My Mama & the Big Easy
My mother rarely writes e-mail to me. She's never grown accustomed to the feel of electric typewriter keyboards, much less a computer. But she wrote to me today on the occasion of my trip to New Orleans. Here's what she wrote - bear with her -there are a few typos:
Dear Lee:
I hear from the grape vine that you are planning to go with Rob to New
Orleans. You may or may not like for me to tell you whazt kind of place
thazt I think it is.
The first time thazt I went there was during the second world. Mrs. Tipton,
a next door neighbor, and her daughter, Jane, were going to New Orleans to
see Margaret;
Nelle Lowdermilk wanted to go and visit Lenoir. The Navy had a
communication center there. I went too -on the train. Margaret made
arrangements for me to sta
with her Mother and Jane. She also helped us to get around and see things
thazt were of good standing. It was during the war, as I say, but I think
it is typical of
these people-French, crossbreeds of Fraench and blacks, etc. You had
segregation on the trollies with these people at the back of the trolley.
We visited the French Quarters of the city. This is really the night spot
of the town. I felt uncomfortable there. It was wine, women, and song. I
believe they may
have thrown some of them in the river, and no one ever heard of them again.
Now, there is alot of facts; it is below sea level. They the dead above
ground. I loved the outdoor, patio type eating places, French, of course.
One that Margaret
took us was "Court of Two Sisters. It was hot, seafood, wine,
music-jazz-Louis Armstrong.
The second time that I was there was in the l950's with the Rhynes on our
trip to the west coast. I had done more reading about the place. They had
done that too.
We ate at Antoine's. Supposed to be the oldest eating establishment in New
Orleans, operated by one family line. This is the way Scandinavians
operate. I ordered
pampano which is fish cooked in a paper bag. Of course, the French Market
with coffee chicory, beignets.
Now, I know things have changed since then; but you will find out what
things cost. Manage your money and you may ask advice from a reliable
source, the safest
and historical signicant places. You can' see it all at once, pick out
those places of most importance. It has its own personality.

The continuing story . . .
Today the old/rare book and manuscript guy wrote back. I had sent him a link to the web-page with a list of the classes for the archives program. He wrote that since there were no classes that seemed to deal specifically with library and printed collections that may be a handicap. He also offered to meet with me so we could figure all this out.
They're adding on to this building, and next Friday there will be no air conditioning. Since there will be no air conditioning, computing services advised the staff not to turn on their computers all day. Since we can't really operate as a circulating library with no computers, we've all be given the day off. I asked the rare books fellow if I could meet with him then.
No word back yet.
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The Big Easy
Thursday morning I am flying to New Orleans for four days of . . . whatever one does in New Orleans. Drink. Sweat. Eat gumbo. Whatever.

4.0
My other instructor from this past semester finally posted a grade for me. It's also an A.
During my talk last week with the deputy director here last week, he suggested I write to an associate dean of the library school at Carolina he was acquainted with, and ask this dean if the archives program would suite my ambitions. I wrote to that guy on Friday, and he responded today. He referred me to someone else, an old book and manuscript librarian who teaches in that library science school. So now I've written to this third person, and am still waiting to hear back.
* * * * * * * *
I've been having trouble with my mail carrier. Have I told you? Despite the fact that I submitted a change-of-address form when I moved last summer, something didn't get done, apparently. Now I have a new carrier, and I've been finding my mail in the box for the old apartment. Including my federal income tax refund check. This is Bad.
And it's most unfortunate because there have recently been a spate of issues of my favourite magazine, (not only) Blue. I am somewhat addicted to this magazine. It's published in Australia, and follows some odd schedule, like it's published every other month for most of the year, and then for some reason it seems to come out more often. That's happening now. Perhaps there's just been some shipping mix-up. But I've been buying them here and there and having them shipped to a friend who lives in a real house. Which is frustrating because I can't get my hands on them right away as soon as they arrive.