Going Home :)

Well, I've decided that its time to head on home.

While I can't say I did everything I intended to do, I can honestly say it was a worth while trip. I met some incredible people, got some amazing stories on video, and learned a lot. Who knows, this may be the start of something big for me.

One the one hand, the contributions that made this trip possible have been overwhelming. To all those who helped, I thank you all. When I get home and settled, I'll see what I can do about some kind of proper recognition.

On the other hand, life has a way of restoring balance. There are no free rides, and all great things come with high costs, both in time and energy. I'm just about wiped out, even though the last week or two has been much slower than the first 2 weeks, its just life on the road or away from "home". But like all experiences, this has taught some lessons. I was able to test some new things, and found a few things that just won't work :) I'll be working on the business plan or what ever it takes to do a better job next time.

In the last week I've had some down time, which I used to review the tapes I have shot to date. While I could choose to be disappointed in not doing everything I had expected to do, it only takes looking at any one of the tapes I have shot to realize how fortunate I have been. I plan to make the Survivors Stories available as soon as possible, and in a way that as many people as possible can share in the experience. Its always been my plan to treat this as a commercial venture, but at the same time I'm not in this for the money. If I am able to turn any kind of a profit, I'll be donating some or much of the proceeds toward disaster relief. No specifics on that yet, lots to do before that happens, but that's kind of been how the whole adventure has been run!

Anyway, I figured out my route back home. I won't have enough gas money to run the way I'd hoped to, but will at least take a different track from how I got here. I'll post when I leave Memphis, and will try to post from the road as I am able to.

Stay Tooned!
Carlin

Video Clips from Airshow in Millington, TN

Jet Powered Truck. Click the picture to see the video. This will go to a different website.




C-130 JATO Take off. Click the picture to see the video. This will go to a different website.

I'll be posting some different clips later. I have these posted on ZippyVideos.com, which is free, but only gives me 20 MB of space, so I'll be rotating clips. To go to my "clip vault" click this link: http://bluestar.zippyvideos.com/

Thanks for visiting, and please drop me a line and let me know you saw these. You can also post comments here, or also over at the video page.

Stay Tooned!
Carlin

How to make a VideoBlog

I'm attempting to get some clips on the web here, so you all can see what I've been up to lately... I think I finally found a place that will let me host them for free. This seems odd to me, let me explain. I have my own webserver at home, on a broadband connection. But since I'm not there, I can't upload any clips there! I had never planned to do any updates on the road. Maybe next year I'll work on making that happen. Anyway, in the mean time, I'm finding some free hosting. Oh, and if anyone just wanted to know what I look like, I'll post a pic here... I'll put a better one up later, but for some reason, the free V-Blog site I found wants a pic, and this is the only one I could find on my laptop without digging out my camera, etc. Next trip I'm also bringing a simple point and shoot simple camera for quick stuff like this!
Stay Tooned
Carlin

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:Carlin R. Comm
BlueStar Productions
207 Yakima Street, Suite 205
Wenatchee, WA 98801
http://www.ncwvideo.com
bluestar@televar.com

Independent Video Documentary of Hurricane Katrina and Rita Survivors

Memphis, TN -- 25 October 2005 --

What is it really like to be homeless, hungry, hot and sweaty, nearly broke, or shivering and alone? While many of us have seen it on TV, what would it take for someone to leave his home and drive across the country to experience it first hand?

On 26 September 2005, Carlin Comm left Wenatchee, WA, driving cross-country, to make an independent video documentary of the survivors of Hurricane Katrina and Rita. Rather than being funded by corporate sponsorship or other media organization, its largely self funded, and supported by friends, neighbors, and family.

Initially, the plan was to drive into Texas first, as many of the New Orleans survivors had been taken there. Then Hurricane Rita was forecast to hit Texas. Knowing it would take several days to drive into the area, the route was changed to drive the northern states, check the news on the way, and adapt as the situation developed.

Memphis, TN, became the first stop, spending a few days with the Red Cross, and then several more days staying at a shelter with some families. While at the shelter, Carlin interviewed several survivors for the documentary, including a man and woman from New Orleans who were planning a wedding the following weekend. This wedding had been completely sponsored by the surrounding community, and was held at the shelter the Bride and Groom were both living at.

