Ready to roll

Met with JR last night to review/plan. He and I will be sharing one of the two bedrooms; I get the rollaway bed. BD/MG get the good room because they have been doing this for 1,000 years. I leave at 8am, arrive at 2:15pm (three hours in Philly!), travel 1st class; the rest of the crew leaves later, arrives earlier, but travels coach. They PROMISE to wait 20 minutes for me.

Best we can do is about three hours at the Fest on Friday, so decisions will have to be made. I, the ROOK, will probably have no vote. Note to cruise the club grids for Friday night club entertainment. Update: Marcia Ball is playing late Friday so to the Fest we will go.

Packing - shorts, tee shirts, hat (may go Kickbox 2000), sun screen (very important, I'm advised), SNEAKERS, one extra pair of underwear should be sufficient, no? Laptop.

Update: told to bring slacks to dine at Delmonico's on Monday night.

Delmonico’s 1300 St. Charles Avenue 525-4937 In 1895, Anthony LaFranca opened Delmonico’s. The establishment remained in his family until Emeril LaGasse, the celebrity chef of Emeril’s, bought the New Orleans institution. Emeril describes the menu at Delmonico’s as "classic Creole reinvented for the contemporary palate." Dished include Victorian favorites such as beef Wellington, chicken Clemenceau (grilled), Crabmeat Imperial and Chateaubriand. Crepes, café brulot and other specialties are cooked tableside. The inside is completely restored and includes a wine cellar and private dining rooms. Interior designers Ann Holden and Ann Dupuy have decorated the inside in a sumptuous array of neutrals. Expensive. Reservations a must. Jackets recommended; no t-shirts, blue jeans or tennis shoes. Lunch Monday through Friday; Dinner seven nights a week. Major credit cards accepted. Location: on the street car line just outside of the CBD.