Let's back this thing up a little

A couple things of interest have happened in the last few weeks. First, there was a Running of the Bulls (of sorts) here in town. It's where the Women's roller derby members dress up as bulls and skate after runners with wiffle ball bats. I didn't hear about this until after it happened, darn it, but here's a link with the info and pics on there. It started last year and looks to be a pretty big event already. http://nolabulls.com/

Then there was the Tales of the Cocktail event here in town which was the reason my friend Gus was here. http://www.talesofthecocktail.com/2008/index.php I finally made it to the Vieux Carre (French Quarter) at night, most of the events started at the Hotel Monteleone and we met at the Carousel Bar in said hotel. The Museum of the Cocktail is now open in town so check it out.

As part of that event I went on a Cocktail Tour of New Orleans which was pretty interesting, although not very efficient. Once we got to each bar there was only one bartender for about 40 people so she had to make our drinks AND our change since the drinks weren't included(!). I liked the Bayou Bash at the Court of Two Sisters; it might sound icky, but it was pretty good; Southern Comfort, a mixture of fresh juices with a pink/purplish hue, topped off with red wine. It was like a wacky-sangria but very drinkable. The tour guide took us to one bar that serves many different kinds of Absinthe, including the French kind that is illegal in most areas. The bar was too small to accommodate us, and I can't really stand the taste of black licorice, but it was interesting to find that out. That evening is when I went to Blake's birthday party that was held at Ernie K-Doe's who was a local RnB legend until he died in 2001. Here's an ad for Boots makeup in England that uses one of his songs, "Here comes the girls". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgduIknGejU His widow still runs his 'Mother-in-Law' lounge, complete with his likeness that greets you in the first room. I brought Mr. Shaw to the party and he had a blast; he's the older gentleman with 3 dogs who lived across the street from where I was staying the first two months I was here.

Dealing with Dial-up

I decided I really like this photo - so I wanted you to see it larger.

I'm in my new place...first night spent here was Saturday night. I just got my DSL/wireless equipment but I'm too lazy right now to install it so I'm still on dial-up. I had to call Earthlink help to reconfigure my computer; it had been so long since I've depended on a little copper wire. It was a nice weekend, saw Gus a few times, went to Ernie K-Doe's for a New Orleans Experience Saturday night with a brass band et al., and saw the AWEsome photo to the right on the wall there. More later...have to do about an hour's worth of work before I go to sleep if I'm going to have any chance of catching up on what I need to in short order.

Pan-tee Gravy

My first site walk was today at my new job. I forgot to mention that I was told towards the end of my first day last week that I would not actually be working on the public works side of things, but on the vertical reconstruction. That is truly where I wanted to be and that's where they have the biggest need right now, so there I is. I inherited parks and recreation sites, which are really under the gun (along with everything else I suppose...) to get up and running again or repaired if they're still limping along. We walked a public golf course which was back running in a few months after being under 4 feet of water for 10 days. They still have to water the greens with fire hoses out of the lagoon. Man - the dedication I've seen so far just makes your eyes water. It truly does. The national guard used the clubhouse as a staging area after the storm and the golf super told me lots of stories about being stuck here with MREs and a hot tub full of water they used for drinking until it was almost gone. People truly want to talk here. They want to tell you stories...they want you to listen. I'm taking it all in.

Oh - PLUS I saw my very own Nutria today! They are a LARGE water rodent that was imported from South America for their fur and they have taken over the place, mostly in swampy areas. Actually, quite a few of them were hanging out on the golf course but they moved too fast to get a photo. The bounty on them is up to 5 bucks a pop from the state.

I got home close to 7:30 so no energy to finish moving today, most likely it will be this weekend. I KNEW I shouldn't have gone on that tubing trip - damn thing kept me in the house all day Sunday so as not to expose any of my skin to the blistering sun. I had to be in the heat this afternoon though, boy, and will again tomorrow when I'm at another golf course site visit.

Phew. Damn it's hot.

I had my first experience with panty gravy today...you can probably guess what that is...when you're sweating so much your underwear starts dripping? Said phrase is courtesy of my friend William...one of the funniest things I've heard. Quote him, my friends, but give credit where it's due!

