I've been following the news on Katrina's aftermath, and actually started tearing up yesteday, overwhelmed, thinking about how hard the situation is for people there right now, and for their friends and family who are out of touch. I realize how lucky we are that there's been no earthquake here on the West Coast (our major concern) - how everyone should be prepared for an emergency, and I too think about having my root cellar, and my garden, and my know-how so that I could make it through an extended emergency. I also realize, that I would never be comfortable living in a place like New Orleans, where the real possibility of flooding and tropical storms would cancel out that kind of preparation. I want to survive if and when it all goes under myself. My mother thinks I'm a 'survivalist,' while I think I'm just trying to be cautious. I think she's out of touch - driving a gas-guzzling BMW, with nothing in the cupboard in case of a snow storm or power outage.