It started with a post that I read on Craigslist looking for New Orleans Bloggers. A paid blogging position sounded too good to be true but sure enough, I became part of Blogging New Orleans during its early weeks. It was slow going at first, no commenters and no direction. I feel like we've really come into our own in the past few months with individual voices coming through and drawing comments from even the quietest lurkers. I'm happy to have been a part of this and grateful to Weblogs, Inc. for giving our city a platform on the AOL network.

I was blogging well before Blogging New Orleans. I had a personal site called "Yer Mom an' Dem" that I took down after Katrina. I lost my sense humor and didn't feel much like blogging at the time. I also had a pregnancy blog entitled, "Baby Mama Drama" that I stopped in early 2006. Before that I had an online journal to fulfill any exhibitionist tendencies of mine. Where to now? I intend to remain on board with Weblogs, Inc. The people that I've met are great and I'll ride it out as long as they will have me. I've toyed with the idea of another personal blog centered around the Crescent City but I'm not sure that I will be going in that direction any time soon.


The timing surrounding Blogging New Orleans' retirement suits me fine. I knew that it would be hard to post the first few weeks after I give birth to my second child. Additionally, I need a break from the news feeds! It's not easy reading day after day that the city you call home is failing and then trying to write upbeat, defensive posts on the matter. On the other hand, I'm going to miss adding my two cents. I'm also going to miss being part of the New Orleans blogging community. That is probably the biggest reason that I am leaning towards a personal blog. My only regret is that I won't be able to post pictures of my finished camelback addition or bore you with any details of how I am going to disembowel my subcontractors.

My first post on this site was about the zoo which I haven't been to in a while. The next post complained about buckmoth caterpillars. Most of my posts tend to fall under these two categories. I have had a great time covering the Crescent City Farmers Market and forcing myself to buy tasty treats just so I can report on them later. My favorite posts by far were the two Sundays that I spent at Jazz Fest. Running from the many stages and food stands to the press tent actually enhanced my experience; especially when I would run into Mike or Amanda as they hurriedly typed their posts.

I know that there are plenty of local bloggers keeping the world posted so getting our story out is not a concern. There has been progress here but we're still struggling. I've gotten so used to flooded empty properties in my own neighborhood that I forget about them until they finally get demolished now two years later (the Claiborne/Carrollton intersection is finally coming along!). My neighborhood is the least of the destruction though and I find that I often drive with blinders on when I go up major avenues the Claiborne and Earhart that are certainly less than 50% open. Driving into Lakeview or over the Industrial Canal are an entirely different matter.

The Quarter is indeed open for business but we are missing residents, workers and flavor. There has been an upswing in crime that makes stepping off from Bourbon Street too treacherous even for a sober local. Friends of mine in the Bywater and Marigny feel marginalized and unprotected. Neighborhood occupancy is still not 100% despite the fact that most flooding didn't reach the floorboards. You can see why it's easy to focus on what we have lost.

Julia Reed remains publicly optimistic although I can't help but feel like she is speaking in code with every television appearance -- a code relevant to Garden District Residents and the city's white upper class. This could be my own prejudice due the the fact that I distinctly remember a radio interview with her in the early days after Katrina when she talked about her "tree surgeon" and how her property had fared. I wondered why her tree guy could get into the city and I, a homeowner, could not. She was complaining about a couple of missing limbs while the rest of us didn't know if our houses were still standing.

Maybe the city will be in better shape in five or ten years. Maybe it'll be happy cultural mecca that we all want with fabulous public schools. Maybe it will continue to sink into total ruin or maybe the river neighborhoods will become expensive vacation destinations like Martha's Vineyard with property taxes pushing out the working class. Admittedly and ashamedly some days I herald gentrification if it means that I can retain my property values and be safe to walk down the street. I know that pushing poor people out of a city is not the answer -- mostly because I wouldn't be too far behind! However, in addition to building new homes and encouraging businesses to return, we need to take the time to focus on the social needs of the residents. I'm not advocating huge government spending but I'd like to see private groups pick up the slack and turn around generations of neglect.

In the meantime, I hope that you continue to read from an assortment of local bloggers. I also would like to thank you for being a reader of Blogging New Orleans and most specifically, my long-winded weekly features. Best wishes wherever you are and thanks.