(Thread creep to follow.)

Hard 8:

Sad to say, the FloraBama Lounge is *GONE* along with most of Orange Beach and Gulf Shores. Hurricane Ivan tore up the coast from Mobile Bay through Pensacola and points east pretty thoroughly.

I live in New Orleans and bugged out for about 36 hours. We were spared -- it didn't even rain a drop, although there were apparently fairly high winds and some minor flooding within one or two blocks of the lakefront. In hindsight, we could have stayed home and saved a lot of money and trouble, but you never know...