Afternoon Delight

Ahhh...got the house to myself. Housesmate's gone until tomorrow, house guest and other visiting friends have flown. But I'm still here, me, plus the cats. Doing yoga, maxin', relaxin'. Got some afternoon delight coming over.

Was good to host my friends. Seriously, I love to show people New Orleans. Daniela Rible made the most of her 3 weeks plus. Volunteered for both Habitat for Humanity (Yay! Jimmy Carter!) and Common Ground. Pursued 3 post-Katrina news stories. Saw the Mardi Gras Indians on Super Sunday, Bayou Boogaloo, free movies outdoors, and my old high school, Ben Franklin. She's a friend from San Francisco and has seen me perform there, Kung Fu Evangelist, Sloppy Seconds, et al. At Dragon's Den she got to see me perform in New Orleans too. She also saw Gem of the Ocean with me. She ate a muffaletta, po-boy, beignettes. She went to a crawfish boil on the North Shore, the Tulane graduation, and she drove me on River Road to visit the old plantations. And she dated. Ah Daniela, when will you realize, Vienna waits for you?

Jen Dalton-Fast gave moral support to her younger sister Mandi, who came to consider law schools. First we went to Jackson, MS, which Mandi liked. We also had a stimulating visit to Eudora Welty's house, but a disappointing diner meal. In all, older sister and I were rooting for New Orleans. Took the 3 ladies to Vaughn's on Thursday night for Kermit Ruffins, then Frenchmen street on Friday night. I think Jen wins the award for most types of food sampled per day: beignettes, crawfish etouffee (at Tujagues, yum), jambalaya (TWO bowl-sized servings at Coops!), crawfish sausage on a roll, broiled oysters, and a cup of gumbo. 3 nights! Her sister Mandi complained of stomach problems.

I think Mandi's struggling with her law school decision, torn between the better school in MS and richer quality of life in New Orleans. But things may be kinder to her in Mississippi. On her last night, her jewelry was stolen from her room. And yesterday, there was another murder close to home.