Hey Guys,

It's been awhile since I got to update but there's been plenty happening. The thing that's keeping me the busiest is trying to finish up the third installment of the Devil series, Deal With The Devil.

Since I can't really tell you about that yet, I thought I tell you what we did a couple of weekends ago that made me think why I love the city of New Orleans so much. We went to Sunday Brunch at Commander's Palace. If you're from here and have gone, you know what I'm talking about when I say the Commander's experience, and if you're planning a trip, all I can say is I highly recommend it. And if you own a pair of sear sucker pants, then wear them. If you do you'll fit right in since it's been awhile seen I've seen that much pale blue, green, and red stripes in one location. Mine are blue by the way.

We started with a mimosa and ended with the bread pudding souffle. When they were closed because of the damage they sustained in hurricane Katrina I had dreams about that souffle. It's one of the things the place is famous for and rightfully so, but back to our visit.

The jazz band that walks around to the various rooms stopped at our table and asked what song we'd like to hear. We asked for the song that had been put on a banner and hung on the side of the old home while the restaurant was closed. I Know What It Means was what the banner read, and the guys were glad to add the rest of the words To Miss New Orleans.

As we enjoyed lunch Ti Martin, her grandmother Ella Brennan is the owner, stopped by to chat, and took me for a tour of what they'd done to the place. Much of the woodwork was saved, they did a much needed rewiring, but the naked ladies on the second floor are back and look better than ever. She asked how we'd made out, and then we laughed at how we can now talk about such loss so matter-of-factly. The thing everyone agrees on is that we can  because the most important things, our families, are fine and safe. The rest is just stuff. Stuff that I still miss and in some cases can't replace mind you, but I'm lucky that I'm only mourning my old vacation photos. When you look at it like that it seems silly considering what others lost.

To some, you may not realize what a pleasure it was to sit there and enjoy a Sunday morning, but for those of us who've watched the city come back to life slowly you know it was more than a meal. It's getting back something that you maybe took for granted, but never again. Commander's has made it into some of my stories in the past, in the Devil series the Casey family crypt is in the Lafitte Cemetary directly across the street. It's just part of a place I call home.

As we brought our meal to a close I watched my waiter, everyone at the table gets their own, put my souffle down and break though the top with a spoon so he could pour in the warm whiskey cream sauce. I gave thanks that I wasn't dreaming, and for the fact that it really did taste as good as my memories of it.

It was raining when we walked out but that didn't matter. We were just happy that the city has a little bit of its soul back, that little something that makes New Orleans so unique. Now that's something to give thanks for.

Ali