As the documentary project has been largely funded by donations, Carlin has spent most nights sleeping in the van, at shelters, rest stops, and truck stops. While on the road, he has learned through direct experience to empathize with what the survivors have been through. Lessons learned include how good it is to take a shower at a truck stop, after 5 days in the van with no air conditioning. How good a home cooked meal tastes after a week on the road, and how nice it is to sleep on someone's couch for a night, after too many cramped nights in the back of the van.

Says Carlin "I felt this project was something I had to do, and it was something that I would regret not doing for the rest of my life. There were days that I didn't even set up the cameras, I just sat with the survivors, and listened. Sometimes we just sat in silence."

"I literally left home with almost enough money to get there, and left the rest to the universe. Its been a huge leap of faith, but deep inside, I felt if I was doing this for the right reasons, it would work out. Soon it will be time to go home, and I know when I need it, the gas money will be there. I'm not looking to get rich here, but if a few people can help out with a few dollars, I'll make it home. I have a page on my website about this documentary, and there is a PayPal button there where people can contribute."

For more information about the project, or if you would like to help Carlin finish the project by donating gas money, please check out the website and Blog URLs below.

Carlin Comm is the owner of BlueStar Productions, a wedding and event video production company located in Wenatchee WA. He has been provided video and photo service for over 50 weddings, as well as video programs for Wenatchee area organizations such as the Wenatchee Figure Skating Club, the Short Shakespeareans, and several local school productions. Prior to 2001 he was employed as a computer network technician for several years, and was also honorably discharged from the US Navy after 9 years of service as an aircraft technician, including deployment for Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

For More Information:
http://www.ncwvideo.com/survivors_stories/ - Project Website
http://survivors-stories.blogspot.com/ - Project Blog, which gets updates.
Email at: bluestar@televar.com

How To Help, and How this works

I posted this originally as a response to some comments on an earlier post, but thought I'd also post it in the main thread so everyone else could see it.

Thanks to everyone who reads and posts. Anyone who wants to help out, that would be cool, too. 2 things, one, drop some money in my PayPal, and two, forward the page to anyone else who might help. And also (3?) if you know anyone in media, I could use some more exposure! If you have any experience with press releases and fund raising, please email me ok? My theory is simple, I need about $600 to get home. Maybe a bit less, since gas prices are coming down now. Simple math here, fifty or sixty people at $10 - $20, we're in great shape. It comes down to a numbers game, I need more people to read this... I've had a lot of people help me to get here. Its been a real great feeling knowing how many people are helping. I'm hoping to get a second wave going now, to finish up the project.

To contribute, go to this link, and at the bottom of the page are a couple of buttons:
http://www.ncwvideo.com/survivors_stories/
If you would like to contribute in a different amount, thats ok, too... if you have PayPal, you could go there directly at https://www.paypal.com/ , log in with your normal account info, and then you can send funds to me, my account email is bluestar@televar.com . If you'd like to mail anything to me, you can go to my website ( the link above, the ncwvideo one ) and then go to my Contact Me button.

And if anyone is wondering about the rest of the comments here, many people are learning the trick to getting higher ranking in Google and other search engines, by posting comments to other peoples blogs. Think of it like grafity on bridges and train cars. Oh well. I could delete it, but as long as its not obscene, I probably will leave it. I'm on a free server here, so there you go :)

Later!
Carlin

Why is it cold here?

3:21 PM 10/24/2005

I guess its been a few days now since I've posted, Sorry!

I'm still in Memphis, and its Cold here! This is something I hadn't really planned on, I had been so hot in the van the first week or two, and was really expecting to have problems with the heat. This last few days its taken a turn toward much cooler temperatures. According to CNN weather website, its now 55 degrees here, it was 80 last week.

I'm still couch camping here for now, not exactly the way I'd planned the trip, but on the other hand, its a nice break from the van.

The situation here hasn't changed much from the last post. I have a couple of appointments here that are holding me up, and have really messed up my momentum. The first one is this week, the next one isn't until 9 November, so I may try to make it down to New Orleans inbetween now and then, if I can raise the funds to get there. If not, I'll just stay put and do some editing.
I've been getting a lot of video sorted and some rough edits done. Now I'm going over some of the video from the first week of the trip, I did some shots out the front windshield, just basic scenery stuff. I'll be making some time lapse sequences from them, that always looks cool. The part of that which will slow me down a little is because I sometimes would talk to the camera, so now I'll have to scan through all that and find where I said something, and then see if its anything useful.

