This article made me melacholy but there’s no time for that. Let’s turn those frowns upside down!

Melancholy reveler
There’s a hole in his heart, but the parade must go on
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Chris Rose

So the season is upon us.
In some pockets of town, I see the banners, flags, bunting and lights with the colors that speak to my spirit, and I hear Al “Carnival Time” Johnson on the radio calling me to fall in.
By this time of year, I have usually wiped down the ladder that has been stowed in the shed for a year, making sure the safety straps, bead hooks and cup holders — especially the cup holders — are tight and secure.
Sometimes I’ll have added a fresh coat of paint.
But it’s still in the shed as I write this. I’ll get it out. Soon.
I see the empty stands down on The Avenue, waiting for the revelers to come. For some reason, I have always been rendered wistful by the sight of deserted stands and stadiums and this year it’s a small hole in my heart.

Read the rest here at nola.com:
http://www.nola.com/living/t-p/rose/index.ssf?/base/living-0/1140336013283600.xml

Editor’s note: Sorry Amber, for copyright propriety’s sake, I edited the full text of the article out, and gave a link to the Times-Picayune’s website.

For awhile, a bunch of us have been talking about going out and getting tattoos to commemorate our experiences with Katrina, Rita, and New Orleans this September (and continuing). Here’s my favorites so far:

I’ve put up a flickr page with a whole mess of different types. There’s lots of variations on the theme here. Check them out and let us know what you think.