It was so good to see Wayne, who met up with me in New Orleans for a little R&R over Memorial Day weekend. We had breakfast at Brennan's, which is a New Orleans tradition. My breakfast consisted of turtle soup, fried oysters and Bananas Foster, a Brennan creation! I've never eaten better oysters in my life. The meal was so fabulous I was inspired to send a message back to the chef. He thanked me for the offer but assured me he was already married.

The signing in the Garden District Book Shop was just lovely. In the Garden District, Katrina's damage was less from water, but much more from wind. Wayne and I drove past the Commander's Palace, the restaurant that launched the careers of Paul Prudhomme and Emeril, and it is beautifully reconstructed. We didn't have time to eat there, and besides, we were still too full from breakfast.

I'm currently in Jacksonville, Florida and heading for New York tomorrow morning. This whirlwind of a tour still hasn't stopped spinning.