All I Want For Christmas is the Saints in the Superbowl!

We are all caught up in Saints fever down here. Having come out of the doldrums of winter... at least for the time being, it 66 degrees outside, slightly overcast and Sunday breezy beautiful! Living a mere ten blocks from the Superdome, people began traipsing by in there black and gold as early as 10am. The feeling is very much like Mardi Gras weekend, but to be savored by the locals alone. This is for New Orleanians. Those who grew up here (easily identified by High School association) and those who choose to live here and deal with the difficulties and sadness that is incorporated in everyday life as this city traverses the ever difficult task of rebuilding. But today is different. Everyone is out on their front porch cleaning and preparing for the game, block parties are ensuing, streets are filled with the smoke of burgers and sausages grilling, music is blaring in every direction and everyone who passes by greets each person with nervous excitement... Who Dat... who dat.. who dat!

It has been very difficult for this city to move forward since Katrina and to some extent this may come from the type of people who live in New Orleans, but who help create what we love about this place. New Orleans is full of musicians, artist, performers, and above all dreamers. For these masters of culture life since Katrina has been an uphill battle. Today is for dreamers because today people are full of dreams. Buying into the dream of what it might mean to see our team in the Super bowl. In preparation of this possibility (and possibly due to the gorgeous weather) our block seems to be full of cleaning. Cleaning out the house, the car, the garden... the soul. Neighbors on both sides of our house are out cleaning, including ourselves. Maybe its that we would normally procrastinate until the evening and then convince ourselves that its too dark or maybe its for the new beginning the Saints might be bringing New Orleans. In our house this morning the Christmas decorations came down, the tree went to the curb, the kitchen was cleaned from top to bottom and loads of laundry have been washed, dried and wait to be folded. We can't put it off for tonight... because tonight is GAME NIGHT!

As we all wait for kickoff to slowly get closer and closer. As Saints fans grow from a trickle to a river of black and gold on the sidewalks out front... a possibility hangs heavy in the New Orleans air. The possibility that 2010 will be the year of New Orleans! A new mayor will be elected this year, the MR.GO will close (one cause for the devastation of the lower 9th), the port will expand, levees will grow and maybe... just maybe... the Saints will go to the Super bowl.

Oh...just in case the title seems a bit late in the season...just know that the song is timeless!