It's not ALL fun and games..altho mostly so...

Heading to New Orleans tonite. Krewe of Mid-City den party is on Saturday as is one of the first parades of the season Krewe du Vieux (looks like it could literally rain on the parade but think its a rain or shine type deal). Also looking to go to a Super Bowl Sunday Second Line featuring the Treme Sidewalk Steppers on Sunday afternoon. One other event to mention, I hope to get to a Friday nite Abita beer "can" launch event (very excited about this one). This is a pretty typical schedule when I visit New Orleans but since Katrina, I have also been trying to work in some volunteer activities when I visit. In the past couple years I have volunteered-through Hands on New Orleans- at a homeless service center (the New Orleans Mission) as well as working to help repaint the exterior of a woman's house that was damaged in the flood (through the Beacon Of Hope non-profit). That experience was particularily rewarding- at lunch my volunteer colleagues & I were called inside and served a huge meal of fried chicken and gumbo by the lady of the house. She also shared here story of having to leave her home and then come back to it months later. She showed us how far the water had gotten up the walls in her home (almost to the ceiling) and talked about how much things had changed since the storm. Needless to say it was a very intense and emotional experience. This time down, I am going to volunteer a couple hours on Saturday morning at the ARC of Greater New Orleans which has a non-profit sheltered workshop for adults with disabilities- and this being New Orleans- one of their primary work tasks is recycling Mardi Gras beads and throws to sell back to the public during carnival time, so they are really busy right now (I actually purchased 3 bags of plush toys from the program to use as throws in the Krewe Of Mid City parade; the other fun fact: this program is headed by Margie Perez who is also a well known New Orleans musician). Then, on Monday of next week, I signed up for the day to assist w/ a national non-profit program-KABOOM! -that organizes volunteers to build new playgrounds in one day at schools or parks in communities around the country. I will be at the Langston Hughes Academy Charter School working with a group of volunteers. I will try to do some "live" blogging from New Orleans as I go about my business so stay tuned!