Mobile, Biloxi, Gulfport, New Orleans. I've slept in each of those places at least once, but I don't have family there, don't have friends there, don't have what you would call a connection to that part of the South, aside from memories of long-ago road trips from a sleepy little beach town in the Florida panhandle into the heart of the French Quarter and back again. But still, my heart is breaking as I read the news stories, watch the footage and view the photos of the destruction left by Hurricane Katrina.

Our friends, thank goodness, survived Katrina's first blast as she made her way over Miami. My family, in Birmingham, are far enough north that they usually don't have to deal with the worst of these storms - just high winds, heavy rain, power outages and tornado-friendly conditions. This time was no different - luckily, they are just fine.

My heart goes out to those affected by this devastating storm. We will give what we can, but it almost seems insignificant in the face of such overwhelming loss... there's only so much of what was lost that can ever be replaced.

[Edit: cityrag has some great links to organizations that will help the furred and feathered victims of Katrina.]

[Second Edit: This is chilling - a blogger from New Orleans posting about the chaos.]

From the Department of "No shit, Sherlock" comes this exciting news:

Pain relief improves fibromyalgia sufferers' lives

I'm sorry, but couldn't research money be better spent on ways to relieve fibro pain, rather than on "proving" the obvious?

(reading) American Ground by William Langewiesche - really harrowing, but a good read

(listening to) My Favorite - The Happiest Days of Our Lives; Madeleine Peyroux - Careless Love; the INXS back catalogue

(watching) Rock Star: INXS; Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations; Battlestar Galactica

(surfing) The Natty Minx; The Food Whore; Chowmag.com; Eater

(eating) tomatoes and tomatoes and tomatoes; creamy dayboat scallops from Montauk, and local wild striped bass; homemade pickles; Somerset farmhouse cheddar; fresh blackberries; spicy chocolate

(imbibing) Dietsch's summer weekend cocktail concoctions (juleps and rickeys and mojitos - oh my!); Bonny Doon's Ca' del Solo BLOODY GOOD RED - the little black dress of reds; pretty much any wine we've selected from the lovely ladies at Vine in LIC, but in particular the JEZEBEL Blanc

(planning) Kate's Lazy Meadow with the Kriegers (in less than a month!); Orange Lake this October

(dreaming of) Paris; Orange Lake next October; a change of scenery...