New Orleans Part Deaux

Remember the last time that I went to New Orleans...I groped hot, ripped men and partied on Bourbon street. Ohhh, those were the days...this trip I got to grope a porcelain commode and guzzle gallons of gatorade (see proof below).




I know, I know, you are insane with jealousy. I was the fortunate host of a wicked parasite that chose to lodge itself in my intestine and cause me pain and grief for days on end. Seriously, I was INDISPOSED for all but one day of my seven day trip. I tell you what, when you get to be on a first name basis with the hotel housekeeping and room service staff, you know that your trip has gone horribly awry! I now have the highest room service tab in history and have watched more movies than I have done in the last year! Who goes to New Orleans and looses weight? Who returns from New Orleans with knowledge that allows them to audition for Mr. Moviephone as a movie critic?

There was one day that I took Immodium which allowed me to leave my room for about 3 hours to be present at our Virtual Reality presentation. I don't look so bad in the pictures, but my stomach is having a war inside during each one of these pictures. I am sure that I ran to the bathroom after they were taken. Thank god that Michelle and Tatiana are such good presenters because they really did well presenting our research! You will have to visit Tatiana's blog for more details on what the rest of my posse did while in New Oreleans. I can guarantee that her blog will have more exciting details than mine.



Now that my complaining is over, I did enjoy the Hurricane Katrina Devastation Tour that I took the first day of my trip and the movies that I watched. I will have to blog again to talk about what I saw on the Katrina tour. It was an eye opening experience to see, first hand, just how devastating that storm was and just how far New Orleans has to go on their recovery. I tell you what, restoration is not as far along as you would think. There are still huge areas and communities that are entirely empty and destroyed. Only 7 of the area hospitals out of the original 22 still operate, most do so at limited capacity. Feeling sick and vulnerable at this time made me realize that the healthcare is not nearly equipped to deal with the needs of the population. It is really shocking to see New Orleans outside of the French Quarter. As far as the movies that I viewed, I saw all the Oscar award nominee stuff that I could never watch with my kids like, Blood Diamond, Notes on a Scandal, Babel, and Breach. I tell you what, I will think twice before I ever buy another diamond, before a trust a friendly stanger, before I take for granted my American rights and before I think that American can't be taken down from it's first world status as a world leader. After these shows I was sick to my stomach with emotional/socitital remorse and sickened by American greed and hubris. Thank god for Drew Barrymore who can always provide the levity needed (Music & Lyrics) to restore my complacancy and false sense of security with my sheltered existence. Once I followed Music & Lyrics up with The Big Lebowski, The Shooter and The Sentinel, my faith was restored in the fact that humor can solve anything, that lots of guns in the hands of Americans is a good thing and that the good guy wins in the end. Whew, I almost had a personal epiphany during a time of mental and physical weakness, I almost realized that our nation and the world is in the middle of a huge moral crisis that has already wrecked havoc on millions and has the potential to devastate the future of millions...but then, my diarrhea stopped, my electrolytes were restored, I was able to eat again and my vacuous concerns for the day returned. All is well with my world again...I am ready to go home!