02/23/12

Family Funeral Frenzy

Ugh, what a week – and I don’t mean Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras was fine, low-key, some much-needed relaxation.

But I learned early on the morning of Fat Tuesday that my maternal grandfather had died of a stroke – and then learned early Ash Wednesday that my favorite aunt, my dad’s sister, died in her sleep on Mardi Gras night.

Two deaths of people I love on both sides of my family has thrown me into a bit of a tizzy, not least because the two sides of my family couldn’t possibly be more different, and trying to go back and forth, grieving appropriately with each side, is making my head spin. I’m halfway scared that I’m...

Posted at 10:40 PM | Permalink | Comments: 1

02/16/12

Why Mardi Gras is Awesome

Five Reasons Mardi Gras Is Great

1. Everything slows down during Carnival season. New Orleans never moves at a New York City pace ­– thank God; if we wanted that, we’d live in New York City – but during Carnival, it is entirely acceptable to take three-hour lunches on a weekday and then wander, half-drunk, through the French Quarter. It also becomes acceptable to write bulleted lists like this so that you can hurry out to catch a parade rather than taking the time to write an actual narrative piece with thoughtful transitions.
    
2. There are some people I only see during Carnival. In other cities, people come home for Christmas. Here, they come back for Fat Tuesday. And that makes perfect sense to me: Christmas is...

   Posted at 04:12 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

02/03/12

Pregnancy Paranoia

Earlier this week, I had a great dinner out, followed by a decadent dessert with Italian meringue. But when I got home, although my instinct was to fall asleep for approximately 16 hours, that’s not what I did. Instead I sat up, panicky, for at least 90 minutes frantically Googling “Italian meringue” and “Italian meringue raw eggs” and “Italian meringue raw eggs pregnant” and “Italian meringue raw eggs pregnant damage to fetus???”

Ultimately, I learned that yes, Italian meringue has raw eggs in it and no, I shouldn’t have eaten it – but that I would probably be OK. In any case, the dangers of raw eggs pertain more to me than to the fetus; unlike listeria, which can cause stillbirth, raw eggs would sicken...

Posted at 05:00 AM | Permalink | Comments: 5