Winter....Meh.

I've been reminded that I've been neglecting the ol' blog again and I'm actually a bit ashamed because it's not like I've been too busy to write. As a matter of fact, the most exciting thing I've done in the last month is watch the first two seasons of the tv show "Mad Men" on dvd. (The third is on it's way as we speak.) I guess that's not totally true....we did adopt a sweet little dog. He's a chihuahua, his name is Pancho, and considering all he's been through, I can't believe how quickly he has adapted to his new home. We've had dinner with my buddy Mike a couple of times, once at his new place and once at ours. (Mike makes a tomato cream sauce that is divine and I was craving it.) We also attended Offbeat Magazine's Best of the Beat Awards. For those of you who don't know, Offbeat is a (free) local magazine that spotlights New Orleans/Louisiana music and is an advocate for New Orleans musicians and the music industry here. It is really a shame to me that our city does not market our music more to promote tourism and show more support to our musicians, but that is another topic entirely....Anyhoo, I haven't attended the awards in years and it was a nice event over at Generations Hall. And it was also the only live music that I saw in the last month. Winter just gives me the blues and the cold makes me want to stay in the house. Hence, the "Mad Men" marathons. But everything is better in the springtime....and nothing beats spring in New Orleans, nothing! Spring means French Quarter Festival and Jazz Fest, lounging in the sun on a blanket by the river under incredible blue skies with an icy drink listening to awesome music, food everywhere, night blooming jasmine, music drifting out through people's open shutters on every street. There is just a certain, indefinable smell in the air. And I LOVE it!! The weather is warming up this week and I'm feverishly hoping it is here to stay. I want something new to signal the change in the air, maybe a new look, a haircut, something. Well, I'd like to lose about 50lbs, that would be a hell of an exciting change, but that might take a while and I would like my gratification to be pretty much instant. So, maybe a haircut it is. A sassy new look might just be the cure for what ails me. That and getting out of the house. Staying in the house makes me sluggish which makes me want to stay in the house. But with it being Carnival Season it will be easy to remedy that problem. I have lots of choices over the next few days, even have some plans on the books, and I'm delighted. Time to lose the winter FUNK!  How much better it would be if more of my out of town people would come down and experience the city! The invitation is open y'all and you would have an experienced tour guide! Come on, you know you wanna.

Mixed Bag

Since I haven't written, this post is a summary of the last two weeks of activity.....

Going back to my last post...had a great time meeting up with Dr. Sullivan and his students. Went to Sidney's Saloon (Kermit's place) and waited around for about 2 hours for the Rebirth to show up and then they only played for about 25 minutes. Not sure what happened there but it was all good, they at least had a DJ.

January 6th - Twelfth Night - the kick off of Carnival Season in New Orleans, King Cake and all that stuff. In past years I've kind of shunned Mardi Gras (I've only ever dressed up once) because, unfortunately, many people only come to Mardi Gras to see boobs, get drunk, and throw up or pee in the French Quarter. Just not a pleasant scene if you live here. But after watching the show Treme's representation of locals' Mardi Gras it made me want to give it another shot. I do have a costume in mind and I will be masking Mardi Gras this year. Anyone want to join me?

On Saturday 1/8 we had Jack and the students over to our place for red beans, drinks, and King Cake. Got to interact with them more than in the bar and they were a nice group of people who seemed to be enthusiastic about New Orleans. Had a great time! Unfortunately, the Saints lost in the first round of the playoffs that afternoon to the losing Seattle Seahawks. Oh well, life goes on.

The next day...the dogs of the land rejoiced when Mike Vick and the Eagles were knocked out by Green Bay.

Friday 1/14.....Found out this afternoon that someone I've known since childhood passed away. The slap in the face of mortality when someone around your age dies is very hard to shake. Through the "magic" of the internet we've all reconnected through facebook, and the sorrow felt by her family and friends is very real and penetrating. But the love is felt also. Makes you realize that everyone should treat each other well because life is very short.

This past weekend found me enjoying stress-free playoff football. And we even made it out for a bit on Saturday night. Hit the Hermes Bar at Antoine's for Paul Sanchez and Debbie Davis - loved them and the bar! Then moved on to the Bombay Club for the Leroy Jones Quartet. Always love Leroy and had the BEST chocolate martini, but the space is kind of dark and really pricey. A nice evening though and we went to two places that we'd never been before, which is always a good thing.

