From Texas to Louisiana

Here I am in the deep south! I am currently staying with my friends Tom and Leslie in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
I really enjoyed my last days in Houston which were not that busy any more. Diana and I drove around town, did some shopping and hunted for a "Don't mess with Texas" T-shirt for a very special person. And for all of you who still have the preconception that the US is all about junk food: I've seen the best organic food market so far. I wish I could fit it into my suitcase and take it to Bonn. That night (Tuesday) I accompanied John and Diana who are members of a bowling league. It was fun watching everybody and discussing old (and mostly rather unscary) black and white horror movies with the other guy on their team (a conversation spurred by one of my new little purses...)! The next day we went to a typical American diner and afterwards I could try my (non-existing) bowling skills as well - we went back to the bowling alley to practice. You just can't watch bowling a whole night and not want to play yourself!
I'm very grateful though, that hurrican Ivan did not make its way so far to the west to reach Houston and not New Orleans either! We spent quite some time in front of the TV watching the weather channel...
On Thursday Tom and Leslie picked me up in Houston and we went on the long drive to Baton Rouge (more than five hours). I am staying with them for a week and I've finally met their dog Bentley :) which is very cute (when he doesn't decide to sleep on the couch where I sleep...). I've had a great time here already and I"ll post more tonight after visiting several plantations - "Gone with the wind" here I come!