>>I am being hit like a pinata from all sides these days, other than Cindi and my daughters, and will just say this. I was there in the south after Katrina. I called up my volunteer group (hunger project) and asked if they had anything going. By the time they got something organized New Orleans had been evacuated and we were needed in Houston. I went and it was the best week of my life. Did anyone else here help out? I think Ken Buch and his wife did and that's it. So let's have a little credit where it's due. I did not do it for any credit. We hardly slept that whole week We blew through Texarcana at 6 in the morning, driving through the night. We gave some comfort to the afflicted and then were ordered out of town ourselves on Thursday when everyone had palsy over Hurricana Rita, the most overrated hurricane ever. We drove back through again. It was gridlock all the way to Dallas. Fortunately the driver of our car, an SUV which got outrageously bad gas mileage (I spent over $400 on gas), had a sister near Dallas. She and her husband could not have been more hospitable. We arrived in the wee hours and she made us the best mushroom omelet I have ever had. She made up the beds and it could not have been more comfortable. You go and go and go and then you have the comfort of a nice sleep. >> > > >I went down to Ocean Springs, MS and carried supplies to the officers of the Ocean Springs PD. The last trip was to take Christmas gifts to the officers and their families. I was even able to talk an Alabama Sheriff's office into donating two unmarked cars because Ocean Springs didn't have any. I agree, it is a good thing to pitch in and help out, particularly when folks are down and out. Oh, and my wife and I let a family from the New Orleans area stay in our garage apartment for a month too. This stuff didn't really cramp my style because the apartment was vacant and I was off after having had back surgery, so I was being paid to breathe anyway. I think you get as much out of doing things like that as the people you help, but you know cops are supposed to help people, aren't they?