Overall I feel like I've made improvement about getting out and trying to make the most of  life. And so far I have some exciting things in the hopper for this year. I'm looking forward to it all!!

Oh, and I can't sign off before mentioning that a co-worker brought cupcakes from Sucre' in to work yesterday.......flippin' FABULOUS! Not only did they taste heavenly, they were gorgeous! Bravo!

Where It All Began

My first trip to New Orleans was back in 1996 with a college professor. And no, it wasn't as lurid as that sounds. As I was finishing up my accounting degree at Rider I saw an American Studies course that looked to be right up my alley (and would complete an elective requirement). The class was "The New South in Literature, Music, and Film" and the professor was Dr. Jack Sullivan. It was my first exposure to Tennessee Williams's "A Streetcar Named Desire". Though the class was an abbreviated summer class, Jack and I formed a bond and became friends. He even tried to persuade me to change my major to American Studies. As attractive as that was, my degree was only a short distance away and the thought of starting over (again) was overwhelming. I took another of his classes and at the end I received my degree. That was also when Jack told me about New Orleans. He said that he brings a class to NOLA every year because he considers it the most unique American city, perfect for American Studies credits. He told me he thought I would love it and encouraged me to accompany them. I did, and the rest is history. I couldn't have had a better guide. We saw The Nightcrawlers at Donna's, Kermit (with BBQ on his pick up) at Vaughn's, Leroy Jones at Preservation Hall. Some of whom I am fortunate enough to consider friends to this day. We ate memorable meals (most memorable was at Emeril's NOLA where I ate myself sick) and saw beautiful sights. By the end of that first trip I knew New Orleans would be my home some day. And now it is. I'm writing this because Jack and his class of 20 students are arriving this afternoon and I'm excited. Over the years I haven't always been able to meet up with them for various reasons but I always love the idea of people being exposed to my adopted city for the first time. I love seeing and hearing their reactions to it, and always wonder if one of them will feel the pull that I felt. And it was a pull, when I went home after that first trip I was constanly wondering what was going on down here. That wonder never went away. I also credit that first trip with motivating me to get out of an awful, stagnant, four year relationship. Life's  possibilities were endless to me after spending time in this city. I always hope that another student will feel this. I'll be meeting up with them this evening and heading over to Kermit's bar (Sidney's) to see the Rebirth (Brass Band). Maybe I can make them see just a bit of what I see.

Loose Ends

I was on vacation and it has come to a close....it didn't go as I envisioned, but nothing ever does. All in all, I'm glad I got to see my mom and it was nice to have the time off but it's time to get back to work. And not just in the conventional "job" sense...I really need to work on myself. I find that lately, more times than not, I'm not happy. I need to remedy this, but, the question remains, how? How do I tie up all the loose ends that are bothering me and get myself on the path to happiness? I guess that deep down I know the answer to this but don't want to face it because the answer is...change. It's much easier to accept the rut that your life has become and continue in that way because it's routine, but, for me, easier isn't better because it has led me to become sedentary, fat, unhealthy, lazy, sluggish, and, drum role please.....miserable. It's funny, because basically all I want is to live a full, active, fun, life. You would think that it would be simple to do, especially in New Orleans, but it seems to elude me. I have to actively change some things in order to make this happen. The first thing will be that I will no longer allow another person to dictate my happiness. It is my own and my responsibility. Anyone who is in a relationship can relate to this, and they also know that no matter what you do, you cannot make another person change. You can only control your own actions, reactions, thoughts, attitude, etc.. So, that's my new "job", to work on me and how I react to others and my environment. And if I remain unhappy, I must move on and try something new because the old just isn't going to work. It's been done to death. I'm going to start filling my time doing the things that I love...writing more, listening to music, reading, learning. And I'd LOVE to be able to say I make a living doing something I love. We went to a show at the House of Blues on Christmas night, it was Trombone Shorty with a chick named Mia Borders opening. Sometimes the opening act gets ignored as people filter in just in time for the main event but, I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by this one. As I watched this cute, tiny, girl up on the stage singing with her guitar I could only think that she looked like she was having a blast! And why, oh why didn't I ever pursue my dream of being a rock star?? Another lesson for all of us, never give up on what you want because it seems unrealistic. Your life is what you make it and little miracles happen every day. I know that I can't just accept the dull routine. Shake things up. Work at it. Change.....embrace it.

