It's St. Pats Day...I promise, no jokes about Patio Furniture.

Well Happy St. Patrick's Day and may the luck of the Irish be with you. Most years I would find myself by around noon at a place called Parasols in the Irish Channel of New Orleans enjoying a large mug of green beer and a shot or two of good ole Jameson Irish Whiskey. I'd see friends that I hadn't seen since probably last year while watching the masses dressed in green flow by. The great thing about a place like Parasols is that they not only do a great business during St. Pats but serve a great Po-boy year round. After enjoying the festivities it's likely I would poke my head inside Parasols for a plate of corned beef and cabbage or a delicious hot-sausage po-boy. That was then, this is now.

Now that I average about 10 hours a day at the plant, I find it less likely to want to do anything after work but come home and see my family. It's much safer for me to do so now that I'm on the Diet to Go plan. I know I have to come home to eat my dinner and by 5:30, 6:00pm I'm ready to eat! You want to know why so many people are overweight in New Orleans? It's because we never get a chance to slow down. No need to take you through the entire year month by month but since I've started DTG I've suffered through Twelfth Night and King Cake season, Mardi Gras, Valentines Day, The Irish/Italian parades of last weekend, St. Patrick's Day, not to mention fresh seafood and it's abundance during Lent. Let's see, Easter is coming in April. Jazz Fest the last weekend of April and the first weekend in May along with Memorial day BBQ's and my vacation out west.

The weather during the winter and spring is the only thing that makes the summer months bearable. Because it's so nice right now it's festival season and we have a festival for everything; Crawfish, crab, shrimp, frog, boat, sweet potato, strawberry...there are pages of them and all with good food, music and drink. I fear I may have to leave this state to get healthy. I'm happy that my meals are prepared for me so I know what I should be eating but it's times like these that I wish I was one of those people who has the metabolism to eat what they want. BTW, I'd forgotten how good the black bean soup and delicious pretzel was and the burrito with beans is awesome too. Erin go Brau...