Today is a dreary, rainy day. Yesterday was the Irish Channel St. Patrick's Parade and our 3rd Annual parade party. I'm too tired to do a full recount here today and I didn't take a single photo. I will however post the second half of my Mardi Gras saga.

A never-ending cycle – Part 2






Unlike Saturday, I went to all 3 afternoon Uptown parades: Okeanos (so-so, too much blaring bad music), Mid-City (nice) and Thoth (very nice). I walked from our house, up Magazine to a party at Jefferson stopping long the way to chat with people I knew. We were on a balcony, which is why I was able to get good photos of floats. I got a lot of exercise this day. Walked back home once the parades were over. Then G and I walked to a party over by Charlie’s Steak House and watched Bacchus on Napoleon Ave. Or I should say we tried to. People started setting up camp on Napoleon Wednesday; I know because I drive down it to work every day. We were stuck half way back, behind ladders. The worst part was using the City of NO port-o-potties. UGH.

Bacchus on Napoleon.

Not going to watch parades on Napoleon any more. We got a call from a friend who was in the Garden District, so we crossed Napoleon and hoofed if over to 6th street. We caught most of the parade again. This time we could see since the crowds were smaller. We hit two parties during the course of the evening and there was zero food. After the parade we walked back to Magazine Street for some dinner and drinks.

Bacchus on St. Charles Ave - better. Hard to get good night photos.

Flambeaux

I had learned my lesson from the previous years and took Monday off. I did go into the office for a bit and then spent the afternoon running errands. That evening we met friends on St. Charles Ave. to watch Proteus and Orpheus. I vowed to not drink too much so I wouldn’t be hung over Mardi Gras day. It didn’t work out that way since I was fed an endless stream of red wine. (I’ve decided wine and parades don’t mix. No beer either, makes me pee too much. Gin + tonic = good. Scotch = good) After the parade, you guessed it: Magazine Street for dinner and more drinks.

Mardi Gras day was another warm and beautiful day. After a fortifying breakfast we set out on foot to Liprap’s for their annual party. I love seeing all the people and costumes while walking along St. Charles Avenue. After visiting for a while we followed Adrastos and Dr. A to Krewe of Pants. We were at 3rd Street watching Rex.

The king of Rex

Boeuf Gras "the fatted ox"

Didn’t catch much. After Rex was over we all converged at the House of Pants, hanging out outside. You know that shooting that took place? It happened 2 blocks away from us. We were oblivious until I noticed a cop running down the street, gun in hand, “Uh hey guys? That cop over there has his gun drawn.” Another cop appeared, then another. People started rushing by and we asked what was going on. Seconds later, many police cars with light going pulled up and an ambulance. We got herded inside and watched the proceedings from the windows. They recovered a gun near by and we saw both suspects get put in cars in cuffs. I have to say I was pretty impressed with the NOPD's response. It’s hard enough to catch bad guys, but when there are hundreds of people, probably drunk, milling around clueless, makes it even more challenging. The one plus of all the people was there were plenty of witnesses. Adrastos also has an account here. I had considered going down to the Marigny but it was too late once the cops let us out and my buzz was long gone. G and I just walked home and relaxed. Just when I had thought Mardi Gras was over for me, we got a call from the Mad Irishman that a friend who cooks for Commander’s Palace was making gumbo and potato salad and get ourselves over there. Man was that good eating. Drinks at the Rendezvous followed that. I drew the line at shots. Jagermeister at that. Yuck. Works slows down around Mardi Gras since clients are also busy with parties, parades and balls so I took Wednesday off to recuperate.

Mardi Gras '09 - excellent weather, skimpy throws, gorgeous floats that went by too fast, good company, marred only by the shooting.

It’s never good when your mechanic calls you and says “Here’s something I’ve never seen before…” He found cat or dog food in (or near) my car’s intake manifold. He figures some critter’s been stashing it in there. WTF?!???

I first went to the Car Talk web site and there were two instances of something like this happening to others.

Another possibility here. Have you removed the air cleaner top and verified that the air cleaner is not full of stuff stashed in there by rats?
Slim odds I know but a VW was towed into the shop one time that would barely even run and the housing was completely full of dog food. Rats had gnawed their way in and had turned the air cleaner into their own personal bank vault. The owner stated that he had noticed the car running worse and worse over time.

And I also found this on a Prius chat site.

