friday was mine and stephen's fourth anniversary (wedding, that is). which means that four years ago today, we were in new orleans, on the second day of our honeymoon. we chose new orleans because that was where, two years before that, on the last day of jazz fest, while the neville brothers were playing, stephen proposed to me by way of a banner being pulled by a small airplane. it was my second jazz fest, stephen's fourth. we had the perfect honeymoon for us: we organized our schedule based on eating at as many different restaurants as possible. we ate roast beef po' boys at parasol's, fried chicken salad and mango iced tea at commander's palace, oyster po' boys at acme oyster house, eggs atchafalaya at cafe atchafalaya off magazine street, fried green tomatoes with shrimp remoulade at upperline, perfect poulet at peristyle, gumbo and bud bottles at rock 'n bowl, brisket with creole sauce at tujague's, and crawfish at sid-mar's, which was out of town on the pontchatrain and may not exist anymore.

sadly, we haven't been back to new orleans since our honeymoon. every year we talk about going back for another jazz fest, but we haven't been able to make it happen. next year, even if there isn't a jazz fest, which i assume there won't be, we're going. we're going to support the city that has been like a second home to us. and in the meantime, we're doing what we can to support them from here. we chose to donate through the red cross, but there are tons of ways to help. the fug girls have put together a great list of organizations that you can give your money or time to, from people helping save the kitties to brett fav-ree's own personal charity.

whatever you can do, do.