Saturday, August 27th, my friends and I participated in the Mid Summer Mardi Gras event, held annually at the Maple Leaf Bar on Oak Street in New Orleans. We had no idea at that time how this event would be our last happy memory before the wrath of Katrina hit our town and turned our lives upside down. We left with getting little sleep early Sunday morning for the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain. The skies were blue, the waters were relatively calm crossing the Causeway Bridge and there was a erie energy in the air. We spent two days at the Holiday Inn in Covington, where their staff was amazingly hospitable and accomodating given the situation. By the time I returned to my duplex in Broadmoor on September 17, 2005 my house had sat with four feet of water inside for over two weeks. Portions of the roof, gutters, fence and awnings were ripped away from my beautiful home, which had stood so proudly since 1934. I lost almost everything, minus some artwork hanging high on the walls, and the few things I could salvage from the top shelves of the cabinets and closets. On a continual basis I am still shaken to my core reflecting on how our LA state (and to a lesser extent Federal) governments failed to respond to the immediate needs of our citizens left trapped in New Orleans after the flood waters inundated our city. I am still in the process of rebuilding my home, my city and my new life. Living in a Post-Katrina world isn\'t easy...you\'ve got to want it. Thankfully, we love our city enough that we do want it to thrive and we\'re willing to work for it. The support system of my family, my work family, and my friends continues to overwhelm me at times...I\'m so appreciative for all they have done in helping me to rebuild and move forward. I\'ve come through this tragedy relatively lucky compared to so many people, and I continue to count my blessings everyday.