I hope my mechanic can cover up some of the inlets with screening as suggested in the articles. I’ve heard of rodents chewing on wire but never stashing food in a car. Ugh.

Flexi-Lent

In case you didn’t know, the whole purpose of Mardi Gras is to have one big blow out before Lent. Many non- Catholic people in New Orleans observe a form of Lent. It’s sort of a do-over for the New Year’s resolutions you didn’t keep. I decided to do a mini-Lent between now and the Irish Channel Parade March 14th. No booze (whimper), South Beach Diet Phase 1 and lots more exercise. I think I can keep that up 2 weeks. And putting up here will give me motivation, I hope.

Similar to my idea is something my friend emailed me “Flexi-Lent”

Flexi-Lent is a modern twist on the traditional Catholic practice of giving up vices (like booze) and living healthy between Mardi Gras and Good Friday (which is the Friday before Easter Sunday). Some Catholics believe it is acceptable to drink on Sundays during lent. Irish Catholics naturally add St. Patrick’s Day to that list. Thus, it appears fine to drink seven times during Lent. You get seven exemptions, in other words.

Here’s the modern twist: Instead of being confined to those specific seven days, we have decided to make the exemptions flexible. In other words, you have seven exemptions (or 12-hour drinking periods) during Lent, which you can use any time you want. One can engage in multiple vices during one exemption period. (Note: There is no solid theological support for that rule.) Exemptions can be used whenever you want. They can perhaps even be bought and sold on the free market (but I’ll leave that to the theologians).

Also, there is typically a fitness component. I try to run 100 miles during lent, but my foot is hurt so I’m not doing that. (I’m working on some new goal

Finally, be smart with your exemptions. Save them. Don’t burn them quickly. And remember St. Patrick’s Day is one of the seven exemptions.

Flexi-Lent ends on Good Friday, at which point all Flexi-Lentarians will have a party, which will be known as Flexivus.

And remember: Flexi-Lent is Exci-Lent!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

A never ending cycle – Part 1

Some of this year's parade booty.

So I survived another Mardi Gras. When I first moved here, I went to as many parades, concerts and parties as I could. After a few years, the novelty wears off and the stamina wanes. The couple of times I lived on the parade route and embraced it fully. There were years where I went out of town or stayed in town and tried to avoid festivities. You can’t avoid Mardi Gras here; that’s like trying to avoid Christmas. There are Mardi Gras decorations, songs, special foods, parties, and it’s every where. There are also good Mardi Gras experiences and bad ones. Since Katrina, we’ve stayed and played. I’m still recuperating, but I think a lingering cold may have something to do with that.

First parade was Krewe de Vieux, Feb 7. They parade in the Marigny and French Quarter and walk the route with small, satirical, plus some vulgar floats. G hates the French Quarter and never wants to go. I had a plan and a back up plan. Plan A: meeting people in the Marigny, fell apart because we left late (my fault). Plan B: go to friend’s gallery on Royal Street went into action. We parked, hoofed it across the Quarter and had dinner at Gato Negro. Some neighbors sat next to us and we all discussed how KdV never starts on time and they would be slow so we were fine with time. We finished dinner and walked over to our friend’s gallery. Much to our surprise the parade had already passed! So we did a quick 180 and scooted over to Decatur, as did everyone else in the Quarter. The last few floats went flying by at warp speed. G refuses to go ever again.

Krewe of Muses signature shoe float.
Their most coveted throw is decorated shoes.

You get spoiled living in the part of Uptown we do where you can walk a few blocks from your home to the parades. Having to get in a car, drive and park? We scoff at that notion. And we’ve learned to be selective about which parades we attend. Thursday before Mardi Gras (this year Feb. 19) is Muses along with Babylon and Chaos. Muses is hands down one of our favorite parades: it’s beautiful, funny, lots of marching bands, with creative throws. Bonus this year is the new extended Uptown route now starting at Jefferson and Magazine. It was a joy to see Muses and the other parades on Magazine. No huge crowds or obnoxious walls o’ ladders. Some friends of ours have a party for Muses so that makes it even more enjoyable. At any time a parade can stall and this night there was about an hour delay as a Chaos float broke down. Muses stood still on Magazine in front of us. People walked around, some went back to the party for more food. A friend visiting from out of town found me, so we sat in some chairs and caught up. This seemed to be the year of speeding parades. Once Muses started rolling they flew by. I was trying to find friends in the dance groups but only found one. Speedy parades are no fun because you can’t take in the whole float decoration and you catch less throws.