Maple Leaf afro-pop

This was a full weekend...started it off Friday night at the Maple Leaf going to see an African musician/dancer that's relocating here. Can't remember his name right now, he's from the Ivory Coast. I ended up chatting with a young guy who is a couple of years out of the Peace Corps/Mozambique.; I didn't realize they spoke Portugese in Mozambique. Then one of the djembe players asked me for a cig after sound check and I asked him if he was from the Ivory Coast and he says, No, Congo. Well I say Congo-Brazzaville or Congo-Kinshasha? and he says Congo-Brazzaville! Can you freakin' believe it? Well, maybe you can but he was properly surprised when I told him I'd lived in his country for almost a year. They played a rockin' set but my lightweight self had to go home after a few beers. That does not bode well for Gus' visit this weekend....

Then it was on to Mississippi for tubing on Saturday. Yes, you heard me. Toooobing in Mississippi; Ake would be proud. I am fried to a crisp after spending way too long in the middle of the day on a highly reflective surface. Serves me right.

They don't jest

So when I saw on my first weeks' schedule that there was a 'Happy Hour' at work today I thought, surely, they jest.

Well, no. They don't. And don't call them Shirley.

Is this cute or what?

Wow. That about sums up my first day at work here. It was great, really great, and I don't know that I've ever thought that about work. You know...work? The stuff they have to pay you to do?

First I see this greeting upon entering the office, which is so super sweet. Then I get taken around by the hand to meet just about everyone, including my 'buddy' that gets assigned to me to help me with anything I need and to take me to lunch later this week. I already have a computer AND a password, fer chrissakes! Then I get to sit in on a brown bag lunch presentation being given by two employees from New Zealand in the water and wastewater division. It was a fascinating study of what they are doing there to help guard their water supply. Jurisdictions are requiring new homes to be built with roof rainwater runoff catchment basins for use in gardening, toilets, etc. One of the smartest things I've heard of and something I personally have experience in doing, although it was a very 'shade tree' type install. The indigenous people of the islands, the Maori, have a huge say in any project undertaken and the designers have had to alter many designs of treatment plants in order to conform to their spiritual beliefs. For instance the Maori are very against any wastewater being deposited into the open water no matter how much it's treated. This was resolved by using a biological filtration system, meaning it is filtered by organic means which they accepted, and at the discharge point they placed boulders to signify the return of the water to the earth. Can you freakin' believe this? Would any of this even have been considered much less installed here in the states?

Like I said.

Wow.

oh yeah...and I'm going on on a river tubing trip on Saturday put together by my 'buddy', the resident "Lousiana FUN coordinator".

Unreal.

See you on the front porch

Put my deposit down today for a converted shotgun, double to single meaning two side-by-side houses turned into one, in the Uptown neighborhood. It's a few blocks north of St. Charles, closer to my new office than where I am now. Here's photos of the all-important front porch as well as the back deck leading out to the fenced back yard...the dogs will be so happy!

Tomorrrow's my first day of work here, I'm surprisingly nervous but confident as well. I'm more excited right now about the new place. Ill be so happy to get out of the dark basement-type place where I am now where the electrical gremlins live. I will miss a couple of neighbors, Mr. Shaw aka 'Columbo' and Blake, but I'll be back to visit for sure.

The Essence of fireworks

Believe it or not I went out downtown for the first time since I've been here last night...I took the St. Charles Streetcar to Canal and walked to a concert at the Riverwalk area to see the fireworks. The streetcar was totally full after only the 2nd stop on St. Charles so the rest of the route the driver would just go on by the people waiting or stop, open the door, then close it and start driving when they started walking towards the car. Ok ok...he only did that once to some pretty drunk frat-lookin' dudes, but it was too funny. The first stop after I got on had a black girl squeezed in some tight shorts leading her collared, leashed S&M 'slave' behind her which was a white boy whose eyes wouldn't leave the ground. Then the next stop had a family with a cute little girl who looked like Little Miss Sunshine, playing with a balloon heart and I thought...wow...what a difference a streetcar stop makes.

