Plugged In

The office is back up and running. I made it in at my usual time, not sure if the lights would come on. I was surprised to see my fake plant, standing in the corner with its white lights twinkling in the morning light. What a relief! My parents arrived last night from Gulfport, finally giving in to Hurricane Katrina and looking for a cool bed and a hot shower. More and more, families are trying to figure out how to all live under the same roof for extended periods of time. It will be trying, but we are so grateful for survival that this inconvenience seems minor. It's still a bit chaotic around Jackson. Power is sketchy. Gas is scarce. At my house, we're cooking more than ever. The loss of many fast food restaurants has us in a tailspin! We're watching the situation in New Orleans closely, praying hard for those people. Ken and I are noticing the ripple effects of the storm and wonder what those will be over the next months and years. Wall Street Journal outlines some of the industries and companies which will feel the effects of Katrina. Meanwhile, stocks have had a mixed week, with today posting slight dips, except for the broad S&P. Dow Jones -21.97 NASDAQ -4.19 S&P 500 +1.26