GRSJ) did not have water.

Crescent City Farmer's Market Update

Darlene Wolnik from the CCFM wrote to tell me that people can go to http://ccfm.standardemail.com to her about CCFM vendors,the markets and find out how they fared..

God Bless You Babs

Yesterday I asked my wife if it was Tuesday. She told me it was Thursday. Jeez um, I'm already losing it. Anyway, being reminded that it was Thursday reminded me of the Crescent City Farmer's Market and just in time - almost on cue - Barbara Traves, part time Seattle-ian and part time Mid Citzen sent me these pictures and wrote to tell me:

...Today I read your "I miss" post and it made me very sad. I am sending you these pictures to remind you that better days are ahead. I don't mean to made you any more sad, I hope these make you feel BETTER.

I miss side-stepping the dog poop along the bayou.
I miss the smell of the night jasmine and gardenias.
I miss Tony :) (from our wine tasting group)

Take care,

Barbara

P.S. Seattle homes and wine cellars are open for visitors.