Yesterday before the in-laws returned to Texas, we took them to do a little wandering on Magazine street. We took them by the Occassional Housewife and, of course, ended up buying a few things ourselves- an old copy of The Dreamer inscribed "Albert S. Hurley, Yale 1929" (I collect pre-1955 vintage books, I'm obsessed!) and a butterfly-shaped hamper for Shelby. We also stopped into an art gallery and antique store called Berta's and Mina's Antiquities. Inside was a plethora of huge, folk-artsy paintings in New Orleans style. Lots of dancing and music, and a lot of religious scenes like nativities and Madonna & Child portraits, many with comments or titles painted around the edges. Created on doors, shutters and all kinds of other seemingly found canvases, it made for quite the colorful collection. I didn't really notice much furniture or many antiques, but we were starving so didn't make it to the back room of the shop. There were some other pieces by other people near the door, as well as some prints, and Dustin spotted a framed print of a cat he liked for his mother. After she went outside he inquired about the price: $4,000. For a print. Of a cat with a chair. I get that art is super-duper expensive, and a lot is well worth it. But that wasn't a $4,000 cat. I'm just sayin'.

It was raining, so we hurried back to the car, past St. Henry's and their cute little nativity scene made of 2x4's. Momee wanted a po-boy, so we took her over to Guy's. Two po-boys was morethan enough to feed all five of us. The shrimp was grand as always. Last time we had Guy's, Dustin had gone to pick it up and brought it home, so it was the first time I had been inside. Space is limited, to say the least, and you order at the counter, next to the giant chess piece (what is it, the one that looks like a horse?). Some of the menu is posted on the chalk board, as well as the Saint's current win/loss ratio (which has had a minor slip in the last two weeks, unfortunatly, but hey, all streaks come to an end at some point... they're still in the play-offs, though! Who Dat!). And did I mention that on the sides section of the menu, they also have fried pork chops listed? So they have poboys, potatoes, and pork chops. Sounds good to me.

Antique Triumphantly!

My mother-in-law and her mom, Momee (Moh-mee), came into town to visit us and bring Shelby back to Texas (she's quite the hot commodity since moving out of arm's reach). It was fun because Momee hadn't been to New Orleans since the 70's when one of her sons was playing ball against LSU. She's actually from here, right outside the city, so it was fun to take her and show her around a bit. As we rode around she told us it was here in a bar that she saw her very first TV set. When she was 17, her family was visiting an aunt in the city and, being good Catholics, her mother took her to a nearby bar to fetch a bottle of wine. There it was, an ultra modern, black and white television set, right there behind the bar. The future had arrived.

After driving from Houston to Port Arthur, then Port Arthur to New Orleans, we thought what they needed most was more time in the car, so we took them riding around, and made our way to the Quarter. Not the best idea. And not because they ran screaming at the prospect of spending another second in my MIL's PT Cruiser, but because of all the out-of-towner madness going on in the streets. None of us realized the Sugar Bowl was approaching and that one of the ways people prepare for it is by having 20 year old girls get drunk at 10 am and stagger into the middle of traffic, then smiling and laughing like you totally won't run them over. I know this scenario- with the girls replaced by other tourists- sounds familiar, but I've never had it happen on Decatur before. Once we got past the college football crazies, we went the the French Market. Neither of our guests had ever been and we thought they'd enjoy looking around. And Shelby needed a new $1 Chinese paper fan (we splurged and went with the $2 fabric fan this time, since it probably wouldn't break before we got back to the car). We underestimated how freakishly cold it was, so we made it quick and headed to Greg's on the other side of Decatur.

I totally <3 this store. It's got the coolest antique furniture and ridiculous prices. There's also a lot of art, chandeliers and other random things. They completely turn over their entire inventory every month, so if you see something you can't live without, you better snatch it up. Being the ultra cool antique insiders that we are (and being in the e-mail list) we knew they were unloading a new shipment from Europe that very day. We scored the most awesome Queen Anne sewing bench straight from France for $50. The lid is reversible, with one side a smooth parquet and the other a plush burgundy cushion. It makes the perfect piano bench for our old upright Baldwin. Bonus: when Shelby starts practicing to become the next world's greatest pianist of our time, she can put her sheet music in the seat for safe (and clutter free) keeping. I'm still going to get one of those Mexican sugar molds they have, as soon as I find a place for it. They also just got a bunch of art from Mexico this past week, so if you want some, you better get to it, because it will be gone 15 minutes after you read this (so finish reading first, then hurry on over there!).

After our triumphant antiquing, we came home and had some of the chicken and Manda sausage gumbo I slaved over all day. (I'll admit, as long as you don't tell my mom- I used a jarred roux. Just to try it out. It's Kary's brand, made in Ville Platte, LA. I like it, but I must admit I prefer my own. Or my mama's, of course.)

I wanted to call this entry "Is That Roux Or Poop?" but I thought that might put people off. When I was making the gumbo, I had roux on the back of my hand and didn't realize. I started doing other things around the house, and Shelby pointed it out ot me. I smiled and said, "Hmm, is that roux, or poop?" She kind of laughed and said, "Um, I think it's just roux probably, Mom." She didn't get the Baby Mama reference, but I got quite a laugh out of it.

Bustin' Out at the House of Blues

I can't tell you how anticipated Friday night was. For over a month, I'd had tickets to Bustout Burlesque at the House of Blues- an anniversary present- hiding under the laundry detergent in the wash room, counting down the days to the 18th. After f-i-n-a-l-l-y finding a wonderful sitter for Shelby (I called some churches after the agencies were all booked up and one recommended a woman that they have teaching there), we headed out for a pre-event drink at, where else, the Avenue, our favorite little bar. I handed Dustin the tickets in a sweet little anny card across the smokey table and watched his eyes light up. Bingo.

After a gin and tonic on St. Charles, we proceeded down to the French Quarter an hour early to find some parking, no small feat on a Friday night. Luckily, we were able to find a spot in a lot about 3 blocks away. I don't often have an occasion to wear heels these days, so the less walking, the better. We waited in the serpentine line for about 10 minutes before I got a call from Rick, the manager of the burlesque troupe. I'd been driving him nuts for the last month to get reserved seating (in actuality, I only called a few times, but that was a lot for me, as I hate to impose), it being a special occasion and all. He actually came out and got us, leading us to the front of the line and through the doors. Can I just say how bad ass it felt to do that? I promise I didn't give anyone any snotty looks. Then he took us to the seating area and let us choose one of the limited tables. We decided on a bar top behind the floor seating, which turned out to be the perfect perch to enjoy the show. We thanked the most awesome manager in the world, ordered drinks and settled in to see the long-awaited performance.

