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I just had the best weekend of my life--ever. Okay, maybe it had alot to do with being in New Orleans during the first Jazz Fest since Hurricane Katrina...great music, great food, and the warm welcome from people grateful to see folks flocking back to enjoy this magical city working it's magic again.

Maybe, it had alot to do with my river view room in the beautiful Hilton Riverside Hotel...a large place that somehow retains a warm, friendly air about it. I'm a fool for room service breakfasts as I lazily move from pajamas to the outfit of the day.

On Friday May 5th, 2006, the day's outfit was made up of blue jeans, sneakers, a tank top, a cotton long-sleeved shirt, a layer of sunscreen and (yikes!) NO MAKE-UP! You see, thanks to the publishers of Ladies Home Journal, I was boarding a bus at 5:30 am to head out to Slidell, La. to help build a Habitat for Humanity home. I am not a "handy" gal (and had back surgery a few years ago) but I was determined to "lend a hand". I helped pass out water, went on trash patrol, and gathered up stray tools and shovels, which I organized in neat piles...but my proudest moment was finding myself suddenly in safety goggles and gloves (accessories are everything ladies, especially when it comes to safety)
helping to hold some metal strap thingamajig, while earnestly dedicated others did something noisey that created alot of sparks and cut down the length of the aforementionned whatever it was.

Now, I obviously don't know anything about construction, but as a bona fide Soap Opera Diva, I know DRAMA when I see it. This scene had it all going, and I was so proud to be a part of it.

So that was my weekend, the best weekend of my life...ever! New Orleans, Jazz Fest, and the chance to be part of the re-building of the hurricane disaster areas on the Gulf Coast, by participating in a Habitat for Humanity build.

Can you write a "thank you" letter to an entire magazine, it's publishers, editors, staff and clients for an unforgettable experience? Can you thank an entire hotel chain for making you feel so cozy and cared for? Well, Ladies Home Journal and Hilton Hotels...I hope I just did.

It was my birthday on May 7th, and this experience was the best, the most precious, and the most worthwhile way to have celebrated. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Robin Strasser