I am standing on the 17th Street canal interim closure structure (aka flood-gates)
Oh boy am I going to get some fun Google hits from this title. I bet you were all wondering where I went on my “super-secret” field trip?

Let me back up a little first. We are all sick and tired of negative press around here (call it branding). The Army Corps of Engineers is always getting beat up too and I hate to hear it …day after day. Truth is (confession time), my house is decorated with the red corps castle.

While hubby proudly served in the Army until his retirement last year, we were a Corps family. I wore red ball-gowns, have red flags and castles scattered throughout the house, castle jewelry and even castle stationary (you get the drift). Until I moved to Louisiana, I proudly displayed my castle stained glass in the front window of all my houses. But here, still proud of our affiliation with the Corps, I felt it best to put my stained glass on my mantel. You see, the Corps is often the point of, well…finger pointing. “They” are to blame for ALL the problems in the city. “They” are often portrayed in the media as “the bad guys.” Well the truth is, I have slept next to a “bad guy” for 13 years and he still reports to the building with the red flag, but in civilian clothes and in a private capacity.

As a concerned civilian, blogger, ambitious new voice in the community and truth-seeker (I feel like I should be wearing a cape for that), I called the Public Affairs Office (PAO) at the Corps and asked if I could get some more information. My blog style is mostly positive and because I don’t discuss hubby’s work on my blog, I wanted to get to the source of the 411. I offered them a new voice, one that would like to know more and share some of the “other” stories the main-stream media (MSM) often overlooks. No, I am not a serious news journalist who researching articles for hours on end. In fact, my blog usually consists of an experience, passion, observation and of course, is always tainted with my snarky sense of humor and casual writing style.

Well, the PAO office offered me a “red carpet” tour that I took today. It was given by 2 very knowledgeable and fabulous PAO employees. Today, yours truly took the same tour that reporters who write negative and often nasty and vicious stuff, new Corps employees and dignitaries take. Go ahead – give me that Church Lady voice and an “Well….isn’t that special?”

I wrote a couple of days ago about agendas. The difference between me and the MSM, well, is a paycheck! I get a few bucks thrown to me from NOLA.com each month with the understanding that I can write whatever the heck I want. Heck of a deal. I always have and always will, beat to my own drum. I am an open book!

Now I will embrace this new relationship, share some new and exciting things that “they” are doing that may get overlooked. This will be a regular feature intertwined into this blog. Let’s see where this goes and the reactions from the peanut gallery (you-the reader). New Orleans is a city worth saving and bygosh – I will make a difference (no matter how small). Stay tuned!!!

(c/p at NOLA.com)