[Asterisk-Users] Asterisk Community Participant; Katrina Refugee

[JR Richardson]

Hi All,

My family and I are doing well.  Thank you all for your prayers.

We are using this as an opportunity to rebuild.  I didn't think I really needed to but God knows best and we will obey.

My family and I will temporarily be in Lafayette, Louisiana for a while but will probably relocate to Houston, TX in the future. We already have my Daughter registered in school here.

Lafayette is my old stomping ground so I'm already at home.  My Wife is having a time with directions though.  She went half way to Lake Charles (wrong direction) yesterday when she was coming back home from shopping.

My house, office, lab and 2 vehicles back in Chalmette, LA, St Bernard Parish are swimming with the fishes, snakes and alligators along with all my computers and Asterisk application development.  100% loss, but hey, we have our health.  I have both homeowners and flood insurance so I should recoup most of my losses, it will take a while to get back on track.  Insurance adjusters will not be able to enter the Parish till the water is out which could take several weeks if not a few months.

I was planning on speaking at this years Astricon conference in Anaheim, CA on “Embedded Asterisk Systems” but have to resend the invitation at this time.  As you can imagine, I have other priorities.

I will miss this opportunity to collaborate and share my work with this community.  My FTP server is 8 feet under Lake Ponchatrain at this time and foreseeable future.  My Internet provider is not online anyway but I am committed and will get my work on-line as soon as possible.  I will keep up with Asterisk development as I can and will jump back into the community when available to contribute with focus and vigor.

I have bought and collected equipment since being in Telecommunications, VoIP and Internet Technologies for 15 years that are irreplaceable but I will re-build my VoIP laboratory bigger and better than ever.  If anyone has any trade secrets on successfully recovering waterlogged electronic equipment, please let me know.

God Bless.

JR Richardson