The Tuesday of Fatness

Happy Fauschnaut Day! Having grown up in Pennsylvania, the Tuesday before Lent (i.e. Mardi Gras, i.e. Fat Tuesday, i.e. today) is always Fauschnaut Day to me, so named by the PA Dutch (i.e. Germans) because traditionally they always made donuts (i.e. fauschnauts) to use up their lard (i.e. yumminess) before the privations and abstemiousness of Lent, which begins tomorrow with Ash Wednesday. In Catholic School we always used to get donuts with lunch on this day. I love donuts, but I in fact prefer to spell it doughnuts.

Anyway, in a minor update to yesterday's post, in which I ingeniously tie together Mardi Gras and New Orleans with Ground Zero, all by listening to the news, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has defended the slow progress of rebuilding, saying,

"Let me remind you that after 9/11 in New York, it took them six to eight months to get out of the fog of what happened to them. And to date, there's still a big hole in the ground. So when I look at everything that's going on, I think we're right on schedule."

Sounds like a challenge to me! Mayor Nagin, you're on - but let's sweeten this deal a little. The competition will be between you and Mayor Bloomberg, and whoever has made more progress on rebuilding by the time you finish your respective terms will win the grand prize - you'll be named director of FEMA!