Just sitting here now, watching footage on TV from Hurricane Wilma in Florida, Cancun, and Cuba. What a year. Even with my current slow down here, I'm looking forward to putting together a plan for next year. I'm not exactly sure yet, but I have some ideas I'm going to explore in the next month or so, once I'm home. I'm looking along the lines of how can I go out next year, do a follow up to this year's story. On a scale of what can I do alone, how can I be more prepared. Some points I'm looking to, upgrade the van with generator, air conditioner, finish setting up the interior so I can do more work in the van. Beyond that, I will have more infrastructor set up, people I can contact in different areas.

All in all, its a good thing. I'm glad I'm here, glad I came, and with some minor changes, I'll probably do this again.

Stay Tooned :)
Carlin

Memphis... Still

I'm kind of caught in between right now... I am in a safe place, but I can't really move around and do anything. I'm starting to edit some of the videos, and so far am happy with what I'm seeing. No big tech problems, things like sound are good, so I should have enough to use. Since I'm just making this up as I go along, I don't really know how much I wanted to have anyway! I think though, that if I had 20 to 50 people, that would be good. On the other hand, many of the people I have talked to talked for more than 30 minutes, and it seems more convincing if you just listen to one persons story from start to finish, to really get a feel for what they've been through. That won't work so well on TV though. TV has taught us to make everything short and neat. Maybe I'll have each person introduce them selves, then cut between stories.. Since it was sort of the same event (or 2 storms, and several different areas affected)... This is kind of hard to start on until I have all of the interviews done, and can just start into it. I'm going to try and put some samples on the Blog if it will let me post video clips. I've seen others do it, so maybe I can, too... There is probably a limit to how much I can do for free!

I just found out I won't be doing a paid wedding here after all. This lady, Lori, who has been letting me camp on her couch, has a friend who is getting married end of this month. I was hoping I'd get to do the video for her wedding, which would have covered gas for getting home. Anyway, I just finally got an email back from the bride, saying they found someone local to do it. So now I'll have to think of some other ideas. Not too worried yet, right?!

When I'm ready to hit the road, I know it will work out. In the mean time, its not so bad to just sit still, rest, and recharge.

Stay Tooned!
Carlin

I'm Clean!

9:18 AM 10/14/2005

It's amazing how something like taking a shower can change your perspective. In a small way, I have learned to empathise with some of the survivors, go a few days with out a shower, or a good bed, or feeling safe and secure, or knowing if you have enough food, or looking for shade so you don't get heat stroke. Except, when I'm done, I get to go home. I'm here by choice...

I'm hanging out for a few days with Lori, the lady I met at the airshow a couple of weeks ago, when I first got into Memphis. Since its her friend who is having the wedding later this month, and I'm sort of short on travel funds anyway, it makes more sense to just sit still for a while!

Plus now I'll get a chance to start on the video editing. At least I can look at the tapes and start logging, and maybe edit some of what is done, like the wedding from the shelter. So at any rate, I won't be doing much driving for a few days, and the rest might do me some good. Taking a shower last night, the first since Monday, sure helped my attitude, too!

I'm going to try and post some pics and video clips later if I can figure out how.

Stay Tooned!
Carlin

PS... if anyone would like to help me out with gas money, I'd really appreciate it!
http://www.ncwvideo.com/survivors_stories/
Look toward the bottom of the page, there are some buttons. I'm not greedy, I just need enough to get to New Orleans, then on to home. Its hard for me to concentrate on what I'm doing here when I'm in "survival mode". I hope you all get a chance to see what I'm getting here, some of the stories are just amazing.

... feeling a little like a PBS phone-a-thon here... and thanks to people like you... :)
I think I already posted this, but in case I didn't, it should take me about $500 in gas to finish the trip. I have used about $600 already, most of that was gas.. or, I've filled up 11 times since leaving home. Funny thing is, at least this was a surprise to me, gas is cheaper here than it was at home in Wenatchee. After seeing all the news reports about $5 and $6 a gallon, I was pleasently surprised when I filled up in Baton Rouge at $2.69, at a Chevron, right at the interstate. Wish I had bigger tank on the Van!

