Sorry folks, I maxed out on “love week,” too many other things racing in my little brain (the hamster drank too much caffeine I think). I got my dozen roses, a cupcake from my daughter and kisses from the boys…what more could a girl want for Valentine’s Day? And to top it off, we are going to dinner with friends at Jacques-Imo’s for my first time – tonight – Snoopy dance. Anyhoo….

I was watching FOX News yesterday and heard Shep Smith saying they would be in NOLA during the NBA All-Star Weekend. They would be reporting on the current state of New Orleans and reporting on the current conditions. Right then, the hamster (I must name him soon) began running faster and this post floated in my head all day. So what will Shep and the rest of the reporters who come to the city this weekend report about? Me thinkest it all depends what they choose to look at and who they choose to interview. Ask me, The Princess of Positive (call me Shep) (985)807-4805, and I will tell you I am never leaving my new home- this place is the best place on Earth! Ask the dude under the bridge in the REI tent and no bathroom facilities and he will tell you it sucks here. Ask the homeowner who is back in their newly renovated home whose business is picking up again and they will say things are really on the up and up. Ask the homeowner still settling claims and who just found out they will have to move out of their toxic trailer ASAP and you will hear about the lack of progress. So what does NOLA do to get ready for company?

Let’s pretend you have you work Monday through Friday and are hosting a party on Friday. You haven’t been able to clean the house as much as you wanted since last weekend when you dusted but it reappeared. You tidy up and maybe wipe down the bathrooms and the kitchens, run the vacuum, spray some Febreeze or Pledge and make the main living area look good. Hold on to your britches, I ‘m going somewhere with this. The unfinished house projects can’t be repaired at this point. You have a hole in a wall in the guest room and hope nobody notices it. The paint job you did in the kitchen is horrible, but at least the floral wallpaper is gone. The paper messes are shoved in a closet and nobody will see those. As for the missing switch plates, oh well, at least the switches work. Your guests will come for a good time, drink your alcohol, eat your food and they will leave. You still have to pay the electric bill you just realized was overdue and the hole in the guest room wall will probably stay there for quite some time. After all, it isn’t a priority on your list. As for the kitchen paint job, that may sink to the very bottom of the priority list, because at least it is painted the color you want.

If you have half a brain (which I know all my readers have), you realized I am comparing getting ready for a house party to NOLA getting ready to host an NBA weekend spectacular. You see, this city isn’t perfect like the house I just described. We have homeless people living under the highway after they PCSd (permanent change of station for you not familiar with military acronyms) from Duncan Plaza. We have less than perfect roads, but hey, I grew up in Boston, the land of the potholes that will swallow your car. We have some leadership “issues” (and I am being kind) that won’t go away overnight. New Orleans wasn’t perfect before the storm and it isn’t perfect now. Look close enough at the walls in the kitchen and you may cringe, but while you were having a good time at the party, you could have cared less.

What I am saying is…if you put anything under a microscope, you will find the flaws. Hey, if I look in a magnified mirror, I would want to hurl, but from a distance, I can tolerate my skin. You get my point?

And for the love of God – keep assault rifles out of the Mayor’s hands this weekend (no he wasn’t pointing it, but what a dumb photo idea).

As always, this post can be enjoyed at NOLA.com and my personal blog where you better come visit me!!! I NEED SOME MORE LOVE NOLA – BRING IT ON!!!!