3This book is a very personal account of my life during a two-week period in August of 2005. The timeframe begins one week prior to Hurricane Katrina, through one week after Hurricane Katrina battered the Northern Gulf of Mexico's entire coastline. The date was, August 29, 2005; the day that became my personal, "Defining Moment of Reference". In this book, I will describe the heavy toll of the losses related to my personal relationships that existed at that time, the immeasurable gains of so many new relationships that were forged out of the unexpected human kindness, comfort and love that arose out of the wreckage, and everything that falls somewhere in between all of these things. I will explain how the decisions that I made during this time period, compounded and influenced by the arrival of Hurricane Katrina, affected my life, and the lives of so many people whose existence was intertwined with mine, including, before, during and after this horrific, natural and disastrous event. This is not a story "about" Hurricane Katrina, although the entire event is described in an incredibly descriptive way that will make you feel as though you are there, with us! I lay out some very personal and traumatic details within this book, but I also explain how many negative occurrences have positive counterparts that balance the scales of life, and I take care to tell about all of these things in very honest and explicit terms. I am sure that I will be judged harshly, by some, and praised by others, as a result of releasing such intimate details about who I am and what is important to me, in this book. But none of that matters to me because the story had to be told, and in this book the entire story is told!