Do You Know What It Means...

I have lived in a few different cities, and I’ve fallen in love with most of them. But I’ve got a lot of this love to go around: my affection for the sparkling harbor waters in Sydney, for example, does not diminish the passion that burns when I spot the Golden Gate Bridge from a hill in San Francisco.

I have to say that here because Susan Whelan is a little peeved that I haven’t given New Orleans her due:

"I'm just wondering why Floridians have the special privilege of rubbing it in. What's so special about Florida? More exposure to hurricanes (of course, there's no bowl effect there) without the culture and charm of New Orleans (this coming from a girl who used to live in Jacksonville). I love the beach more than most people, but the food and music are way better here."

No one can deny the culture and charm that is uniquely New Orleans. Susan is a zealous booster who wants people everywhere to know that the city isn’t just hanging in limbo, molding and waiting for life to begin again. In fact, she can list a number of free concerts, annual festivals, and weekly art events without even checking a paper. If you want suggestions on the best ways to tap the energy and culture of the city for yourself, email me here because I bet Susan wouldn't mind my giving you her email address.

As is her custom this time of year, Susan spent a number of days (more than five, let’s say) celebrating Mardi Gras and St. Patrick's Day with her friends at the parades. Behind her and her friend in this Mardi Gras picture (click on it to see a large, vivid version) is the MAX band: musicians and performers in a combined band from St. Mary’s, St. Augustine, and Xavier Prep. Susan wrote, “I think this is during the Mid-City parade; the MAX band marched twice that day.” Yes, I’m assuming all those parades start to blur together after a while, my pretty friend.