Throw me somethin', mista!

1. Weekend before last, ATM & I hosted Alannah & her 16 y.o. daughter Stella. Alannah is one of my favorite people.  It goes w/o saying, but I will anyway: she is easy going, intelligent, kind & fun.  She's managed to single-handedly raise a polite, smart, stylish teen.  Stella was completely engaged with us and didn't spend any more time on her phone than her mum & I did.  I had big fun!  We went to the races in Hot Springs, a first time for Stella.  I very much love hosting company, but especially these two.

2.  Freshly painted bedroom walls.  Pink!

3.  Speaking of pink, I've been spending a great deal of time in our little pink bathroom.   The LUSH product line keeps me busy (and squeaky clean) with their bath bombs, toothy tabs & scents.  Nothing like a warm bath during this so-called "winter".  Even better with natural and (mostly) vegan products.

Look at my darling elder cat! 15 y.o. this July.

4.  Nile Rodgers + Daft Punk

5.  this isn't happiness


6.  Planned Parenthood 


7.  ATM.  No matter what I bring to the table, he never flinches.  If I need someone to reel me back in, he's pretty reliable.  He takes me anywhere I want to go.  A great guy.  I'm a lucky gal.

8.  As I write this, I yearn to be in New Orleans.  We had a most splendid time there this past weekend.  I love Jen + Paul, our hosts.  True sweethearts.  We arrived at their cute home in Bayou St. John, Mid-City to be treated to some of the best damn gumbo I've ever had.  Look at that color!  A proper roux.

We ate gumbo, drank beers, and got geared up to go see the Endymion parade.  The weather conditions were miserable (cold rain) and we weren't even sure that they would roll, but we trekked anyway.  Despite everything, I couldn't stop smiling.  We were definitely rewarded for going out in those dreadful conditions.  Endymion, my first Mardi Gras parade, did not disappoint.


ATM, Jen + Paul:

Me with the horse head mask!  Photo by ATM:

After getting thoroughly soaked and weighed down by beads, we started walking back towards J/P's place.  We made a stop at Parkway Bakery & Tavern for the best poor boys & fries with gravy ever ever.  Ever.  We did not eat a single raw oyster on this trip.  As disappointing as that sounds, we made up for it with these.  That's some kind of power.  It even made having wet feet o.k.  Do you understand now?  These are the poor boys and fries you've been looking for.



 


Walking home.  "If Ever I Cease To Love"



The morning after at the long house.  Left side.



Bart, the little porch puma.  A prince.






The stoop on which one gets stoopid:



Around the corner:



Grocery shop a few blocks away:



Honestly, we weren't fully recovered from the previous evening when we caught a cab to go catch beads @ the Bacchus parade.  The cabbie got us as close as he could before he gave us some walking directions and a loving "good luck" and "be safe".  When we arrived, a parade was passing through but, it wasn't Bacchus, it was Thoth, which was a pleasant surprise.  After catching the tail-end of Thoth (and a few beads), we did some waiting waiting waiting.  People had been lining the streets since 9 a.m.















Catch & release:



After waiting for an eternity and accidentally seeing Will Ferrell as King of Bacchus (we figured he'd be at the back of the line), we decided to blow off the parade and go to the WWII Museum's restaurant called the American Sector for a hot dog, a milkshake, and a sit down. All of the walking (Mardi Gras makes travel by car very difficult) and waiting made us all very tired.









It wasn't a late night as we had to get up earlyish the next morning to make our way home.  I did not see not one tit!  How about that? Before we left town, we popped into Cemetery #3, since it was so close to J/P's house.



Gris gris?












Took a few shots of the bayou:









Go here:



En route home:



I want to travel to other places this year, but New Orleans presents a problem.  The pull is very strong.  I'd go there just to have a meal.  Much love to Jen + Paul for havin' us on such short notice!

Next day @ work: