Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans?” Indeed I do! As the years pass without a visit back to the city where I was born and lived for the first 21 years of my life, I tend to think of it less often, except for when I see something about New Orleans in the newspaper, or read a magazine article, either online or in print. Often it’s not good news, if it’s news only. For instance, the brutal heat and humidity that I remember so well from my high school years mowing lawns, is worse than ever with global warming. For nine days last month the heat index hovered around 115 there. Even being young and healthy I cannot imagine working outdoors in those conditions. Also crime and high poverty rates bring endless woes to the fabled tourist city, which during Mardi Gras season becomes “The City That Care Forgot,” ironically. But it’s history, food, unique blend of cultures and architecture , and the sheer fact that there’s no place remotely like it anywhere in the country, lure millions of visitors every year. It’s all something I grew up with, but only now do I really appreciate what I am no longer surrounded by. And that appreciation is from afar.