There’s not much that sucks more than returning to work after 10 days of vacation. The moraine of emails to sift through, respond to, and feel guilty about. Repeating over and over how my trip was when nice people ask. Meetings, oh God, the meetings. Not being able to have a frosty Abita at lunch. (Confession: I had sangria at lunch with some colleagues at the delightful Atasca, so I should stop my bitching right now.)
New Orleans was spectacular — I’d have to say it was my favorite of the five (or is it six?) visits to the Crescent City. I loved walking around the Quarter, lolling in the hotel courtyard over coffee and pastry as well as at the Cafe du Monde, walking along the river, watching a hilarious strong-man competition on the bar TV at Acme Oyster House, sipping a Hand Grenade (only one, or actually, a bit less, since I let D. have some sips; consequently, I missed out on the hallucinogenic state 2+ such drinks induces), playing (and losing $6 at) video poker (Bayou Poker, y’all — crawfish cards is waahhld!), purchasing muffalettas at Central Grocery for the plane ride home the morning we left — a mule-carriage driver shouted, “Muffalettas for breakfast? Wow!”, and just the sensual feel of the city and the deliciousness of being on holiday with my favorite person in the whole world.
We did a few touristy-type things: a quick pass through the food section of the French Market (had to get some Hot Nuts for our friend Kevin), the aforementioned Cafe du Monde beignet and cafe au lait-a-thon, and a tour of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, where I was fascinated to learn that the tour guide’s daughter, who now owned the title to the tomb (which was given to the guide as a wedding present from her mother-in-law — she passed it on to her daughter when she divorced), had contacted Antoinette K-Doe after the great Ernie K-Doe’s passing to ask if the widow would want to inter him in the daughter’s family tomb. (Whew!) Antoinette was delighted, and even had her own mother buried in the same tomb later. Having loved Ernie’s performances during past Jazz Fests — particularly how he averred that his signature dance, the “K-Doe Walk,” was sweeping the nation, as well as his version on “A Certain Girl” — it meant a lot to be able to pay respects to his gravesite.
OMG, you just took me home! I missed a trip back to New Orleans a few weeks ago, but I have a freezer full of seafood so I can live with the disappointment. Sounds like you had a great time.
Oh man, I’m so jealous — what I wouldn’t give to say the same thing, particularly a freezer full of crawdaddies. Guess I’ll just have to take another trip — soon!