We had a crazy seven minute storm this evening. Torrential downpour, hail, thunder and lightning--the works. It was over as quickly as it started. I took this photo on my cell phone. Looks like a moonlit river, but it's actually a baseball field drenched by the storm. I thought the city lights looked pretty reflecting off the water.
I went out walking after the storm and headed to my favorite coffeehouse to read. I've randomly picked up a copy of
The Great Gatsby again, and I'm so glad I did. I read the book so many years ago and although I remember loving it, I'm not sure I fully appreciated how incredibly well-crafted and insightful Fitzgerald's sentences really were. Isn't it nice to revisit a beloved book at different points in your life and to see how your perceptions change?
Here's a particular passage, Nick's description of his first meeting of Gatsby, that I kept rereading...
"He smiled understandingly--much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in your life. It faced--or seemed to face--the whole external world for an instant, and then concentrated on
you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey."
We had a crazy seven minute storm this evening. Torrential downpour, hail, thunder and lightning--the works. It was over as quickly as it started. I took this photo on my cell phone. Looks like a moonlit river, but it's actually a baseball field drenched by the storm. I thought the city lights looked pretty reflecting off the water.
PS I hope I can eventually replace these terrible blurry scans that made everyone look weird! I scanned them on some piece of junk at work.
Yes! My awesome friend gave me this awesome shirt knowing how much I love rooster sauce! When I was sick I had pho almost every day and loaded so much of this in the broth that I would cough and cry at the table.
There were beautiful flowers blooming everywhere!
One thing that really stands out architecturally, particularly in the French Quarter, is the ornate iron work framing the houses. Generally the more ornate work is cast iron, and the plainer, but more durable work is wrought iron. 
The next two photos were the views from the courtyard of my favorite bar, The Napoleon House. So lovely and such yummy drinks. I am drinking a Ramos Gin Fizz (which they handily make at Southwark a block from my apartment in Philly!!!) It's lemon/lime juice, orange flower water, egg whites, cream, seltzer and gin. It's like a New York Egg Cream. YUM.
Some more pretty places in the city, below.
Ow.
Here's a special treat for everyone enjoying this snow day. Maybe you are home like me (oh happy day!) or maybe you are stuck at work, but not under as many watchful eyes as usual.
