Today I went in to New Orleans in the morning so I could talk to the head of the Newcomb College Center for Research on Women (NCCROW). I had to think for a while about how to get there--it's been quite a few years since I was going regularly to the Tulane campus, but then I remembered. I headed down S. Claiborne from the interstate--same as I do when I go to the radio station. Still no traffic lights working until I got to Napoleon. That's the street with a huge hospital that's been closed since Katrina. (I think that's also one where some of the patients died during K.) This street sort of marks the complete transition from--shall we say low income?--to the more affluent areas. But Katrina didn't play favorites. The street that I drove down to get to the campus was partially blocked off so all the salvage trucks could continue cleanup. And it does look just a bit strange when you see a FEMA trailer in the driveway of a million dollar house. The road was also in really dreadful condition, even for New Orleans, which is not known for good roads.

I found an unoccupied handicapped parking place close to the building which was my goal, and I plunked my car into it and hung my handicapped tag from the mirror. Of course, it said I needed a Tulane handicapped tag, but so what. As OD once told me when I was merely using their library--if they ticket you just put it in your glove compartment. You're not a student and they can't get you. And the next time you go there, stick the ticket under your windshield wiper so they think they already gave you a ticket.

As I walked to the Womens Center building I couldn't help but notice that Tulane had very nicely painted cracks in their sidewalks with day-glo orange. There were a lot of cracks in the sidewalk.

I found the person I was going to talk to and we had a nice conversation. She said their building had had three feet of water. (Note: the library is on the first floor.) I'll be helping with getting stuff back in order in the library. In the back rooms there are stacks and stacks of boxes of stuff salvaged by the disaster recovery people. It should be interesting. And, I learned that one of the student workers is Romanian. I shall have to try to get him to teach me a bit more Romanian.

I'm looking forward to working there--it will be interesting and I'll be around people more.