Well, hello to all of you from New Orleans. You're probably wondering what took me so long to write something since it's been almost 24 hours since we arrived in the Big Easy. As you may expect from the protracted silence, the first day was a bit of an adventure.
Those two or three of you familiar with the nuclear power industry know that the worst casualty that can happen in a water-cooled plant is what is known as a "loss of coolant accident." An LOCA is just what you might imagine it would be -- a case where the core coolant leaks out and exposes the core, which subsequently overheats. Bad things then happen, such as core meltdown and all sorts of radiological nightmares.
I had a LOCA yesterday, except it was a "loss of computer accident." That can be just as catastrophic, because there is lots of information on my computer, such as passwords and things, that could expose my life to a meltdown. I spent the next eight hours of my life trying to get it back (didn't happen), finding a replacement (finally happened) and changing every password and credential in my life, of which I discovered I had frightening number. It took a long time.
The fine people at Buick, (be sure to visit http://apps.facebook.com/ncaabadges/ ) who are sponsoring this trip, also sponsored a dinner at one of the finest restaurants in New Orleans which I was obliged to miss in order to rescue my life from the potential depredations of whoever made off with my netbook. It was a long and painful process.
The rest of the night reads like a DirecTv commercial, as you might imagine:
When you lose your computer, you spend all night changing passwords. When you spend all night changing passwords, you want to blow off steam. When you want to blow off steam, you go to Bourbon Street and try to drink all their liquor. When you go to Bourbon Street and try to drink all your liquor, you wake up the next morning looking like you had lost a fight with a grizzly bear. Don't wake up the next morning looking like you lost a fight with a grizzly bear.
You get the idea.
Anyway, this morning we are being treated to breakfast by the fine folks at Buick, (note: these plugs for our sponsor are unsolicited and not required, I'm just really happy to be here) after which is a number of events at something called "Bracket Town" and a possible meetup with Seth Davis a bit later if I can get it done. Hopefully today, we will have more pictures to show than now, but I'll post a couple down below just for fun.
New Orleans is a very cool place, and for my money has got to be the ultimate Spring Break destination. I suppose the lack of a beach is a reason it's not, but if a party is what you seek, this place has one going on non-stop. It's definitely different.
Here are a few pictures to keep you momentarily entertained. Here's where we ate the best fried oysters and shrimp I have ever had. Plus, they were true to their name and had Four Roses Single Barrel. Recommended.
Here is my wife, Petra, as we charged forth onto Rue Bourbon:
And here are some rowdy revelers doing ... well, what rowdy revelers do.
That's it for now. I promise to have more, you know, Wildcats-related stuff later.