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Hopefully, you're reading this at
a far better than I'm writing it. 3AM indeed! Lately, I've had no
problems falling asleep it's staying that way that's the tricky
part. A friend of mine says she gets this way around hurricane
season every year. Of course she had only just moved to New Orleans
when Katrina came and took her house, then she moved here and Gustav
messed with her new house. Considering her experiences it's no
wonder she's having a bit of anxiety. While some of my restlessness
might be attributed to hurricane season I kind of think it has a bit
more to do with the oil disaster in the Gulf.
Unlike Gustav where my neighborhood got seriously banged-up, this
oil catastrophe hasn't really given me a direct hit. I'm sorry to
say I don't know any oil rig or fisherman workers personally, nor do
I own any beachfront property and I don't eat shellfish. However,
the oil chaos has sort of crept into my life like a thief and stolen
something far more valuable than a few household items. It's the
mood of this town that's been taken.
Sure, all of our fabulous chefs are still able to get a hold of
plenty of safe seafood including crawfish. But it's not as plentiful
as it used to be so there are no impromptu backyard hangouts. Hey, I
may not eat shellfish but I still enjoy a crawfish boil party, where
we chill and sweat at the same time as we eat spicy food, drink
ice-cold beverages, and discuss the upcoming football season and
cooler weather. Also missing is the peace of mind that came from
knowing, whether you went or not, a relaxing stay at the beach was
only a few hours away. A co-worker said Destin was still lovely but
pictures of our favorite, Orange Beach, have been depressing to say
the least.
On the brighter side I have been reading about the LSU Ag Center and
Kevin Costner's brother's inventions that might be able to separate
the oil from our Gulf waters. You have to believe with the help of
modern science, in this region, anything is possible. These are the
same people who have for generations made something wonderful out of
adversity. They have created a much-desired delicacy out of a
creature known as a "mud-bug," a deceptively potent drink named
after horrendous storms, and now, for all I know, you could be
reading this at a far better time than I am writing it. Possibly,
eating a messy dessert named after the memory of a once dismal
situation. |
