Thursday, August 28, 2008

I'm Still Conflicted...


I am scheduled to fly to New Orleans tomorrow morning and return on Tuesday afternoon for Southern Decadence weekend. Everything points to Gustav building strength in the Gulf of Mexico - and then hitting the coast SOMEWHERE toward the end of the weekend. New Orleans continues to be in the center of this "cone of uncertainty".

I am so conflicted. Do I go, have fun for two nights, and then get "evacuated" on Sunday? Will I be able to buy anything (bottled water, etc) at any of the stores once I get there? Will the locals who work in New Orleans start getting the hell out of town - leaving hotels/restaurants/bars understaffed? Will the crowds, which make Southern Decadence weekend fun, even show up?

I have already read that the transit system in New Orleans will stop on Friday - so buses can be available for possible evacuations on Saturday. That's not encouraging.

This really sucks - I bought my plane ticket MONTHS ago for only $250!!! There is NO WAY I'll be able to get such a great fare again. At BEST, the airline will let me change my return trip to an earlier flight with no penalties. But I can envision a scenario where EVERYONE is at the airport, desperately trying to get on earlier flights. Do I want to spend half my vacation at the New Orleans airport?

This sucks ASS...