Last month alone I spent three of the four weekends traveling for work, so I decided to make the most of the only weekend I got to spend in New Orleans. On Sunday I headed out for brunch and whatever other adventures the French Quarter was sure to provide. Because it was raining I figured most people would opt to stay home, which would have been the case if it weren’t for one thing – this is New Orleans! Downtown was buzzing with people out and about, wet but enjoying their Sunday nonetheless. It made me think of a New Orleans nickname that we don’t hear too often anymore: “The City that Care Forgot.”

The first time I heard this nickname, I took offense because of its somewhat negative connotation, but then I found out what it meant. The moniker is a reference to the carefree and easygoing nature of the New Orleans residents. More importantly, it represents the “work hard, play hard” attitude of the city. That goes for a lot of New Orleans events – if it rains at Jazz Fest we take off our shoes and slosh around in the mud, but we don’t go home, and even Mardi Gras parades continue to roll in the rain. I once watched the entire Proteus court put ponchos on over their white ball gowns to go outside and greet their king on his float.

We have definitely lived up to the aforementioned nickname; we’re going to play as hard as we work. And after spending my Sunday in the French Quarter I’ve concluded that we work really hard! We can’t be sure of the weather, but we can be sure of this: No matter what the forecast, nothing can rain on our parade.

The Water Environment Federation’s Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference was held in New Orleans this year, and people flew from all over the world to participate. Some of the focuses of the conference were: Collection Systems, Disinfection and Public Health, and Storm Water Management. After a long day of networking, participants got together for dinner and drinks.