Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans

I miss her.

But I've heard she's coming back.

Without deliberately focusing on her, she's come up quite a few times this week and is in my mind now. I don't think it's a coincidence that it's Mardi Gras, I glimpsed a few shots of bourbon Street earlier this week and it appears 'Nawlins is back.

Unfortunately I've never been to New Orleans for the big party, but I have great memories of my three visits there. Actually, I almost lost faith in her last time, right up to the last night, when I went for one last lap and sat down to listen to a jazz band, talk to the musicians and reconnect with everything I love about her. That wiped out all the unflattering images of this dirty town and some of the bad memories of the "worst hangover of my life".

With no real planned theme for tonight's dinner, I reached for a New Orleans cookbook my brother bought me a while ago and decided on Trout Meuniere Amandine. That of course set off the theme and the sound of Harry Connick Jr. (singing the title of this post) is still lingering in the background.

I'm not sure what it is about New Orleans, of even the feeling you get in the south. It can be one of laissez faire and it comes as a pleasant surprise if you travel there. Even a cab ride from the airport will reveal a slower pace of life than what meets the eye on TV America. You get a genuine feeling that people value the simpler things in life. There are of course exceptions, but the average Joe (or Jenny) in New Orleans seems like the real McCoy. And I've got to thank my Bro again for a couple of things: introducing us to some very fine Southern folk, especially my sister-in-law CS and her wonderful family; and tainting my music collection with an odd alt/country track here and there.

Unfortunately, don't think I can close here, without giving you a pointer to the latest embarassing Bush moment (AP video, MS Internet explorer probably needed) on the Katrina cock-up.

Gotta grab a bourbon and put on Wild at Heart, but first, where's that Iko Iko song ?

If you're still looking to help New Orleans out, The American Red Cross is probably a good charity to donate to.

p.s. Yes, Mom - we had pancakes on "Fat Tuesday" (Shrove Tuesday)