It really was great. I loved the troupe's band, the Bustout Burlesque Jazz Band. The Emcee, Dante, was a funny little guy in a top hat and vintage pastel tailed coat. I'm quite glad we decided against the table right in front of the stage, as he called the girl sitting there up to the stage to be his straight man (or woman, as it were). The first performer was Kitty Twist, a Southern Belle who decided to show off her little southern tush. Very sweet. Then was the fabulous Praline DuPree. She was hands down our favorite. Her facial expressions were the best (though with a body like that, I doubt the male members of the audience noticed). She was dressed as a girl on a jungle safari. Who forgot to wear pants. Her work with the whip would have certainly had Dr. Jones intrigued. Then the lovely Athena sang Santa Baby, followed by more schtick from Dante. There was even a special appearance by Wild Cherry, a "real live" dancer from back in the day. I was really excited to see her up there, as I've seen her included in documentaries on TV and read about her on the Internet. And, as it turns out, Dustin's grandparents saw here back in her prime on Bourbon Street. It was a nice surprise. But don't worry, she stayed fully clothed the whole time, even though she showed she's still got the attitude. There was a special performance by guest star Michelle L'Amour, and she was wonderful. Her milky white skin and pageboy-cut dark hair made for a wonderful contrast. She did a routine with the big feathered fans (my favorite burlesque prop of all time) in a nude, sequined pastie-and-panty combination and performed beautifully. I believe the next girl was Roxie LaRouge, but to be honest, I wasn't paying attention to her name. Let's just say, she was much more top heavy than the other girls. A bit thicker, too, but certainly hot. It was really awesome to see a slightly meatier girl get up there and shake her pasties. More singing from Athena, then the last act, Foxy Flambeaux. Dressed as the original Barbie, she definitely looked the part. Though she seemed a bit less enthused to be up there (maybe due to already having preformed earlier in the evening) hers was still a lovely act. The finale was a chorus line-type production by all the ladies dressed in what Mrs. Clause probably wore on her wedding night. Lots of fun, I must say.

All in all, it was a great show. I highly recommend going if you have a taste for jazzy big band music and beautiful women taking off their clothes (except the pasties, of course!).

After the show, I scored an autographed photo of Cherry and we headed to Bourbon street. It's nice to walk down the street looking nice every once in a while. We grabbed a beer from Huge Ass Beers, classy drinks for our classy night, then headed home. Don't worry, there were no laws broken, although we did consider trying to trick the lot gate into letting us out for free. Which we didn't do. Because it would be wrong. And stupid.

It was our first burlesque show (but certainly not the last), the first night we'd gotten to really go out on the town and enjoy ourselves in forever, and the very first time we've ever hired a sitter. We've never had a better anniversary date. I can't wait to see what we come up with next year.

Hunting for Treasure on Magazine Street

Dustin needed a haircut and got a recommendation for a place on Magazine Street, so Shelby and I decided to walk around while he was getting a snip. I've wanted to go into the Occasional Housewife ever since we drove by it the first time. I love the retro housewife in their logo that takes up most of the window. She's quite sassy. They specialize in household organization, offer consulting services and have a large selection of fun and functional things to help make your life easier (or at least your desk a little more interesting). There was some welding or grinding going on in the back room, I saw sparks flying before one of the sales ladies closed the door. I don't know what was going on back there, but I think I like it. They also have an adjoining storefront filled with things they've 'decluttered' out of clients homes. Score! They may not have wanted that old ceramic peacock or Kitchenaid microwave cookbook from 1984, but someone does. And that someone is me. While I didn't get either of those little gems, I did get a nice demitasse cup and saucer and a tiny vintage spoon, to make my faux cafe' au lait, as well as a candy thermometer and a big speckled gumbo pot for Dustin. It only cost $5 for the lot. While the spanking new organizational tools are more pricey, the other-woman's-trash is super cheap, which makes it that much more fun.

After our errands, and walking by one of the many mobile movie sets out and about right now (no one was there, they weren't going to resume shooting until that night- I don't know what movie they were shooting, but I am going to see Ryan Reynolds while he's here...), we went for supper at Joey K's. My favorite food host, Guy Fieri, ate there on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives once, though I don't remember the episode. The seat-yourself place is covered in those colorful hand-painted "Be Nice or Leave" signs with different sayings. The waitstaff was friendly and the atmosphere good, nice and relaxed. Shelby and I shared the seafood platter (shrimp, lots of catfish, oysters and fries) and Dustin got the shrimp platter & a beer. French bread is available to those who ask. It was very good. I usually don't like catfish due to the dark slimy belly section, but there was none of that on our plate, which I loved. It was a good deal, we both got stuffed for $15. I can't remember how much Dustin's was, but it was less than mine and Shelby's. Very worth it. I can't wait to go back and give the Fried artichoke hearts and Shrimp Magazine. They sounded splendid.

Photos coming, as soon as I learn how to upload them from my fancy new phone...

Just Out & About

Last night on a whim, we decided to go to the mall. Even in Beaumont, with the mall less than 10 minutes away from our house, we hardly ever went. But with all the shopping cheer out there, we decided to give it a look. Last week I went to a huge mall (complete with three-story Macy's and Dillards- I know, Shelby made me ride the escelators several times), Lakeside Shopping Center, with our next door neighbor. But after driving around some, I couldn't find it again. (How we missed it, I'll never know.) We ended up going to the smaller Clearview Mall which has a monterous Target. It's two stories, with an escelator and seperate little escalators for the baskets. It was very cool. Other than the Super Targe', there were several standard shops and a nice AMC movie theatre. While I didn't get to the stores I was hoping to visit, we did load up on soap at Bath & Body Works and find out where to catch the Princess and the Frog when it comes out.

After shopping for a while, it was time to grab some grub and go to bed. We stopped at China Orchid and Dustin ran in so us girls didn't have to get out in the frigid air. We'vce ordered take out from there once before, and the food was great. I usually get sweet and sour chicken anywhere we go, and it's what I've gotten both times, each time with white meat. The first time it was awesome- a huge chicken breast, fried and sliced on a bed of vegetable chunks with plenty of shrimp fried rice and an eggroll. Last night, even though I ordered white meat, they gave me dark. An easy mistake, but dark meat comes with more fat and gristle and that makes me gag, so needless to say, I wasn't impressed. The dinners cost more but don't come with eggrolls, so it was more expensive, too. Dustin's General Tso's was great, just like last time. The girl who took Dustin's order and his cash was rude, but other than the chicken mishap, while a major issue for me, the food wasn't bad. To be honest, though, if we hadn't had a previous good experience, I probably wouldn't go back. Nothing personal. There are just plenty of Koi in the sea.

