What's a Kid to Do?

Sarcasm Girl's sarcasm has failed her in the face of the enormity of Katrina's destruction (and the government's inept response to it). We've given money (and traded off take-out dinners for a month to do it), and I'm spending some part of the holiday weekend bundling up clothes to donate. But she really wants to find some way to make a difference. Our current thinking: she can do research on ways kids can help with the rescue and restoration efforts and get that word out to her friends. But what can a 15 year old do?

Anyone?

Here on the Home Front

Today I finally did what I have been muttering about for a good two years: put together an Earthquake Kit. We don't live in Tornado Alley, we're not in the blizzard zone (though I've done blizzards more times than I can think...and generally had a rollicking good time, actually), and we're not in line for hurricanes, but earthquakes and the Bay Area are like that. For a long time, when I'd raise the subject, Spouse would shrug and change the topic. It took me a good long time, neurotic that I am, to realize that this might be evidence of his neurosis and not mine; that putting some water and food and a first aid kit together was not necessarily proof that I'm an obsessive worry-wart (well, in fact, I am, but that's not the point here). So I went out and got things and put them in a barrel, and if the Big One hits and we survive to tell the tale, we're set for 3-5 days of frontier life at least. Probably more, but at least that. And now I don't have to worry that I haven't taken due care of the family, and that's one less thing on my head.