No sooner had I finished the first entry when the signal for a neighborhood get-together sounded.

What? you may ask.

Very simple--the sound of sirens.

And I looked out the window in my office and saw the flashing red lights just a couple of houses down the block.

I put on some shoes, then headed out to see what was going on, and to socialize.

Fortunately, it was minor--a visitor's car kept on smoking after being shut off.

As a result I got acquainted with one of the people who lived there, and chatted more or less extensively with my next door neighbor.

Once we'd learned the fire was an extremely limited (if any) threat, we went on to semi-introductions, and (of course) our various Katrina adventures. The woman whose driveway had the smoking car was telling the route she took for Gustav last year. You have to have lived here for a while to know how to avoid the interstate. I lived here before the interstate was built and recognized the roads she was talking about.

So now I am soaked with sweat and will need to shower before hitting the sack, rather than waiting till morning as I had originally planned.