Thanks!

Memphis Again!

9:53 PM 10/12/2005

Well, in a weird turn, I'm on my way back to Memphis. I can't really put this in words, but I just wasn't comfortable in Baton Rouge. Nothing specificly bad, just had a weird feel. I felt better being on the road, almost from when I first decided to go.

Lots of weird things, one big one is being almost broke I guess! I have enough gas to get back to Memphis, and I have options when I get there, between some shelters and people I've met, so I should be ok.

I also may be doing a paid wedding, for a friend of someone I met in Memphis, so "maybe" things will be even good!

For now, I'm at a rest stop just inside of Mississippi state line (the MS / LA line). Its nap time!

Bye for now... Carlin
---------

2:23 PM 10/13/2005

Ok, back in Memphis again! At least I kind of know my way around here... and some people kind of know me, etc. Anyway, I'm here for at least a few days. More later.

In other news, I'm basically broke, out of gas, and exhausted. Think for now sitting still and starting some editing sounds like a good plan. My original working plan had been to edit 2 or 3 days a week, but I just never really got into that routine. I'm kind of feeling like the burn out cases, like combat fatigue maybe. Too much driving, not enough down time.

More on that later.

I've put on 3841 miles so far. No wonder I'm out of gas money!

According to the map software, if I go down to New Orleans again, then into Texas, then go home, it should be about 3300 miles to get home, all together. I've been getting 20 miles per gallon, and the most gas has been so far is just under $3 per gallon. It was actually pretty cheap down in Baton Rouge, like $2.69. So $500 for gas should get me home. No problem!

"... the universe is a plentiful place, and I'm not greedy. I will get what I need, when I need it..." but now would be good, too!

Life is good!
Carlin

Baton Rouge, LA

Thought I was going to melt today... after it being so cool in Memphis the last few days, I hit Baton Rouge today, and it was about 100 in the van...

I'll probably sleep in the truck stop parking lot again tonight. At least its cooling down, as soon as the sun set it dropped about 15 degrees, and its still dropping. Big trade off, open windows, let in cool air and mosquitos... urg! Its only 81 now, feeling much better...

I was having a rough day today, Red Cross not overly helpful, but the people I talked to said they were processing somewhere around 10,000 per DAY, this week, so they were a bit burned out. Saw the coolest place today, the Red Cross was working in a old hotel, huge, like 25 foot
chandaleer, marble floors and columns, velvet wallpaper, etc, place was closed down, they opened it for an office for Red Cross... I only saw the main entry hall, I think the rest of the place may have been torn down already! Very cool, I wanted to shoot some video, but they wouldn't really let me. Oh well, nice people, but they were very careful, so couldn't help me much.

Glad I went to Memphis first, I got some great stuff there... if this was my first stop I'd have probably cried after all the drive. I didn't eat much today, plus the heat, so am about wore out. I finally ate a good cheese burger here at the casino / truck stop I'm at. Feeling better, but am wiped... trying to drink coffee and wake up a bit, don't want to go to sleep at 8 pm! Can sure tell my blood sugar got low though, I'm just really low right now. Emotions, energy, the whole package. Have to remember to take care of myself I guess!

I found a great link for news and weather for New Orleans, go to www.nola.com

Stay Tooned!
Carlin

Baton Rouge, LA

I rolled into Baton Rouge this morning, after sleeping parked between some trucks at a backwater casino just inside the Louisiana state line. Yesterday I left Memphis, and made a stop at a casino in Mississippi looking for some of the Survivors who I had met at the Red Cross the week before, but they've already moved on. They were fron Sulphur, LA, so I may still look them up later.

My plan for now is to check in with the local Red Cross, and just see what is up, if there are any people here to talk to, etc. I'm surprised, I thought this close to where the hurricanes hit I'd see some damage, but I don't. We're not that far inland here. Interesting.

Also, there is someone here, who I'll try to find, a contact I got from home before I left.

In the mean time, I'm picking up some WiFi from a hotel parking lot, so will check my email and catch up on my CNN fix, and enjoy some shade from a tree here. Life is good!

Stay Tooned!
Carlin

Out of Order Posts, When the days run together!

