Quickly

I have caught up on my homework and feel comfortable enough to let it rest for the time being. I am not at my desk, where projects face me. I have a few moments of quiet. Mallory is sleeping in the other room and I am relaxing on her lanai as I begin day two of my vacation in Mississippi and the deep south.

Seems like the pace back in DC has been a little hectic lately. Drew has returned from France and there are now six of us living in the house. The older I get, the more roommates I am acquiring. It seems to go against my nature, but no one ever said that I'd live what I expected. Drew will be with us until the end of August before he moves to NY to finish grad school.

I've had recent vacations to Florida and the NC beach within the past month. Some pictures of Florida have been posted, but the beach pictures won't make it up here until I return from MS and visiting Mal.

Dave is away at bootcamp, so Mallory and I have uninterrupted sister time. Although I love and miss Dave, it's been fun to have my sister to myself. Yesterday I arrived and she gave me a tour of Gulfport, where she is living. I was really surprised to still see a lot of devastation from Katrina. There are many boarded buildings and overgrown lots where people just never returned to their homes or businesses. Signs advertising restaurants and shops stand tall, beatnen by a storm that stole what they represented. In place of the restaurant or store is an empty lot, weeds, and tall grass. Construction is rampant. No neighborhood is immune from Caterpillars, large trucks, and the sound of rebuilding. It's been over five years. I can't imagine what it was like even four years ago.

Besides the tour, we went to a restaurant new to Mallory, but one that she has been wanting to try. It's called Back Bay and it was delicious! We had their shrimp toast, which was slightly toasted bread covered in a creamy white sauce with shrimp, crawfish, red peppers, and mushrooms in it. Mmm. It didn't stand a chance. For our entrees we split pan seared grouper, fried shrimp, sauteed zucchini and squash, and hush puppies. Mal had a glass of wine and I had Abita, which is an amber beer brewed in New Orleans.

After I wake Mal, our plan today is to hit the pool for a little bit. They have a mineral pool in their apartment complex. Don't ask me what all that entails, but Mal seems pretty excited about it. After the pool, we're hitting the road for two days and nights in New Orleans. I am so excited to see Mal in New Orleans and experience the fun city again. New Orleans has always been on my top five places of favorite vacations. I'm excited about experiencing it again after about seven years of having not been there. Mufalettas, Cafe du Monde, Pat O'Brien's, Court of Two Sisters, and Bourbon Street here we come. I can practically smell the coffee and beignets. I can hear the music and taste the sweet hurricane.

Neglect

According to Merriam-Webster (2009), the word Neglect means two things: 1) to give little attention or respect to and 2) to leave undone or unattended especially through carelessness.

It seems a bit harsh and tough to swallow, but I realize this is what My Palette has been looking like lately. I promise to provide some updates soon to include: A Parisian Visitor, Fourth of July, and Vacation updates. I'll also be providing some pics.

Thanks for keeping tabs on me. I love sharing with you guys (all three of my loyal readers!) ;)