“Paradise Point”
Diana went for a run with Laurie on Monday morning. I finished my reading and decided to get breakfast across the street at Chicory House. They have a new menu and it sounded very good. I gave it my best shot, but after waiting in line for five minutes with those entitled McGehee girls running back and forth, I couldn’t take it any more. It’s like Diana says – “You have to time around the drop-off Moms and the annoying kids.” Giving up, I had a snack at Ruby Slipper – the waitress forgot my drink and ketchup (two separate requests at two separate times) and so I gave her a good tip – something has to right this day.
Next stop was French Truck coffee – they have never been a problem, and true to form, they had my delicious macchiato out promptly in a “for here” cup. Things are turning around.
I rambled my way down Magazine Street to Breaux Mart (local grocery store), where I picked up a new puzzle for McD and some other supplies. The walk back with my purchases was a workout, but good for me.
Diana enjoyed her new “Blind Date with a Puzzle.” I repurposed the wrapping from the last one and updated the clues:
Diana did not guess the subject of the puzzle yet. Can you?
Here it is:
Yes – the streetcar that runs a few hundred feet from our house and can be heard from our bedroom in the middle of the night.
Around 3pm, we walked down to Bistro Aquila and split a burger and tater tots. We had the choice of salad or fries, and one of us decided we needed tater tots. “But their tots are so good.”
Monday was John Boutte’s birthday (of performance the night before at NOMA) and WWOZ was playing a montage of his songs (with him texting in suggestions – that’s when you know you live in a small town with a close knit musical community.) I loved this collaboration with Jon Scofield:
Here’s another one from that wonderful album:
I know, sometimes the music and book parts spill over into the weekly update part. Such is this blog.
On Tuesday we picked up Anne for a drive down to her condo in Navarre (Florida panhandle close to Fort Walton.) We had dinner at the restaurant on the pier. My drink was served in a fancy glass, while the girls got their wine in plastic cups. On inquiry, I learned that “we have 4 of those fancy glasses for Old Fashioneds and the like”, not for wine. Anne was considering donating some condo glasses.
The girls were very productive on Wednesday morning – boxing up an entire service of china to be passed down. They earned some beach time in the afternoon. The place was deserted – great weather, no wind and chilly water. Perfect!
And later it got very calm and pretty:
Anne and McD made their way to Fort Walton Beach to meet up with Anne’s long time friends Tammy, Susie, and Beth for a pizza dinner:
I decided to enjoy a quiet night alone.
Thursday was similar, Diana and I went for a longish walk and then Diana helped Anne to pack up some glasses and such. Then we relaxed out back on “Paradise Point”:
Anne’s Mum and Dad have plaques on a bench by the point:
We made our way home on Friday afternoon, stopping in Mobile, Alabama for lunch. The girls chose “Noble South” as our stop. It had just earned a “Bib Gourmand” rating from the first ever Michelin review of the South and did very well from the “K Review.”
The food and service were very good. Diana’s grain bowl was a stand out.
Diana was a trooper on Friday night, going out with the enlarged Krewe to see Hayes Carll at Tipitinas – I knew I would be too tired and stayed in.
This was the opener “A Drunken Poet’s Dream:”
And here’s the great pianist:
Diana bumbled home shortly after midnight to tell me about 45 Chop, a bar down from Tipitinas that I’ve been to a few times, but not in years. Funnily, Debra and the 300 Dolly Parton marching ladies showed up on Saturday and reported that their afternoon started at 45 Chop – a place Diana hadn’t hear of before last night.
Saturday was free outside music day. Laurel Street porch concert followed by the Kingpin. Pedro, Martin and Oscar were together again at Laurel Street. We had previously seen them at the NOMA last Sunday. Here they shared all that positive and youthful energy again:
World class jazz musicians performing on a porch for free. Only in New Orleans, in my opinion. We saw the three of them perform some of the same music a week ago. It was just as good the second time.
After that, we dropped by Martin (local wine store) to pick up supplies to make Spaghetts for the boys at Denny’s later (MIller High Life, Aperol and lemon juice.) And then on to the Iguanas at the Kingpin with all the Dolly Partons and Debra. I finally met Diana’s running friend Laurie at the Kingpin. Her husband, Michael, filled in for me at trivia on Tuesday and the team won first place – so you can imagine the chatter about that.
Denny and Anne invited a bunch of us over to watch the Alabama and LSU college football game on Saturday evening. This was a very fun night with good friends. Greg brought an amazing pork loin, stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon – that and a smoky spaghetti squash side.
My book this week was “The Librarians” by Sherry Thomas.
“”This delicious murder mystery is a must-read for any library lover!”—New York Times bestselling author Shelby Van Pelt
Murder disrupts four quirky librarians’ lives when they try to hide among books to keep their secrets.
A LIBRARY READS PICK!
Sometimes a workplace isn’t just a workplace but a place of safety, understanding, and acceptance. And sometimes murder threatens the sanctity of that beloved refuge….
In the leafy suburbs of Austin, Texas, a small branch library welcomes the public every day of the week. But the patrons who love the helpful, unobtrusive staff and leave rave reviews on Yelp don’t always realize that their librarians are human, too.
Hazel flees halfway across the world for what she hopes will be a new beginning. Jonathan, a six-foot-four former college football player, has never fit in anywhere else. Astrid tries to forget her heartbreak by immersing herself in work, but the man who ghosted her six months ago is back, promising trouble. And Sophie, who has the most to lose, maintains a careful and respectful distance from her coworkers, but soon that won’t be enough anymore.
When two patrons turn up dead after the library’s inaugural murder mystery–themed game night, the librarians’ quiet routines come crashing down. Something sinister has stirred, something that threatens every single one of them. And the only way the librarians can save the library—and themselves—is to let go of their secrets, trust one another, and band together….
All in a day’s work.”
I’m about half way through and am enjoying this book quite a bit. I put it on Diana’s list – she loves to try and solve the mystery.
I am a huge Rick Wakeman fan – all the over the top stagings and bankrupting performances notwithstanding. Here’s a recent performance of the magnificent “The Six Wives of Henry VIII:”
I lost the recent performance clip and so gave you the old vinyl version.
Coexist peacefully, with kindness and patience for all.