Apologies.

I'm sorry that I haven't blogged for pretty much the entire month of March.  There has been a shit-ton of stuff going on (a lot of it not-so-good) and I've basically holed myself up in the house and haven't ventured out-and-about except for my regular errands.

The low-lights of March:

• A friend of mine passed away in a terrible car wreck - and it shocked me.  She was only a couple of years younger than I am and I've known her for quite a long time.  :0((
• Another friend lost her fight with cancer.  She had a very aggressive form of it, and despite all the therapies, the cancer "won".  It advanced very rapildy.
• My mother's asshole husband had a massive heart attack (despite being a dick, I don't want him dead) and there was quite a bit of drama in regards to that.  It was soul-sucking and depressing.
• I'm still in the dark about whether or not one of my family members is coming to visit.  She is allegedly coming to visit (she can fly stand-by) but, true to form, J. has been letting all her calls go to voicemail and texts have gone unanswered.  It's fucking frustrating.
• I'm still waiting for my background check to go through for a job that I've been offered.  Since I lived overseas for a few years, it's taking FOREVER to do.  Blergh.

The high-lights of March:

• I was offered a job.  
• I was offered a job.
• I was offered a job.
• My house is clean.

That has been what my month has consisted of.  But at least I'm motivated now and I plan to post more often.  Thank you for your patience.  :0))

x0x0

Lost - in my OWN neighborhood.

It's true.

I went out to take a walk (for exercise - because I'm dieting and I've reached a plateau and I need to increase my cardio crapola - like you needed to know all that, right??) and usually I just head to the ferry landing and then come back home...  the same boring route every time.

Well, I just kind of...  wandered and zigged and zagged and before I knew it, I was lost.  Pitiful, eh??  However, I did get some great pictures - and obviously, I found my way home (where I'm now writing this missive)...  and I walked three miles (according to the shitty pedometer I own - I'm always suspicious that it *really* isn't correct - nothing like a bit of paranoia to spice up the day).

So...

^^  Our local "grocery" - it's a funky old-fashioned store that sells a bit of this and a bit of that. 

^^  This is one of my favorite houses in the Point.  If it ever goes up for sale, I'd probably sell my weak soul to the highest bidder for it.  

^^  I stumbled across this gem...  didn't even know it was here.  Sadly, there are no fancy groceries to be found...  they're out of business.  Wonder if the other grocery put them out of business?? 

^^  Storefront of the closed Fancy Grocery. 

^^  Apparently these neighbors have had enough of people parking in front OR in their driveway.  The different color spray paints add that extra touch of "klass"...

^^  Algiers Point Courthouse.  This is where the husby and I procured our marriage license way back in 2002.  Room 201 on the second floor, to be precise.  :0)) 

^^  Gulf Pizza.  It is, indeed, an old Gulf gas station.  I personally haven't tried the pizza here yet (dastardly diet) - but I've heard mixed reviews.  One afternoon I'll hoof it on down and try a pie. 

^^  Unfortunately, they were closed for the afternoon when I was wandering by (which is probably a good thing, really.  The dastardly diet and all...) 

^^  Surprise, surprise!!  We don't just have a recording studio in the Point...  we also have a music store!!  The front of the building is purple - the sides??  Not painted.  Gives a new meaning to the term "storefront".  

So this concludes my adventures for today.  I didn't realize that it had been so long between posts (again) - so I'm going to make an attempt to upload the two tons of pictures that I've taken at the Aquarium of the Americas.  Look for it over the next day or two...

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Vibrant Vernacular.

New Orleans is a very funky city, with a broad range of people who have a ton of character.  Like most regions of the US, there is a very distinct dialect - one that can be a bit hard to understand at times.  Since it's taken me a little while to get used to the local lingo, I figured I'd throw in some words and phrases that are very unusual and unlikely to be heard anywhere else in our fair country.  And just because I'm super-geeky and love to do stuff like this, I'm going to throw in some little-known facts about our fine city.  Read on, Jeeves!!

^^  Our neighborhood Catholic Church

I know I didn't HAVE to put a picture in this post...  I just like to break up the monotony.  ;0))

Vocabulary.  Oh, and pronunciation.  Very important - as a local will be able to make you as a tourist as soon as you ask a question.  So... (and in no particular order):

Burgundy Street  (local lingo:  burr-GOON-dee) - located in the French Quarter.

Chartres Street  (local lingo:  charters - not pronounced anything like the French) - located in the French Quarter.

New Orleans  (local lingo:  gnaw-leenz) - this one was difficult for me to get used to - as the city of Orleans in France pronounce it Orr-LAY-ohn (with the last syllable a little dragged out in a nasal-y way) - which is a far cry from how locals say it here.  ;0))

Marigny  (local lingo:  mare-en-hee) - very funky neighborhood on the Eastbank.  Lots of artists and musicians tend to live there.

