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New Orleans One Year Later
Sep. 22nd, 2006 12:43 pmNot that I have any insights to share, it just happens to be where I am this weekend. Staying with my Mother-in-Law for Rosh Hoshana in her just finished getting rebuilt house - boxes everywhere and all of us compulsively checking what we can see of the structure. It's remarkably like her old house, but better (nicer flooring, way nicer appliances, that sort of thing) and seems better built, so maybe the roof will stay on for a while.
I am a much better guest than host, at least in terms of getting along with my MiL. When we're in her house, we play by her rules and that's fine. When she stays with us, it bugs me no end that she won't even try to adjust to my way of doing things. But that is of no importance right now, as I am a guest, and all is well.
My sister-in-law (I am ambivalent about the capitalization, so I'll probably switch back and forth) is here as well. This allows me and my MiL to bond because we find M. (my SiL) exasperating in the same way - M has opinions on everything and it never occurs to her that anyone might have different opinions. Well, no, she'll concede that right-thinking people might have, say political views than she does, but oh my god what kind of crazy person would put a rug under a dining room table? I find it best to keep quiet unless I really really care a whole lot about whatever the subject is, DH will jump in and happily debate anything whether he cares about it or not, so there's a lot of M and DH debating and me and MiL smiling ruefully at each other.
M. is dating this guy who is very into having a Jewish identity but hates synagogues, so she doesn't want to go to services, so it looks like we will all have dinner at 6:30, then the rest of us will go use the High Holiday tickets MiL bought, probably after a bit more arguing over whether or not M will come with us. The food is from Casablanca's, so it should be good. And there's a new rabbi at MiL's synagogue since I was last there (or, last time I was there he was the rabbi but he wasn't in town, or something, I haven't heard him speak is the point), so I'm looking forward to seeing what he's like.
Hertz gave us a convertible Mustang - I guess it's what they had on hand - so we are taking every opportunity to drive around. Some places look like nothing ever happened, some are full of trailers, and some are just a mess, still. It's not as horrifyingly mind-numbingly awful as last October (which is the last time I was here), that's for sure. I'm really looking forward to getting back to our old neighborhood on Monday and seeing how those guys are doing. Sometimes I feel like we made a bad mistake in leaving, that we should have stayed and done our bit to rebuild or whatever, and moving to California just gave us a different set of problems that I am less equipped to handle. I can't tell yet if this visit is going to intensify that feeling or lessen it.
I am a much better guest than host, at least in terms of getting along with my MiL. When we're in her house, we play by her rules and that's fine. When she stays with us, it bugs me no end that she won't even try to adjust to my way of doing things. But that is of no importance right now, as I am a guest, and all is well.
My sister-in-law (I am ambivalent about the capitalization, so I'll probably switch back and forth) is here as well. This allows me and my MiL to bond because we find M. (my SiL) exasperating in the same way - M has opinions on everything and it never occurs to her that anyone might have different opinions. Well, no, she'll concede that right-thinking people might have, say political views than she does, but oh my god what kind of crazy person would put a rug under a dining room table? I find it best to keep quiet unless I really really care a whole lot about whatever the subject is, DH will jump in and happily debate anything whether he cares about it or not, so there's a lot of M and DH debating and me and MiL smiling ruefully at each other.
M. is dating this guy who is very into having a Jewish identity but hates synagogues, so she doesn't want to go to services, so it looks like we will all have dinner at 6:30, then the rest of us will go use the High Holiday tickets MiL bought, probably after a bit more arguing over whether or not M will come with us. The food is from Casablanca's, so it should be good. And there's a new rabbi at MiL's synagogue since I was last there (or, last time I was there he was the rabbi but he wasn't in town, or something, I haven't heard him speak is the point), so I'm looking forward to seeing what he's like.
Hertz gave us a convertible Mustang - I guess it's what they had on hand - so we are taking every opportunity to drive around. Some places look like nothing ever happened, some are full of trailers, and some are just a mess, still. It's not as horrifyingly mind-numbingly awful as last October (which is the last time I was here), that's for sure. I'm really looking forward to getting back to our old neighborhood on Monday and seeing how those guys are doing. Sometimes I feel like we made a bad mistake in leaving, that we should have stayed and done our bit to rebuild or whatever, and moving to California just gave us a different set of problems that I am less equipped to handle. I can't tell yet if this visit is going to intensify that feeling or lessen it.