Still not home....wanted to say hi to everyone

[dhweather]

Glad you are ok! The "getting back to normal" thing takes a long time,
but as long as you are alive, you can do it!

[JTD]

Kelly, it was so great seeing you in chat last night I hope that the recovery goes super fast and that Beaumont is back to it's old self (and better) sooner than anyone dares hope.

[Ivanhater]

hey! ive missed you, even though you got on to me that one time ...jk, i was thinking about you through the storm, glad your safe!

[george_r_1961]

Kelly it was great seeing u again in chat!

Hope all is well when u get home and hope u get home soon.

[CFL]

My heart goes out to you. I remember what life was like after Ivan in Pensacola. Hang in there!

[southerngale]

Hi again everyone! I finally made it home this past weekend and got power! I still don't have cable (TV or internet) so I signed up for AOHELL last night to tend to some things online. I've spent the last 2 days cleaning out my refrigerator/freezer so I can get out of the ice chests. It's been the most disgusting job I've ever done. I'm fortunate at my house though. Although just my yard estimate will likely be in the thousands, considering my sister's is and mine is worse, my house escaped with a garage door blown off, missing shingles, siding on the house off, etc. Many neighbors have blue roofs. There are blue roofs everywhere!! I used to couldn't see my other next door neighbor. The woods between us have thinned down to so little, I can now see them on their driveway. Some places have very little damage, others are destroyed. The Sonic by my sister's house looks like something that was abandoned 50 years ago or something and it's only a few years old. Or was.

My grandparents house has a tree in their bedroom and their enclosed porch is destroyed - their only home I've ever known. One of my friends has a tree in her house too, her chimney is on her driveway, and her house flooded. I haven't even talked to most of my other friends yet, but I suspect there will be similar situations.

Every time I drive around, I'm amazed. And I know it could have been worse. I know I'm particularly lucky to have escaped major damage. I just *knew* my house was gone. To see the trees all around my house but not one directly on it is a miracle. I know we're lucky to be alive. Sitting in that pitch dark motel room 2 1/2 weeks ago, listening to trees drop around me and watching roofs peel off and motel pieces start coming off, I doubted that. So yeah, I'm glad to be here today cleaning up this mess, trying to get things back to normal around here.

[Ixolib]

Keep the faith, Southerngale, and take it one day at a time. This SURELY has been one heck of a season, and so many of our members were directly impacted by one storm or one landfall or another.

Been thinking about you and I'm happy to hear you're back home - albeit still not back to normal. Of course, what you/we once knew as "normal" may be a long time coming back, if ever!! Hope you get your cable and internet back soon...

Geoge

[breeze]

It's so good to see that you made it back home, Kelly!
I do hope that you find some sense of normalcy, soon!

[bevgo]

SG, I am glad to hear you are safe. I know I will never again stay in the path of a hurricane. The fear is overwhelming and the aftermath is unbearable. I think I cry at least daily still. I just cannot shake the what-ifs. I went to Gulfport for the past 2 weeks to see patients and was in St. Martin, and Biloxi last week. Everwhere you go there is massive destruction. It is heartbreaking but then it hits again--this could have been my place with the number of dead on it. If I ever say I am staying again would someone please knock some sense into me.
I am not sleeping, lost weight(needed to though) and have chewed my fingers raw. I am trying to see my doc. but he was in NOLA and is not working yet. I have to go see my house in Marrero LA tomorrow. Some damage and we are waiting on our blue roof. Celing damage in the garage and a bedroom from rain. I am sooooo lucky. Why don't I feel lucky. I have nightmares about the storm and cannot seem to shake it. I want things to be normal again. I feel so bad seeing people living in tents in their yard surrounded by rubble of their homes. This is just so sad.....Hang in there--It gets a bit better daily. Slow but steady progress. We will all be OK as long as we are alive to recover.

[LAwxrgal]

Hi SG, good to know you are home and that you escaped any significant damage to your home! I do pray, like everyone else, that you find some semblance of normalcy to your life soon!