Make me an offer I can't resist...

This has been the epitome of awesome weeks. New Orleans has proven to be the perfect home for half of those people who graduated, even though I told them not to. Jared and Debbie have a great townhouse apartment just off of Magazine Street and a short walk from (ahhhhh...) Whole Foods. Everyone else lives around town and we all gathered at Debbie's house in Slidell for the fourth. This is a picture of Jared and me fishing in Debbie's back yard. I'm not joking. I can't even tell you how amazing it was to spend the day on the canal, tubing, canoeing, drinking, fishing, eating, boating, eating, swimming, and eating. And Kakie is a photographer in the making, as well as a fine fisher(wo?)man. She, Jared and I almost got killed by a six-foot allegator gar. We lived, but with no fish to show for it.

Because of this whole adventure I missed three days of work, but honestly, I can't say I really missed them. It seems like I've worked a lot in the past four days to make up for it, but I've still managed to see Pirates of the Caribbean, part deux, buy a spectacular bridesmaid dress for Kristin's wedding, have a taco salad party, fix my bike tires, nearly finish fixing the Conglomerate office and help Amy rearrange the living room.

And yesterday the boys who live over on Dudley St. had a Meat Festival, which featured 12 different kinds of meat. Normally, I would be at least a little opposed to that, for gastronomical reasons, if not just moral one, but it was irresistable. Darren, Ryan and Paul have turned grilling into a fine art. Les beaux arts de la viande.

This summer has gone so fast, it's almost unbelievable. Le bel art de l'été.

Oh yes, and here are my prize-winning grandparents, as well as Tim getting attacked by floozies in the parade (more of my relatives) at Pioneer Days.