Holiday Cheer

I am optimistic about this Holiday Season. Funny, since I haven't had a Christmas tree in 12 years. The tree just seemed like so much of an effort when no one else was going to see it, so I just said forget it. This year my mom and her best friend will be visiting for Christmas and we are in a new place, maybe that's what's putting me in the holiday spirit. I'm planning on making cookies and Christmas dinner, hanging lights and buying gifts. I've pulled out my Christmas cds and ordered my favorite Christmas movies from Amazon (which I plan to watch while eating the aforementiond cookies and drinking hot chocolate). I also made a Christmas Eve dinner reservation at the swanky Rib Room for all of us. And I have to say....I'm excited about all of it. I absolutely love buying gifts for people and I've always loved the holiday atmosphere but the holidays are not any fun when you are feeling lonely and I think that's what turned me off of the them. When I moved to New Orleans 8 years ago, I moved away from my family and long-time friends. It's definitely hard to make new lasting friendships when you are in your 30s and, I have to say, with one or two exceptions, I have not made friends here that measure up to my life-long friends. This is surely my fault, as I have a tendency to be a bit of a loner. I'd love to be more comfortable with myself socially, but as you get older you get more comfortable in your "ways". Other times, it's just that I'm too lazy to make the effort to be social. Which is a shame because life is meant to be lived and I happen to be fortunate enough to live in one of the most vibrant, exuberant cities ever. A city where age is just a number and EVERYONE is welcome to join the party. So, this season I will make an effort to shake off my normal holiday funk and raise a glass (or two) to participating in the party that is life in NOLA.

Healthy Fascination

I am truly fascinated by people who choose fruit over a piece of cake for dessert. I sit in the cafeteria at my place of employment and watch this occur over and over again and can only gaze in wonderment before taking my next bite of cake. One time as I entered the cafeteria there was a large group of people jostling each other to get to the refrigerated dessert case, I thought, "There must be something especially scrumptious in there!" When the crowd dissipated I found an empty tray that once contained.......watermelon. Again, fascinating. How do I become one of these people? And not only when it comes to dessert. I long to make better food choices all around. And, while I hold enough knowledge about food, exercise, and weight loss to be a nutritionist, I continue to make choices that I know are harmful to me. Why is this? If I have a choice between pasta with marinara or pasta with a cream sauce, you can guess what I would pick. Same goes for the choice between grilled chicken breast or a nicely marbled grilled rib eye. No contest. Why am I like this and other people are not? Is it a matter of discipline? Genetics? Whatever it is, I'd like to remedy the situation because my diet (not to mention my lack of exercise) is killing me slowly. The solution seems so simple.....just make better choices....eat less, move more....but somehow it isn't. Or maybe it is, and I'm just weak. I'm not sure. But I can't let it consume me. I'll take each day that is handed to me and make the most of it, perfect or not, and maybe, as I go along, I will genuinely want that piece of watermelon instead of a mediocre piece of cake.

A New Orleans Scene (From Some Time Ago)

It was dark when we turned on to the street listed in the "apartment for rent" ad. My roommate Mike and I had been pondering a move closer to the French Quarter and, while we looked for the address, noticed how quiet the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood seemed. A rarity in New Orleans. As we approached the place, the stillness was disrupted by a door banging open across the street, followed by voices. We turned to see three figures emerge from the lighted doorway....first, an average looking guy; second, a woman in a lavendar bathrobe and head wrap; and the third was what looked to be a goat. Their conversation stopped when they saw us and they shouted a cheerful greeting our way. We crossed the road to meet them and, upon closer inspection, realized that the person in the bathrobe was not a woman but an aging drag queen. We talked about the apartment and neighborhood while the animal quietly milled around, sniffing at us and the ground. Mike finally asked, "Is that a goat?" The answer that came was, "She's my special dog." It turns out that the drag queen had been employed by the racetrack, where they use goats to calm the horses. For some reason, they were going to have this goat "put down" so, after work, she snuck the goat to her car and brought her home. The neighborhood is not zoned for goats, of course, so she is known as a "special" dog. We continued our conversation while making friends with the "special" dog, but it was getting late so we thanked them for their help and made our way home.

We ended up not moving at that time, but how can you not love a city where there's always the possibility of having an animal loving drag queen with a goat for neighbors?