Taking it Easy in the Big Easy
Bananas Foster Cheesecake. Sigh.
So I turned a year older on Monday (May 21), and to celebrate I took Jamey and his daughter Carly to New Orleans with me for a long weekend. That is highly recommended–I definitely need to celebrate birthdays in the the Crescent City more often! We had such a great time, eating, dancing, drinking, eating some more, and just taking in all of the wonderful sights, sounds, smells, and experiences that make that city such a special place for so many people.
I have had ridiculous amounts of stress and annoyance and worry in my life lately, so it was wonderful to just get away and have FUN for a change. We went to the Bayou Boogaloo in Mid City, watched a bride and groom leading a second line parade down Canal Street, applauded a brass band that took over the corner, drank our way down Bourbon Street, ate the obligatory (delicious) beignets, wandered around the French Quarter and topped it all off with the world famous Breakfast at Brennan’s. If you’ve not done that last item yet, do it. Sure it’s an expensive crab omelet, fresh french bread, and bananas Foster, but how often do you get the chance to have that for breakfast? I forewent the rest of the breakfast drink menu for a boring ole’ mimosa, but I know for a fact that they’re not going to be offering me a hurricane for breakfast at Shoney’s. So overall a great birthday, and we all agreed that it was a much-needed weekend away.
So now I’m back at work. Yeah…let’s get one with the lists, shall we?
Have a fantastic week. Laissez les bons temps rouler!
top 20
- knowing what it means to miss New Orleans
Me and Jamey at City Park (before I got heat stroke)
- all of my friends who posted happy birthday messages on my wall on Facebook
- showing Carly a place she’s never been before–and her loving it as much as we did
- hot beignets
- street musicians
- road trips with great companions
- beautiful weather
- photo ops
- floppy hats
- the song “Stormy Weather”
- daily travelogues from my sister Jackie, who is currently touring Italy with her husband
- birthday texts and phone calls from all of my family (including the Italy-bound Jackie)
- helpful bartenders
- pleasant surprises
- My mom and dad, who are taking really good care of their parents. They’re a good example for us.
- night games at the new BBVA Compass Stadium, home of the Houston Dynamo
- $1 parking
- streetcars (named Desire and otherwise)
- Shannon and Melisa in my office, who are working hard to make an awkward situation for me less so
- the waiters at Brennan’s, who make breakfast even more of an event than it already is
bottom 10
- the sleezy bar guy at Mango Mango Daiquiris
- inappropriate walking shoes
- jealousy
- heat stroke
- anxiety
- stress
- $30 parking
- bad drivers
- self-doubt
- flat tonic water
sugarford