The last photo I took before my battery died. Boo hoo.

G and I took Friday off, walking from our house to a restaurant for dinner, then over to our usual Friday night hangout for drinks. 5 blocks away the parades were rolling, but in “the pocket” (we get surrounded by all sides by parades and can’t leave via car), it was quiet. We ended up skipping all parades Saturday. We had plans to go Mid-City since several friend were having Endymion parties. I just didn’t have the energy for it thanks to the earlier mentioned lingering cold. Since there are no Uptown parades that night, we ventured outside of the pocket for dinner and had a quiet night.

Mardi Gras Mambo

Tonight kicks off the first of 5 consecutive days of Uptown Mardi Gras parades. I get paraded out so I don’t go to each and every parade like I did when I first moved here. Twice I’ve lived on the parade route and that kind of spoils you too. But the Mardi Gras buzz is in the air.

Port-o-lets dot the neutral grounds and this particular one caught my eye. The signs on it says “Donations $1.00” “Pee for Paris” “5th Grade French Audubon Charter” A 5th grade French class is raising funds by letting people use their port-o-let. How funny is that? I may go by and donate a dollar.


People ask “have you been to Mardi Gras?” that’s like asking “have you been to Christmas?” It’s a holiday season and people decorate their house like they do for Christmas. The green and red get switched out for purple green or gold.

Deuce cut loose

My favorite Saint gets released. (link)

He’s such a class act. Too bad more athletes aren’t like him.

Deuce McAllister Says Goodbye

Such a festive weekend! Friday the 13th (not the stupid movie) followed by Valentine's Day. Monday is President's day, but in New Orleans we don't really observe President's day because we observe Mardi Gras day instead, which falls on Feb. 24th this year. And this weekend the parades are rolling.

Here's a pic of a big *ss house on St. Charles Ave. flying big *ss Mardi Gras Krewe flags.

I live in the congressional district that was represented by William "Dollar Bill" Jefferson - the congressman the FBI found $90K cash in his freezer. He got re-elected once since then, but this past fall he was finally voted out. While my district, and most of New Orleans, is full of Democrats, we elected Cao who is a Republican. Today's T-P has an article "Cao may be one of few to break Republican ranks on stimulus" (link)

Though hailed a party hero by Republican leaders in Congress after his upset defeat of Democratic incumbent William Jefferson, Cao would be a party renegade on the biggest vote since he arrived in Washington.

I voted for Cao as well as I voted against Jefferson and had Cao been up against someone other than Jefferson he might not have won. It's refreshing to hear a politician say:

"I'm voting along what my conscience dictates and the needs of the 2nd Congressional District dictate, even if I were to be the only member of the GOP to vote for the stimulus package, " he said.

It's good to see he also has a sense of humor:

Scalise, the assistant Republican whip, laughed when asked whether it was his responsibility to keep Cao in line, adding that a few Republican defections are to be expected.

Joked Cao, "Steve Scalise doesn't know kung fu. I know kung fu. He can't whip me."

But can someone explain to me what the heck "the hard-core, rock-ribbed Republican districts" means?

UPDATE
Cao voted no. It passed anyway but time will tell how it plays out. I like Adrastos' comment "Still, it would have been nice if Mr. Cao had tried but we got used to having an empty suit in the House during Dollar Bill's decline..." which is all too true. And I also like he "Kung Fu Fighting" video clip. "Those cats were fast as lightning." Sweet.

St. Charles at Louisiana Update

There's been some action on this corner. The crappy Exxon that never reopened after Katrina has been on the market and the building is being torn down.


A year ago I did a post when the video store/deli was being torn down. The lot has been cleared and leveled but that's about it.


The Borders Bookstore opened recently after an extensive gut and build out in the former Bultman Funeral home. It looks nice from the outside, I haven't been inside yet. I'm torn between having a bookstore within walking distance that is a chain, (and serve Seattle's Best Coffee) or driving to Octavia books, a local bookseller.


In just a few weeks parades will be rolling past here. The empty lot(s) could be prime party areas if they don't get fenced off.

I was shocked and surprised to read today's headline in the T-P that Inspector General Cerasoli quit due to health reasons. I hope his health returns to the better soon and thank him for all he's done and has tried to do. He had to work against great odds and resistance from City Hall. Cerasoli is from Boston, another town known for government corruption. The article says "One main goal has just been to simply identify the entity that is the city of New Orleans, " Cerasoli said. "Nobody can give you an organizational chart." I bet there are a ton of people on the payroll who are unnessary and know that they are but keep mum. I hope we can hire another person willing to go up against Nagin and his crew. On the bright side, we are saddled with Nagin for only one more year and I have hope we can elect someone who will clean City Hall up.

