From: mary@uicsl.csl.uiuc.edu (Mary E. Allison)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv.soaps
Subject: AMC - TAN - Word from YO MAMA Helmers
Date: 28 Aug 1992 18:03:31 GMT
Organization: Center for Reliable and High-Performance Computing, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Distribution: na
NNTP-Posting-Host: uicsl.csl.uiuc.edu

     Guess what I did this morning -- I sent birthday greetings to
Helmers and low and behold what do I received but an actual REAL LIVE
email message.  I was expecting it to not reach there I didn't realize
that the power was on and the computers were back up.

Anyway - without further ado - here's the highlights from the message.

" Dear Mary,
" 
" Thanks for the note.  Yes, we're all fine here BUT things in Miami are
" about as bad as what you're seeing on tv.  As for normal, life won't
" be normal for a very long time if ever.  The immediate: we still have 
" no power and no drinkable water (though we Do have water, many don't
" even have that).  And long-term: many have no homes, so much is destroyed,
" so much is damaged.
" 
" But, life goes on.  I'll be back soon (I hope!).  Thanks for writing,
" 
" Ann

     I wrote back to her (I let her know we were ALL thinking about
her and her family and such) and she wrote even more stuff.

" Yo Mary,
" 
" Thanks--yes, you are right that something like this makes you appreciate
" being alive, having your family, etc.  But I don't know if you can
" understand just how devasted we are here.  Life is just completely turned
" upside down, for everyone. It is as if Sunday night the whole world was
" taken up and shaken, then thrown back down in pieces.  I'm sorry if I
" sound testy, but yes it is very tough getting stuff like food.  We were
" lucky; I had shopped before the storm and had a good supply.  There are
" huge lines for gas, if you can find it.  Very few grocery stores are open,
" and those that are have no perishable items (milk, ice, meat) left, just
" enormous lines.  Doctors aren't reachable. Caroline has a little diarheea,
" and I'm so worried that she got some bad water.  If she gets sick I don't
" know where I would take care, the hospitals are still mostly down or full
" know where I could take her.  Most hospitals are still closed or taking only
" dire emergencies.  I did have my sister
" in Melbourne Fl tape the week on AMC--even a hurricane doesn't make one
" lose touch with priorities entirely. Now, if I could find some bon-bons
" that need no refrigeration...:)
" 
" If you wouldn't mind, could you let the net know that I will post probably
" next week (our newsfeed is still flakey, email just came up).  Thanks for
" thinking of me, sorry if I sound bitchy.  Have a cold drink for me!
" 
" Ann
" 
" PS  Sorry, the above is getting majorly scrambled-god knows what the net
" feed is doing.  Hope some is legible!

     Oh - a few times Ann mentioned that she was sorry for sounding
testy or bitchy -- I told HER she did NOT sound that way - well, maybe
she sounded a little stressed out :^)

     So - hope that little Caroline feels better SOON - I always feel
most strongly for children when they are sick because they have no 
comprehension.  

     I think it will probably be a while before she is done suffering
from FNF (which is a new acronym that I made up meaning "flakey news
feed") but I know we're all looking forward to having her back. 

--
As soon as the rush is over, I'm going to have a nervous breakdown.
I've worked for it ... 
I owe it to myself ...
And NOBODY is going to deprive me of it.

    Mary Allison (mary@uicsl.csl.uiuc.edu) Urbana, Illinois
Catx2 Owned, Square Dancer, Leaper, Ballroom Dancer in training 
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv.soaps