Rice Festival

Smell that? It's in the air.

Still Here

Some of the staff has had the opportunity to leave, on other units. I
have not heard anything one way or the other. Rumor is that Jindal
will say that the city will be declared safe on Thursday. That means
the hospital can then activate the recovery team. I can leave once
they arrive. I would be willing to stay all week if I can be off next
week, which is how it works. The recovery team will match what the
disaster team works.

I can't complain because we have electricity and air conditioning.

Only day #2

The free meals are already getting smaller. Thank God I brought my own food because I guess they expect me to survive on this.

Windy

Outside it is windy and misty. I don't know much about what's going on, but I see no flooding in this area. We can't leave the hospital until the state clears the roadways. There are still no updates on that. Everyone at the hospital is in good spirits, but of course I'm ready to go home.

Missed it

I slept through the majority of the storm. This is what I saw as I looked out my window as I woke up. I'm going to go downstairs and get some free food!

Night View

It is relatively calm outside.

Boarded Up

All of the windows of the unit have been secured. I can't see what is
going on outside. The weather hasn't started to get bad yet. Later in
the morning, we should start hearing things.

So Far...

Here is what the weather is looking pike so far. I'm sitting on the 8th floor of the hospital, looking towards the city. Who knows what is to come!

Getting ready....

Walking around the apartment complex, I noticed that almost everyone has evacuated. The cars that remain are probably health care workers or vehicles left behind. Most people have left the city. Yesterday, I was driving down Veterans Boulevard in Metairie, and it was a ghost town. It's a wise decision. It appears this storm is not going to be anything nice.

It is currently noon on Sunday, and Gustav should make landfall early Monday morning. I have to report to work in 5 hours. I will be there 24/7 for, what I think, at least a week straight. It is likely cell phones will not work; however, text messaging might. I think I will be safe during the storm. I'm just a little worried that I won't have a home when I return.

I have my bags packed. This is just the stuff that I have not loaded in my car yet. I have enough to survive at least 2 weeks on my own. The hospital will provide us with food and water, but I can't trust anyone but myself. This is my stash.

Lines

Here is a little view of the pre-Gustav lines at SAMs in Metairie.
Insanity.

Early Morning

I took this picture a few weeks ago when I was about to get off work.
This is the winding Mississippi River. The bridge in the distance is
the Huey P. Long Bridge.

Around the Hospital

Here is a neat picture of the hospital lobby. It is one of the few nice areas of the hospital, since it was remodeled after the storm.

I heard news today that Jim Carey is filming a movie on the fourth floor. I think that's really cool. I need to scope it out so I can be an extra. The fourth floor is abandoned on the weekends, so it won't interfere with patient care.

Bored

I am finishing up my preceptor hours in the Pediatric ER at Tulane. I just peeped out the door, and the sun is blinding. Of course Chairity is across the street, so I had to get a picture while it is still standing. It is a beautiful day, and the ER is slow. I wish I could be outside.

Completion

I have been insanely busy, and I have not had the opportunity to post. The day has finally come. I am finished with nursing school!

The reality of the fact has not set in yet, but it was nice to wake up (this afternoon...hehe) without anything weighing on my shoulders. I don't think that nursing school is as tough as people try to make it out to be. I did it all in 9 months. Until that level of stress and exhaustion is felt, I wouldn't suggest complaining about a traditional program.

High View

I am waiting for a meeting to begin, and I was given a great photo
opportunity. I am on the 22nd floor of a building across from the
Superdome. There is an incredible view if this part if the city. The
only thing better is if I had a 360 degree view. I can even see my
apartment complex from here. Sometimes, I am amazed at the things that impress me.

Typical Background Noise

I decided to come downtown, to the hospital to so some last minute
cramming. As I began to study, I hear a strange, yet familiar,
sound. It is quite distinct. It was loud and sharp, and then the
echoes were transmitted down the empty city streets.

I grew up in the country. Hunting is a past time that we commonly
enjoyed. The sound of a gunshot is one that is difficult to forget.
That is exactly what I heard about 10 minutes ago.

That is nothing strange here. I am about 3 blocks from where all the
shootings occurred during Mardi Gras.

Well, I'm going to get back to studying. I just thought it was
something "special" to share.

Final

The clock is ticking, and I'm blogging. My motivation is non-
existent. Our previous test in this class was Thursday, and the final
is tomorrow. Clinicals all day yesterday prevented me from studying.
I have a severe case of the "don't wants."

I hope the motivation will arrive shortly. I'll find a way to make it
work.

Uptown, Off Magazine

This phone even takes fancier pictures.

V-Day

So, I just had to take a picture of this couple at the Bulldog on Magazine. The flirting is totally grossing me out. I just witnessed kissing. Gross!

Unsure

I am not completely sure, but I think I witnessed a drug deal outside of my window.

The dude was standing in the parking lot talking on the phone before this car arrived. After he got off the phone, he started pacing around the parking lot in circles, nonstop. It was just all very strange. I think they might have seen me. I'm posting this picture for evidence, just in case they did.

Welcome to the Big Easy

Here and there, I like to snap photos. This is a view of what I see every moring on my way to school. I was in my car, on Poydras, coming from Metairie. As you clearly see, the Louisiana Superdome is on the right.

Today, we finished the first class of this semester. We only have 3 classes before we are officially nurses. It is so hard to believe. This program was so quick, but it seems like it has taken years out of me. It has been a ton of hard work, but the fight is not over yet.

Our next rotation is pediatrics. From my current view, I do not feel that this one will be my favorite, but I have been surprised before.

Requiem for Charity

Charity Hospital

Until recently, I had no clue that this lonely white building was the infamous Charity Hospital. In my defense, there is no sign. On the other hand, there are signs that say LSU. For some reason, I never tied the two together. I knew LSU med school was connected to this building, but since the old hospital has lights on at night, I thought the building was still in use.

Now that I know this was Charity and is abandoned; I have an overwhelming desire to tour the inside. I feel the same about the old Rayne Branch Hospital, which was closed in the early 1990s. Of course, if it could be a nighttime tour, all the better, but beggars can't be choosers.

I cross this historic landmark daily. I stare at it through my classroom window. It stands for so much, and now functionally, it stands for so little. The entrances have been boarded up since the storm, and a guard sits at the emergency room entrance. Lives are not saved through those doors anymore. Those walls no longer see pain, and in turn, no joy.

Plans are to destroy this landmark, and rebuild farther up on Airline. The legacy will live on, and the memories will soon be a cloud of dust.

A Lack of Charity

Tonya Lacoste

Tonya Lacoste not only looks like a chain smoker, she looks like a bitch too.



The best moment has to be at the 55 second mark, when the camera flashes back to the news desk. Chuck is shaking his head, and Darla has her head down trying to control herself. Priceless.