A new (new to me) sassy gal blogger: Rubypearl!

I loved this excerpt from a recent blog about things she does not like:

Old people who write checks in line in front of me. Get a Goddamn debit card! The technology is 20 years old, so it's about time for you to adopt it. You should be in a hurry, you don't have much time left, yet you choose to spend it crossing every t and dotting every I while I am DYING inside behind you.

Amen sister.

Prospect.1 is over. Thankfully I managed to see a few exhibits, but not nearly as many as I would have liked. I had a friend visiting from LA and a friend of hers had sent her passes and a map. Kinda of strange since it's free but I think things like that may have made the numbers seem low. I never bothered to go "check in" and get counted. We had a map but it was hard to follow, I think they were really pushing for people to take the shuttle.


The big ark was all it was touted to be. There was something pleasing about it's simplicity. It's on the corner of Caffin and N. Miro in the Lower 9th Ward. I wonder how long it will stay?



This was a neat building, an old hardware store that still had a bunch of old stuff around. The artists kept the items and arranged them. These two pictures are the lower floor. The building space was neat - the "art" was slices from a concrete slab, flipped around so you could see the underside where the cement flowed to fill the voids. It was interesting but didn't hold my attention all that long.

The upstairs was really cool. An artist painted swamp mural in all the rooms.





Here you can see some of the items from the hardware store I mentioned. Here the artist arranged some on the mantle.

The date on this calendar is February 1924! 85 years old.

The spot for an exhibit is marked on the map but it isn't labeled as to what exhibit it is. The above I'm not sure where this was, maybe the Tekrema Center for the arts. One other site we visited, but didn't take photos, is the 19 center for the arts, a lovely little gallery in a shotgun double. One side was photographs, the other had a collage on the walls, like stuff being blown around in the wind. Both exhibits were worth the stop.

I got my new flatware today. The stuff we had started to rust! It's very groovy and designer-y, which is perfect for us being designers and all.

I first spied it in one of the big box housewares stores, but they didn't carry any serving pieces. I pulled up the web site of the mfg. on my iPhone and found they were having a killer sale on a 65 pieces, service for 12 for $99 plus free shipping. Well, the bargain shopper in me could not resist that. It also has a 50 year warranty. I doubt I'll still be using this when I'm 90 but who knows?

Festivus on Freret

This Saturday the Freret Market is having "Freretstivus" with double the vendors, double the free music and Festivus Festivities. So bundle up and come support local vendors and bands.

Saturday December 13th from Noon to 5 pm on Freret between Napoleon and Valence
Join us around the Festivus Pole, Airing (and reading) of Grievances, gift exchange, Flattery Booth, Insult Booth, and the Mighty Feats of Strength--See how many Big Easy Rollergirls can you pull on a rope?

Also featuring 130 Vendors with local art, food, produce, craft and junk, plus six bands for free on two stages.

Market Stage
The Space Heaters at Noon
String Beans at 1:45
Billy Iuso and Restless Natives at 3:30

Freret Stage
Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots at Noon
Viva! Los Americanos at 1:45
Los Poboycitos at 3:30

Today's Big News Item

It's snowed this morning! Honest to goodness snow. G wasn't as impressed at first having grown up in New Jersey, however I was excited - I'm from Florida and can probably count on one hand the number of time I've been in snow. It was raining this morning and as I was making some breakfast I noticed the rain was different. It had started sleeting. After about 20 minutes of that it was full on snow. Then G was impressed. We drove to work together and the snow was amazing. I walked around by my office and took more pictures since the snow was starting to accumalate. Around 10:30am it turned back to sleet and now it's just melting. Boo hoo.

Our house, in the snow!

G throwing a snowball at me.

My friend's house. Such a pretty picture!

The cemetery by my office.

The last time it snowed was Christmas day 2004. We missed it because we were in Baton Rouge and they didn't get snow. Has hell freezed over? Is it because Dollar Bill Jefferson was finally defeated? Someone on NOLA.com said it means the Saints are going to the superbowl (riiiight). An other momentous, weather related even happened 8 months after the last snowfall... I hope history doen't repeat itself.