Simple is Good

Yesterday Dustin spent the day running errands solo. When he was finished he had only two hours before he had to be at work, so in the interest of speedy eats he brought home two shrimp po-boys from Guy's Po-boys. It was a good choice.

I've never eaten anything from Guy's, but now I'm glad I have. The menu is simple: po-boys and potato salad or fries. They only do a little, but they do it very well. It took a little longer than he thought to get his order, but that's just because he watched them get fresh shrimp from the cooler and fry them up right then, as they do with every order. The sandwiches were huge! Over a foot. There were plenty of crunchy shrimp in 'em, too. Dustin had them dressed, although when you get it dressed at Guy's that means Crystal hotsauce, so mine just had lettuce, tomato, pickles and mayo (since shelby and I share). I was a little bummed, as Crystal is the only hot sauce (or really, the only source of heat) I like, and I do like it so. And we were out at the house. But the sandwich was no less super. The po-boys are $10 a piece, and while they don't offer my favorite, oyster- they're worth it.

Just another little local treasure discovered.

What Is Something That's Not Your Mother's?

Nacho Mama's, boom!

Alright, alright. That was lame. But you know what's totally not lame? The food at Nacho Mama's on Magazine Street. Last night Shelby and I went there to grab a bite. We got a table off to the side of the bar (she wanted to sit at the bar, I promised her in 17 years we would). The sweet little waitress gave Shelby some cool triangular crayons and a big color sheet, so dinner was off to a good start. We ordered chips (served in a little galvanized bucket) and quacamole, then Mama's taco plate for me and a beef taco for Shelby. Sooooo good. When ordering Mama's tacos, you choose the outside (hard or soft corn, flour or wheat tortilla) and the inside (beef, chicken, steak, shrimp, etc with cheese). It comes wrapped in foil on a plate full of goodies: black olives, jalapenos, pico de gallo, lettuce, rice and either black or refried beans. Yum, yum, yum. Shelby just had a plain beef taco (the way she likes it) and some of my beans and rice. The ground beef is that special, good Mexican restaurant beef that just has black pepper, salt and love in it. You know what I'm talking about. We had water to drink and bootleg lemonade (you know, where you get lemon in your water and use the sugar on the table to make lemonade, rather than pay$1.50 for it). The Polar Express happened to be on the TV closest to our table, so we enjoyed watching that, with me occassionally reading the subtitles to Shelby, while we dined. With tip it came to $19. A very stisfactory price for a great meal. Without guacamole, it would have been about $14 with tax and tip, which we may do next time, as we had a lot of food left over. It made a great breakfast this morning.

Dustin and I went there last week (I just forgot to write about it) and had a similarly fine experience. The margarita's were on special, so Dustin had several, while I drank my weight in Coke (it was the "morning after" for me, I'm never drinking again, BTW). We sat in a corner table/booth and watched all the people with dogs walk by. At the table outside the window, sat a young white guy in a business suit with a Grizzly Adams beard and a huge head of blonde dread locks. There were a few stripes of green, and a pair of sunglasses were lodged near the back. I wondered if he knew they were in there. He was having lunch with a guy in a bike (as in bicycle) outfit, another business man and a guy in normal jeans-and-chucks attire. I love random New Orleans people on the street. But back to the food. We got the three dips- guacamole, queso blanco and salsa- with chips to start. Good stuff. Dustin got the jerk chicken baked burrito which was super grande (and super tasty he said), and I got the taco salad with steak. It was really good. The steak was good but too spicy for me, so I picked it out and gave it to Dustin. Of course, we had plenty to pack into a to-go box (again, tasty breakfast for me!). I think it came to about $40 or so. I'm pretty sure it was because of the 28 margaritas Dustin had. But I was very well pleased with our meal.

If for no other reason, eat there so when people ask "Where'd you go for lunch?" you can say "Nacho Mama's!"

That would be much funnier if you could convey inflection on a computer screen.

Tarrying in Treme

Today we ran some errands of EMS importance (namely, picking up Dustin's regulation weekend polo for work). We girls were starving so we headed down Canal and to Decatur to find Napoleon House, a restaurant I was very excited to try after reading about on Urban Spoon. But, being me, I couldn't remember the address and our GPS, Francesca, is no mind reader. So, we tried another place Dustin has wanted to visit for some time- Willie Mae's Scotch House.

We'd looked for it before to no avail. This time around we found it. It's in a neighborhood in the Treme (treMAY) area of New Orleans, not terribly far from I-10. On the inside it's the classic little hole in the wall, white-washed walls and random wall hangings, with a limited menu and a devout local following. The fried chicken is the specialty of the house, and has been voted Best Fried Chicken by several entities, both local and nationwide.

Now, I don't want to step on any toes. Far be it from me to discredit a time-honored New Orleans tradition, especially one founded by a cute little old lady that opened her doors immediately after Katrina and served sandwiches to passers-by. But. I was not impressed. The chicken was not awful. The crust was, I'd say, unique, and a bit spicy. But it was kind of.... I'm not sure. I do know it was greasy. Very. So if you like that kind of chicken, by all means patronize Willie Mae's. For three pieces of chicken (of the kitchen's choosing) and one side it's $10 (plus a $1 fee to share a plate, if you're so inclined). I got fries and Dustin got red beans and rice. He said it was very good. He also got a plate with a breast and two wings, I a thigh, wing and drumstick. For $20.81, I feel it wasn't that great (even though the girl didn't charge us the $1 split plate fee). After picking off all the crust- my favorite part, very sad about that- there wasn't much chicken left. Shelby and I were still hungry when we left, so we went to Creole Creamery to fill in the gap (I got the black & gold crunch again, but tried the lavender honey and am so getting that next time).

Also, if you find yourself at Willie Mae's and are planning on getting your grub on, be sure to bring cash. It's all they take. Good to know. Dustin had to run and find an ATM as they swept and put up chairs with us sitting there feeling slightly awkward (they close at 3pm). But the servers were nice, so they didn't say anything about it.

Next time, I hope we can find Napoleon's.

To view people talking about their experiences- good and bad- at Willie Mae's, click here.

And of course, this is not the chicken I had for lunch (at least I don't think so...). Luckily, our friends put my camera in the mail this week, and I'll be able to post actual photos of our adventures taken by me, not random, somewhat-related images from Photobucket, very soon.

Thanksgiving at Tujague's

Thursday, after a day of rapid cleaning in preparation for my mother-in-law's arrival, my in-laws arrived in New Orleans. They brought us some more things we left at my mom's. And Shelby. Because we were doing our own Thanksgiving the next day with lots of our NOLA EMS friends at the house, we decided to take Dustin's mom and her boyfriend for a drive down St. Charles and for something to eat. While New Orleans has a plethora of places to choose from when hunger strikes, many of them weren't open. Or were bars, and since we had our 4-year-old in tow, that was out, too. So we drove down to the Quarter, where something good is always cookin'. After driving down Decatur, we decided upon Tujague's (Too-jack's, so we're told).

We'd never been before, and I was excited. We hurriedly walked through the bar (want to feel awkward? Lead your small child through a crowded, smokey bar at about 8 o'clock at night...) and to the dinning areas. After a few minutes they seated us in the Begue room downstairs. It was a nice intimate room with only about two or three other tables. Being Thanksgiving, they told us of their special Prix Fixe menu for the evening. It sounded terribly good. They brought us some bread (three whole loaves of French bread) and butter, and filled our water glasses. Our first course was shrimp remoulade. Spicy, but very nice. Boiled shrimp topped with a remoulade and some leafy greens. The salad could have been drained a bit more, though. This was followed by sweet potato-crab bisque which was soooo creamy and wonderful. Since it was insanely cold outside, it hit the spot. Then they took our bowls away and brought us a small piece of brisket with Creole horseradish sauce. Pi-zow! The sauce was fab, but I guess on the third bite I got too much of it and it shot up my sinuses like a grease fire. I'm just glad I didn't start choking at the table. Flames not-withstanding, it was great. We thought we were about done, since we were starting to get full. Maybe another small plate like the ones before, then dessert. Oh no. They brought out small individual platters filled with roasted turkey breast, sweet yams, dressing, gravy, home made cranberry sauce and what I guess was a marinated/ pickled cinnamon apple slice. Do I need to even go into the details of how all that tasted? Lets just say, it didn't suck. At all. By then we were begging, Please, no more! But then it was time for dessert: a tiny scoop of banana bread pudding with caramel sauce and coffee, a perfect ending to our beautiful meal. We were completely stuffed. It's a good thing Dustin and I didn't have time to eat during the day.

I'm glad we enjoyed it so much, because I for one was a bit shocked at the bill. I suppose I shouldn't have been- it was an upscale, iconic, 150 year-old restaurant with a fixed special menu, on a holiday no less. For the four of us adults to eat, it was $162 and some change. We split the bill down the middle and froze on our way to the car, totally stuffed, a little surprised, and very ready to go to bed.

Us going there made me keep thinking about the scene in A Christmas Story when the family goes out to an empty Chinese restaurant for Christmas dinner and the servers sing to them. Even if there was no singing, it wasn't a Chinese restaurant and it was the holiday immediately preceding Christmas.

The only complaint I really have is that they didn't offer Shelby anything. They never acknowledged her (as far as food or drink) or asked if we wanted something for her, nor did they ask if we'd be sharing our food with her, which we did, of course (she really never eats much when we're out anyway, unless it's boneless BBQ chicken wings). There were other children a bit older than her in the other rooms, and a baby crying somewhere, so I know that kids were permitted. Oh well, other than running out of water near the dessert course and the carafes not being refilled, and it taking forever to get our bill, I have nothing negative to say. A lovely time was had by all.

Subversive Cross-Stitching, And Other Barstool Conversations

The baby stayed with the MIL when we left Texas, so Dustin and I have 4 fantastic days sans-child to do things and catch up with each other. After driving in Sunday night we stopped by the Avenue and hung out with some friends from work. Our new buddies are the best and we had a great time chatting over assorted beers (and Franks' Diet Coke). Even though we'd had Thanksgiving early in the day, we wanted a little nosh and ordered something from the kitchen, J'Anitas. The home made chips and fresh guacamole are fabulous. There was even a little animal cracker hiking up my avocado mountain. People started peeling away quite early, about 9 or so. But apparently that's how a lot of them do it, with having to be at work so early, their internal clock is just set that way.

After leaving there we decided to go down to our favorite place Molly's on Decatur. I'm still very upset our girl Renee no longer works there. But the new girl Crystal was very nice. We even got to see The Cat. He's this big old gray cat that lives in the bar and comes out at random times to sit on his favorite bar top or by the door. You can tell by the way he carries himself that it is in fact his bar, and he allows us to be there. Thank you, Cat.

After gin & tonic for Dustin and amber bock for me, we decided to walk down Bourbon, just for nostalgic purposes. I'd never been to Boondock Saints on St. Peter so we headed that way. I like the movie- which they play over and over on one of the TVs- and the bar is even better. The ladies' room isn't bad, just small, like the bathroom in your first apartment where you can go to the bathroom and brush your teeth at the same time. I don't know how much the drinks were, but I had probably 4 draft beers and Dustin had his gin as well as Jameson, and the tab was only about $30 with tip. The Teri Pollo-look-alike bar girl was quite charming and we struck up an hour-long conversation with a local named Scarlett, who lives near us, and her Scottish boyfriend. Got some good tips for our trip to Ireland in March. We also talked about tattoos, our small town roots and that subversive cross-stitching. She had made a piece that says "Whiskey is Good" that hangs above the bar. After telling her of this, our next door neighbor Laura and I are thinking about getting together, drinking and stitching one night. I'd love to see the end result.

When we finally left there, we just walked down Bourbon, turned around and walked to the other end. I had to go, so since it was nearest, we went into the Bourbon Pub. It's a gay bar (except for the stray tourist) with lots of colorful lights and Madonna on the big screen. The one other time I've been there, I watched the Emmy's on DVR and the cute little bartender danced and spun while he poured my drink. It was fun. The Ladies' room, however, was less impressive. It was a tiny galley-type room, with no door. Well, some bathrooms don't have one, but this one was in kind of a public place. But then the stalls didn't have any, either! The stalls were also so short, that your knees stick out. When you gotta go, you gotta go, and I didn't see any women (well, none that were born that way), so I just made it quick. I've never hurried so much in my life. Mark that one off the bathroom list. At least it was clean.

Just for kicks, we walked across the street to another rainbow room, The Oz. This one is a bit more...... colorful. Hot-guy-in-yellow-Speedo-dancing-on-bar colorful. But we stayed to the back of the bar, and except for the cash-only policy and the way overpriced beer, it looked like a fun place to dance with the girls and not have men bothering you. Dustin finished his beer in record time and we went on our merry way.

To top off our long night of debauchery, we stopped in at Vieux Carre pizza: the best pizza. Ever. Take that NYC and Chicago. This place is good. The French Quarter pizza is magnificent. But we just got the extra large pepperoni (breakfast tomorrow!). We only had our debit cards, so we had to go hunt down an ATM that a) had money in it and b) didn't charge ten dollars to take out cash.

After we procured the goods, we headed home. It was a long night, but a fun one. To say the least, we enjoyed ourselves. This is what we used to do on vacation. Eventually, though, you get tired of going out to party and turn your attention to other things. Like shopping. But it was fun to stroll down memory lane, and that lane happens to be called Bourbon Street.

Hangin' with Franky & Johnny

Have I ever mentioned that payday is my favorite day of the week? We almost always go out for lunch on payday to flaunt our wealth and indulge ourselves (ok, maybe one of those is an exaggeration). Today after having a lazy day at home- still getting used to Dustin being on nights, it's not bad, after he sleeps in we all have brunch and go about our day- we decided to walk down to Franky & Johnny's. It's only a block away, and even with me chickening out trying to cross the street and Dustin and Shelby having to wait for me to find a good traffic opening, it took like three minutes to get there. Maybe five with the Frogger moment. But the point is, it was terribly close to the house.

It's an old yellow two story house with a sign out front, a sandwich board and several neon beer signs. Once our eyes adjusted in the dark, I could tell why it's a neighborhood favorite. I've only ever seen maybe one episode of Cheers, but this place certainly has that feel. A cigarette machine by the door (seriously), a long old-as-dirt bar and a claw-drop machine that was older than me I'm sure (and some of the toys inside were, too). You pass the bar to the hostess podium with several signs urging you to wait to be seated, and an old man comes out and tells you to sit anywhere. The more we walked, the longer the place seemed to get. There's a room past the main dinning room that looks like it would be a lot of fun for a party. There's all kinds of cool stuff on the walls- local art, Zaggat awards, old beer advertising stuff, Joe Namath's jersey, a picture of New Orleans Most Famous Bars. The specials are on a chalk board on the wall, and Dustin ordered the special- BBQ sandwich, jambalaya, corn and salad- from it. Shelby got a children's shrimp plate (enough for an adult) and I got a shrimp poboy and fries (sold separately). I love a good poboy. With a little Crystal hot sauce sprinkled on top, superb. With water to drink it came to $31 and some change, plus tip. And we had leftover shrimp and fries. I love leftovers. Shelby and I are going to back one day for lunch and to get some oysters and a piece of chocolate pie.

I give the place a thumbs up. The food was very good, even if not OMG! good, and I loved the atmosphere. I'm a sucker for atmosphere. We were the only diners at the time we were there (it was a bit early), but I bet it's a lot of fun packed with Saints fans on game day (when they have raw oysters and beer specials).

Tomorrow we're going back to Texas for family functions this weekend, but looking forward to coming back and enjoying our new city some more. Enjoy your weekend, folks!

I'll admit it, the above picture is not my own. I forgot my camera and had to scour Photobucket for a picture that resembled my poboy. I promise it won't happen again. Often.

The Saints Went Marching In- And Won!

Though this blog is mainly about getting out there and experiencing New Orleans in all it's splendor, sometimes you just feel like staying home. And watching some football!

Today we had our very first (and I don't mean first-for-New-Orleans, I mean ever) football get-together at our house. It was great. A few friends from Dustin's work came by and we watched the Saints go head-to-head with the St. Louis Rams. Black & Gold reigned supreme! It was an exciting game (especially for me, I don't watch a lot of football anymore so I had to pay good attention to keep up). We won 28-23. Yea!

No matter how fervent, fans cannot subsist on game alone. So we had green onion bacon dip, chips, pretzels, Lil' Smokies, Ginger Ale & beer. Food of the gods, naturally. During halftime, Dustin's buddy Frank was sweet enough to draw some chalk characters on the sidewalk with Shelby. Very cute. After the game they made a chalk outline of another friend on our neighbor's sidewalk. Also cute, but a bit creepy.

And speaking of winning streaks, the Saints are now 9-0: the best winning streak the team has ever had! It would truly be super if the first year we lived here, our city's team went to the Super Bowl. Personally, I believe our presence has had a little somethin' somethin' to do with it. But, I suppose there could be other reasons, too.

More Photo-rific Fun!

I'm slowly figuring out how to share more than just a few photos with each post. After all, I am a photo addict, and take way too many pictures whether the situation calls for it or not. And I wanted to share the magic with you.

At the end of each upcoming post, you'll be able to click a link and see what fun we had. You won't miss a thing. Aren't you relieved?

Now, if all goes as according to plan, click here to see more photos from our outing at Cafe Luna and afternoon stroll down our street.

Coffee at the Moon

Yesterday after running some stuff to Dustin at the EMS HQ, Shelby and I went for a stroll. We have a beautiful street. I'm not sure how long it is, but it's at least a few miles. The homes to either side have lots of character, and range from the modest to the majestic. Nearest us the huge oak trees line the avenue and meet overhead to shade the road in many spots. I absolutely love it.

We just took off walking, enjoying the scenery, the cars going by, the unique and beautiful homes and their courtyards & gardens. Several had spectacular roses out front. We passed by a house not far from ours where the bottom tenant must be an artist of some kind. I was surprised that the air outside smelled heavily of some kind of perfume, something similar to my mom's. We weren't peeping, but as we passed I could see canvases and paint and all manner of creative clutter inside, and someone had drawn a large picture on the sidewalk with crayon, although I doubt it was a child. Very neat. About five blocks down we came to a corner with cafes, shops and an art gallery. We decided to pop into the Cafe Luna for a drink. A Victorian home-turned-coffee shop, this quaint little place is just adorable. Big trees in the yard, tall covered porch, apothecary jars full of goodies and the mantle being used to hold the flavored syrups- I'm a fan. Shelby got chocolate milk and I got a small cafe au lait. The $4.25 wasn't too bad, and she did make the chocolate milk right there when we ordered... Maybe I'm just a tightwad. The rest of the prices seemed Starbucks-ish, but I guess that's just what fancy coffee costs now. There was a bulletin board full of ads and announcements, and the shelf holding the free add-ins and lids also housed a ton of local literature and papers about art galleries, bands and events. We sat on the porch enjoying our beverages and watching the 6th grade lovebirds cuddle at one of the yard tables (which was slightly more nostalgic and cute than gag-o-rific PDA) in the afternoon sun.

When we'd finished we made our way across the street and began the walk home. Not much was different on the return, although the road workers (not really sure what they were doing to begin with) had gone home. As we walked past one house a little old lady stepped out of her door and asked if Shelby was cold. I replied no, she's hot natured (it wasn't really all that chilly, anyway). "Oh, well I'm cold for her! I suppose it's the grandma in me," was her response and she told me how she'd been waiting for the plumber all day, but feared the construction had scared him off. We chatted a few minutes more before getting on our way. When we made it home, we'd been gone a little over an hour even though it seemed like it had only been a few minutes. Shelby chalked some more on the front walkway and then we went inside to make supper.

It was a truly wonderful day and I hope we have many more like it! As I mentioned, there are several businesses on that corner, and further down the street. In order to give us something to look forward to on our walks, Shelby and I are going to visit only one a day (unless we need caffeine). Moderation is the key. Spread it out to prolong the novelty. I can't wait to see what we discover next.

Red Beans & Rice Ice Cream, Anyone?

On our first official full day as a family in NOLA, we went for lunch at our favorite sushi place, Sekisui Samurai, in the French Quarter. We didn't think about it being Sunday until we were bombarded by a sea of black and gold as we made our way by the Super Dome. The Saints were playing and fans were out in fine style. We even saw some fluffy little pooches dressed in their Sunday (football) best riding in what looked like a tiny black and gold streetcar. It was mayhem, but aside from the tourists who insisted on walking in the street in front of us (Bourbon isn't closed to traffic until night time, hello!), we loved all the craziness. At Samurai's (what we call it since we can't pronounce the first word properly) we got the usual two and three roll lunch special, respectively, and shared our non-spicy, cooked rolls with Shelby. She loves sushi and when she gets her own, likes their snow roll- a mixture of crab meat and who knows what else. But it's very tasty. Dustin got the usual Philadelphia, spicy tuna and crawfish rolls. I had the California and the tuna & avocado. The tuna wasn't my favorite color to see on raw yellow fin, but that's what I get for ordering it on a weekend, right? It was still fresh enough to smell right, so it's all good. The lunch special comes with salad and soup, both yummy, and we got tempura broccoli & sweet potato as well. After indulging in our favorite raw fare, we passed by the extreme tailgaters and got another show on our way back to Uptown.

I was very excited to try out a place we've been meaning to find for a while- the Creole Creamery. Ya know, in the name of research. Shelby had no objections, of course. I like the fun, sort of vintage-y atmosphere. They're known for having all kinds of funky flavors, like lavender honey, black pepper & sweet corn, and the afore mentioned red beans & rice. The flavors, made on site, rotate occasionally and on this day it was gorgonzola and walnut. It was tempting, but I was too chicken to ask for a taste. Shelby got blue cotton candy (the first bright color she saw), Dustin got bananas foster- one of his favorite desserts- and a cup of coffee, and in honor of the Saint's 7-0 record (now 8-0) I got the black & gold crunch. It was fantastic. I forget what all was in it, but I know there were Oreos, chocolate chips and chicory ice cream. We all got one scoop in a cone and barely finished. Trust me, one is enough, the scoops are huge. They also have plenty of special treats, like parfaits, ice cream sodas, sorbets and sundaes. There's also the famous Tchoupitoulas (Chop-a-tool-a's)*- made with eight scoops of your choosing and eight toppings, whipped cream and cherries. It looks good on TV, but I'm sure it's quite intimidating in person. If you want to give it a try, there's the reward of being on their wall of fame if you finish it without help. Good luck with that! Even though it was a bit chilly out for ice cream, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

I hope all our adventures are as tasty as Sunday's. With all the great restaurants in town- some mere blocks away from where I sit in my living room at this very moment- I doubt finding good eats will be a problem.

*Because I was, and still am, embarrassed to attempt pronouncing some of the words so common locally, I'm going to do my best at offering phonetic pronunciations for you good people when I can. Hope it helps!

New Orleans, New Life

New Orleans, we have arrived. Aren't you excited? I know I am. The packing was extensive; the trip was arduous; the unpacking seems insurmountable. But it's all part of the journey. And the pay-off will be worth it.

I will never again see a moving truck packed so tightly, and I will never know how we fit everything we had in a three bedroom, two bath house, plus lawn furniture and a BBQ pit, inside. Dustin's old fraternity brother is quite the packing pro. Maneuvering three vehicles in a convoy with my cell phone not working was no small feat, either. I also can't believe that with only the help of my tiny mother, we unpacked almost the entire thing. Thank goodness one of Dustin's new supervisors was cool enough to finish up. We only had one casualty during the move- one of our Paris prints was badly torn. It was only a cheap black and white poster we had yet to frame, and none of our canvas art was harmed, so it wasn't a huge loss. I had to drive back to Texas the very next day for our Geaux Local open house at the Barking Dog. It was a great event, but I was dog tired (pun sort of intended). After finishing up some business and picking up our daughter I drove in Saturday, and swore I wouldn't be back. At least not until Thanksgiving. Now it's all over but the unpacking, and man, what unpacking there is left to do. My Dear Hubby was sweet enough to set up the bedroom, living room and den furniture while I was gone. All that I have to do is unpack each of the 2,000 boxes. Though, as I've said before and am sure I'll say again, it's well worth the work.

When I drove Shelby and I here Saturday, I took a wrong turn and ended up in the Central Business District. I was quite proud that I didn't get all stressed out, and even prouder that I knew the area enough to find my way. I rolled down the windows, and no sooner had I inhaled that sweet New Orleans smell- of fried food, roux, coffee and things not identified- than Shelby said "Mama, I like the way it smells. I think I like it here." I couldn't agree more. We had a lovely drive through the business district, a poorer neighborhood- where someone had turned their garage into an operating bar, complete with music and neon lights- and down St. Charles street. Being the weekend, there was a ton of activity and two of the grand buildings had weddings either going on or about to start. We got to see a bride in a beautiful dress posing for portraits on one of the lawns, which Shelby really enjoyed. It was almost serene with the breeze blowing, hustle and bustle of street cars, joggers and party-goers, and the ancient trees overhanging the avenue. A perfect welcome home from our new home town.

If you'll allow me to sound sickeningly sentimental, I'll say that this is really going to be the adventure of a lifetime. I can just smell it. And I'm looking forward to sharing this journey with you, I hope you'll enjoy it, too.

Peace out, homies!

The Time Has Come!

The time has come, the Walrus said, to talk of other things- of U-Hauls, gas and Speedy Pass, of boxes and of bling.

Well. Maybe bling has nothing to do with it. But I like the word. Whatever sort of Wonderland rhyme is attempted, the time has truly come! Tomorrow we'll be picking up the U-Haul (big drama- they are idiots- don't even ask) and a few friends of Dustin's are coming to load the truck. We'll sleep one last night on our bed sans-frame (we'll have loaded the TV's and taken back the cable boxes... I guess we'll just have to sit around and look at each other) and then head out bright and early Wednesday morning!

Yesterday was the first time I actually got a little scared. Like "Oh my gosh.... what are we doing!" freaked out. But it soon passed. I know it will be much better once we get all settled in. I'm focusing on the good things- Dustin working less. Living in a less stressful, more laid back atmosphere. Picnics. I plan on doing lots of picnics. At the river, at the lake, at the park. Picnics everywhere.

So this will be my last post as a Texan. The next time you hear of me, I'll be in New Orleans! Until then, wishing Abita wishes and beignet dreams!

Mwa-ha-ha!

Happy Halloween, folks! Hope everyone is having a smashing good time today, or at least will be tonight. In lieu of the fact that everything is packed, I'm going to be a cat. Painting my face and pulling my newly-shorn hair into two "ears" and wearing a black shirt is all I'm doing this year. Quite unique, as you can tell. I'm going to Port Arthur to our family church for a little fall carnival/ trunk-or-treat thing they're throwing and having some fun with Shelby for our last Texas Halloween.

Today is Dustin's last day of work. He'll be off for a week during the move and then he'll start his training with the City of New Orleans. Just a few more days until the big M- craziness! I can't believe it (and wish I had a dollar for every time I've said it!).

I can't stay long, I'm going to go spend some time with Dustin at his station before donning my kitty attire and going to Mid-County. It's so weird that neither of us will ever see the inside of one of Beaumont's med stations again! They leave much to be desired, but I'm sure we'll miss them, the same way you kind of miss a really awful dog you've had forever that suddenly runs away or other.

Have a safe and fun All Hallow's Eve. Check your candy, don't walk in the street after dark, yada yada. Gotta say these things. I can't help it. It's the mom in me.

Yea & Boo

Yea for our moving sale! We aren't rolling in the moola Scrooge McDuck-style, but we did make a good little chunk of change. More than we had before we sold things we didn't really need. So yea!

Boo to being sick. Or feeling as though you may become sick very, very soon. My eyeballs feel hot and my nose feels pressureized. Ick. This is exactly what I need 10 days before we load all our worldly posessions into a U-Haul and move to another state. Spectacular.

But we've gotten so much done- have lightened our load and scraped together some extra cash, so things will be fine. I'm realitively in good health the majority of the time, so I should feel better soon. All I have to do is take it easy and get some fluids and rest.

I just wish the only juice we have wasn't some sort of strawberry-orange-banana stuff Dustin bought. Bananas don't have juice. It just ain't right.

Shh.....

.... Don't tell, but I'm shamelessly using updating the blog as an excuse to not actually do any packing. I went to Mom Chat at the Barking Dog put on each month by the Whole Mothering Center despite the torrential rain we woke up to this morning, as it will be one of the last times I get to see playgroup people before we leave. Ten more days! I can't believe it. Next week is the playgroup's Halloween party, and in honor of my departure, we're bringing Creole food to share. It gives me the warm fuzzies to know that my leaving will be integrated with one of everyone's favorite holiday get-togethers. I'm thinking fish creole for my dish. I think that's what the dish I'm thinking of is called. It's like jambalaya, but more tomato-y and with chunks of fish rather than sausage (I'm not so much a fan of sausage, especially integrated into a dish... I hope this doesn't interfere with my assimilation into my new culture....).

And (kind of) speaking of Halloween parties, I'm so excited that we're going to not one but two parties this year! One of which is tomorrow night. Each of the medical cliques (EMS companies, different ER's, etc) each has their own party, naturally, and we'll be going to the party with the ER staff of St. Elizabeth's tomorrow night, and then Beaumont EMS's next week. Skibby! I didn't think we'd be doing anything this year. We didn't really last year, because we were in a similar moving situation. We just went out and had a few drinks (a few each at a few different places- I wore new slingbacks, and ended up falling numerous times and woke up with a twisted ankle and a sprained ankle... two separate ankle injuries... Hopefully this year will be better). Because I was so taken by surprise, I have nothing planned. I think I'm going to throw together a pirate outfit. That and the vampire, they always come through in a pinch. The last time I dressed up, two years ago, I was a pirate (I made Shelby and I matching costumes), but this one will be more gypsy-esque. I have a cool layered wrap skirt I wear a lot (my "hippie" skirt) and a corset to throw into the mix. I specifically didn't pack my high brown boots for the occasion. Dustin was like "Why do you need a pair of flip-flops, a pair of tennis shoes and a pair of boots to get you through the next two weeks?" Um, fashion. Hello. With the fishnets I haven't worn yet, and my mom's expensive, elaborate pirate hat, I'm gonna look goooood.

All in all, I'm very excited. It's nice to have something to look forward to that doesn't involve packing, planning or worrying. Dustin says he'll start dressing up once we're in NOLA since more people do around there and there are actually places to go dressed up. The first time we went was for Halloween, and it was a blast.

I totally plan to get schnockered tomorrow night, BTW. Let's see what kind of deals I can make at my garage sale bright and early Saturday morning after partying with the nurses all night! The nurses are crazy. It's gonna be awesome.

Things, They Are A'Changin'

Wow. It is so crazy to look around our house and see bare walls and empty shelves. It's also hard to believe that it's been less than a year since the house looked like this as we were moving in. When we bought this house, we researched carefully, picked paint and flooring lovingly, and fully intended to live in this house for many, many years to come. But, if you want to make God laugh, tell him you plans, right? I love this house, and I'm gonna miss it. We'll be moving out on November 4, one year ago to the day that we moved in. It was Election Day, so if you don't like the State of the Union, don't blame me, I didn't get a say (I was all pumped to vote for the first time, but I missed the early elections and couldn't leave the movers to their own devices to go cast my ballot. Oops).

Everything is such a wreck right now. More so than usual. I don't understand how we can have so much packed, and yet still have enough crap out to have a mess all over the place. It makes me feel itchy. And defeated. Where is all the hard work? I've worked on Shelby's room for two days, and the floor is covered in crap. Granted, it's rugs and blankets and clothes that need to be put in the hamper, and a few books and toys I'm letting her keep out until the move. Everything is out of her toy boxes, off of her walls and the top of her closet is bare. Nothing left but the dollhouses, the Cherry Blossom Market (which needs to be dismantled) and a huge bag of books that has yet to be sorted for keeping, much less packed. And of course clothes, lots of clothes. There's a similar situation in our bedroom, nothing but clothes left.

I realize, as I read over this, that it is incredibly boring. But I suppose that's half the reason of moving- to make life more interesting, and to have more to talk about than what happened on Toot & Puddle today.

If you're so inclined, stay with me. Hopefully you'll witness the evolution. From cartoon od-ing SAHM to hip city dweller. With pictures.

It's gonna be great. Stay tuned!

Texas Towel Holders and Woo-Woos

The inevitable move is creeping up on me. Not very well, as I'm aware of it's approach, but every now and then I forget for a moment, and then it jumps out and goes "Surprise!" before settling back in. For instance, a few moments ago I was watching Mythbusters and a commercial came on for a movie called The Men Who Stare at Goats- which sounds terribly amusing- that comes out on November 6th. I immediately thought "I want to see that!" and then remembered that on November 6th, we will have moved to NOLA, and that I don't know where the movie theatre is, and it made me sad. 

It's the little things that get you.

But I've been thinking for a few days that compiling a list of the things I'm not going to miss about Texas might help me embrace the future a bit more.

1. Ridiculous Rednecks- Funny that this makes the list, as I was quite the sh*t-kicker in my high school days, even driving an enormous truck (my beloved rusty-white '81 one ton, four door, four wheel drive pick-up with a giant gas tank in the bed that I had to measure gas levels with a yard stick to see if I need to refuel) dubbed the Redneck Limo. But since leaving the woods, I've moved on. I still have a soft spot for my blue collar days, and the friends I left behind, but the ones who take it just that liiiiitle bit too far, I will not be missing.
2. Woo-Woos- Maybe they have them in the Crescent City as well, but in the Piney Woods area, they're quite prevalent. Yes, firefighters & paramedics are the absolute shizzle (I married one of the latter, didn't I?), and yes, volunteer firefighters and EMTs are honor-worthy citizens, but if you're a volunteer who donates their time in a rural area with one small flame situation a month or only the occasional minor head injury, you do not get to go around saying "I'm a firefighter/paramedic!", get a tattoo of the crest or caduceus on your bicep and have 12 decals- and red flood lights- on your truck. You just don't. And you irritate me. 
3. Texas Flag Bathroom Accessories- I think of all the flags in the union, ours is the coolest. And not just because it was once a national flag (of the Republic of Texas). I think it's pretty. But. I don't care for the aisle at Wal-Mart with all the ceramic and plastic Texas flag soap holders, soap dispensers (does anyone need both???), tooth brush holders, shower curtains, shower curtain hangers, bath mats, toilet seat covers, toilet brush covers, night lights, etc, etc. And the bathrooms that are decked out in all the flagness.... gag-ola.
4. The Ignorant Bias Against Anything New- There are idiots everywhere, but I truly hate the back-woods prejudice about citified or "Northern" or new age or whatever they call things that are unlike what they've known for 100 years. You know- recycling, yoga, the Green movement.... all those groovy things that are starting to become popular. Fear of the unkown and a need to cling to what your grandpa did are understandable, but when they're hurting the ability for good, then adjust! I'm no hippie, or activist (although I do refer to myself as slightly crunchy), but I've evolved. Get with the program, or at least don't spit tobacco juice at it! Like with the woo-woos, I'm sure our destination has it's fair share of the dibilitatingly old fashioned, but I don't think it will be all up in my face. Especially in the City, which seems to have a good amount of bohemians and natural advocates.

That's all I can think up right now. I'll post more as they come to me. And I'm sorry if I've offended anyone, as that was not my intention. I feel like a turn coat, dissing my beloved home state like that, but maybe it will help with the transition, ya know? I think she understands. 

Almost Houma

So.... We've decided to pack our bags for our favorite city. Since the first time we made our way to the French Quarter on Halloween of 2006, we've been madly in love with New Orleans. So much so that we made the trip more than 15 times. Only this time, we won't be coming back. Well, not after just a few days at the Place d'Armes, anyway. We've decided to make the Big Easy our home. It won't be the first time I've lived outside the Great State of Texas, but it will be the first time I've lived so far away from my mama. Not an easy thing to do (or break to said mother), but if nothing else, I expect it will be a grand adventure. If nothing else, it will be a new one.

What could drag me away from the Lone Star State? More pay for half the hours. Not for me, but for my dear hubby, a paramedic who's taken a position with the City of New Orleans. What will I be doing? Other than the same old gig of housewife and stay-at-home mom, I'm not quite sure yet. Write this blog, I suppose. I thought it would be a good way to keep my mind occupied being disconnected from friends, family and all things familiar. But it will be good- a change of scenery is always nice, and NOLA is in no way lacking distraction. I intend to experience all I can; visit every shop, restaurant and hang-out within walking distance and beyond; and chronicle it all here for you, my adoring fans. Or at least, the bored and literate. I'm not picky.

But we have yet to make the move. We anticipate the beginning of next month to switch our mailing address. But I wanted to go ahead and establish this blog, an investment in my sanity's future. And I also get paranoid, thinking that as soon as an idea pops into my head, I have to jump on it, lest some mind reader somewhere steal it. Wanted to make sure my New in Nola name wasn't taken. Neurotic, maybe. But I got it, didn't I? :)

So stay tuned. Once we make our way to the banks of the Mississippi (is that not the longest word ever?), I intend to update regularly with goings-on in my new little world. And you don't want to miss out on the fun.

....... Also, I'd like to say that we are not moving to Houma, but to the Uptown area of NOLA (one of my stipulations of being ripped from Southeast Texas), misleading though it may be. But it sounded like "Almost Home", and Houma is relatively near New Orleans as I understand it. It's some sort of language thing... a pun maybe? Yes? No? Frazzled as I am, I believe a little slack is in order. Thank you, you're too kind. :)