Today I was shopping in a grocery store. You know how they have little samples of products that they're trying to get you to buy? For some reason, in Texas, they always had little pieces of sausage. I never figured that out, but I digress.

The first one was a "crawfish pocket." My thought was "you know you're in Louisiana when..." But then - oh, and this is beautiful - they were giving out samples of Bacardi products, and there was a long line of college guys "trying them out." Only in New Orleans, I swear.

The stores are all confused around here - normally around this time, they'd be full of Super Bowl advertising, but for the first time ever, Super Bowl falls on Mardi Gras weekend. I saw one display where they had painted beads and Mardi Gras masks on opposing football players.

Of course, everybody here speaks a lingo that I don't quite follow, but I've gotten better at picking it up by context. "Well, I love the Endymion, but then, my favorite time is Lundi Gras, because that's even better than the day after, and besides, you've already seen most of the Krewes by then."

To which I say "Well, yeah!"

I've been flashed many times, but I haven't yet gotten any on camera. It's such a tough life I lead.

Well, I'll talk to you all soon.

Jester