"Hurricanes": Though also a reference to the infamous New Orleans cocktail, it's actually a reference to the fact that my companions and I got caught outside in a big storm our first day there, and found later that it had been classified as a hurricane. No wonder it was so windy!

"Hormones": My homage to the presence of thousands of frat boys, each adding their own special fragrance to the air. I don't think I'll ever forget the smell of Bourbon Street on the Saturday night before Mardi Gras: Teenage boy sweat, teenage boy beer breath, vomit, sugary hurricane mix, alcohol, horse manure, perfume, gumbo, cigarette smoke, marijuana smoke, and sex. Ack!

This is a picture of the hotel I stayed in, the "Place D'Armes". It's in the perfect location in the French Quarter on St. Ann Street. [a.k.a. "Rue Saint Ann", if you've ever read Anne Rice's Feast of All Saints.] Kiddy-corner to Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral, 1 block from the Caf� du Monde, 2 blocks from Bourbon Street. One of the nicest hotel courtyards in the city. It sounds like I'm advertising for it, but really I'm just thrilled that I found such a cool hotel exactly where I wanted to be. I made my reservations first thing in the morning of the first day they were taking Mardi Gras reservations, in June 1997, and I got the second-to-last room available. The only reason I knew what day and time to call was because I had been calling the reservation desk every 2 or 3 weeks since February 1997. If you want a hotel for Mardi Gras, start calling early!! "French Quarter Hotels" web site, with information on the Place D'Armes. New Orleans web site Mardi Gras web site