Week in Review – February 22nd, 2026

“Lundi Gras King and Queen”

Monday, Lundi Gras, was a big day for our group. We had brunch at Commander’s Palace. We were seated in the same booth we had when celebrating Campbell and Molly’s engagement.

I loved my pulled pork benedict, paired with the three little soups appetizer (including turtle with sherry) and the bread pudding souffle with whisky sauce.

Other folks had eggs Sardou and tournedos of boeuf. Those who had eaten at Commander’s before commented that the food seemed even better than ever.

We made a quick trip upstairs to say hello to Fred and his family – standing reservation for two tables for eight people.

This was my request from the band roaming around the restaurant and taking requests:

Julie was presented with a toque to celebrate her birthday (not really but the original trip that didn’t work out was for her birthday.)

As we were readying to leave, Ti (one of the two owners) stopped us for an announcement – Marco and Julie had been chosen as the King and Queen of Lundi Gras. They were helped into their capes, masks and crowns before parading through the room. What a treat!

Marco really got into the parading through the room part:

What an amazing experience. It was so much fun to share our wonderful local establishment with new people.

After some regroup time we were able to enjoy a bit of some night parades. Orpheus always impresses with the illuminated floats.

Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) began early with the assembling of the “Buttercup walking krewe.” Several new members joined this year – Hugh, Sarah, Patrick, and of course our guests. We had a blast parading down St Charles Avenue to Canal street. I laughed as we stopped for Greg to do repairs -he travels with a full set of tools – battery powered screw driver, hot glue gun – who knew.

From Canal Street we paraded down to Harry’s Corner bar at Charters and Dumaine. Here’s most of the group there:

The French Quarter was quite a scene with all kinds of impromptu bands and groups parading around.

I hope that Julie’s question on arrival, “What is it that you really like about living here?”, was answered over the few days they stayed with us.

Marco and Julie made their way back to our home and caught an Uber for their flight home. Vince and Lori departed on Wednesday morning.

Wednesday and Thursday were very much catch up days – cleaning up and attending appointments that had been pushed out until after Mardi Gras (when we can easily exit the box and drive to them.)

Diana got energetic and had pickleball with Laurie early Friday. Then Kenny picked us up for lunch at the new Cuban restaurant on Freret Street, Cafe Conmigo.

We enjoyed the Cuban sandwiches, croquettes, pastries coffee and drinks.

Chandler, one of the folks operating the place, had recently visited San Sebastian for “research” on the new Basque restaurant he’s part of opening in mid-March. We got a couple of great recommendations for our trip.

We finally found some energy on Saturday morning and headed out for a run/walk in the park. The humidity was almost 100% and fortunately there was a slight wind and the temperature was mid 70s. Nothing compared to what’s to come but a bit of a shock to the system this early in the year. We ran into Kenny doing laps on his bike. He was looking forward to Kara’s return from Italy on Saturday evening.

After the park we stopped by Denny’s to return some things and do some final planning for our upcoming trip.

We invited Kenny and Kara to join us for music in the sculpture garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) on Sunday afternoon. The chilly weather meant the event was moved inside the museum.

Sir Chantz was quite entertaining – singing over multiple octaves, playing a great trumpet, dancing, tap dancing and performing double back flips – he did it all at a high level.

Here’s something from his larger band – they spend a lot of time touring in Germany:

Sir Chantz was followed by the Wes Anderson IV quartet. Such a wonderfully sweet and smooth trombone tone.

After music, Kara (just back from Turin and Milan on Saturday night) suggested a visit to The Bell. None of us had been and thought that sounded like a great idea. This is a gourmet British pub. I had heard Sir Paul McCartney visited when last in town – so should be good enough for us.

I was explaining what a Scotch egg was to Kenny when the waitress burst my bubble by telling me there were none left after the Sunday brunch rush. Ugh. However, the hush puppies, trout dip, and fish and chips that we shared were all excellent. The “turbo” gin and tonic also seemed to be much appreciated. As the driver, I decided any drink with a “turbo” rating probably wasn’t for me and stuck to my diet coke.

That may be one of the more action packed weeks in a while.

My first book (Mardi Gras recovery days involved a lot of quiet reading) this week was “Tilt” by Emma Pattee. I enjoyed this read very much, finishing in less than 24 hours. I didn’t find out until after reading that Pattee is an environmental writer, and that makes a lot of sense now. Here’s an online summary:

“Last night, you and I were safe. Last night, in another universe, your father and I stood fighting in the kitchen.

Annie is nine months pregnant and shopping for a crib at IKEA when a massive earthquake hits Portland, Oregon. With no way to reach her husband, no phone or money, and a city left in chaos, there’s nothing to do but walk.

Making her way across the wreckage of Portland, Annie experiences human desperation and kindness: strangers offering help, a riot at a grocery store, and an unlikely friendship with a young mother. As she walks, Annie reflects on her struggling marriage, her disappointing career, and her anxiety about having a baby. If she can just make it home, she’s determined to change her life.

