The Sybarite Returns...

Greetings and Happy 2010 everyone!

I'm back after a long hiatus. Looking at the Blogger dashboard this morning, it's been over two months since I've made a post--eek! Rather than offering some long-winded apology or vow to be more on top of things, I'll say that I took a much-needed break from pretty much everything.

The holidays in 2009 were not a particularly luxurious time for me as I was consumed with an overwhelming work schedule. Fortunately I parted ways with the Roosevelt just before New Year's and landed a job at Stanley, located in the French Quarter on Jackson Square. So far, the job has proven to be a great fit--reasonable hours, a five day work week, and enough business to keep up with food, rent and other financial obligations. It's nice to wake up not dreading to go to work. Once the new gig was in place, I enjoyed a month of rest and leisure. As I've said before, many of life's luxuries are small and/or intangible, and the luxury of a return to sanity and happiness has done much to improve my outlook on things.

I'm not one for making tons of New Year's resolutions, but I made a conscious decision this year to learn more about my current city of residence and enjoy the history and rhythm of New Orleans. The Saints are playing in the Superbowl on Sunday for the first time in franchise history and Mardi Gras is less than two weeks away, making an already festive city more ebullient. While I haven't followed enough football this season to become an official member of the Who Dat Nation, I am looking forward to cheering on the team at my local watering hole this weekend.

So this post hopefully signals a return to more regular updates on life in the Crescent City. I have committed to making this last year of my 30's the most productive, enjoyable, and fabulous year that I've experienced so far, and I look forward to sharing many tales of luxury and enjoyment with you.