Good morning. Velveeta writes today as melancholy today as she was yesterday.

Watching a special on NBC about Tim Russert is not helping the situation. The Mayor of Buffalo announcing they will attempt to rename a portion of highway that leads to the Bills Stadium after the journalist. It seems that NBC, at least for most of this morning, will be one large mourning/remembrance. I'll try not to be cynical. He was a very good journalist, in that I never knew his politics; sometimes I cheered for his reporting and on-target questions, other times I found myself screaming at the TV. e.g: "Why don't you ask that boob about Iran-Contra and his involvement!!!!!" But, despite my sometime annoyances, I'd rather think that the journalist I'm watching is non-partisan. Therefore, I can trust him/her more.

Even the fact that this is TONY AWARDS night is not cheering me up so much. But don't think that I won't be glued to the TV box tonight (as soon as I get off work). Most years I might know several of the people nominated. This year, not so much. I guess due to my being out of the loop for so many years. But I will still be cheering.


One of the shows I'll be interested in (are ya'll still reading?) is the show Perfect Strange. The show is unique not just for its music, more rock than your typical "Broadway" musical sound, but the fact that its an all black cast, even playing the "white" roles of Dutch and Europeans.

Here's the blurb description from the Tony Awards Website:


Sure, its a story thats been told millions of times. But haven't most stories by now?

ATTENTION BLOG READERS. END OF THEATER TALK. CONTINUE READING HERE.

Tomorrow I'll be leaving for, as of now, Cedar Rapids IA. I'll give ya'll the short version of what I'll be doing and what it might be like.

Indications are that it will be similar to my experience in NOLA during Katrina. So, I'll probably land somewhere near Cedar Rapids. I'll be with other ARC people that I'll introduce as well as Gov't officials/FEMA. They will be the only one going to the disaster. Once we land, we're on our own as to getting to ARC HQ. If there are any rental cars that FEMA hasn't taken, we'll get one and cram ourselves into it.

Once navigating our way to HQ we will sign in and then sign in with our various departments (Sheltering, Mass Care, Medical, Logistics, etc). Then we will probably be carted off to sleep in our first of several shelters. Sleep before we begin our work for the next day. Hopefully. The RC can often be like the Army (so I'm told), there are many moments of "hurry up and wait".

I will probably be doing "Client Casework". Here we work with people from the disaster on a person/family by person basis. And try to make sure their immediate needs are met and questions answered for long term recovery. The RC does not do long term recovery.

While you may only hear about the "big" disasters, you may not be aware that disasters happen every day, in every city and town and 9 times out of 10 the Red Cross services these. You can find an interactive map here of what the National is servicing. But your local chapter is busy every day with local events, often home/multi family fires that displace families. The Red Cross is there before the fire department leaves to assist the family with housing and emergency needs like food and medicine.

The ARC has had its problems in the past. Any large scale operation does. Especially one that is made up of volunteers (80%). Most of its current problems since 2000 or so stem from not being able to keep a President in place and each new person comes in to change things.

But I try not to focus on that, I just focus on the day to day work - because the people that need us, don't really care at the time. They just want clean water, food, diapers, a dry roof and to talk to people so they have a feeling of hope.

I'll attempt to touch base, but its highly doubtful, despite the ARC's very capable Satellite systems they install - I just won't have time, even if they do give me a computer. I'll continue with the Sunday blogs when I return - mid July.