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.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
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.
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.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
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.
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.
Friday, March 12, 2010
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.)
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.)
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
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.
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.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
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.
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.
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