Once I got downtown it was packed, no traffic moving, exactly like the Vegas strip. The Essence festival was going on at the Superdome which is on the northern end of downtown so all those visitors were in the mix as well. Lots going on and the first time, really, I've seen it here.

Haiku to you too

I found the neatest 'Haiku board' during a bike ride this morning near Audubon Park. Someone put up a couple of boards and pens for people to leave their marks while strolling by. I stopped to take a picture but couldn't help to write one of my own. I was thinking while counting my syllables on my fingers how many times the owners of the house saw people do that...count on their fingers while trying to think of something funny or poignant. Mine wasn't either of those, but it was fun to do! 5 - 7 - 5 syllables.

I stopped while biking
contributed something here
and then rode away

People had already staked out their July 4th picnic spots in the park. The large Live Oak tree branch photo is from the park nearest to where I am staying, Palmer Park, where I walk the dogs every morning before most other people are out. I don't know what is up with the youngest dog, Oso, but he is insatiably curious and any time he hears someone talking or sees someone he strains hard against the leash to go check it out. Bringing him to a festival or gathering is soooo out of the question, he wouldn't walk with me for 2 feet at a time.

The local Jazz and Heritage radio station WWOZ http://www.wwoz.org/ is playing Louis Armstrong this morning, just heard a dj say it was Louis' birthday. That's what they celebrate on July 4th here... priorities you know!

Shotgun City

Looking for a place is exciting, but frustrating at the same time. My experience with landlords so far has been, well, lets say colorful. I LOVE the shotgun houses here. They're called shotgun because either 1) they're long and skinny like the barrel of a shotgun or 2) you could open the front door and shoot a gun right through the house to the back door. However the way they're set up is not conducive to living with a roommate, and most in the parts of town that I want to live in are too expensive to live in alone. This one in the pic above is one I fell in love with, but can't afford. Basically if more than 1 person lived there one would have to walk through the other ones' bedroom to get to the kitchen and the bathroom. Bummer. I have an appointment at another place in an hour or so and if that one doesn't work out it's back on Craigslist for me. There are a TON of places available, it seems, if you can get the landlord to call you back. Rent prices have stabilized I hear, after going up markedly after the storm. They are still way lower than I've seen in all my years in Northern or Southern California, for sure. Wish me luck.

The big Four-Oh

Yep, today's the day! I've actually been telling people for about a year that I'm 40 if asked so it's almost like I already was, not sure why I did that, I just did. Nothing special planned for the day...I got up early this morning and took a bike ride before the heat and humidity could put me back in my place. Went through Audubon Park, a lovely large park towards the south of the city, near Tulane and Loyola. There are a bunch of herons and egrets that congregate there, particularly in a group of trees over the water. I've put up some pics of the park but you can't see the birds in the trees very well in the shots from far away but trust me, there are lots of 'em. They're not loud, like the same amount of ducks or smaller birds would be, their chatter is quite subdued.

Now it's time to find a temporary permanent home...off to look at apartments.

Long-time-no-see

It was a nice to see Dave, Henrik, and Legume. I learned an awful lot about how to live from Erika Meng, Henrik's sister who passed away.

Things I learned from Erika Meng without having met her:

I have not traveled nearly as much as I thought I had.
It’s important to really taste, to enjoy, your food when you eat.
Food tastes better if you’ve made it yourself and you eat it with friends.
Shoes are God’s gift to women. (ok…I already knew this one)
It really IS possible to get up before the sun to exercise.
Always stay in touch with friends, no matter how long it’s been.
To get back on the bike and ride.
To find those that make you feel your best and don’t let them go.
Treat people well and they’ll tell funny stories about you.
and, finally….
To look at each day with a renewed sense of wonder, as some amazing souls don’t have that option .

Henrik did an amazing blog for her so he could update all her friends, it's so informative and well done - www.whatsuperika.com.

Here's a sample of the type of work she did...http://www.cimmyt.org/english/docs/ann_report/recent_ar/D_Support/centralasian.htm
I gathered from the service that she had an inordinate amount of influence over others' studies and writings as well.