“Shocking and full of heart” (Publishers Weekly, starred review), Tilt is a “moving adrenaline rush” (The New York Times Book Review) and “epic odyssey” (NPR) about the disappointments and desires we all carry, and what each of us will do for the people we love.”

Some passages that I highlighted:

From the first flashback chapter – 17 years prior. The pub trivia made me smile.

“We eat frozen pizza, change the Brita filter, spend hours on the couch looking at Instagram while watching Netflix, go play trivia at the neighborhood pub with another couple we don’t like that much but are too lazy to break up with. The sweetness of having a favorite bar, or a brunch spot, turns sour after six, seven years.”

From the 6 years ago flashback when Annie’s husband, Dom, has a dental emergency and no insurance. I love the statement, “The key to a happy life is wanting what you already have.”

““Mom, I’m not going to marry him for insurance.” “What did I hear once on the radio? The key to a happy life is wanting what you already have. That’s all I’m gonna say. That’s just a mother’s two cents.” I roll my eyes. I know that across the river, she’s sitting at her desk miming zipping her lips shut.”

A description of the status of Portland a few hours after the massive earthquake:

“Quiet murmurs around the truck bed: gas terminals in Linnton are spilling into the river, toxic smoke spreading east across the city. ATMs don’t work. The National Guard says they’ll shoot anyone who tries to cross the Tilikum. Free water bottles at the convention center. Russian gangs going door to door, looting homes. The president is refusing to send help because he hates socialists. The tunnel to 26 collapsed on top of all the cars. Zoo animals running free.”

I enjoyed the “fountain of magma” as Annie describes how hot she feels:

“The sun is electric, stretching itself magnanimously over the sky. Have I ever been this hot before? My shoulders are itching from the sunburn. I’m afraid to even look at them. The heat no longer feels like it’s coming from outside of me but instead is a fountain of magma swirling inside. I think I might burst, spill lavalike over the broken asphalt. The core of me feels hotter than my skin can contain. I squint to make everything less bright.”

Another great description – “two injured animals – the elephant swaying sideways and the penguin tipping forward”:

“We start walking down Sandy towards downtown. There’s an awkward rhythm to our gait, our bodies moving out of sync. I lean side to side with the weight of my belly, my bad elbow tucked against my body. Taylor lurches forward in little half steps, trying to keep her weight off her hurt foot. Two injured animals—the elephant swaying sideways and the penguin tripping forward.”

My second book was “Wreck” by Catherine Newman. I enjoyed the style, humour, and characters a lot and look forward to reading other Newman books. This reminded me a lot of Anne Tyler and a bit of Elizabeth Strout.

Here’s an online overview:

“If you loved Rocky and her family on vacation on Cape Cod, wait until you join them at home two years later. (And if this is your first meeting with this crew, get ready to laugh and cry—and relate.)
Rocky, still anxious, nostalgic, and funny, is living in Western Massachusetts with her husband Nick and their daughter Willa, who’s back home after college. Their son, Jamie, has taken a new job in New York, and Mort, Rocky’s widowed father, has moved in.
It all couldn’t be more ridiculously normal . . . until Rocky finds herself obsessed with a local accident that only tangentially affects them—and with a medical condition that, she hopes, won’t affect them at all.
With her signature wit and wisdom, Catherine Newman explores the hidden rules of family, the heavy weight of uncertainty, and the gnarly fact that people—no matter how much you love them—are not always exactly who you want them to be.”

This felt very close to home:

“I sit on the floor with my back against the wall and do all the word puzzles on my phone, send my results competitively to Nick, who texts me various celebratory icons—trophies and ribbons and jazz hands—as well as his own scores, an emoji of two wrestlers, and, when he craps out on the Connections, a GIF of Lucille Ball extravagantly crying.”

Richard Scarry has appeared several times in the last few weeks – after I hadn’t thought about him for decades:

“Probably I’m picturing Richard Scarry books: the dog conductor cheerfully collecting the tickets from the pig dad; a raccoon porter getting the pillows and blankets ready for the cat family; Cookie the pig chef flipping pancakes out the window into the dining car. A loyal collective of friendly animals working together to get everybody where they need to go.”

I love the visual of all these little things stored in an Altoids tin:

“But now he’s taken out his famous Altoids tin, and he digs around in the mints and hearing-aid batteries and prescription capsules and tablets. “Are you about to offer me half a Valium?” I say, and he shakes his head, presses his chin toward his sternum, and says simply, “Heartburn.””

A conversation that Diana and I have regularly:

““Can I just send them myself?” I ask, and she explains that they must be faxed by the referring office because of confidentiality. This is frustrating because a) Within this very calendar year they will inevitably be sending me an earnestly apologetic letter about how they leaked or sold my personal data, including but not limited to all my biographical information and account numbers as well as, like, my birth certificate and a photo of my vulva that they had on file. And b) Faxing? Really? That’s the most secure thing they’ve got? “

Something that I remark on regularly:

““But should I take Rebukofide if I’m allergic to Rebukofide?” I always ask Nick, right before the commercial tells you that no, you shouldn’t.”