We're Back

We left Atlanta at about 5 a.m. on Friday morning. I needed to get back to NOLA in time to get into the office for at least a few hours and Christian wanted plenty of daylight to get a good look around the house and start the storm clean-up work. It ended up being a good time to drive. The roads were busy but we never stopped because of traffic and we made decent time. Oddly enough, Christian had plenty of energy at 5 a.m. and La Luz ended up sleeping until around 8:30, well into the drive.

It is nice to be home but, other than the long drive and the expense of gas, it was lovely spending time in Atlanta. At Nana and Papa-T's house we have all of the comforts of home plus a few extras. We have plenty of room to roam around, a pool, a stocked kitchen, easy access to any of the conveniences we have grown accustomed to, privacy and lots and lots of TLC. On top of all of that, La Luz has time to play with her cousins and gets totally spoiled by her grandparents. I cannot imagine spending more than about 2 nights in a hotel room with La Luz. I don't know how people with young children (especially those with pets too) are able to tolerate extended stays in hotel rooms. There simply isn't enough space and meals certainly become an issue. We are incredibly lucky to have Atlanta as our evacuation destination.

We sort of agreed around here not to talk about Ike for a few days. We wanted to clean up the house, walk around the neighborhood, visit with friends, and enjoy the Saints game before even considering what next week might be like. I also need a clear head for a day or two so that I can concentrate on work. It was tough getting anything done the few days before the evacuation for Gustav and even tougher while working remotely from Atlanta. I just couldn't focus. I am hoping for a productive day tomorrow and Tuesday and then I can start thinking about Ike. What concerns me more than that, however, is that La Luz actually understands the concept of hurricanes and storms now. On the way upstairs last night she saw the weather map with the hurricane icon swirling around and said "uh-oh, a hurricane". I would like for her to be able to enjoy her routine for a few days before disrupting it again.

La Luz, in the backyard at Nana and Papa-T's:



Wes, loving hanging out with me:


Liam, driving the 'train' at Adams park:


La Luz and Liam at Adams park: