Tattoos & House Guests

We've all heard those creepy stories about people meeting internet people face-to-face and then someone gets murdered/kidnapped/inappropriately groped. But apparently, people you meet on Xbox LIVE are totally legit, because none of the above happened when we finally met our buddies Headless Rage and Zombee Queen (aka Ty & Ashley). They came to town to visit their zombie killing comrades (Dustin and I, or Sitesemt and TheHausewife) and soak up some Nawlins culture. And also sling some ink. Ty, who is a professional artist and tattooist in Florida, worked at an incredibly convenient parlor and over the course of the week several friends and co-workers got some fresh ink, including me. It's my first tattoo and I was happy that a friend of mine was able to do it for me.

But this wasn't just a working holiday. We also got to play tour guide for them, and Ty's mom, and show off our Nola knowledge. Probably out favorite thing to do when people come to town is feed 'em. The food here is unparalleled no matter where you're from, so we like to show it off, and take a little bit of credit. Among the deliciousness we demonstrated was the Oak Street Cafe. We stopped in for lunch one day where we all came away stuffed and happy. I had the fabulous Mediterranean omelet while Dustin had the Grilled Godmother. I can't recall what all everyone else had, but I know what they didn't have: complaints. We took them to Masperos and had highly satisfactory burgers and po-boys. We paid too much for overly sweet daquaris when we went to the French Quarter to show them around, and for the guys to buy skull bracelets at Rev Zombie's. Succulent BBQ was had at VooDoo BBQ and the best turkey burger and rings ever were consumed at GB's Patio Bar & Grill (the only place that let's late-nighters like us bring kiddoes until 11pm). We even had 5am mini tacos at the Avenue Pub once. Honestly, after eating out almost every meal for an entire week, I can't remember all of them. A couple of times I did cook for the crowd. I even made brain shaped meatloaf and jello one night. It was a hit, even if the fruity brains looked so real none of the kids would really eat it.

We also had no shortage of liquid refreshment. The only night we really went out on the town we had our good friend Jon be our guide. He took us to one of my husband's favorite spots (one I'd never been to), The Dungeon. I liked it. From the quiet patio area where we discussed horror and sci-fi literature and film, to the dominatrix mannequins in the cage, to the bathroom hidden by a bookshelf, and in spite of the enormous rat that scuttled by us as we drank our Sex With An Alligator shots, it was a hit. Other than a few drinks to accompany meals and the grand search that took place in order to find Strongbow that ended at Whole Foods (which I found a few days ago, more reasonably priced, at Rouses), most drinks were either gin & tonic or Abita here at the house.

The activity of tourists second only to eating and drinking is picture taking. They were able to do plenty, in the French Quarter and also in the cemeteries, where we searched for good lighting and Marie Laveau (whose grave they found the next day all by themselves). They really are impressive.

I always love having guests and enjoying the city from a tourist's point of view. It keeps the perspective fresh. You do things you don't usually think to do in order to show your friends a good time, and often discover something new that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. I can't wait for them to visit again and we can continue our gastronomical adventures.

Long Time, No Blog

Whew! It's been a while hasn't it? I sort of took a month off, what with out of town guests, birthdays and trips to Texas, I hadn't a spare moment to collect my thoughts, much less write them down with the humor and wit you good people have come to expect from my little ol' blog.

I'm also participating in a creative boot camp to jump start the artistic motor within. It's a pretty cool deal, so check it out if you're into writing, painting, photography, needlepoint, whatever, and need a little kick in artsy pants.

I've got some fun stuff to post, just as soon as I get a chance to breath. In the meantime, feel free to write me with suggestions, comments, free gifts, snide remarks, whatever ya like. I always love me some feedback!

Green Lantern of Jealousy

I am seriously starting to get jealous: Today Dustin is on set for the filming of The Green Lantern (he was also there one day last week). The City has an ambulance there everyday in case anyone needs medical attention. You know how stars can be prone to anxiety, conniptions and not having their whims catered to. Due to a confidentiality agreement, he can't spill all the interesting and and mundane details, but he did mention when I spoke to him earlier (in husshed tones, since he was sitting near the director) that Ryan Reynolds was within arms reach. I told him to tell Ryan hello for me, and possibly give him my number.

I'll let ya know if he calls.

Pedicures of the Undead

Saturday was a big day. Not only did Shelby, Patricia and I go get pedicures ($25- $2 less than an adult pedicure- to wash and paint a preschooler's feet??? We probably won't be back to Star Nails.), Dustin finally got to take his grandfather to the WWII museum. They said it was amazing, especially the 4D movie, directed by Tom Hanks. I can't wait to see it for myself.

After all the polish was applied and rationing relived, Dustin and I got all pretty and went to the Barely Rotten Girls calendar release party at The Bar in Kenner. We had a blast! I love a good, dark, dingy bar. If that bar serves cheap PBR, I feel like I'm home. The heavy metal wasn't really my cup of Pabst, but it wasn't bad. And it was nice to meet the BRGs in person. There was a screening of the short film they filmed at the Mortuary, but I couldn't really see it over the crowd. Coming from Mass Casualty, I have no doubt it was deliciously macabre. We were able to get our calendar and limited edition poster, and have a great time.

When the film was over and people started to trickle out, a few of us decided to head down to the Quarter in honor of one of our friend's 21st birthday. We had a slice at our old pizza place, Vieux Carre pizza and then went to Pat O's for drinks. They were ridiculously packed. It seems that this weekend was a big one for reunions and weddings (and a few prom kids trying out their fake ID's), and everyone wanted a hurricane. After hanging out for a while, it was suggested we go to the Gold Mine. I'd never been, so it was nice to take a walk to a new place.

There were concert posters all over, most from before my time, black lights and Boomerang playing on all the flat screens. The music selection was good, and we spent the night dancing our butts and watching the Jetsons. To see everyone loosen up and have fun was a real treat.

We stayed out longer than we'd planned- we were going to try to go home on time to catch Saturday Night Live. But that's what DVR is for, so I didn't miss out on the Betty White goodness. A little delayed SNL gratification was worth our night on the town.

Invasion of the In-Laws

Yesterday my mother-in-law and her father, whom we all affectionately know as Dee, made the trip from Port Arthur, Texas to visit us. Having spent most of the day in the car, they wanted to rest up a bit before we squired them around town. Patricia has been to see us three times since we've moved, but it was Dee's first time to be in New Orleans in over 30 years. Although he's from Bunkie (holy crap, this place has a website!?), he's only been to NOLA twice, the first time in the late 40's. And of course, we had to hear the tale recounted of that horrible trip to the sinful city, where he went to visit a relative at Charity Hospital and had his car broken into. The bandit broke the window and made off with a suit jacket and a basket of fruit. Thankfully, he didn't think to look in the glove box, where Dustin's grandmother's wedding ring happened to be.

Once the visitors were rested, we loaded up the MIL's PT Cruiser and road from Audubon Park, down St. Charles, took Decatur to Esplanade and back up to Rampart. Dustin also drove us by the house where he got sot at while responding to a call, and a place that he gets hot wings from while on duty. Finally we drove back across the highway and went to VooDoo BBQ where Dustin and I left the others in the car to make our to-go order.

We've never had any problem with VooDoo, and their food is delicious. But last night, we waited almost an hour for our food, as people who came in well after we did were eating and leaving. When we finally said something, they discovered that the wrong name had been put on our ticket (not really understanding that one, as we were given a number for our table). I don't know what that had to do with the fact that our food hadn't been boxed yet. The man offered us a free brownie, so we accepted (seriously, do we look like the kind of people who refuse free brownies?). The girl came out and yelled the wrong name, which we knew from our talk with the other waiter, before acting like she was going to take our food back to the kitchen. Se spoke up, got our grub and finally headed back to the car full of starving people. My pulled pork was delicious as always, as was Dustin's brisket and chicken. They got Patricia's side wrong, but she said she didn't mind as the Gris Gris Greens turned out to be quite tasty. And they didn't give us our brownie. So, since we were all set for brownies, Dustin took his mom to Winn Dixie to get dessert. He came back with a giant cookie decorated for someone's graduation (I asked him Who's graduating? and he said "I don't know, but I'm gonna eat their cookie!") and some New Orleans brand ice cream. The have such delicious flavors! We've had the Bananas Foster before, which tasted just like the real thing, and this time we had the Coffee & Chicory and Vanilla, both of which were rich and yummy.

I think our dessert was a fitting end to a nice day about town. I love being able to share the city we love with the people we love. :)

An Impromptu Before-The-Prices-Go-Up Cookout

If you've been near a TV in the last week or so, you've probably heard about the massive oil catastrophe. It's such a horrific thing to happen, but to happen when the oysters I would be eating next year are just babies in their comfy little oyster beds- sacrilege! As well as the devastating damage it's doing to our coast, our natural hurricane barrier and our wildlife, it is seriously gong to cramp our seafood style.

So since we're bracing for the impact this disaster is going have on the prices of shrimp, crab, oysters and fish, we decided to take advantage of the shellfish we knew was uncontaminated. We'd heard tell of long lines winding from the seafood counter, but Laura said she had no trouble picking up the oysters for our little feast. We grilled some fish he had stored in her freezer, and grilled it with just a little salt, pepper and fresh lemon. The oysters we ate raw on crackers with a dash of Crystal. I'd never eaten pre-shucked oysters from the sore raw, but there were no ill effects, and they sure were tasty.

The next day, Dustin and I thawed the local shrimp I had in the freezer and fried it up with the rest of the oysters (oh Laura, by the way, we ate the rest of your oysters) and had po-boys with my home made tarter sauce.

The full extent of the damage done by BP's idiocy won't fully be felt until next year, when all those poor baby oysters and shrimp haven't had a chance to grow up into the delicious mouthfuls we know and love. Thanks a lot, BP, you've ruined my next two Summers. Shame on you!

Comic Con!

Saturday Shelby and I headed back to Kenner to go to something I've been looking forward to for a while: Nola Comic Con! It's not that I'm a huge comic fan, which I'm not, or that I have an urge to dress like a super hero, because I don't, but I was interested in finally meeting Dustin's friend from work, Jon. We'd never met face-to-face, but we play Xbox Live together all the time. It was nice to finally meet him and put a face to the excellent zombie killing skills. This cool cat doesn't just practice paramedicine and behead the digital walking dead, he also runs Mass Casualty Comics, along with a fellow medic, Sean, and is in charge of the Barely Rotten Girls, a pin-up-esque zombified modeling group. They'd just put out their first calender and were promoting it with a booth at comic con. I met two of the girls (very nice) and got to have a look at the calender (very cool). Shelby and I walked around for a while, me pretending I knew anything about the characters or books I was perusing. We talked to the people who run Bloodletting, an online vampire RPG that sounds pretty cool. They gave Shelby some "freaky" teeth, and said with them in she looked like on of the characters, The Little Girl. They asked to take her picture, which I obliged, and plan on photoshopping it for use on the site. She's quite excited about it. Jon is also thinking about doing a shoot, for the BRG coffee table book that will be out next year, involving her, but not as a bloody zombie, just as a precious little girl smiling at one. Once we left, she had to call everyone we know and tell them how she was going to be a "little girl zombie vampire on a book and a website!" and that she was going to be the first Barely Rotten Little Girl, all of which took some clarifying once I got the phone away from her.

After the convention, we went to Golden Corral there in Kenner, which was nothing short of disappointing. I miss the magnificent, Vegas-style Golden Corral we had in Beaumont. We also went by Aquatic Specialties. Again. I had to return the bedeviling little sea urchin we bought. He was cute, but he kept going around and knocking everything over and/or irritating it. They were cool though and gave me store credit, so we bought a little yellow watchman goby for Dustin.

Because Sunday was pretty much a repeat of the day before, I'm adding the summary here as well. Kenner, Comic Con, Barely Rotten Girl booth. Actually, we went to Burger King before we left town, because I love me some BK fries and a Jr. Whopper. Mmmm. Once we arrived at the Ponchartrain Center, Jon got us in all official-like, and we hung out with him at the booth. Shelby and some little boys whose parents had booths set up a make-shift playdate behind us and played Power Rangers. It was adorable. When one's dad walk off to talk to someone, he stood up and yelled "But who's gonna watch me!" I told him I would and gave him a piece of candy, which in retrospect, sounds really stranger danger-ish. When the comvntion started winding down, we really didn't have anything to do, so Jon handed Shelby a few calenders and told her he'd give her a $5 for every one she sold. She got off to a slow start, being so shy, she was just walking up to people, tugging on their shirt and thrusting a calendar at them. But she eventually got the pitch down and sold one to an illustrator who couldn't resist such a cute salesperson. Jan handed over the dough and took her to a booth that sold children's comics. She chose a Scooby Doo one, and was told it was $7. She said "Well, I only have five," and once again, such a darling face couldn't be turned down. Uncle Jon was very impressed with her hustling (oh, and by the way, he morphed into 'Uncle Jon' before the end of the weekend due to the kind attention he paid Shelby, as well as the five bucks and his bag of candy). Shelby got the sales bug and was ready to make another Lincoln, but there were no takers amongst the few straggling patrons, so she settled for handing out flyers for the calendar release party two weeks from now. When it was time to shut down, it was time for us to split, so we Uncle Jon headed out front where he caught her a few of the million dragonflies that were out that day.

Once back in the Crescent City, we ran by Rouses store to pick up a few things and headed home. Hanging out at a comic booth surrounded by awesome people is tiring.

Exploring Kenner

Friday, Dustin was off work, so we made a trip to Kenner to Aquatic Specialties, a cool fish store specializing in salt water creatures where we spend entirely too much money. We were absolutely starving, though, so before buying some live fish, we went to eat some raw fish.

Using my handy dandy MyTouch, I found a few listings for sushi on Williams Boulevard, and decided whichever one we came to first would be the winner of our patronage. Sake Sushi claimed the prize. The place was empty As in, other than us, the only people sitting at a table were the waitstaff because they had nothing to do. That worried us. Dustin said it was like the beginning of Kitchen Nightmares when Gordon Ramsey makes his first visit to the abandoned dining room of the ailing restaurant. Luckily, this place wasn't a candidate for the show (at least not by judging the food). Dustin had two glasses of the house chardonnay (I didn't care for it whatsoever, but it was only a few dollars). I ordered the miso soup and the Sake roll; Dustin a snow crab roll, spicy tuna and Philadelphia roll; and we ordered Shelby a terriyaki chicken bento box. Dustin's looked good, my Sake roll was huge and incredibly filling, as well as insanely delicious- tempura shrimp and a Japanese mayonnaise sauce (not too much) rolled in nori and rice, topped with snow crab, topped with raw tuna, topped with avocado. Holy crap that thing was good. Dustin and Shelby each had a piece and I was still stuffed when I was done. Shelby really did us proud with her bento. I was thinking it would be a small-ish box, but it was about the size of a standard school tray. There was a whole chicken breast, one broccoli floret, one baby carrot, one baby corn, two dumplings, a peeled and creatively sliced orange, a whole California roll and fried rice. Did I mention it came with miso soup and a salad, too? For $7.95. And Shelby finished it! It took about an hour, but she did it, minus the dumpling Dustin and I stole and the broccoli. She also didn't finish the rice, but seriously, she had just eaten an entire sushi roll. I let it slide. The total came to $50-something. Which I don't think was bad given that the service was extremely friendly (almost creepy friendly) and quick and the food was good.

Having filled our bellies with aquatic goodies, we headed to the fish store. While Dustin talked shop with one of the staff, Shelby and I browsed the fish, crabs, urchins, starfish and the lone beige, bright blue spotted ray. He is so funny. If you get near the glass, he faces off with you and bumps the glass with his.... lip? Whatever the front-most part of his pancake-like body is. Doing this makes his "face" crinkle and his eyes look as though the brows have come down, causing him to look as though he's quite angry with you, as well as very much like a cartoon character. I'll see if the computer will allow me to upload the picture I took of him. Dustin settled on a reddish, skinny hand shaped tree thing, an emerald crab (which is not bright green, I was sad to find) and a koko worm- a long, twisty purple tube about the width of a finger that has a red and white stripped feather duster thing that comes out of the end. The feather duster is the animal, I'm not really sure what the tube is. I wanted a bit more color, so I got a cute little electric lime green soft coral. I ca't remember what it's called, but it sure is cute. It's a "baby," meaning it was a new cutting not quite ready to be in a tank with other things, but he let me buy it anyway. It's the brightest green I've ever seen, and it glows under the black light like a neon sign. I like it.

After going fishing, we went to Academy (where Dustin bought some golf stuff) and the Dollar Tree (where I bought some stuff). When I was in the Dollar Tree, Dustin and Shelby went into PetCo. Imagine my surprise to walk out of my respective store to see them coming out if theirs, Shelby with a mouse in her hands. A mouse. That her daddy bought her. I said it then and I'm saying it now, the care of this animal will not be added to the list of my household duties! She is kinda cute, though. Shelby named her Tinkerbell, and she's a light honey color.

Upon leaving Kenner, we met Frank for pizza and brews, though I just had a beer, still being full from lunch. Shelby regaled everyone in the place with her tale of finding the perfect mouse and talking her daddy into buying it. We stayed and chatted with Frank and Tim for a couple hours before finally heading home, where we aquainted the new corals to their new home and readied the cage for Tinkerbell.

Again I say: Mouse-keeping, not my job. Even if it is a cute little thing.

... Or, "Jeffe"

Very little rivals being able to get all froo-froo, walking out the front door and walking to your evening hotspot in either convenience or coolness. Laura, my beloved bad influence, and I walked a mere block and a half to Frankie & Johnnie's for a seasonal treat of Abita Strawberry and boiled crawfish. My first of the season! Though the next batch isn't far behind.

Then we walked another block or so to Dos Jefes. Every time Dustin and I pass by, we say "Or, 'Jeff,' " because we're nerds, but also because we saw an episode of a sitcom once where a guy approached a fellow Spanish student and introduced himself by saying "Hi, I'm Jeff, or, 'Jefe'." Which, of course, does not mean Jeff. Actually, there's much debate amongst the locals as to whether it is pronounced "hefes" or "Jeffs". Laura has chosen "Jefays", which works for me, since the way you say the name doesn't change what they do, and they do it well. Steve, the friendly and knowledgeable bartender, was pleased to answer our many questions about the wine and the cigars, and spent a fair amount of time hand squeezing limes for their margaritas (they don't use any artificial mixes). We enjoyed good conversation, two glasses of white each- one a Toscano, the other I couldn't pronounce but was good- and two lady-sized cigars, one of which was flavored with vanilla, while the slightly larger also involved some exotic spices. We just happened to pick the one and only night on the calender that didn't feature live music. From the pool tables in the back to the courtyard on the side, it seems a great place to take out of town guests for a relaxed good time. My only complaint is the bathroom. Four words: shower curtains for doors. 'Nuff said.

We also patronized the Brothers Three on Magazine. A dive, yes, but as long as you don't mind the crummy bathroom and the friendly geezer telling you about the time he saw Garth Brooks shot out of a cannon, it's not a bad place to slum it.

Rounding out the night, as she and I often do, with burgers at J'Anita's, we felt quite satisfied. We also tried the mini tacos, an excellent after-drinks finger food. Covered in melted cheddar, they were greasy, but so, so good.

With the exception of thinking I lost my debit card, searching the sidewalks and calling to have it canceled only to find I'd left it at home, it was a delightful evening out in my favorite neighborhood.

Lazy Saturday Afternoon

In order to keep our green thumbs motivated ("green" may be a bit of a stretch for us...) Laura and I like to mosey on over to the Green Parrot Nursery down the street to see what's shakin' in the flora world. As I've mentioned before, they've been renovating up a storm, so there's always something new to check out. Laura was able to find the gardenias she's been wanting, and I found some edemame plants I'm quite interested in. I have to do some more research, though, to see if they'll survive long enough down here to yield a whole bowl of soybeans.

Flowers bought, we walked home and sat on the porch chit chatting and chalking on the sidewalk. Then I saw the weirdest thing- a rat! On the telephone line across the street! It was huge!!! I started pointing and screaming, and a guy who had been turning his car around thought I was referring to him. He gave us an odd, somewhat scornful look and sped away. I felt kind of bad, but I wasn't yelling at him, I was yelling about the rat! I don't now where it went once it jumped onto a tree, but I hope I never see it ever again. However, the unwanted rodent drew our attention to the telephone pole, and to the sign upon said pole. Braving the possibility of attack, we (cautiously) walked to the other side of the road to check it out. It stated that there would be no parking on Wednesday from 5am to 3pm due to filming. I desperately want to know what's going down, but don't know who to call find out. They film so many things here. But we've all decided to get up early Wednesday and sit on the porch to gawk at the happenings on our fair street. Our luck they'll just park a huge prop trailer in front of our houses and do the interesting stuff elsewhere. Who knows, maybe we'll get spots as extras.

And, possibly, one step closer to Ryan Reynolds.

Margaritas & Shopping

-Is quite possibly one of the most marvelous combinations ever.

Since moving to New Orleans, we don't eat Mexican food nearly as much as we used to. There's just not a Taqueria on every corner like there is in most of Texas. But when we need to get that queso fix, we know where to go. Nacho Mama's (we'll find another South-of-the-border eatery one of these days, but there's no rush, we love this place). I won't dwell, because if you've ever read this blog before you have a 42% chance of having heard about it (food for thought: 86% of all statistics are made up on the spot). The meal was quite acceptable: tacos for Dustin, taco salad with ground beef for me, mini chimis for the little one and some jumbo shrimp and steak fajitas for our friend. It was his birthday, so I decided to celebrate with a couple margaritas. Only two, it was one in the afternoon, after all.

After stuffing ourselves silly, Dustin and his buddy headed to the aquarium store. When they were there, the fish people had to run them out, as they had to make a delivery of some sort of special black rocks to the filming site of The Green Lantern. Ryan Reynolds has been in town for a while shooting, though I'm not sure if he's still here. It's probably for the best- he was in serious danger of being kidnapped. You win this round, Scarlett Jo.

Shelby and I decided to walk through some of the shops there on Magazine. American Apperal wasn't anything special, and their stuff was a little high. Then we went to Tomato and looked around, followed by the shoe store Elle (need a job? They're looking), and Hemline. I was kind of surprised how sparse their selections were. Not so surprised to find nothing bigger than tiny looking Larges. I've been dying to check out the Buffalo Exchange, so we did. They have a great collection of previously owned yet meticulously cared for clothing and accessories (and lamps). A friend once inquired about bringing some clothes to them and said the guidelines were quite stringent, which is good for me, I'd rather not have unidentified stains on my new-to-me clothing. The prices vary, some high, some low. I found not one, but two cute things in my size after only looking for a few minutes, a $7 pencil skirt and a $14 paisley printed mini dress. Shelby chose the blue dress over the skirt, as I only had a $20 on me and couldn't decide. The quirky staff was very friendly and made us feel welcome (some sales associates on Magazine can be a bit condescending or quiet) It came to just over $15 with tax. Since we were headed back to the car, I declined the bag, and was given a 5 cent token: When you don't take one of their bags, you get this token and are able to put it into one of three local non-profit slots, then the Buffalo Exchange will donate that 5 cents to the chosen charity. We picked Hands On New Orleans, since I hope to work with them in the future. The Buffalo Exchange has been enthusiastically added to my return trip list.

Anybody Else Thinking Sushi?

Yesterday we took trip to Metarie to the fish store. Dustin has invested in a Nano Cube- a saltwater tank that mimics a natural reef and ecosystem. Neptune needed some more water and to browse the ever-changing variety of corals, anemones, fish and other sea creatures the store offers. I'd never been, Shelby was excited to see all the fishies. I figured the tanks would be interesting enough, but the things they had in there I hadn't even seen on Discovery, let alone in a home tank. There was even a sandy colored sting ray with vibrant blue spots. The diversity displayed in the many tanks was amazing. All colors of the rainbow, pulsing in the gelatinous skin of an anemone or streaking across a fish's scales. It was quite the sight.

We got our 10 gallons of freshly salted water (I have no idea exactly what they do to it), some brine shrimp and krill to feed our little buddies, and a few new friends. I've been wanting a serpent starfish ever since I saw a YouTube video of one devouring a snack just like an octopus. Dustin also got me an adorable little purple and white sea urchin, who insists on adorning himself with shells he finds on the sandy bottom of the tank. Dustin picked up some flat, neon colored, glow in the dark mushrooms and a peach colored anemone with finger like fronds it uses to snatch food from the water. I never thought I'd spend $121 on fish. At least not the kind I couldn't eat. I seriously wanted a sushi fix after being in that place. Is that wrong? Instead, we went home so Dustin could get ready for work and I made creole omletes with crawfish cream sauce.

Once we got our new aquatic friends in their new home and Dustin off to work, Shelby and I walked down the street to Green Parrot Nursery to look at the Spring arrivals. They're still constructing some new structures, but they've made a huge concrete fountain that's home to several huge koi fish. We looked at the blueberry plants and mire lemon trees, and decided just to pick up some plain terra cotta pots for the plants we already have (since the Wal-Mart doesn't carry them anymore). I'm hoping to walk down to the hobby store next to get some acrylic paint so Shelby and I can unleash our creativity on the plain pots. I'll let you know how it goes!

French Quarter Festivities

Do not plan on riding the Streetcar on St. Charles going in the direction of the French Quarter on a busy festival weekend. Don't do it.

As I'm sure you've deduced, that's what Shelby and I did Saturday. We parked near The Avenue just off of St. Charles and walked to the nearest car stop. We waited around for about 10 minutes, a small crowd gathering, before a man walking by, in attire not befitting someone walking any measurable distance, informed us that the coming Streetcar had hit a car. Bemoaning of the stupidity of tourists commenced as we started an exodus of would-be passengers-turned-pedestrians towards the Quarter. Shelby and I walked to the Lee Circle stop and waited a bit, to rest and to see if a car would come by. One finally did, and much to my surprise, opened his doors to us despite the obvious over crowding. There was just enough room in front for Shelby and I to put our money in the recepticle and turn around, doors almost closing on our noses. The driver took the Circle so fast I really thought I'd fly out and hit someone on the sidewalk. Our ride came to an end not far away, just far enough to have a conversation about jewelry with the well dressed man nearest me, small talk seeming called for as we were close enough to smell each other's deodorant. We continued our walk down Canal before coming to Decatur and crossing the street, which was blocked at one side of the intersection by police for whatever reason.

Passing a window full of gas lanterns, we stopped in to have a look around. Jack's Metal Arts makes their own custom style of the old fashioned gas lanterns adorning so many New Orleans homes. They also do other custom work, sell hardware and lighting accessories and the odd antique that finds it's way to them. The owner, whom I assume is Jack, and I had a lengthy conversation about the quality of their work and the pros and cons of different parts of the city.

After resuming our journey across the Quarter, our destination being Dustin on duty at the corner of Barracks and Decatur, we saw all manner of craziness. The city is always full of pleasant oddity, but festivals and tourists bring the characters out in droves. We counted no less than three fully painted people, more crazy hair than I can list and two people walking around with costumes and enormous paper mache heads. Those were actually really cool. When we passed the Convent of the Ursulines, I told Shelby about the vampire(s) that lives in the attic, sealed in with special nails from the Vatican holding down the shutters (hey, that's what I heard!). She responded with that mix of skepticism and curiosity she has when we talk about how the fences around the above ground cemetaries are to keep the zombies from getting out.

Finally, almost three hours after telling Dustin we were getting ready to leave the house, we made it to the old US Mint. We hung out in front of Envie for a while with Dustin, talking and listening to the live band that had set up a stage within the gates of the Mint, and enjoying the rare chance to spend time with him while he was at work. We also got to see the cute little Gator-like ambulance they use for special French Quarter events. After swaying to the beat for a while, Shelby and I went in search of street food. Having been in operation since that morning, the booths were running low on provisions. I was sad to find there was no longer any crawfish bread or shrimp and grits, so we got two shrimp & pork spring rolls and a crawfish eggroll from Amy's Vietnamese. For $3, I'm really glad that eggroll was awesome. We shared our fare with Dustin, and it didn't go quite far enough. So We decided to go to The Italian Barrel right across the street. The place looks like a good spot to sit outside and enjoy some wine and cheese on a slow week day. They have a case in front that they keep their delicious looking fromage selection in. The prices are high, though. We got the two cheapest things on the menu (which also seemed the easiest to eat standing up outside)- bruschetta and grissini wraps (thin breadsticks wrapped in prusciutto). It took over an hour to get our two appetizers to go, neither of which had to be cooked, BTW. When one of the waitresses offered to bring us some bread, another told her not to because we were a to-go order. I understand, but come on! Over an hour! A long enough time for Dustin to get a call and have to leave, which meant that we might as well have ordered eat-in. So we sat there and ate our (delicious, really) food out of the styrofoam, with no free bread. It was $14 for three thick slices of bread with tomatoes, oil and cheese and three bread sticks wrapped in ham. And I know it's just bread in a bowl, but free restaurant bread is special, and I was hungry. Thumb down for you, Italian Barrel.

While we were waiting, though, we spied Treme's Steve Zahn as he walked by (rather in a huff, it seemed), which was cool. I took a picture of the back of his head, to be posted to the Facebook page soon.

The remaining stick and tomato bread in tow, we watched the people dancing merrily in the street, including an old man no younger than 78 years old cutting one heck of a rug. When he sat down to rest, he offered us the free chair beside him. We declined, but he offered to watch our stuff for us if we cared to dance. Seeing as how he was quite aged and probably couldn't run very fast, thus making him not much of a purse snatching threat, I left my bag and leftovers under his watchful eye and Shelby and I did our own rug cutting. I love to dance, but to see me dance is like watching someone have a seizure, so I don't do it often. When you're dancing with a kid, however, you can dance like an epileptic lunatic and no one cares, so I did. I also truly love Zydeco music. It reminds me of my PawPaw, and makes me feel warm and fuzzy, even though I have no idea what's being sung when Creole or French is used. We danced for a good four or five songs and mama was done. So we bade farewell to the sweet old gentleman and browsed a shop across the corner. Outside, Defend New Orleans had a booth set up, I bought a DNO pin for my messenger bag and Shelby got a free Defend Who Dat sticker, maintaing her record of having never been to the Quarter without someone giving her something for free.

I noticed it was starting to get a bit dim, so we began our return trip. We bought a bottle of water at one of the convenience/trinket stores and sat on a bench beside the gold statue (I think it's Joan of Arc), beneath a tree that had small fragrant flowers all over. We also noticed that there was a dog leash and a broom in it. Once we resumed our walk, we came upon an interesting shop. I can't for the life of me remember the name. It's filled with traditional Asian puppets, wooden figures of every sort, jewelry and ceremonial masks of varied origin. The owner, a man who DJ's in is off hours under the name Sight, was quite friendly and more than willing to answer our questions about his unique wares. Shelby even felt comfortable enough to ask questions of her own. He explained the usage of the Tibetan children's masks, which he let her try on, and the concept of abstract art, which probably went about two inches over her head. He also told us of his contempt for digital music in the club scene and the superiority of vinyl.

Once we left Sight's company, we walked to Canal. Well, I walked, Shelby bummed a ride in my arms. Great way to work off a crawfish eggroll! We were able to catch the Streetcar just off of Canal, only slightly further from the door this time, and rode it almost all the way to The Avenue. We probably could have ridden it all the way, but I was afraid we'd miss our stop in the dark.

I'm confident in believing all the walking of the day burned off not only our street food, but our homemade buffalo tacos that night, and probably my egg the next morning. Calorie burning aside, it was a Saturday truly well spent.

A Cheesy Little Date

Last night Dustin and I enlisted the services of our beloved babysitter and took a night off from our nightly routine. After all the OT he's been pulling in, Dustin deserved a break. We were going to try Sushi Brothers, again, but they were so packed I was afraid we'd add a migraine to our hunger pangs. The Melting Pot is right down the street, and there happened to be some free street-side parking.

I'd never been, so I was quite happy Dustin suggested it. They weren't that crowded, though with the deceptively deep dinning area, even if they were 3/4 full, you could still enjoy an intimate dinner for two. We were seated beside the nearly two story glass-walled wine room with a clear view of their nice selection (from which we partook, of course). Our friendly waiter, Rick, explained the menu to us and we chose their current promotion, the Pacific Islands Big Night Out- a four course meal, all but the main course of which is interchangeable, for two at $85. We stuck to the arrangement and started with Feng Shui Cheese Fondue. The mix of Havarti cheese and Sake just didn't work for me. But the green apples and bread to dip in it was good. The following course of lettuce wraps was absolutely delicious. Large leaves of crisp lettuce stuffed with finely shredded vegetables, bean sprouts and toasted almonds served with mandarin sesame sauce that was just beautiful. The main course did not disappoint. After detailed instructions, including not to go pot-to-mouth with the skewers (those things get hot!) we received a platter filled with raw meat (which would have definitely freaked me out any other day), four chunks each of pork, chicken, beef, ahi tuna, two shrimp, four vegetable dumplings and a lobster tail. Each was lightly pre-seasoned, and our chosen preparation, an island inspired blend of citrus and spices called Mojo, was boiling away, ready for our little morsels to take a swim. And the sauces! Not one, or two, or three, but eight sauces, each totally different from the other and absolutely delicious. There was also a bowl full of potatoes, mushrooms and broccoli. Is it any wonder it took us 3 hours to eat supper? But the process was fascinating and romantic (though we stopped short of feeding each other). It was one of the most fun meals I've ever had in a sophisticated setting. But hold on, kiddies, we're not done yet. There was still the dessert course. We had the recommended Yin & Yang fondue: dark chocolate swirled with passion fruit-infused white chocolate in the shape of, what else, a Yin-Yang sign. The plate of dippable treats they brought blew the wonder at the sauces out of the water. A slice of cheesecake, two bites of brownie, two bites of pound cake, Oreo- and graham cracker-crusted marshmallows, rice crispy treats and a bowl of sliced strawberries. And a cherry. Whoa. That stuff was sinfully good. We also had after dinner drinks, Dustin a grasshopper and I a coffee with Amaretto. Oh, and did I mention the fabulous wine Rick suggested, Zin of Zins? Yeah, we had two. Bottles. (Spread over a 3+ hour span, with food, it wasn't so bad.) So, feeling stuffed to the gills, and a bit swimy, we chatted with the friendly waitstaff a while before paying our $162 bill (before tip) and walked to the Avenue so I could try the new Hurricane Saison on the balcony, then went home before we were tempted to stay for another brew, which our full tummies would have firmly protested, I have no doubt.

Because we had so much fun dipping sharp objects topped with meat and vegetables into boiling liquids, Dustin has proclaimed that our monthly date nights will henceforth take place at The Melting Pot. Um, yeah. I had a fabulous time, but I like variety. Not to mention it would seriously drain our date budget, but I'm sure I'll be ready for a return trip in about six weeks.

Visiting Mayberry

Sunday, being Easter and all, Shelby and I rode with Dustin's cousin to Cotton Port to meet their family. He and Paige's grandmothers are sisters, making them second cousins. I think. Genetics are funny, because I never thought Dustin looked much like anyone in his family other than maybe his mom. But he really looks like the people I met yesterday, and Shelby resembles them, too. Many look like they could be his brothers and sisters.

After a three hour drive (which felt a lot longer coming back than going), and stopping on the side of the road to buy strawberries, we arrived to a full house of open arms and warm welcomes. And, of course, good food. There was a box full of baby bunnies for the kids to play with, swings to swing on and eggs to hunt, so needless to say Shelby had a good time with her "new" cousins, only one of which she'd met before. I had a lovely visit with the adults and was treated to a few albums of family photos and amusing stories to go with each sepia or black-and-white photograph. I also got to hold the new baby that had been baptised that day, smelling of anointing oil and baby soap.

After re-tasting a few things and finally peeling the kids off of each other, we headed home. The backseat was full of noise and dirty little feet, but they had all fallen asleep before we made it back to New Orleans. Having caught a few glances of the plantation homes hiding behind trees and moss earlier, I made an effort to watch the countryside more on the return trip. The landscape was gorgeous. If I hadn't become so accustom to the convenience of living in a city, my next choice would be to live in places like the ones we drove through. Rolling hills, farmland, streams and lakes, flowers and towering trees, grazing cows and horses. And of course, those awe-inspiring antebellum homes. I tell you, if I was a millionaire.... I just can't get over them.

While I loved getting to see a different side of Louisiana, I'm glad that we live where we do. It's so interesting and exciting, though, that whole other worlds of history and architecture exist just beyond our city limits. Maybe a few more excursions are on the itinerary for this Summer.

Fun On The Streets

Reason number 271 that New Orleans is awesome: Greenness. It's not a word, but it should be. There are ever so many more environmentally minded awesome people here. I'm sure that's due to the fact that there are substantially more people in the immediate area than in any other place I've live, but I'm glad that with so many people around, those that are "aware" (not just specifically about the health of the planet, but of other good-doing issues as well) stand out and shine through.

Saturday Shelby and I went to our first Crescent City Farmer's Market Downtown at the corner of Girod and Magazine, which happens every first Saturday. It was inside a warehouse, and would benefit from having some fans or something to tamp down the heat that comes from being in a sun-drenched metal building surrounded by other people, but it was great nonetheless. People were selling salad & cooking greens and vegetables of many varieties, jars and jars of homemade preserves and jellies, Smith's Creamery was there selling cow's milk (the same dairy that we buy our butter from, both of which can be picked up at Rouses), fresh goat milk and cheese (the tastiest chevre I've ever had- especially drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt, garlic and thyme!), organic juices and popcicles, bakery fresh breads and desserts. You can also buy your own herb plants, tomato plants and other plants. There were even a few people selling fresh meat, mostly lamb and goat. A guy was selling home grown mushrooms of the wild varieties and mushroom starter kits, which I'd like to look further into, and since I'm the only one in the house that eats mushrooms, they'd be all mine! Mwaha! A woman and her children were selling tamales, of which we bought two, and someone was selling home made Greek food. And I've never seen so many fresh strawberries. Being the day before Easter, one of the coordinators had boiled eggs to give to children in little "nests" (Shelby was really disappointed when she realized the egg she'd been given wasn't going to hatch), and we got to pet a baby chicken who was there promoting hatchling sales. They sell all types of yard birds, including turkeys and guineas. I may just have to work on Dustin a bit more to let me get some chickens. We got there late, so a lot of the stuff was gone or dwindling, but we'll know better next time.

After making the rounds, buying a few things and getting surveyed by the woman at the door, Shelby and I walked back down the street with our goat cheese, cheese tamales and Cherokee heirloom tomato plant to our car a few blocks away. If there's one thing, other than my love of green chiles, that I learned living in New Mexico, it's an appreciation for scratch-made tamales sold by someone's mama. We stopped halfway to sit on a concrete block on the sidewalk and have our snack. There was a nice breeze blowing, and it was great to eat street food on the street and relax.

Snack finished, goodies loaded and seat belts fastened, we drove to Napoleon where we parked to attend the Freret Street Fair. The deceptively sized event was just absolutely fantastic. So much so that I had to will the goofy smile off my face. It really didn't look like much from the street, but looks can be deceiving. Inside that chain link fence was a cross section of all things New Orleans. A live band, featuring my favorite of all instruments, the washboard, played for the crowd, where dogs from the Humane Society wearing "Adopt Me" vests made the rounds with their young volunteers and the smell of food wafted through the air.

Having been volunteers with the ASPCA back home, Shelby and I signed up for our local branch. I also signed up with the Sula foundation, a local Pitbull rescue (that happens to share my grandmother's unique name). We signed the petition provided by the Gulf Restoration Network asking Wal-Mart to stop selling cyprus mulch, which I found out is taken from our natural hurricane barriers rather than made from wood manufacturing scraps, like I thought. Fight the Blight was there handing out neighborhood information and listings of homes for sale in the area that are being offered (mostly) at decent prices to those that are willing to get their hands dirty and do some renovating. I was pleased to meet the friendly folks from Hands On New Orleans, an organization that offers opportunities to volunteer in the community through their e-mail list. They send periodic updates of things going on in the community that you can choose to participate in, or not. There's no pressure (because if I'm going to volunteer, it's not really volunteering if I do it because someone guilted me into it!), which I love, and you can search their calender for specific projects you're interested in. I'm looking forward to my first event!

There was booth after booth of eclectic goodness. Art, crafts, books, clothing, found objects-turned-jewelry, unique utilizations of beer caps and magazine ads, glass decorations, comic books, too many things to name. We're going to start giving our used wine bottles, great quantities that we produce, to a woman that kilns them into submission and makes serving boards out of them. A man was selling hand blown glass works that he and his wife make downtown at the New Orleans Glassworks studio. The studio offers classes for a decent fee, and I've been dying for Dustin and I to go. Across the way from him was a very nice man and his daughter selling stone coasters with iconic New Orleans signage on them. I just love those things. Dustin has a large one on his chair table, as he usually has more than one drink with him at any given time. The man making them uses one as a mouse pad. There are standard sized ones as well, of course. Theirs is a family production, even getting the kids involved, who affix the cork to the bottoms of the tiles. The Big Easy Rollergirls were in attendance promoting their sport and hawking their shirts and stickers. They were friendlier than I expected, I admit, and tried to recruit Shelby early, to which she just blushed and spurted "I love roller skates!" before hiding her face in my skirt. I really look forward to going to my first match (or game, or whatever they call it) and reporting back to you all the guts and glory details. There were several people selling clothes, among them Fleurty Girl (highly recommended by Laura), a shop called Skull De Lys with edgy, urban-style NOLA gear, and a woman selling Nepalese cotton shirts and wraps. I wish I could find the e-mail address she wrote down for me, because the children's clothes were perfect for Summer and only $10 each.

And the food! I should have brought more money and had lunch. I only brought a few bucks because I didn't intend to spend any. I'm still kicking myself. I had my first official New Orleans Sno Ball (still hard for me not to say "snow cone"), coconut, just like the necklace Dustin got for my birthday from Mignon Faget. The stand was a trailer made to look like a streetcar, which, of course, made the sno balls taste better. They came in a Chinese takeout box, just like the fries someone else was selling, fried with whole heads of garlic, fresh rosemary or dusted liberally with parmesean cheese. Fish tacos, gumbo, BBQ, pasta made from vegetables (Shelby Approved uncooked pasta, which will soon be available for home delivery). The mingling aromas of all the mouthwatering choices provided a high that can only come from the combined stimuli of an outdoor event.

I'm sure I've missed a few things, there was just so much to see and smell and talk about. I don't know when the next one is, or if it's a monthly or yearling thing, bit I hope the former, as this was something I want to experience again and again. Luckily, in New Orleans, there's always something happening right around the corner.

St. Patrick's On Top Of Dorothy

As you might have noticed, there's been a lag in the posting the last week or so. That's easily explained, as we were in Dublin, Ireland for St. Patrick's day. It was amazing! Truly a vacation to remember. But, as this is New In Nola, and not Doing It In Dublin, I won't go into specifics. If you'd like to know anything about the land of my husband's forefathers, don't hesitate to ask!

The Saturday before St. Patrick's Day is a day of much revelry and chaos. We arose bright and early, donned our matching green Saints shirts (aww), fancy novelty beads and flashing shamrock earrings (or at least I did) and headed to the car, already loaded down with bag after bag of beads from Beads By The Dozen. We met with the other float-goers of our group at the EMS HQ and then proceeded to the line-up. I've never ridden in a parade such as this, and was so excited to not only be on a float, but also on the top deck of a float, a float that was Wizard of Oz themed! Lugging the 500 pound bags of beads to said float- not as excited. But once we got everything loaded, our places staked out and our throws stacked neatly, all that was left was to wait. And wait. We were done prepping by 8:30 or 9, and the parade didn't start until about one. So, what is there to do when standing on a giant sack of cabbage while looking at the back of Dorothy's enormous head? Beer, anyone? (Although we also had momosas. Gotta start the day right.)

Things picked up after someone walked to Wal-Mart to pick up a battery operated boombox, and we girls made our final trips to Mojo's for the bathroom (small and dingy, but adequate; a purchase must be made prior to usage). The float behind us was in good spirits, apparently they had some popular local DJ in their float blasting music and shouting out, but I didn't recognize him. Once we got underway, the commotion quickened and you could feel the festive spirit vibrating through the jostling floorboards, through your body and up to your arm as we flung beads at parade goers. I was a bit nervous, not wanting to hit anyone in the face or anything, but I think I got pretty darn good. Good to the point where I'd point at people, then haul back and launch it right into their outstretched hands. That, silly as it may sound, is an awesome feeling. Ah, the power of the parade thrower. People love you! Unless you through them something broken, or hit them in the face (I did happen to hit two children and make them cry- worst feeling ever). The best is when you point, throw, they catch, and then you both smile and thumbs up, or some other shared affirmation of victory. It's a total high. I had a few tiny parachute bunnies, which I tossed to little kids when we were stopped, and they really seemed to love them. I think the best was the flowers- faux carnations of white and green, which I bent the bendable stem on, then wound with beads so they could be thrown farther. I think those were Dustin's favorite, as he seemed to have developed a system of pointing to a pretty girl, point the flower at her, kissing it and then tossing it down to her with a flourish. He was quite popular. It's a good thing he was up there out of reach.

The tables turned at one point, however, when a group of people having a crawfish boil on the neutral ground (the grassy median where the streetcars run) started throwing crawfish to us! One of the girls promised them some good stuff if she got one. She said it was the tastiest one she ever had. Dustin got a potato. I only got crawfish juice in my eye, but it was still funny. After that, we all tried to get the few other folks having crawfish along the way to do the same. They just looked at us like we were weirdos and turned away. Party poopers.

Now being a seasoned thrower, I will divulge a few guidelines if you happen to be in the crowd at the next parade:

1) If you aren't looking at me, hands up, I will not throw to you. I don't know if you're paying attention and I don't want to knock you out.

2) If you are holding a baby, especially one that is too tiny to be out or one that is screaming from all the over-stimulation, I will not throw to you, and may even give you a dirty look, depending on the circumstance.

3) If I have obviously thrown to a child near you, and you grab the beads, I will be wishing many bad karma points at you, as that is the only harm I can do you from atop the float.

4) If you act like a jerk, you will not be getting any beads. And my husband will probably verbally abuse you, as you rightly deserve.

5) If the float is not in motion and I've already thrown you something. Don't ask for more. Also, see number 4.

6) If you are thrown something awesome- a garter, beads with large trinkets attached, appropriately themed rubber duck- at least smile and wave. They're not that expensive, but they're not cheap, either. I singled you out to receive your goody, it's only good manners to acknowledge it.

7) Wear sunscreen.

That last one applies all around. I forwent the sunscreen, and ended up with a farmer's sunburn, as well as sunburns on my earlobes, complete with tiny tan lines from my earring wires. After 9 hours in the sun, I don't know what I expected. Other than a few sunburns, some disturbed equilibriums and someone getting hit in the head with a street light (the light was hurt more than him), all went exceptionally well.

After the parade, we collected our things, dismounted the now-trashed float (the fee we paid covers clean-up, thank goodness for that!), and hitched a ride back to the cars. We hung out in the parking lot of HQ talking to people who were getting off or coming onto work (which I'm sure they appreciated, since they didn't get to attend the event), then headed to Magazine for some food other than liquid hops and potato chips. After searching for the least crowded establishment, no easy feat at all after a parade, we decided on Byblos. I'm so glad we did. The food was phenomenal. And I'm not just saying that because everything tastes awesome after a long day and a few drinks. I got the vegetarian plate, a combination of four tastes of your choosing. I got mousaka, baba ghanuj, hummus and spanakopita. The best Greek food I've ever had. Dustin got the drunken halloumi, which looked really good, but he and his friend Josh finished it before I could get my fork in there. The atmosphere was nice (and the ladies room clean and well appointed). And there were paper table cloths to draw on, so Shelby will be well entertained when we take here there, too. Our bill came to between $35-$40 for our food plus drinks (I had water and a glass of wine, I think Dustin had a beer).

With such a full day behind us, we fell half dead into the sheets about 10:30, feeling like it was 3am. It was a great night of sleep.

The Accidental Night Out

With Shelby making the grandparent rounds in Texas, and me pretty much over my blasted cold, Dustin and I took advantage of his only night off in a while and got out of the house. We drove around a bit, as you know we love to do, and went for sushi. Sushi Brother's was closed, so we parked in their parking lot again anyway and went to Hoshun. During happy hour, beer, sake and some wines are two-for-one, so we had some Blue Moon with our Linner (you know, like brunch, except between lunch and dinner). We ordered their yummy miso soup and the rangoons. Theirs are crawfish as well as crab and come perfectly stacked on a little puddle of a lightly spicy orange sauce. They were the best rangoons I've ever had (and I've had a lot!). Then we got our sushi: I had the Uptown roll and the crunchy roll (both delicious but too much for me to finish, and I can put away a lot of sushi) & Dustin got a crawfish roll and two other spicy rolls I didn't pay much attention to. It all came to a little over $40.

Completely stuffed, we drove to the ginormous Borders Bookstore on Magazine. It's seriously huge- have you ever seen a bookstore with an escalator in it? I have! We bought some coffee and purchased several books (and added more to our future reading lists) for our upcoming flights to and from Ireland. I also got an Andy Warhol-style Wizard of Oz bookmark, which I like more and more the more I look at it.

Then, being able to be spontaneous with our temproary freedom, we went to the Avenue. When I was growing up, my old fashioned parents- normally great instillers of abstinence- would dole out the Wild Turkey for what ailed us like it was NyQuil. So in keeping with tradition I ordered a shot of Jameson with an Orange juice back to help rid my system once and for all of whatever bug I caught back in Texas. It seemed to be working so well, I had another.

And that's when things picked up. When I was out of town, Dustin and a friend checked out a bar in the French Quarter called The Dungeon. He said it definitely lived up to it's name, red walls, secret passages and all, so I had to see it. But they, like Sushi Brother's, were closed. So instead we parked a few blocks off Bourbon and went to Jean Lafittes. We drank hurricanes and watched E! and had a great time talking about this and that. This particular night there was a man at the piano in the back and he played beautifully.

Once our Jean Lafitte plastic cups were empty, rinsed and stuffed in my messenger bag, we walked down Bourbon, something we hadn't done in ages. The karaoke was in full swing at Fat Cat's, so we settled in with a beer and watched the show. Once we'd had our fill of bad eighties songs, we went to the Boondock Saint and had a great time visiting with the bartender, Tricia. She's so cute, with her curly blonde hair and cheerful personality. It really balances out the Boondock Saints playing on constant repeat behind the bar.

After we bid Tricia farewell and walked back to the car, we were on our way home, until we drove by Le Bon Temp Rouler on Magazine. We'd never been, so we stopped in, and just happened to run into one of Dustin's coworkers (this one a cop). So we visited with him and a few other friendly drinkers at the bar until it was absolutely time to go home and crash.

I seem to remember some McDonald's in there somewhere between that last bar and bed, but if I don't remember it, the calories don't count, so we'll just leave it at that.

French Wine And Catholic Mojitos

In honor of one of the Paramedic's birthdays, several of Dustin's fellow medics (except him, he had to work) gathered at Bacchanal on Poland, and I was invited to come along. Driving down North Rampart at dusk, I had a wave of..... I don't know exactly what. I drove past the way we used to come into town every time we visited, and I remembered that feeling of excitement and anticipation that used to sweep me once we made the curve past the Police station. Looking at the three story buildings with iron balconies in the fading light, I was glad that I lived in New Orleans.

And after I got through feeling all giddy- and paying entirely too much for gas at the nearest station- I found Bacchanal's. It's a nondescript little place on a corner, but once you go in, you see that it might just be something special. There are wine racks everywhere, as well as a few coolers filled with beer, water and cheeses to accompany your vino. Behind the cash register there's a chalk board with a few selections, and I wish I could remember what I got. I had only one glass, but it was superb. A white wine that was crisp and fruity, but not really sweet. I thought I tasted elderberry, which is a flavor I love and miss very much from when we used to forage the berries out of the wilderness ourselves to turn into jelly when I was a kid. I followed the party out into the patio area. The ground is uneven, the trees and shrubs are exactly where God put them, the tables don't match and the tiki torches and strung lights are set about haphazardly, but it was beautiful. Everyone else had already eaten (I swear, I was only 10 minutes late! People trying to make me look bad...), so I didn't order anything, but they do offer some sandwiches, cheese plates and other light offerings. The ladies room was pretty clean, has a fuul length mirror and the hot water works, so they get a good score on that front. We stayed for a little over an hour, but just about the time the jazz band started playing on the little wooden stage in the corner, the party was ready to move on.

Since I'd missed out on the sandwiches, I decided to fulfill a constant craving I have and went to the Avenue. The guacamole watch board had a smiley face, so we were good to go. I had a Coke and my guacamole and got ready to meet back up with everyone else.

The party had moved to St. Joe's on Magazine. So.... That's where I went. I'd never been, and it was quite a place. I'm not entirely sure that all the crosses hanging from the ceiling are exactly kosher (religious pun not really intended), but I liked the church pews next to the pool table and the cherubs behind the bar. The bathroom walls are also quite unique, with bits of broken tiles and mirrors mosaiced into them. The back covered patio area is amazing. The rafters are filled with red Chinese lanterns, there are candles and Asian religious-type statues above the bar. Absolutely beautiful. Almost as beautiful as the blueberry mojitos. They were the best, hand muddled right there while you watch. We enjoyed sipping our Southern libations and heckled a friend who was trying out her speech for her upcoming volunteerism as a tour guide. With the exception of getting walked in on in the unique yet tiny, no-door-latch-having bathroom, it was a lot of fun.

At almost midnight, when the party began to disperse, a few of us decided to go in search of some late night vittles. Someone said the midnight buffet was about to start at Harrah's, so we made our way thus. But there was apparently some sort of event going on at the casino, which means no parking for us. So we followed the other car to a little restaurant on the corner of Dauphin and Touro called La Peniche. Curtis and I, deciding that the name sounded awfully stuffy, agreed ahead of time that we would certainly not be paying $25 for a crepe. Luckily, this place turned out to be the perfect end to a night out. Low prices and good food are always a happy couple in my book. Everyone got something totally different. One girl got chicken-fried chicken and scrambled eggs, and I got biscuits and white gravy with a small side salad. While the biscuits were a bit hard, it was very good. For five people to eat their fill, and still have food on (a few of) their plates, it came to about $70. With parties of 5 or more, the gratuity is added in automatically (and they don't split checks, so don't ask), but we left our change for him anyway. If you ever find yourself hankering for an omelet and a po-boy at 2 am, and are brave enough to leave the Quarter (did I mention I saw two hookers make the block as I ate my biscuits?), then by all means give this place a try!

One of the many perks of having a friend share a wall is that when you got out together, along with her boyfriend usually being the designated driver, you don't have to feel like you're imposing when it's time to go home. You simply walk up your side of the steps and go inside.

Simply Lovely

Today wasn't a big day. The weather was surprisingly warm, a slight breeze away from being perfect, and it seemed the perfect day for a walk. Dustin seems to be showing signs of coming down with what I had (knock on wood! Throw some salt! Something! This can't be allowed to happen!), so I decided that my walk would take me to Whole Foods in order to get him some of my "hippie" stuff, as well as some healthy food to cook for supper.

I love taking walks in my neighborhood. Trying not to seem like a weird, nosy stalker person, I love to look at all the details of the houses I pass. They're each so unique, in style, in color, in upkeep. The courtyards are a wonderland of hidden possibilities. Almost every house has one. Some are on the side of the house, some you can see clearly through the tall iron fence. Some you can barely make out through the shrubbery, or not at all. I love to see pools. There isn't much room, so the pools have to be creative, and most of the time you'd never believe there was enough room for one. I saw two today, one that was about the size of the pools you can buy for $40 at Wal-Mart, except that it was below ground and tiled. Another was quite interesting- it ran beside the house, down it's length, and where the side door was, there was a bridge with steps going down the side, so that it was essentially a bridge down the side of the pool to the back patio. How unexpected! I also saw a few strays eating a pile of cat food on what must have been a little old lady's stoop, and a triple seated jogging stroller on a porch (you could see boxes of crayons staked in the front window). It's the little things that make otherwise boring activities enjoyable. One of these days someone is going to see me staring at their house as I slowly walk by and call the cops.

Once at Whole Foods, I picked up the goods to make some all-organic soft tacos, some elderberry extract to boost Dustin's immune system and some Ocillococcinum for his symptoms. And a blended latte. I carried it all home in my new reusable bag (why can I not remember to bring the ones I have???). The walk home was slightly less fun, lugging a huge bag of groceries and trying to sip my coffee, but I liked it. There are these trees here- I must find out what they are! They have big, soft flowers whose petals are white on one side and magenta on the other, and they have a strong, sweet scent almost like a magnolia. The tree and leaves look different from a magnolia tree, and I've never seen these beauties before living here. I passed several on my way home and just can't get enough of them. I have to plant one in our courtyard this Spring when we get back there and spruce it up.

I've been meaning to make walking in the mornings a firmly observed part of my day. The energy boost I got form my little excursion was amazing, and my interest has been renewed. Who knows what I'll find next time I leave my doorstep on foot. (And hey, next time, it might be a bit more interesting than pools and strollers! Ya just never know.)

Family Outings And Unique Finds

As I'm sure you've noticed, any given post written here is seldom about a single place or event. There'll be a few days- or a little longer- with nada, then suddenly five paragraphs detailing a trip all over town throughout the course of an entire day. That's just what we do, I guess. It comes from before we lived in Beaumont ( or "in town") and would save all of our outings for one long, busy, fun-filled day as a family. Every two weeks on payday, we'd do it all- lunch at our favorite chicken wing eatery, the same order in the same booth every other Thursday; then we'd go to the mall or run where ever we needed to go to pick things up; a quick trip to Spec's to refill the wine cooler and then off to the grocery store before heading back home to unload groceries and cook supper, usually followed by a rented movie. I know that sounds terribly routine and mundane, though there's something comforting about having that one regimented day per week to look forward to. I miss those much anticipated regular outings, but we're starting to get into a rhythm here. There's much more fun to choose from, and we're learning to incorporate it!

Now that I've given you a tiny glimpse into how we roll, let me share where we've rolled it (you know you love my dork-ness)! We started by heading down to the Quarter, since most of the tourists had left post-Mardi Gras. Greg's was having a The Tourists Are Gone, Let's Celebrate! sale, so we wanted to see what they had this month. We found a gorgeous antique armoire that we picked up for just a little over $200, as well as vintage milk glass cosmetics pots I'm going to turn into candles (at some point...). Being the most successful lagniappe [lan-yap] magnet I've ever seen, Shelby was given a tiny glass bottle and a pin that says "Shoney's is #1!" that she picked it out of the trinket box they usually have at the counter, for free. I swear, by the time that girl is 16, she'll have been given a free car and a full ride scholarship (let's hope that last one really does happen!). Along with an extremely heavy, three dimensional metal fleur de lis, little did I know that we were also making another purchase. There was a headless, handless statue of a Roman or Egyptian slave we had seen the last time we made a trip to Greg's. It was genuine marble, carved by an American sculptor in Italy back in the mid 1800's. It had been salvaged from actress Becky Allen's home after her death. I'd made several comments about how much I loved it, and to my great surprise, when I got back from Texas last week, it was standing in my living room! Dustin bought it for my birthday this coming Friday and had it delivered just hours after I left. And at 400+ pounds, I'm glad I wasn't here to watch those poor men deliver it. We're having some local sculpture aficionados from one of the auction houses do an informal appraisal, and things are actually getting quite interesting! Whether it's worth a fortune or barely what we paid for it, I love it just the same and love that Dustin surprised me with it.

After yet another rewarding trip to the antique store, we walked around Decatur a bit. We had coffee and their amazing flourless chocolate cake at Envie, then explored a few of the other kooky antique/thrift shops in that part of the Quarter. One such place had an interesting array of vintage military uniforms from all over the world, old Mardi Gras outfits, hats and a bunch of creepy, naked child-clown dolls.

Once we were done browsing, we got the car and drove to Dauphine where I wanted to buy some books for my grandparents. I'd been to Dauphine Books once last year before we moved. I love it. Over crowded with stacks of books everywhere and a lazy cat roaming around. When I told the woman what I was looking for (who actually remembered me from almost 10 months ago)- books about Uptown and the history of the area- she handed me an old aluminum flashlight and directed me to a thin, dark space between bookshelves to find my treasure. It sounds annoying to have to use a flashlight to find a book, but it added some excitement and adventure to the experience, and with the unique collection of books they have, it's why I'll keep going back. I decided on a small book with photos and histories of the iconic establishments in town, as well as a purple cookbook with about 50 or so New Orleans recipes that came to a little over $20.

Afterwards, I headed back to the car where the rest of the family waited patiently and we went to Samurai for sushi. It was great, as always, but be careful where you park. We didn't see any problem with parking near the House of Blues as there were several other cars. But when we came out, they were all gone, the HOB barricades had come out and we'd gotten our very first City of New Orleans parking ticket.

We drove around Uptown a while, just enjoying the scenery when our dear friend Frank, a paramedic with Dustin, called to say he'd be getting off work soon and would like to meet us at New York Pizza for a drink. En route, we got to see another common fixture in our community- a stumbling drunk. Stopped at a red light, we saw a man holding a beer can and walking his bike down the sidewalk, right next to the car. He paused, looked around, and then in slow motion half fell, half laid down on his bike. He just kind of held that pose for a minute, then started shaking his foot and talking to himself. I asked Dustin if we should call anyone, but there were already people taking notice (and cruel though it may seem to some, it's a fairly common occurrence) so we continued on our merry way. Frank was late, and he told us it was because he'd responded to the call about the drunk we'd seen. The man was unhurt, refused medical care and asked to be pointed in the direction of home. Having heard the joyous news of another bum left unscathed by their degenerate lifestyle, we had a few beers and some pizza to cap off a perfectly New Orleans day.

Gettin' Our Mardi Gras Groove On

As mentioned in the previous post, the celebrations leading up to Fat Tuesday completely consumed us. I'm glad that it's over, but boy! Was it ever fun! (Unless I needed to be somewhere or get somewhere, then it sucked.)

The traffic was so thick most days, you wished you had a chainsaw to cut it with, and it was just like that when my mom arrived. Because there was just no way we were going to find a parking space anywhere close to Uptown, we just took off driving (slowly). We ended up on Canal street, and since we wanted some authentic seafood, I used my phone to locate some local flavor. We chose Mandina's, a nice little family place there on Canal. They were crazy busy, but the wait wasn't really that long. We were seated in about 15 minutes and met our waiter- a tall, large man with a booming voice, which was good, since the merry-making of the diners was deafening (this was just a two days before the Super Bowl, remember). We ordered fried shrimp for Shelby, and shared the shrimp remoulade and the seafood platter. We took away two boxes of food. Seriously. They brought us a plate of freashly toasted, buttery Frenchbread and our Reisling to start, then we had our remoulade. It was so delicious. You have to try it. The seafood platter was overloaded with catfish, shrimp, a ton of oysters and a mountain of fries. Their tartar sauce is also very good. A fine dinner to get us ready for the festivites that were to follow the next day.

This was our first-ever Mardis Gras, and our first ever parade was the Krewe of Pontchartrain on St. Charles. With Mom in town, and I wanted to show her around our neighborhood, so we had lunch (and mucho margaritas!) at Nacho Mama's. We were able to park only a block away, and it worked out perfectly that we could stay parked there and walk down to St. Charles to view the parade. So, that's what we did.

We had the perfect spot under an ancient oak tree, the branches of which protruded out of the ground in such a way that we could sit on them as we ate our blue cotton candy- the first of what would be two bags, most of which Shelby inhaled all by herself- and drank our coffee from McDonald's across the street. There were Port-a-Potties in the parking lot where you would show your receipt to get to use them. So I bought my drink, came over, and was told that since I was wearing my Saint's jersey, I didn't need a receipt. But I was thirsty, so it worked out. They even had Purell on hand! Certainly not the worst Johnny on the spot experience I've had. We sat for a while enjoying our treat, watching the people walking around, the men hawking candy apples, fried peanuts and Spongbob hats, and laughed at the tiny boy across the way on the neutral ground that kept busting out with intense dance moves. Once the parade started, for the first time, the Mardi Gras spirit within me came alive. Determined not to beg for beads- I'm too cool for that, after all- I soon found myself yelling "Woo!" and reaching out, just like everyone else. For Shelby, of course. I wanted to get her some stuff. That's it. After my mom complained of not being able to catch anything, a doubloon hit her (not to hard) right in the face, and we all had a good laugh. Sometimes you get what you want! The floats were especially interesting, as each had a word puzzle accompanying it. After the parade, we collected all our booty, took a few pictures for the grandparents and started off. Shelby wanted to add some of her broken strands to the ones already hanging in the tree, and a seasoned passerby gave ger some advice (the trick is to wad the beads up in your hand) and helped her land a few. It's fun to drive by the tree now and know that our beads are up there. (Not really sure how the City feels about it, though...)

Because our day wasn't nearly done, we went to the Monkey Playroom and ran wild. Being a Saturday, it was much more crowded than I'm used to (or like) so I didn't play as much. If you have a small child, though, and are looking for a fun way to burn some calories, I definitely suggest this place. It's super slow on week days and you can get right in there and play like you're six again. It's so much fun you won't even notice you're getting some exercise until you heave over on the rope bridge because your body has suddenly reminded you that you are most certainly not six again. Before we left we watched some fairytale-themed floats go down Religious street to line up for their respective parade. That was one of the fun things about this festive time- you never knew where Mardi Gras-ness was going to just randomly pop up!

Afterwards, we drove to Sucre. After all the bead gathering and monkeying around, we needed refreshment, so Shelby and my mom had gelato, while I had a "chef's trio" pudding cup and one of their huge cups of coffee. The mango gelato Shelby got was soooo good. Just like fresh, frozen mangoes that had been mashed up and served with a tiny spoon. I really look forward to enjoying some this Summer. Mom's hazelnut was chocolaty and yummy, while my very grown-up pudding cup was heaven. Three layers of cream, one mocha, one chocolate and one vanilla, were divine. We all shared each other's sweets and, against all I stand for in good eats, were unable to finish and had to leave some behind. Next time, though, next time.

After all the food and fun, we headed back to the house, where mom and I played New Orleansopoly until the early hours. I'm not really sure exactly who really won, but I declared myself the winner at some point and we were both so beat no one argued. It's an awesome game, but just like regular Monopoly, it's oodles of fun until it's not fun anymore and you're tired of playing.

Mardi Gras Madness

Cool art at Envie

Mardi Gras has truly taken over both our beloved city and our lives. I am so terribly behind on updating the blog! There are several shiny new posts still swimming in my head, and (once the laundry is caught up around here) I'll get it all blogged out.

In the mean time, check out some of the photos from the last several days and enjoy the tease!

~Anna

The Only Math I Like

This math problem is a two-parter: What do you get at The Bulldog when you order a beer on Wednesday nights? To keep the glass it came in! And what do you get if you return 20 of those glasses? A free t-shirt and 1,000 good karma points for helping the ASPCA! That, my friends, is math I'm willing to study.

If you follow the official New In Nola Facebook page (as you very well should!) then you knew about our planned outing to The Bulldog on Magazine. A few folks actually showed up! Dustin and I got there first, and after a little while of hovering near the people who looked most likely to vacate a seat we were able to snag a couple right at the bar. Once the others arrived we had a gay old time, just sitting there drinking and talking. Paige, a fine member of our party, and I shared some southwest egg rolls that were fab-u-lous. They came with raspberry chipotle dip, which I love (especially over cream cheese and served with crackers). I was the designated driver that night, so after two beers I stuck to Coke (no free glasses- boo). Dustin took one for the team, though, and we ended up with 9 glasses when it was all said and done.

I like to repot to those of you readers that are of the female persuasion what the bathroom situation is like wherever I may roam. It's important to know whether the facilities are suitable for our delicate natures. And besides, who wants to unknowingly walk into a barn? I can gladly report that The Bulldog possesses the best ladies' room I have ever encountered in a bar atmosphere. It was clean, aesthetically pleasing and had some pretty cool stuff in it. They have a Dyson hand dryer that you lower your hands into and it shoots the water off with air. They also have a pull on the bottom of the door so you can open it with your foot rather than recontaminate your hands or waste a sheet of paper towel (like I did before I noticed it). Three thumbs up in the powder room department.

Once the party pared down to four of us and the little hand was on the 12, we decided it would be fun to find a tattoo parlour and a few of us (who are not me) get some fresh ink. But alas, we couldn't find any that were operating. It makes sense, though. Back in Texas, the bars close at 2 am and the tattoo shops close whenever. Here, the booze flows 24/7 and the ink stops early. While it put a bit of a damper on the high spirits of the evening, I can appreciate the thought behind it. So we all just went home and went to bed.

Now I have a shiny new set of drinking glasses, most with different variations of Bulldog logos and a very coveted pink fleur di lis, and a mission: I want to collect enough to get a free shirt (though if you had to buy 20 beers first, is it really free?). Once the trade is made they donate to the Humane Society, which I dig. I'm sure we'll be seen there again.

The Neighborly Things We Do

I've never lived in "attatched" housing before (other than two months of dorm living that first semester of college), so sharing a wall in our shotgun-style home is new, and a bit weird, to me. What makes me feel better about it is that the person on the other side of that wall is wicked cool.

After securing the sitter I walked three feet to Laura's door and visited with her, her man Curtis and their equally awesome friend Emily (Midwifery nuts unite!). Post introductions we had Curtis, playing the roll of Hoke to our collective Miss Daisy, drive us girls to Cooter Brown's for oysters, hot wings, broccoli bites, those chili fries I've heard so much about and Abita Mardi Gras. While the oysters here have a bit more shell in them than some, they're still delicious, and the rest wasn't shabby, either. Classic collegiate fare.

Once our glasses were dry we loaded up again and decided to stop by Ms. Mae's. As great as I'm sure a $1 drink offered in a dimly lit, seedy looking establishment sounds, resist. Stick with the stuff that comes in bottles that they open especially for you. Can't go wrong there. (I'm still shuddering over that thing floating in my plastic cup that looked like it might have once been a lime wedge...)

Emily had to get up early for wedding errands the next morning, so we dropped her off and went to Buddha Belly for the awesomely bad karaoke and ice cold PBR in a can. Nothing can beat listening to people who think they can sing belt it out, and watching people who know they can't sing but rock it out anyway, while sipping the official beer of rockabilly. Throw in a drunken, lengthy conversation with the surprising friendly biker-looking dude that's wearing a live snake as a necklace and I call that a successful night out! Laura and I have decided to go back after the Mardi Gras hub-bub is over and flex our golden pipes. After a little liquid inspiration, of course.

Fixant Une Envie De Sucre

Or, Fixing a Sugar Craving. I was going to go with Getting A Sugar Fix, it just wasn't as pretty in French. But no matter how you say it, there's one place you can definitely get it: Sucre, on Magazine Street.

After trying the new menu at Nacho Mama's on for size, we needed something sweet to calm our flaming tongues. I had passed by Sucre earlier in the week and wanted to give it a try. And they stay open late, which worked since it was almost nine. We parked across the street, and after ogling the antiques next door (totally marked on the need-to-visit list) we entered the glistening hall of sugar. This is no ordinary, neighborhood sweet shop. Along with good coffee and creamy gelato, they have cute little gourmet chocolates, macaroons of every hue and absolutely gorgeous confections, which I'm not even sure what you would call. Maybe art, because they were beautiful. Shelby had some chocolate gelato, Dustin had a pumpkin spice creation and I got a citrus mango concoction called Finesse. Each dessert was the perfect size, and not overly sweet. With Dustin's huge cup of coffee and all the fixings, they brought our selections plated beautifully on a large white plate with chocolate and strawberry drizzle. I got a picture but, um, it wasn't until we'd already jumped on the plate like starving cats. That stuff was good. Fluffy and tart and creamy. And Dustin's had the essence of pumpkin pie, but in a totally contemporary rendition. We also bought one of their small, shimmering king cakes to take home. Rather than the traditional purple, green and yellow sugar they are usually finished with, Sucre's are airbrushed with opalescent food color, then dusted with edible glitter. To finish the truly royal presentation, a tiny gold baby is included (Dustin was dismayed that they didn't pre-hide it, so he had me do it when he wasn't looking). While we truly did give moderation a try, once we got it home, the cake didn't last long.

My mom is coming into town this weekend! A perfect excuse to go out and discover some more good eats. We'll probably stop by Sucre as well, I suppose. In the interest of making sure my guest has a good time, you know. Oh, the things we do for family.

To The Zoo

I've said it once before, and I'm sure I'll say it many times to come, but the Audubon Pass = Awesome. It's so cool to be able to just wake up some random morning and go "Hmm. What shall I do today? I think I'll go to the zoo!" It also helps that the zoo is less than a mile from our house. With little planning and no special circumstances whatsoever, we took off to the Audubon Zoo.

Dustin and I had gone when we'd visited NOLA for two weeks last March. We had taken the streetcar from the French Quarter, but had underestimated the walk from the park entrance at St. Charles to the front gate of the zoo. I'm still not sure how far it is, but I am quite certain I was not wearing the appropriate footgear.

This go 'round, I was prepared, Nike's and all. The zoo was much less crowded this time (we had unwittingly gone during some sort of Fest or another before). I love the walk down the main promenade- the huge fountian with a bathing mother elephant and her offpsring, surrounded by spitting hippos. The urge to add a bottle of Palmolive is almost too much. We of course made the rounds: elephants, tigers, lions, bears, monkeys, etc. They finally opened the dinosaur exhibit, so we were very ecited to check it out. I'm afraid, though, that I had really talked Shelby into the idea that the dinosaurs were in fact alive, something that made her go from giddiness at the thought of seeing them to sheer panic once we made it through the door. Oops. After paying a couple of bucks for us all to get in, she spent most of the time in her daddy's arms, hands over her eyes, frequently squirming and screaming. The exhibit really was prety cool, though. The dinosaurs screech and move and blink and spit. It was built in a building that once housed birds, so the cages were fixed to look as though they were made for dinosaurs, some of which had gotten out (very Jurassic Park). There's an outside portion of the exhibit as well, complete with a mama triceratops and her baby. You can touch the dinosaurs (I assume, since the signs urge you to be gentle rather than keep your hands to yourself) and everytime we triedto touch the little one, it's mother would yell at us. Very neat stuff. We were also able to see the seal feeding, which was fun, but very crowded. It wouldn't have been as bad if the moms had heeded the stroller conduct guidlines and parked them in the designated area, rather than using them to take up space around them so no strangers would be within arm's reach (or, ya know, within viewing range of the show). We didn't wait around to finish the show, so we went on walking, and after seeing plenty of interesting animals, we made it to my favorite part: the Swamp. It's a recreated bayou, complete with old boat house, black bear, racoons, old rusty jalopy and alligators. Lots of 'em. They also have a little cafe, banquet room and porch elevated above the reptiles so you can eat a po-boy or dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets while watching the gators soak up some sun. After we had a little lunch, we continued our walk by the nutria (are we the only ones that call them nuture rats?) and the otters, and past the large aquariums filled with all manner of native animal, fish and crustacean (the gift shop where the baby alligators are was closed). I love this area, all of the tanks are decked out as though they were under a porch, inside a crawfish trap or some other place one might find the inhabitants locally. There's even a life-sized statue of the Swamp Monster lurching around a corner. The reast of the zoo- while beautiful and educational, is unremarkable. We fed the ducks and turtles, walked through the Amazon and madeour way back to the Haigen Daz stand. By this time they were closing, so we distracted Shelby as we skirted the carousel. Another day, dear. We ended our trip with a visit to the gift shop, where we bought a bouncey ball for Shelby and New Orleans-Opoly for us. It's pretty neat, and we've got a running game going right now (no matter what -Opoly it is, an afternoon just isn't enough).