N'awlins loot

One final New Orleans story - my older son wanted something cool made of glass, so I went into one of the many antique/jewelery/art gallery stores on Royal in the French Quarter. The thing I liked the best was this bowl, but it was marked $120. I also liked some crystal bracelets. I picked out a prism from a chandelier, one of the cheapest things in the store for $20, and they said - "What else do you like, we'll give you a real good deal, no one's been in all day". I ended up with the prism, 2 bracelets, and the bowl for $100; if I paid the prices marked it would have added up $210. Times are tough down there - 15,000 or 16,000 or 18,000 or whatever it was librarians was good business, but I bet the chambermaid had an awfully long commute to earn $10/hour, or whatever pittance she was getting.

I'm really glad that the ALA honored its contract to go to New Orleans despite Katrina, but it's not like most of us actually liked going there in the summer - it's too hot, too humid, and too smelly, and when you do get inside, you freeze because all the buildings are way over air-conditioned. In winter, it's a treat. This morning, back in Wisconsin, I woke up in my own bed with a cat sleeping on my feet and it was 58 degrees - heaven.