I went back to my neighborhood today. The flood-damaged crap which Michael and I had hauled out from my house to the curb was still there, a huge pile. In fact, it was even bigger than we left it, as a number of homes in the neighborhood are apparently being gutted. Piles of refuse line the street.
I spent most of the day cleaning out the craft room. Nasty, smelly, headache-inducing, heart-breaking, back-breaking work.
About mid-day a crew came by with a Bobcat and shoved the piles of refuse into one giant pile and then loaded it into a dump truck.
Even before they were gone, I began rebuilding the pile, dumping ruined books and craft supplies and furniture onto the curb. I can’t believe I got the futon out there all by myself. It was heavy.
I discovered a bag of potatoes sitting on the kitchen floor. Somehow I missed it on the last trip. They had partly liquified. Cleaning that up was really gross.
While working, I listened to the Big 870 (AM radio) where the United Radio Broadcasters of New Orleans continue their nonstop coverage of the post-Katrina recovery. Topics of the day included reaction to Mayor Nagin’s proposal for a casino district, and the recent police brutality captured on video in the French Quarter.
I’m pretty sore now. I’ll probably have to take it a lot easier tomorrow.
Do they sell Nippon Paint in the US? They have a variety that kills mold and prevents it from growing back on painted surfaces. That’s really useful here, and maybe it would be helpful for you guys too, with all the water damage and humidity.
From my previous life in paint sales, I can tell you that Zinsser’s B-I-N primer is the shit. They have various kinds of primer, spray cans, and stuff you can mix into paint to kill off mildew, prevent it in the future, and make it easy to cover your walls in light colors again.
Check out http://www.zinsser.com for the details. The stuff is available at pretty much any paint store, although you might have to stock up back in Indiana, because I’m sure it’s flying off the shelves down in NOLA.
How are the flies and mosquitos? Did you find any bugs or rats setting up camp in your house?
Potatoes are the worst…They smell Awful. Yucky, brown liquid stuff. I pity the fool. Which would be, uh, you…I guess.