8:21 PM 10/8/2005
(I wrote this a few days ago, but am now posting it, so its out of order)
Spent the whole day today at St. Peter Home, the shelter where the wedding will be tomorrow. This morning at 11 am they had the rehearsal for the wedding, then I interviewed the bride for about half an hour. Its just amazing talking to these people, what they've seen, lived through, and that they are able to talk about it. I spent the afternoon talking to some of the survivors, just hanging out talking on the sidewalk. Different perspectives, depending on where they were, and what they believe happened and why. By the time the dinner bell rang, I think we had pretty much solved the worlds problems, much as any group of people can do in an afternoon. Makes you wonder, if we could happen to put groups of people together, from different backgrounds, with a common goal.

I've been assigned a room here at the shelter, pretty much like a simple dorm room would be, nicer than most of the barracks I lived in while in the Navy. Definately nicer than living in the van the last couple of weeks! I could have slept here last night, had I thought to ask... I ate dinner tonight with everyone else, or I should say with the 7 or 8 people who were here at dinner time. It seemed that most of the residents were out today, many of them were taking of last minute wedding details, or they're starting to stretch their wings, so to speak. They're starting to go out into the community more, finding their way around, which I think is good.

Its about 8:30 pm, I'm hanging out in my room, have the camera battery on the charger, and will get some email read that I've been putting off since leaving home. I have 3 piles of email, the junk that gets deleted, the personal email that I read and reply to as soon as possible, then there is the email lists I'm subscribed to. I read them when I get a chance, sometimes I get a week behind, then I scan through them looking for the nuggets I need to get through the day.

Or maybe I'll get some extra sleep for a change! I've been getting around 7 hours sleep a night most of the trip, sometimes less. I have to be careful not to get run down, would be a real drag to get sick on the road.

The wedding is tomorrow, ceremony is at 6 pm, so will have plenty of time tomorrow afternoon, might get some more interviews of the residents, etc.
That's it for now!

--------------

9:15 AM 10/10/2005

Some random thoughts for this morning...

Happiness is a choice. You choose to be happy, or you choose not to be happy. But beyond that, I have found some things on this trip that I may have taken for granted, and I think the survivors of the two hurricanes may just agree with me on some of these!

1. Turning on the tap, and getting hot or cold water.
2. Turning on the switch, and the light coming on.
3. Access to a shower, hot, cold, or Just Right.
4. Access to a washer and dryer, and therefore Clean Clothes!
5. A hug, a smile, a firm handshake, just because.
6. Respect, a look, a nod, being appreciated, again, Just Because.
7. Someone to talk to, someone who will listen.
8. Being safe, secure, warm, and dry.
9. Waking up, well rested, in A BED... and finding fresh milk and Cheerios!
10. Having a plan for the day, and the means to carry it out.

If you are able to read this, and you are able to take most of these for granted, you are better off than people in most countries, and would be considered extremely wealthy and fortunate. You now have a choice. What can you do, big or small, that could help someone out, today, now? Something as simple as a hand shake, a smile, so someone maybe who makes you a little uncomfortable. Yesterday I read something, refering to the Butterfly effect. Something as small as the beat of the wing of a butterfly still moves air, just a little bit. What if that small puff of air is what started a chain of events that lead to something huge? You may never know how much your actions effect someone else.

If you pass this on, maybe nothing will happen, right away. But I promise you this, the next time you turn on a light, or turn on the hot water for your shower, You will remember the butterfly. And that, my friend, is worth thinking about.

Thanks, and Stay Tooned!
Carlin

Do You Believe In Magic?

I think the title says it all... Do You Believe In Magic? I'm just going to call today a Disney Day, pure Fairy Tale, sprinkle me in pixie dust and call me done. Really!

Its about 10 pm now, I'm just coming in from doing a wedding video for two wonderful people, Survivors of Hurricane Katrina. This wedding was in the chapel of St. Peters Home, a Catholic shelter. The wedding was sponsored by the community, and the entire event was planned in about a month. I am just simply honored to have been able to be here, and to contribute a small part to it all.

I have now been in Memphis for about 9 or 10 days, and its time to move on. Its hard to believe how this trip has come together so far. Just amazing. I think I'll stop writing now, anything I add past this would just ruin the moment.

