Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Tuesday Travels: Where Have All the Oysters Gone?

If I were a Catholic, I might say, “I can't believe it's been nearly a month since my last confession!” But given that I'm just a humble atheist, I'll simply say, “Holy crap! Has it really been almost a month since my last freakin' blog post?!”

As I noted in mid-September, life has been busier than usual. At the moment, I'm trying to wrap up work on the fourth edition of Moon Michigan and gearing up for the third edition of Moon New Orleans, but I'd be seriously remiss if I didn't mention the fact that Dan and I have recently made our seasonal trek from northern Michigan to the Big Easy. Though we're both missing the quietude and fall colors of the woods beside Big Bear Lake, we're happy to be back in New Orleans. Unfortunately, however, the city is not completely how we left it. The much-publicized Gulf oil spill has definitely left its mark, causing one of our favorite French Quarter restaurants, the Oceana Grill, to cease serving raw oysters, at least for a while. Of course, that won't stop us from venturing into the Quarter again tomorrow, in search of those deliciously slimy mollusks. Here's hoping we can scare a few up!

9 comments:

Susan R. Mills said...

Glad to see you back around here. Hope all is well!

Laura Martone said...

Thanks, Susan! I'm not sure how consistent I'll be during the next month, but I'll sure try. I really miss my blogging buddies - like you! :-(

J.B. Chicoine said...

That whole oil mess is terrible, and I know oyster depletion is the least of it, but you know how I feel about mollusks! Heartbreaking indeed!

Becky said...

Good luck with your oyster quest! And as a fan of your blog, but also as a friend, I'd rather you post once a month than stress about posting more! Don't feel guilty! Good luck with all of that paid work!!!!

J.B. Chicoine said...

Yeah, and what Becky said, too--about posting...

Laura Martone said...

Bridget - Yes, indeed! Oyster depletion is certainly not the worst thing to have happened in the wake of that terribly unnecessary oil spill. But, for me, it's a disappointing side effect. And, yes, I well remember how important mollusks are to you, too, my friend - though I've never had the pleasure of digging for clams. ;-)

Becky - Thanks! I'll keep you posted about the oyster quest. In the meantime, thanks for the kind words... you're right, as much fun as blogging can be, it's not worth losing sleep over. That's what I have travel guides for!

Laura Martone said...

Thanks, Bridget - it's nice to have caring pals. Helps to keep my lack-of-blogging woes in check. :-)

Marguerite said...

Welcome back, Laura! So glad you're back in the Big Easy. You might have to take a ride to Cajun country, for oysters. We've got plenty, here in Lafayette and in Abbeville, but they're a little pricier than usual. Worth it for an oyster lover, though!

Laura Martone said...

Thanks, Marguerite! I'm glad to be back home, too - and I'm happy to say that I finally found some plump, tasty Louisiana oysters down here - but that doesn't mean I won't pay a visit to Cajun Country soon. The oysters are more costly than usual, but you're right, so worth it for an oyster lover like me!