NOLA, Part 1

We had a short turn around until our next October weekend trip. After taking my boards on Tuesday, we ate at the Blue Canoe and headed home to Memphis. On Friday Katie came to work with me and we left around mid-day with Stephanie, my co-chief, and two other residents to go to New Orleans. Why New Orleans? It was the site of this year's American Academy of Pediatrics National Convention and Exhibition. Stephanie and I went as AAP reps, we had two of our other three AAP residents reps attend, and Katie tagged along for fun. We got there Friday night and after checking in at the convention we immediately headed out to get some New Orleans food. We went to Mother's, which is supposed to have some of the best po' boys in town. I got a shrimp po' boy and Katie got crawfish etoufee and gumbo. Mine was nothing special. I mean it was good, but probably not much different than I could have gotten anywhere else. Katie really liked her's if I remember correctly. Then we headed to Bourbon Street and went to the Bourbon House to get some of their excellent bread pudding. The next day we headed to the convention in the morning for some opening ceremonies. We stayed at the Hilton Riverside, right on the Mississippi and right next door to the convention center. They had a small Mardi Gras parade to open the ceremonies and then there was an address from the AAP President. He spoke about the fact that although not every child becomes an adult, every adult was once a child. Basically, that we need to instill healthy habits and provide excellent care for all children because it will affect all of their lives as adults. Then we heard from the Keynote Speaker, Walt Handelsman, a Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist from Newsday. Why him? Well he was a former NOLA native and his father was a doctor. He was quite hilarious. He spoke and then showed some of his cartoons and some of the short cartoon films he's made. Afterwards we walked to lunch at the Cochon Butcher, which was awesome. I had a muffaletta and Katie had their Buckboard Bacon Melt, which Garden and Gun recently named one of the must have meals of the South. I had a local beer and instead of giving you numbers they gave you different pictures for your food and I got Sean Payton- Do Your Job! More food and music to come.