Stay Tooned :)
Carlin

Weddings in Memphis

The story of this trip I believe is in how things just fall together. I got to a Catholic shelter today, and one of the first survivors I talked today is getting married this weekend, at the shelter, in the chapel. Of course I'll be providing video of the wedding and reception. The community has practically sponsored the whole wedding, flowers, dress, catoring, rings, you name it. I'm just proud to be part of it, and amazed at the timing of how these things come together.

I've also possibilly got a paying wedding later this month, in Mississippi. A friend of a friend I met here in Memphis, a chance meeting, again, the story of the trip. Normal rates will mean I should have gas for the trip home.

12:40 PM 10/6/2005
I'm just sitting here in the parking lot of a strip mall in Memphis. I woke up in the parking lot of a truck stop this morning, just over the state line in Arkansas, across the Mississippi from Memphis. I had slept there the night before the Airshow, so knew it was a decent place to take a nap. Feel just a little bit safer surrounded by big trucks somehow. Better than alone in a dark parking lot maybe? Anyway, I checked with the cashier about showers, and they were $9 if you don't have a pass card. Since I have no idea where I might next need a shower, or what franchise will be there, I didn't bother getting the card, paid for my coffee and muffin, and went back to the van for breakfast. Gathering up my backpack, towel, and shower gear, I head back in, where the new cashier must have felt sorry for me, because she takes the time to ask 2 or 3 truckers she recognized if she could borrow their pass card, in the end I got a free shower. This is Thursday morning, the last shower was Monday morning, so I really appreciated the effort!
Now all cleaned up, I decided it was time for a serious short hair cut, so I thought I'd go find a SuperCuts. So I drive across the Mississippi again, wind my way back to the park I was at yesterday, got the laptop logged into someones wifi signal, and Googled for a SuperCuts. Had 3 to chose from, so punched the address into the GPS / Streets software, and decided the one in Bartlett looked easiest to get to. 6045 Stage Rd # 60, Memphis to be exact. Drive a few miles, find the mall, go get a haircut. Coming out I notice a Wolf Camera shop, so decide to take a chance and see if they know of any camera repair places. As it happens, the store manager does some camera repair, but is out at the moment. Being lunch time I decide I should go eat some of that bread and peanut butter I've been hauling around for a couple of weeks before it goes bad.
Now, I haven't really posted about this I think, but on the drive across the northern states, I wanted to do some time lapse video. I had run a few tapes through the D8 Sony Handycam I'm using for my backup camera, but didn't want to use up all my video tapes before I got any interviews. I had spent a day building a timer device for my D30 Digital SLR Canon, just for this purpose, but it didn't end up working, and I didn't have time to finish it off. Not quite ready to give up, I decided to just hit the release button on my cable release at a semi regular interval. That was working pretty well, so there I go driving down the freeway, taking pictures every 10 to 20 seconds. Not perfect, but I thought if I get a few thousand like that, then string them together as video, it should be pretty impressive. Anyhow, at some point the camera stops working, and I notice the viewfinder is dark, with an error code. It seems the mirror is locked up, so I think now that I took a picture at the moment I hit a big bump, and jammed it up. Anyway, with any luck, the guy at Wolf will know a trick to get it working again. If not, no big deal. I've thought about either just mailing the camera back home, as its taking up space and not working, or plan B, sending it to Canon and having it repaired. Then if I end up in a place for a few days, I could maybe have it shipped to me on the road. Or something like that!
Its a lot cooler today, or at least it feels a lot better, got some overcast, so maybe that's it. I'm also maybe getting a little bit used to it now! Plus having a nearly naked head sure makes it feel better. Just a little bit longer than it would have been in boot camp.

So far lots of ideas but no solid fixes for the D30. Found a great place that likely could fix it, but there was a $120 bench fee to even look at it. At that point, I'll just wait and buy a 20D! But it would be great to have this working for the trip. Phil at Wolf had another idea, so I called a different photo place, and the guy I talked to suggested pulling the batteries for a longer period of time, to give it a better chance of fully discharging and resetting. He also said it might be worth just giving it a good whack, might reset something if its out of phase. Hey, nothing to lose there! Stay tooned! Nope, still a dead camera... Oh well, save up for the new one I guess!

