New Orleans, day One from 4-13-09

Well, it was an interesting first day here in the Crescent City but thankfully it was more amusing than terrifying. Our weather in Detroit on Sunday was clear as a bell, but we knew that something much more ominous waited for us in Louisiana. Reports of extreme winds and thunderstorms loomed over our heads, not to mention the "possibility of sustained tornado activity". Yay. However, before our plane left the tarmak, there was drama to be had. A young woman sitting behind us had a panic attack and requested to be let off the plane. Our plane literally turned around and pulled right back up to the gate. Twenty minutes later, we were back on our way to the runway. The flight itself was OK, turbulence aside. We were secretly relieved that panic attack chick had checked out early considering our decent into N.O. was akin to a roller coaster ride. Fun was had by all.Thankfully, the severe weather warnings turned out to be nothing. I won't give a down-to-the-minute play by play a'la Eric, but I will make some general observations about the city.-It is not nearly as dangerous as we were led to believe. Granted, it's no sparking metropolis. Also, the sanitiation department is awesome! They spray the sidewalks and streets all the time. It might be old and a little seedy, but they keep it clean, thank God.-It is wet. All the time. Oh, and if your hair is over an inch long, it will 'fro out. Have fun with that.-Everyone owns a dog, and there are cats all over the place. Very animal-friendly place. We saw more than one (large) pet chillin' on the floor of a bar.-The food is incredible, naturally.-Everything is a 150 years old.So there you go, there will be more updates to some, as well as pictures.