...intact...

with much less than the 5-8 inches of rain that was expected, jess and i have weathered yet another tropical storm here in algiers. power flickered several times, but never were we faced with even a minor discomfort. to all who worried, we are fine.

i believe katrina had already knocked all the limbs from trees and shingles from roofs that were willing to be knocked, and with the added rain, my yard looks even better than before rita's descent onto our coast.

on another note, at least five or six local groceries have reopened. lines are long at some but for the most part at least one can get the essentials. the cafe down the street, and two local bars/cafes appear to be reopened with bills of health from the city. petco, target, branches of hibernia, and several walgreens also appear to be open.

the freezer still vaguely smells of grim death, but we hope that that too will go away with time.