It was February of 1998. For the first time in years, I could take a trip that was not business related in any sense of the word. My choice of destination?

New Orleans.

My friends and I were there a week before Mardi Gras, and we had a blast...from what I can remember of it.

We hit Bourbon Street of course, where we sampled many of the local drinks. We collected beads, and my friends had no concerns in...ahem...displaying their wares.

But it was the meals in which we truly indulged. Po'Boys, mufalattas, crawdads, etouffee...you name a local delicacy, we sampled it.

Even more memorable? The people. Everyone, both known and newly known, gave us nothing but smiles and pats on the backs (and the occaisional drink). There was not a single unpleasant incident the entire week we were there.

What they must be going through at the moment is beyond my own comprehension. As somone wrote elsewhere, when you watch a drenched woman guide her husband's corpse downriver that makes you realize that what's going on in your life really pales in comparison.

As everyone knows by now, Hurricane Katrina has devastated New Orleans and several states in the Gulf region. Right now, many people need food and shelter. So along with many other blogs, today I'm going to ask for readers to help out.

There will be time in the near future to answer important questions: How many people have died? When will people be allowed to go home? Did government ineptness make matters worse?

But today? Today we need to feed and shelter the dispossesed.

Today is Blog for Relief day. Your help is needed. Click on the graphic in this post, or the one directly to the right. Donate money. It's that simple.

Please give any money you can spare to America's Second Harvest, my (and eGullets) charity of choice. Help them provide food for those who've survived and to those who have been displaced by Hurrican Katrina.

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