In other news, I finally called my contact at the St. Peter Home. Lauren, who had been one of my interview people, who is a volunteer at the Red Cross, gave me some people she thought would be good to talk to. I got side tracked with my camera repairs and hair cut today, so it was about 3 pm when I called the person from St. Peter, at which point she was busy, so will go out there tomorrow morning. (This is a bit out of order here, the wedding I'll be doing is at St. Peter Home, on Sunday afternoon / evening.)

From the Banks of the Mississippi in Memphis

This is edited from a post I sent to one of the mailing lists I'm on, so hopefully it makes sense here!
I'm writing this while parked along the Mississippi River, they have a river side park, and there seems to be a wireless hotspot somewhere near here, so that's an added bonus! I just happened to be driving past, realized it was nearly sunset, and I thought I'd stop and get some cool video. Beats working for a living!
---
A short summary of the trip so far... I am making a video documentary from stories told to me by survivors of Hurricane Katrina, and now also Rita. I left Wenatchee, WA early Monday morning, 26 September 2005, and arrived in Memphis, TN, Friday afternoon that same week, after driving around about 2350 miles in 5 days. I'll figure out exact details later on, but I averaged about 3 states per day, which is I believe more states than many people have ever visited in their lives!
I'd really recommend any of you get out sometime and just go for a road trip, especially if you can do one with a purpose you feel is worthwhile. I've been largely overwhelmed with the experience so far, but have enjoyed it enormously.
I arrived at Memphis Red Cross headquarters on Friday (30 September 2005), just as they were closing up shop for the weekend. I wasn't able to really contact anyone who could help me talk to survivors, but they did say I could camp in their parking lot, and they let me have some left over fried chicken, which really hit the spot! Having some time to explore, I noticed that there was an Airshow out at Millington, which is / was a big Navy base I had been trained at 20 years ago. As its only 20 miles from where I was, I drove out, saw both the Blue Angels and the Canadian Snow Birds, as well as all the normal wing walkers, military aircraft displays, and vendors.
After the Airshow I happened to meet some really nice people, one lady who basically adopted me for the rest of the weekend. She showed me around Memphis, saw Graceland (Elvis Presley mansion), and Beale street, etc. She fed me, we watched some DVDs, let me take a shower and slept on the couch, and even did a couple loads of laundry. Definitely above and beyond. So far, everyone has been very outgoing, friendly, and helpful.
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I've been camping in the back lot at the Red Cross, talking to people about their experiences. Many would not talk on camera, but I feel like I've been able to give back support by being a good listener, helping them pass the time while they wait for a caseworker to become available. With that said, how ever, while I have not had many interviews, I have had some incredible interviews with the few people I have talked to. If you've ever seen the news footage of a person stranded in a tree in a flood, I got a guy who spent the day in a tree to talk to me. He was very easy to talk to, and told a very powerful story.
Then, for icing on my cake, I was interviewed by the local Fox News station, Fox13 Memphis. They sent the nicest crew ever, I imagine they are hired because they make people comfortable talking to the camera, and I tried to learn as much as possible from them! Anytime we weren't actually talking on camera, I was talking to the camera guy, and in the end he let me try out his big news camera. Yeah, I want one for next year! Then, for icing on the icing on the cake (!) several of the survivors this morning who I talked to recognized me as having been on TV the night before, or that morning. From what I've heard, they gave me around 4 or 5 minutes of coverage, which is huge on a evening news broadcast. Of course, much of the time while they were talking to me, the van was in the shot, and they showed the website URL several times (I am told), so hopefully some local people will be clicking on that, with credit card in hand to help me with the gas money. I had a lot of fun with the whole experience. For all of you who have been on TV, you can probably relate to the "buzz" that still hasn't worn off! Oh, and of course I had them sign the van :)
I'll be leaving the Red Cross this afternoon, and check out some of the other shelters. I'm told that the Red Cross has now closed all or almost all of their own shelters, mostly because the survivors have either moved into apartments or hotels. There are a lot of survivors who worked at the casinos that were destroyed, who are now living at no cost at other franchise casinos here and other states. That is a great story on its own, for an employer to take care of its workers that well. I'm told by several of them, that they will be pulling wages for at least the next 8 weeks, while they are away from work and home.
Thanks for reading! Thank you also for your continued support. I'm feeling like a PBS marathon, "With support from viewers like you" :)
Carlin