“Mardi Gras Part 1 – Tim and Dee”
8am pickleball started out Diana’s week as has become customary. I really love the pre-alarms that go off prior to that. After that, we headed out to run some errands – return something (maybe a dress) to the UPS store, pay too much to get a duplicate car registration document since the Office of Motor Vehicles hasn’t been able to mail me one in almost a month, go back to the brake inspection garage to get the official tag (good for another two years), and pick up some groceries at the Rouse’s on Freret Street. A relatively productive outing.
After Rouse’s, we decided to walk across the street and have a coffee at Mojo. There was another set of three youth behind the counter. They were all engaged in a conversation about whether they had enough towels and completely ignored me for several minutes. I turned to walk out and one of the hipster youth finally agreed to take my order. The coffee at Mojo is very good once you get to order.
Temperatures were warmer on Monday afternoon and so we got some outside Mardi Gras prep done. I put up the Mardi Gras flag and we practiced erecting our new shade that will save our parade spot. So much easier and quicker than the old one we’ve been using.
Diana made a Mardi Gras flower at Laurie’s studio on Sunday – isn’t it pretty? She hung that after we took the shade down.
You can see it in the left hand window above the porch.
You can also see the latest silly blow up thing that Diana was very pleased with and entertained by. A highland cow ready for Mardi Gras – were do you get this stuff?
A little bit of work on the front door lock – it has been problematic these last few months – and it was time to head back inside.
“Take this Waltz” starring a very young Michele Williams and Seth Rogen was a movie that I enjoyed quite a bit on Monday evening.
Lunch after Tuesday pickleball clinic became difficult. We came up with three local places and none of them were open on Tuesdays. Monday used to be the common day to close, but many places are now catering to visitors staying for a long weekend and closing on Tuesday instead. We finally decided on Rum House – always easy and good. I walked over from Aidan Gill after my haircut and Diana met me on my walk. It was a nice day for the walk home.
In the evening, I dropped Diana at Nina’s new apartment. She took over some flowers and wine and I know Nina was pleased to show off her new place.
Wednesday morning yoga was followed by a drive over to Jefferson hospital for a Diana appointment, and then a stop at Rouse’s to get some last minute supplies for the Harvey visit. The typical run before yoga didn’t happen as it was raining pretty heavily.
Jefferson hospital medical complex was our destination in the afternoon for a McD appointment. We followed that with an equally exciting visit to Rouse’s for Mardi Gras visitor supplies.
Diana had pickleball clinic again on Thursday morning. This week was a tournament and she came in 3rd place with a medal to prove it.
I picked up Tim and Dee at the airport on Thursday afternoon and we enjoyed an early dinner at Tim’s favourite Juan’s Flying Burrito.
Tim and I set up our parade spot at Aunt Suzie’s and then treated ourselves to a frozen Irish coffee at the Red Dog Diner:
Tim thought the Red Dog head looked a lot like his beagle, Buddy.
Our next event on Friday was lunch at Commander’s Palace. We had a wonderful lunch and everyone loved their food and experience.
Deirdre had a chuckle at the poufy souffle being pierced to pour in the whiskey sauce.
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Here’s an after lunch picture in the lush courtyard:
The evening brought on the first Mardi Gras parades for our guests. Tim was raring to go:
I was amazed at how much he got into collecting loot (throws) from the floats.
Including some light up things from Cleopatra:
We had a great Lyft driver, Patricia, who handily got us “out of the box” and into the French Quarter on Saturday lunchtime. She dropped us at Jean Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop – the oldest operating bar in New Orleans.
We rambled down Bourbon Street from there and arrived at the Peychaud’s patio where we had a nice drink and shared a cheese and charcuterie plate. Dee enjoyed her Pimm’s cup:
I snapped this picture on Royal Street – a gig for Giancarlo?
We headed back home in time to see the afternoon parades and meet up with the horde that had gathered – Denny, Anne, Thom, Alex, Randy, Amy etc. I enjoyed the Trombone Shorty float and band.
Kenny and Kara brought some yummy muffulettas from Central Grocery which were quickly inhaled by the horde.
Our guests departed on Sunday morning and we made our leisurely way back around to the afternoon parades, which were running very slowly and very late. Diana always enjoys the rolling Elvii:
We retired a little early and kinda watched the Superbowl – neither one of us really invested with either team. I was supporting the Patriots until I saw the pre-game interview with their quarterback. Turned out he did not perform well at all and Seattle won easily.
That was a busy few days!
My book this week was “The Sense of an Ending” by Julian Barnes. I’m about half way finished – which I think is respectable given all the distractions. I am enjoying this one and hoping it picks up a bit in the second half. Here’s an online summary:
“BOOKER PRIZE WINNER • NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A novel that follows a middle-aged man as he contends with a past he never much thought about—until his closest childhood friends return with a vengeance: one of them from the grave, another maddeningly present.
A novel so compelling that it begs to be read in a single setting, The Sense of an Ending has the psychological and emotional depth and sophistication of Henry James at his best, and is a stunning achievement in Julian Barnes’s oeuvre.
Tony Webster thought he left his past behind as he built a life for himself, and his career has provided him with a secure retirement and an amicable relationship with his ex-wife and daughter, who now has a family of her own. But when he is presented with a mysterious legacy, he is forced to revise his estimation of his own nature and place in the world.”
The wonderful book “The Correspondent” inspired me to write my first letter in a while. Poor David’s Pub, south of downtown Dallas, is closing in a couple of months and I decided to write a letter to David Card, owner and operator for the last 45 years. I told him about my favourite performances at his club over the years and how much it had meant to me. And, as Virginia Evans says in her book, you are likely to get a reply. I received this note back from “Poor David, himself:”
I’ll leave you with this interesting song that I heard on the soundtrack to “Honey, Don’t”, a strange and somewhat depressing film.