BCS Weekend in New Orleans/LSU/Bama

Here we are, back in New Orleans. The first thing and the best thing about this trip is the temperatures and the lack of humidity. Perfect weather for a trip to the usually steamy port city of New Orleans. 

We got off I-10 at the newly renamed Mercedes Benz Super Dome and though some of the roads around it were cordoned off, we were able to circle around and get back to the French Quarters. Police officers are every where and judging by the age of some of them, this is a temporary gig.

This is a billion dollar revenue weekend for this city. The Saints are playing a home game today (Saturday) and the Superbowl of college games is on Monday. The city's big event is that college game on Monday. Hotels are booked, the crowds immense and hopefully it will be a peaceful event.

We are staying on the Causeway in Metairie but only about 6 miles from the heart of the French Quarter. Parking is free at the hotel which is a plus as we usually have to pay parking even at a hotel had we stayed right in the Quarters. From our tenth floor room, we have an unobstructed view of the city. To the right is the skyline of New Orleans with the Super Dome looking superimposed over the tall buildings that surround it. The huge bright blue blimp floats, it appears, within a few feet of those buildings. The side of the Direct TV blimp broadcast sports games as it quietly moves about.

Our usual place to park on Decatur is now converted to a stage for the All State Fan thing that will be going on this afternoon. Aaron Neville will be providing free music this afternoon and tomorrow another music event.

We had dinner at Crazy Johnnie's last night. One of the finest steakhouses in this town and the prices are modest, we always try to have a meal there when we are in town.

Towards the later part of our evening we walked down Decatur to Cafe Du Monde and had beignets and coffee and watched the tourists brush that powdered sugar that is liberally dusted on them, off their clothing. Hint: never wear a dark colored shirt if you plan on going for beignets.

A Renassiance fair was in full swing, men playing guitars, Joan of Arch wandering around with a fire engulfing her, men wearing long rough brown cloth priest's garb and Maid Marion's ever where. They had their horses tethered in on the walkway that separates the flood wall from the Mississippi and the backs of the buildings that front Decatur. A crowd was gathered to listen to the musicians and soon they mounted their steeds and rode down Decatur to the first street leading them deeper into the Quarters.

A street car passed filled with people dressed in full Mardi Gra costumes, huge headpieces, face masks and beads around their necks. Reveling and laughter swept by us as they passed on into the night.

We quietly walked by the man passed out on the park bench but I stood to the side for a bit to make sure he was breathing. As he flailed his arms in his sleep to ward off some unseen attacker, we moved on assured that he hadn't expired.

Mimes and panhandlers were sidestepped as we made our way back to the parking lot and found our ride back to the hotel. In a city with the highest murder rate in the nation, we count ourselves as having a good evening if we arrive safely back to where we started. We know to use care in this city. We've been here before and left intact.

I'm ready for some breakfast and more coffee. I should receive a phone call from the husband who was still asleep when I sneaked out of the room to avoid waking him with my noisy self moving about the room.

Have a great weekend everybody..and a safe one!

On The Mend If I Don't Die First

I'm feeling much better. It didn't inspire me to do much today but tomorrow? I'm  going to dress warmly as I've heard we are getting some cold weather, and I plan on cleaning my car.

A positive about bringing in the new year feeling crappy is that things can only improve as time moves along. I did get out of the house for a while. We strolled through Sam's Club and the whole time I was wishing I were back on my sofa. I spent a whopping 11 dollars on things I could have easily done without. I wasn't in the "want for anything" and I still tire easily and my head has it's own percussion instrument thumping softly in the background in time with my heart beat.

I have good company. Everyone I am around feels the same way. Should we decide to record our moans and groans, quite the orchestra we would make.

I'm going to drag myself through a hot shower. I'm told it will make me feel just "super"...I'm gonna give it a try.

I'm done for a while!

Day one, 2012

To say that I slept away the last days of 2011 would be a perfect description with no exaggeration. I've been up this morning for the past 4 hours and that has been a major improvement in my health status. Whatever is going around, this bug or virus or whatever it's being called has laid people low and it's not just for a day or three. Most of us have the cough left from it for months following. I thought I was doing alright. Struggling through it and coming out a winner until the stomach part of it hit two days ago. We all have something in common. Tired. Sleepy. We want to sleep the days away and that's what I have done for myself. I've watched Nostradamus from my bed. I've watched a lot of TV between the times I drift off and wake.

 Sometimes I go to sleep watching one thing and awake to the sight of a one ton man being lifted from his bed and transported to the hospital for care. I drift off a while and wake again to volcanoes in Italy and wonder what happened to the one ton man. I'm a collection of upended stories. Will I ever discover the endings to these stories or will I even care?

From this bedroom, I can hear the husband puttering around in the kitchen. It's Football Sunday and he is making snacks for the game. Hurry. Come on over. I'm sure there will be enough for everyone. He cooks as though he were cooking for a crowd of thirty. To all my football friends online, I wish you lived closer. The snacks are awesome and  plentiful and I'm looking forward to the buffalo wings, my favorite. I dont' like the original buffalo wings but the ones marinated in Caribbean Jerk sauce. My mouth waters just thinking about them. There will be egg rolls, stuffed celery, cheese slabs, whole sweet gherkins and crackers. You sure you can't make it? I have to go now. I can hear the sizzle and pop of hot grease. It must be getting close to time to enjoy those Caribbean Jerk wings.

2012, Day 1

I'm afraid our New Year's celebration found us both in bed watching TV at midnight. The husband offered to take me out to dinner but even that I wasn't up to.

That cold/flu bug that has been hanging around here has made any activity not worth the effort of crawling out of bed to get dressed. We ordered a pizza and maintained a low profile. This is not uncommon for us. We both shy away from the drunks that will be out on New Years' Eve here. At best on a normal weekend, the accidents here are scary so why test our luck by venturing out on this night?

I have to say, I'm feeling much better today. I'll even get dressed and since the ball game doesn't start till noon, we can go to The Cracker Barrel across town. Last night I would not go to Chili's which is only blocks from my house. I'm improving.

Did you make a New Year's resolution? I've given up finally. It's just an avenue to depression when in that first week following all the celebration, you have violated that resolution.

Since I haven't been out of this house for a week and haven't dressed in regular clothes for the past three days, I'm excited to be doing all these things today. By this time the party goers have surely found their way home. I should be safe. Just in case, we are takin the honkin big Dodge truck.

Happy New Year everybody!