Po'Boy  (local lingo:  poh-boy) - what is also know in other areas of the country as a submarine sandwich, hoagie, grinder... you get the picture.  If you order a Po'Boy the person taking your order will ask if you want it fully dressed.  If you answer "yes", your sandwich will come with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and mayo.

Muffuletta  (local lingo:  muff-ahh-leh-tah) - a traditional New Orleans sandwich.  It's very large and typically four people can eat off of one (they cut the round bread into fourths) or you can buy them by the quarters.

Tasso  (local lingo:  tahh-soh) - a spicy smoked ham found in many dishes here.  It's delicious!!

Boudin  (local lingo:  boo-dween) - a spicy sausage made from unusual meats...  here you can find alligator, crawfish, and pork boudin.

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If you're going to get groceries, you're making groceries.  As in "I'm out of almost everything here...  tomorrow I'll be making groceries at the Casey Jones."

Those grassy strips that are sometimes seen between the left and right side of the road (in all the other states they are referred to as medians) are called neutral ground here.  This dates back to the days when the French and Spanish occupied Louisiana and the small area between the French and Spanish boundaries was referred to as such.  For some strange reason, the term has made it down through the generations and is still used today.

In the Garden District and Uptown areas of the city, there are wild parrots which actually live in the large live oaks and in the palm trees.  They are easy to spot and it's pretty cool to be able to look up and see one.  There are a LOT of different colored ones, too.  :0))  

Speaking of birds, there are wild roosters and chickens that live in some parks, public areas, and medians (aka the neutral ground).  They are oddly territorial.  We also have a lot of pigeons, ducks, and geese.  Alas, flamingos are only found at the Zoo.

Most (if not all) convenience stores, supermarkets, and discount stores will not just have wine and beer available, they'll also have a selection of liquors and mixers available.  You can purchase alcohol at any time of the day or night.  There are no blue laws here.

On that note, you can also have your alcoholic drinks to go.  Yes, you did read that correctly!!  There are even drive-through daiquiri stands so that you don't even get out of your car.  They do come sealed - drinking and driving laws are most certainly enforced, but you can be lazy and stay in your car to order.

Glass bottles are prohibited on the streets - so if you get your boozy drink to go while you're walking around, you'll have it in a plastic cup.  Beer cans are not prohibited, either.

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Sometime over the next couple of days, I'll be writing about the Aquarium of the Americas and over the weekend, I'll be posting some Insectarium adventures.  Stay tuned - same bat time (okay, so maybe not really - ha!) but definitely the same bat channel.  Cheers!!

x0x0

And they all asked for you... at the Audubon Zoo!

"The monkeys asked, the tigers asked, they all inquired about you..."

I seriously didn't think that I'd have this long of a hiatus (believe it or not, I actually thought that I'd have some time to blog while having company - but no.  I didn't.  I'm owning it, though).  So, over the next week, I'll be chasing my own tail and making an attempt to catch up.

So...  B. and I headed out to the Audubon Zoo on Thursday.  I wanted to go on a weekday - and go early - so that we could really enjoy our visit.  Chicken Little had reported that the sky was falling, but as far as I was concerned, it was just overcast and we decided to go anyhow.  I mean, isn't that what umbrellas are for???

Best.  Decision.  Ever.

We had the entire place to ourselves.  It didn't rain.  It didn't sprinkle.  The sky didn't fall.  Only a few tourists (and some with those huge fucking baby strollers - I simply do NOT understand why some people feel the need to have a baby buggy the size of damned Smart Car, but I digress) - some with children - some couples, and a handful of locals.  There were entire areas where there were no people at all, and since it was so quiet, most of the animals were out and about.  For those of you who do decide to visit our electric city, my suggestion is that you try and plan your big* attraction visits during the week (if your schedule permits it).  The weekends are totally cray-cray!!

Some shots from our visit:

^^  Entering the Zoo 

 ^^  Flamingos are the first to greet visitors!!

^^  It's Gene the Elephant (left) and his Lady friend...

 ^^  Another shot of Gene...  he salutes when his keeper asks him to!!

 ^^  Heading over to see the gorillas, chimps, and orangutans... just to name a few...

 ^^  One of the bigger giraffes...

^^  Mama giraffe and her little one...

^^  Aaarrggghhhhhh...  gator got my foot!!  (Total cheese shot)

We also decided to have lunch while we were there, and considering how expensive food can be at some of these attractions, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the prices were pretty decent.  We ate at the Zoofari Cafe, where I had a very fresh, well-prepared, good-sized "side" salad ($5.00), a grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich ($5.00), and a refillable drink ($2.00) for lunch.  Please note that the Cafe is the only "restaurant" on-site with healthier foods.  The other eateries had more of your typical kid food - nachos, pizza, chicken nuggets, and ice cream (there is one stand where you can get only Haagen-Daz ice cream and treats - we avoided that one).  Soft drink/Gatorade machines are also placed all over the park, but it's my suggestion that you bring your own water/drinks with you - as it was $3.00 for ONE 20-ounce drink.  There are also water fountains, so you can refill your water bottles while touring the zoo.