Here's the other side of the renovated house on our street. There's a gate so this is close as I can get. There's another set of French doors you can't see. Such a cute side gallery!

Today has been one of those days when I really love my neighborhood. G and I walked over to the elementary school to cast our votes in today’s election (Congressional seat). We ran into some neighbors from around the corner we hadn’t seen in a while and caught up with them. We then walked up to Magazine Street. We were right by Katy Beh Contemporary Jewelry so we popped in to say hi to Katy. G needed to go to Harry’s Ace Hardware so we walked by there. I continued on because I needed to stop at Breaux Mart to buy some veggies for the soup I wanted to make. Along the way I stopped in Buffalo Exchange and bought a sweater. Walking back from the grocery, I stopped in a relatively new store “Francesca’s.” I’m pleased to report that it is not your typical overpriced ladies boutique that only carries size 0 and 2. The sales clerks were friendly and I got some really cute gifts for some people and a new top pour moi. Much like San Fran and NYC, two of my fav cities, you can actually walk to places you want to go. We also have a drug store, Martin Wine Cellar, some great restaurants, bars, coffee houses and a bunch of other shops. Only thing missing is a great bakery and cheese shop. Technically I could walk to St. James and La Boulangerie‎, but it’s a bit more of a hike. The new Border’s opened up and that’s close by too, but I think I’ll make the trip to Octavia Books instead. Remember: buy local for your holiday gift giving and every day!

Eyesore update

The POS house on our street has been renovated! And there was much rejoicing. I first commented about the house last December. I forget when it sold but I noted back in June that renovation work had been started, so they worked on it for 4-5 months.

Before

Before

After

I'm always amazed at what can be done to house that looks like it's about to fall over. The paint color are a little on the bright side, but they should weather nicely. They are cleaning up the job site today so maybe someone will move in soon.

I’m been tagged.

Thanks to one camping adverse individual (at least he likes cats), I have been tagged by Adrastos. We're supposed to post the rules so here it goes.

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up

6 random things…. Uhhhhhhh… I think I’ll look through my emails and see if something inspires me.

1. I like my in-laws. Really I do. And my mother-in-law is a cook-ass cook so I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving there. Just got an email saying she’s making pumpkin pie. Yum!

2. I dislike Dr. Pepper. Reminds me of some medicine I had to take as a kid. Yuck. Shrimp Po-boy (tag!) sent me something about free Dr. Pepper because Guns n Roses released an album. Whatever.

3. I’m the president of my neighborhood association and it’s taught me that I do not want to be a public servent or be in politics.

4. I spend waaaaaay too much time on Facebook. Which is why I don’t blog as often. Too busy sending drinks, poking people, farming and playing word games. Tug Boat (tag!) and I have an on-going game of Scrabble. I’m currently kickin’ his ass. He he.

5. Two more? Ugh. OK I like to whine. And complain. I’m really a positive person but sometimes I like to rant. Salty Miss Jill is my hero. (tag!)

6. I hate to run. Worst exercise ever. Ugh.

So let’s see... Shrimp Po-boy, Tug Boat, Salty Jill. Lip Rap, Bigezbear and Dangerblond. Please don’t hate me.

See everyone at the Po-Boy fest Sunday! If I tagged you I’ll buy you a beer if I see you there. How’s that?

From my in-box- re: Letten

Hey all – I know I’ve been in touch with some of you concerning Jim Letten. We have started a letter writing campaign encouraging our leaders to keep Mr. Letten in New Orleans as he is about the only one who has been able to actually start cleaning up the political and criminal mess here. We’ve stressed to everyone that it doesn’t matter how you voted last week – the bottom line is the vital importance that Letten remain in office. Many of you have sent emails to both Senators Landrieu and Vitter and their response has been encouraging.

However, we got more information last night from another insider who has alerted us that even though we are voicing very loudly our desire to keep Letten, it’s not looking positive. Sadly, the political games may trump what is best for NOLA. Our inside contact has suggested we now bombard Rep. Karen Carter Peterson with letters in support of Letten – saying the more she hears from her constituents, the better.

I have enclosed her contact information and would encourage everyone to send an email -- then fax it. I’ve also included her legislative aide’s name and phone number and a call may not hurt as this will stress our desire to keep Letten in office so he can continue his work in NOLA. For those who have not written, I’ve enclosed all other contacts that we are approaching. If you feel as strongly about keeping Letten here, please send a message to all folks below and pass this email on to everyone you know. This fight is too important and we need our voices heard.

