This is New Year's Eve. Steve got us a table on the balcony overlooking Bourbon Street. It was pretty wild. By 11:00 pm it was so crowded you couldn't move on the street. It was a little much and we left for the hotel (will explain the hotel later). It was a lot of fun. We went today back to Bourbon St. and had readings by psychics. It was amazing how accurate they are. We went to two different places, one for me and one for Steve, and they were about the same. Interesting!!! We also bought a St. Christopher to put in the RV for safe travel.

Okay, the RV. We left Saturday afternoon. We were so exhausted from loading up the RV, the truck, and two motorcycles. Steve bought a new Harley Davidson before we left. We also had to wait for the RV to get out of the shop. The fender had to be replaced from the accident we had in Birmingham. We stopped at a rest stop when we crossed the Alabama to fill the RV with water. Before we knew it, water was spraying everywhere, inside and outside the RV. The shop didn't put a heater in it in the cold weather and the pipes busted. We stayed at WalMart in Athens, AL, for the night using gallons of water to flush the toilet. Now I felt like I was camping.

We knew we would make it to New Orleans because the RV was still driveable. When we got there we could check into the campground and have a shower and bathroom there while we got the RV fixed. We got to New Orleans, to the campground, and it was right off Lake Pontchatraine in the middle of the devastation of Katrina. The campground was filled with FEMA trailers and the neighborhood was destroyed. We drove right by it and went to a WalMart to call another campground. We got stuck trying to get into WalMart and had to back out (not an easy feat with a 32 ft. motorhome and a 10 ft. tow dolly). We pulled off the road and called around. NO CAMPGROUNDS TO BE FOUND. Steve checked the GPS (Gypsy as we fondly call her). She found a campground, we called, and Gypsy led us to a million dollar neighborhood. Here we are, driving around these houses looking for a campground. We called again, the Gypsy had given us the owners home address. If I hadn't been, so tired at the time, I would have laughed. Steve did, but I think it was from hysteria. The man told us how to get to the campground. We found it with no problem, but pulled into a trailer park. And not a nice one. The manager came out and tried to hook us up to electricity and couldn't get it to work so he just left. At this point I cried.

We turned around and checked into a La Quinta. We've been here ever since. Insurance said they will cover all of it, including our hotel, because it was the repair shops fault. We're waiting to talk to the insurance again tomorrow to find out where we will get it fixed. Our plan is to leave here Thursday and go to Houston. Steve's sister-in-law is there and we can stay there while the RV is being fixed. At least, that's the plan. We will just have to see what happens.

This is the reason for purchasing the St. Christopher for a safe journey. Both of the psychics said we will have good travels. We are depending on that. I'm going to the St. Louis cemetary tomorrow. I got to see my friend, Smoky. He has a booth at the French Market. He said Angelina Jolie came by his booth last week and bought some of his CDs. He said to her, "You look familiar, are you and actress?" She said yes and told him her name. He said "Could you spell that last name, I didn't get it". His friends told him he was the only man in the US that wouldn't recognize Angelina Jolie. We're having dinner tomorrow night before I leave.



I also got to see a great cajun band today. It has been fun in spite of the problems. What they say about New Orleans is true. Outside of the French Quarter it looks like a war zone. There are homeless living under bridges in tents downtown. There are large apartment complexes boarded up and empty. There are so many FEMA trailers and campers in front of houses all around town. There are even empty storefronts on Bourbon Street. Driving down on I-59 we passed acres and acres of FEMA trailers that never made it to New Orleans. They sit empty as the homeless live in tents. I want to cry at the destruction and the stupidity of the local and federal government. All of these people still need our prayers.


Back to the good part. My psychic told me my creativity would bring me wealth. I know she doesn't necessarily mean money. It could be all of the friends I have in my life because of my writing.

Everyone take care and I'll keep blogging.

Diana the Rose
WWWL