What our state should learn from Ida

In the coming days, our government will start tooting its horn, bellowing all of the wonderful things that went right for the storm, patting its own back for the levees that held, the low death rate, and the overall handling of this catastrophic storm. No doubt there were many things that went well. This storm …

Ida thought we would have electricity by day 10

Well, today makes ten days since Hurricane Ida swept through Southeast Louisiana and left a trail of destruction, despair, collateral damage, power outages, and boil water orders. Excitingly, our boil water order was lifted yesterday afternoon for Jefferson Parish, a modern convenience not everyone has and I will never, ever take it for granted again. …

Checking the oil in your Generac Whole House Generator

The easiest guide (with pictures) to teach you to check and fill your oil on your generac generator.

Generators

Okay, I am NOT a sales person nor am I any type of expert but over the years, this lil Southern Girl has learned more than most about a lotta things generator. The differences, the pros/cons, setup, and YES, even maintenance. In the pages that follow, I'm gonna simplify it all for you and water …

Hurricane Guides

HURRICANE PARRRRTTTYYY. Okay, not really. In the pages that follow, I'll cover some hard lessons learned personally, and those passed down from MaMere and my parents. As New Orleanians, my family is now Katrida Survivors. We evacuated before Katrina hit, we stayed for the entire Ida ordeal from the storm to the recovery. We have …

Your Whole House Generator 101: Installation

Whole House Generators are the wave of the future, with waiting lists across the entire Southeastern US that spa six months to a year to have installed, it seems our home gas lines will be put to the test and hopefully, we can handle the influx and not suffer broken lines or other issues. Whole …

The Crash Course to Generators

Generators are such a hot commodity these days. No matter what state you live in, a generator can be a lifesaving grace when used properly. A disclaimer: I'm not a sales person nor am I a generator expert, I can't tell you how to service your broken generator but my parents have had a generator …

This time last week

Wow. It is almost unimaginable that this time, last week, the reality was really hitting. This monster was preparing to challenge Louisiana to the fight of its life. It's funny because in the days leading up to the storm, I was calm and in preparation mode. I took comfort in knowing my whole house generator …

Ida: The saga continues

Well, another day in Ida world. If you have ever been to New Orleans (or if you are from here), you know we love her because the aromas of beignets and delicious foods that mix with the scent of gardenia, jasmine and magnolia set the mood for the sounds of music that dance on the …

Ida like to have normalcy again please

Whew sha! It's day 5 post-Ida and tensions are high, stress is real, the heat is brutal, the water still needs boiling, there's no sign of when we might expect electricity, and things are getting stinky as garbage, rotting food, and mold set in. One of the biggest frustrations in Jefferson Parish is this lack …

Day 5: We’ve got this!

So things are moving in the right direction! Power is slowly coming back to the hospitals (and the houses lucky enough to be on those grids) and that's a really, really happy sign. One thing I just keep explaining is that we cannot compare Ida to Katrina. They're entirely different, they came from different directions …

Ida Day 3: The adventure continues

Okay, so maybe it isn't a fun adventure, and I definitely didn't sign up for this but adventure sounds more fun than hostage situation so let's go with it. Actually, we are not stuck here, but getting out is not easy. Here's the current situation in Metairie, Louisiana (upper Jefferson): Today, September 1, we have …