All-in-all, we spent about 5 hours there, had lunch, and saw all the attractions.  We got in right at 11:00 AM and left right as the zoo was closing (at 4:00 PM - so plan accordingly!!).  There is plenty of free parking - and if you're game AFTER your zoo excursion, you can leave your car in the parking lot and catch the bus (less than $1.00 per person) to tour the boutiques on Magazine Street.  

It was a great visit and I'd recommend this zoo to anyone who enjoys a real hands-on, close-encounter animal experience.  

x0x0

*Big attractions - to include the Zoo, Aquarium of the Americas, Insectarium, New Orleans Museum of Art, Swamp Tours, Plantation Tours, Voodoo Tours, Haunted New Orleans Tours, and Swamp Tours (just to name a few).  You are more than welcome to send questions to:  thepoint(dot)nola(at)googlemail(dot)com.  

A Small Hiatus.

Since one of my most favorite friends is coming to visit (she arrives on Tuesday night @ 8:00 PM), I probably won't be blogging again until Wednesday or Thursday.  Husby has the day off tomorrow, as it's a Federal Holiday, so we'll be heading across the river to the French Quarter.  We're going to be picking up a new piece of art (we have 110+ pieces and counting) from our favorite artist and after that??  Who knows??  ;0))

^^  Gallery Rinard

738 Royal Street

New Orleans, LA 70116

504.522.6536

Tuesday is going to be balls-to-the-walls hectic for me, as I'll be forced to have to clean (GAH!!  I absolutely LOATHE cleaning) and I'm sure that there will be something I missed OR forgot, so last-minute errands will also be necessary.  I'm just going to shut the iMac OFF entirely, so I don't procrastinate and fuck around all day (hahaha - yeah, right).

Anyhow, let me get to the point (long-winded I am - so thank you for sticking with me)...  I have a loose schedule of things to do while B. is visiting and I'll be blogging on each place and posting a ton of pictures.  And the list is:

• The New Orleans Museum of Art  (**Please note that NOMA is FREE to visit on Wednesdays!!)
• Audubon Aquarium of the Americas  (Free admission with membership along with discounted IMAX tickets)
• The French Market and Cafe Du Monde  (The famous Cafe du Monde is right across the street from the French Market)
• Jackson Square and The Saint Louis Cathedral  (The Cathedral is THE oldest in the United States, built in 1720)
• The Crescent City Brewhouse  (For beer and their wings - they have the best wings in the whole city!!)
• Magazine Street  (Shops, shops, and shopping!!) 
• K-Paul's Restaurant  (One of my most favorite restaurants in all the world!!)

That is our cray-cray list of things to do so far.  It's going to be a super-keen-awesome-happy visit!!

So, keep your peepers peeled for my pictures, updates, and snide comments!!! 

x0x0

Joyeux Anniversaire...

Our Choggie turns ten today!!!  As a special treat, she'll be getting 10 mini-meatballs (dog-friendly, of course) and I'll be taking her on an extra-long walk today.  She loves to prance around the neighborhood (we refer to it as bog-trotting, actually) and since it is trash day, she'll get all the exciting sniffs of bin trash!!  ;0))

^^ Our beloved Chai-Dog ("Choggie")

I'm trying to find some pictures of when she was little, but I think they're still on my wickedly old Dell laptop (2003 model Inspiron - and believe me, that fucker has run (slowly) for over ten years now) and I'm too lazy right now to even try and FIND where my old computer is at (probably in the husby's "man-cave" with his record player and old-ass stereo and his two VCRs) - so finding it without him here would be a feat in and of itself.

For those of you wondering what breed Chai-Dog is, she is an AKC registered Chesapeake Bay Retriever.  Of course, she's spoiled to the nth degree, so the only thing she actually "retrieves" would be treats, bones, food, toys, hugs, belly-rubs, and pets. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHOGGIE!!  

x0x0

Happy VD!!

We really don't do the Valentine's Day thingie here.  Usually, husby will pick me up something "cheeze-tastic" (heart-shaped box o' chocolates with a funny little stuffed toy) and a card.  And we don't typically go out (we don't want to fight the crowds) and we're just not romantically wired.  Our first VD together consisted of steak, shrimp, and lots of Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill (at his apartment).  Ooh-la-la!!  And husby picked the meal and cooked it.  This feast was presented on a card table that would shake like crazy every single time either one of us sawed off a piece of steak.

But it was magical.  And we laughed and got silly and listened to our favorite music and had great sex.

Okay.  So the sex thing was probably TMI.  Apologies.

And did I mention that I'm severely allergic to most flowers??  So the husby gets a pass on those, too.  :0))

I hope that all of you have a very fantastic VD - whether it's a hot night on the town, dinner at a fancy restaurant, pizza, wings and a movie, or eating Chinese delivery naked in bed...  make it YOURS.  And be sure to enjoy.

x0x0