Rep. Karen Carter Peterson
email is larep093@legis.state.la.us
phone is (504)568-8346, fax is (504)568-8405
Her legislative aide is LeBraun Robinson

Mary Landrieu
724 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-1803
Phone: 202-224-5824
Fax: 202-224-9735
http://landrieu.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm

David Vitter
516 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-1804
Phone: 202-224-4623
Fax: 202-228-5061
http://vitter.senate.gov/?module=webformIQV1

Public service announcement: remember to always keep your crocker spaniel on a leash at all time.

Redevelopment of Copeland's on St. Charles - About time!



Dear District B Constituent,

Recently, CM Head was approached regarding the re-development of the Old Copeland’s restaurant located at 4338 St. Charles (corner of St. Charles and Napoleon). The developers currently own Superior Grill on Saint Charles and are interested in opening an upscale/ family seafood restaurant. Attached are artist renderings that depict the proposed facade. Notably, the plans require the leasing of 3 ½ feet of city sidewalk space (the sidewalk measures approximately 12 ½ feet) for occasional outdoor seating. We are not aware of any necessary zoning variances or waivers.

We would appreciate community input regarding the redevelopment. Accordingly, next Wednesday the developers, Gabe Garza and Joe Friend, will be available to discuss their proposed plans and answer any questions. This meeting will take place:

Wednesday, October 29, 2008
6:00 p.m.
Sacred Heart’s Mater Library

Please feel free to forward this e-mail to anyone who may be interested and I hope to see you all next week.

Truly,
Theresa R. Becher, J.D.
Legislative Aide
District "B"
504-658-1020

And on the gastronomical side...

A new cafe has opened on Magazine Street - Gott Gourmet - 3100 Magazine Street (across from The Rendezvous). They have fantastic sandwiches and salads. Also a plus, all their take-out packaging is biodegradable and compostable. Try them out!

FEMA is a four letter word

The Lyon's Center on the corner of Tchoup and Louisiana is in my neighborhood and since Katrina, people have been paying more attention to it. The latest saga of the park: FEMA, after being pressured by the City Council, laid new sod at the park after removing the FEMA trailers. The sod was looking good, kids were playing on the fields ect. Then one day it was locked. Here's what we found out (this put together from two emails).

I just got off of the phone with Keith J. Wright, deputy director of NORD. He returned my call asking about why the Lyons Center baseball field was locked. He explained that FEMA has not released the property back to the city. Apparently the locks on the gates are a measure taken either by FEMA directly or the contractor who is handling the refurbishment of the park to protect the sod and allow it to take hold on the field as well as to protect the park from vandalism. (There was an instance where some kids were in the park and a pipe was broken and had to be repaired.)

I asked Mr. Wright when we could expect to have our park back and he said that it was supposed to happen in October, but with the storms we have had that date has been extended. Mr. Wright could not give me a firm date, but expects us to be able to use the park again in the next few months.

. . .

I just spoke with Keith Wright at NORD (658-3000). In substance, I am told that I cannot write to this mysterious person at FEMA who is holding our neighborhood's field hostage. Mr. Wright assured me he would call and voice my concerns, but politely refused to tell me who at FEMA had the authority to go to the field, see that the sod has taken root and open our field back to the public.

Apparently, the "official" turnover date from FEMA to NORD has not occurred (and no one seems to know what this date is), and when the water main was vandalized, the contractor (who had left the field unlocked after laying the sod) was required by FEMA to repair the damages. So, the contractor understandably has locked the field pending FEMA's decision to turn it over to NORD.

Amendments on Oct 4 ballot

From: Michael Cowan
Sent: Saturday, September 20, 2008 7:31 AM
To: undisclosed-recipients
Subject: A decisive vote

Dear Common Good leaders,

In just over one week, New Orleans voters will have the opportunity to cast what may be the most important vote in the history of local government. That vote will not be to elect a candidate but rather to change decisively the way two important institutions—City Hall and NOPD—function. On the October 4th ballot will be an amendment to the city charter that will protect the newly established Office of the Inspector General from political interference by future mayors and city councils, whose decisions the inspector general will be monitoring. The amendment will also establish an independent monitor for the NOPD, who will report to the inspector general.

We need an independent inspector general because most citizens and business owners, and many state and national elected officials, perceive New Orleans city government as wasteful and contaminated by patronage and corruption. Unless this perception is changed, local residents and business owners, as well as potential public and private outside investors, will continue to be reluctant to bet on the future of New Orleans. The future of the city hinges on those investments.

We need an independent police monitor now because trust between the police department and residents of some New Orleans’ neighborhoods is so low that many people will not report crime or testify against criminals because they feel that they have been treated disrespectfully or brutally by police officers, while others feel that the police are not doing enough to protect them. Our crime problem cannot be effectively addressed without trust between citizens and police. An independent monitor’s office is a nationally recognized way of rebuilding that trust.

Members of the city council are appearing with Inspector General Robert Cerasoli on the following dates to speak briefly with citizens about this important vote and answer your questions. Please invite your members and associates to attend one.

Council member Mr. Fielkow, 9/23, 6:00 p.m., Touro Synagogue, 4238 St. Charles Avenue
Council member Carter, 9/24, 6:30 p.m., St. Jude Community Center, 411 N. Rampart
Council member Head, 9/27, 10:00 a.m., 2020 Jackson Avenue
Council member Midura, 9/29, 6:30 p.m., Grace Episcopal Church, 3700 Canal Street

The Common Good network of institutions has worked with council member Shelley Midura and other elected officials for the establishment of an inspector general’s office for almost three years, and actively supported the efforts of council member James Carter to establish the independent police monitor for the past year. On October 4th, the citizens of New Orleans can provide these two critical offices with the maximum independence possible under city, state and federal law.

Please do all that you can to encourage local voters to seize this rare opportunity to make New Orleans a city that operates fairly and effectively for all her citizens.

For the common good,
Michael Cowan
Loyola University

Makes my head hurt.

Geaux 'Noles!

Shrimp Po-Boy and I have been talking about getting FSU fans together to watch the games and we are finally making it happen.

What: FSU vs. Wake Forest
When: Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
Where: Big Al's Seafood (1377 Annunciation St., New Orleans, LA 70130)

The FSU game starts at 6:00 and the LSU game at 6:45. I'm not sure how crowded they get but let's get there at 5:30 to get a good spot and beat the rush.

If you want to join us, leave a comments and how many people so we can get a head count.

UPDATE: Original stated times were Eastern.

A glorious cold front came through. It’s like Mother Nature’s way of saying “sorry for all the really crappy weather the last few weeks.” I’m sure it’s a relief for the people who are still waiting for their electricity to come back on. My brother-in-law in Baton Rouge finally got power on the 11th and another friend as of Saturday still didn’t have power. It will get hot again I know. But not beastly hot like August.

The power and size of Ike really took people by surprise. And while I don’t want to wish harm or disaster on anyone, there was some smug satisfaction to all those who after Katrina said things like “why do people live down there where they get hurricanes?” Flooding in Indiana and Ohio from a tropical storm? Who would have thunk it. Weather happens. Everywhere. Talking with a friend of mine who I grew up with in Florida, I was surprised how little she knew about hurricanes. I later realized there weren’t many big storms then, not until Andrew, not like now. I’ve become an expert on them after living in New Orleans. People here still talk about hurricanes Betsy (1965) and Camille (1969). I couldn’t believe the people on the Texas barrier island who were staying for Ike. It’s not crazy to live somewhere hurricanes hit, it’s crazy to stay when a hurricane is coming right at you. People on the news in coastal Texas and Louisiana said things like “the water’s never gotten this high” or “I’ve never seen the water come up so fast.” Every storm is different and you just never know what’s going to happen. I slacked off this year on my hurricane food supply. Thankfully we haven’t needed it, but I’m not going to let it slide again. Here to hoping this is my last hurricane related post for a long time.

Just after I posted, I got this in my in-box:

Today - in broad daylight - two of our neighbors were held up at gunpoint and robbed. This took place in the 700 block of Constantinople.

Our two female neighbors were talking. It seems that there was a car that passed them. The car dropped off two of the African American teenagers who walked down the street and held them up at gunpoint. We think the car then circled the block and picked up the thieves.

Some neighbors got a partial license plate. Police are searching for them. We will let you know when we hear more.

Apparently here is their method of operation: Four young men in car (a black Maxima this time) drive around until they see a target of opportunity (in this case two women standing along the side of the street). They pass by the women and stop on the next block letting two out of the car to walk back to do the robbery. The get-away-car then drives around the block and picks up the robbers after the job is done and then they all flee.

It seems like the winds from Ike have FINALLY died down. It’s amazing how big the storm was. The tree that was leaning towards our house after Gustav is thankfully NOT leaning on our house after all the additional wind. And I’m glad to report our friends Simon and Suzanne in Houston made it through the storm with only minor damage and with power!

I ventured out this morning to the Farmer’s Market downtown. The streets were quiet but the market was bustling. It was moved next door, inside an old one-story building. I took my kitchen knives to be sharpened. I had to hang out and wait a little while after I finished my shopping, but there was good people watching. I did learn today if you see something you want buy it then, don’t wait or it maybe gone. I had my eye on some cut sunflowers but wanted to get them last but they were all gone when I got there. When I picked up my knives the guy apologized for taking so long. He said he had (former councilperson) Peggy Wilson’s to do first and that they were a lot duller than mine. When I told G this story he said “I always thought she wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer.” (rim shot) After the market I hustled over to Parkway Partners. On the second Saturday they have talks and sell plants. Today was about fall gardening and free seeds were given out. Since I got there late I missed out on the plants for sale but did take home an aloe plant. They had a chicken coup in the garden there; when I was in Albuquerque, I visited one of Dorie’s friends who raises fancy chickens in her backyard. It’s got me thinking… fresh eggs from my own backyard. I asked G to think about it. I also stopped by Green Parrot to replace my herbs that died during Gustav. Many of the plants there were pretty battered. They are located at the end of Nashville St. next to the train tracks and it’s very exposed. I then visited the community garden to see how it fared. A few small trees got blown over and a big branch is dangling over part of my plot. It looks like it bounced on my okra plants. I think they are goners. It’s time to pull them out and get the soil ready for my fall garden but the wind was still gusting and it was so amazingly humid. It’s always humid here but this was like 120% humidity. I decided to spend the rest of the day inside. Laundry and my road trip travelogue were calling.

I’ve been lying low since returning home. Things were strange those first few days, but to expected. Not nearly as strange as coming home after Katrina. Local businesses, especially groceries, restaurants and bars, were quick to open. Monday was a nice, normal day. I got up, went to work, worked, came home from work, made dinner, and drank wine. It was good. We don’t see the National Guard in our area of town any more. The power has gone out for short periods of time, just enough to have to reset all the clocks, but nothing major. Some Katrina flashbacks: piles of debris on the side of the road; that horrible stench from everyone cleaning out their fridges before leaving and then the garbage sitting out in the heat for a week; random traffics lights being out.

We started feeling some effects of Ike as early as this morning… sporadic wind gusts and rain. Saw some pretty dark and nasty clouds on my way home from work and briefly caught some heavy rain. My father called me at work to see if we were leaving or what. No. We should get some strong winds and rain but nothing to leave for. The worst should be tonight through Friday night. I’ll be happy once is gets past us. Best of luck to my friends in Texas!

New Hurricane Cocktails

Usually email forwards aren't worth posting, but I'll make an exception for this one.

MANDATORY EVACUATION
1 1/2 oz. Absolute Ruby Red vodka
1/2 oz. vermouth
Clamato
Prune juice
Combine vodka and vermouth in cocktail glass. Fill remainder of glass with
equal parts clamato and prune juice. Stir. Drink. Ask next-door neighbor
whose tree blew over and crashed onto your roof - even though you'd
warned him for months to uproot it - if you can use his bathroom. Repeat.

==================================================

CATEGORY 5
1/2 oz. vodka
1/2 oz. tequila
1/2 oz. rum
1/2 oz. bourbon
1/2 oz. gin
Sweet-and-sour mix
Splash of fruit juice
Combine vodka, tequila, rum, bourbon and gin in a tall glass. Fill
remainder of glass with sweet-and-sour mix and splash of juice. Stir, then
garnish with an inverted drink umbrella. Drink during peak storm hours, and
vow not to believe anyone who tries to tell you the hurricane that flooded
your garage and destroyed your shed was just a Category 1.

==================================================

CONE OF PROBABILITY
1 oz. cinnamon schnapps
1 sugar cone
Pour the schnapps into the sugar cone. Every time you hear a TV weatherman
say, 'cone of probability,' bite off the end of the cone and down the shot.
If you hear Jim Cantore say it, drink two shots consecutively. (they should
change this to the 'Cantore Zone'... damn him.
Have you ever noticed that, despite all the cone of probability talk, if
Cantore is parked in front of your house your ass is toast?)

==================================================

FEEDER BAND
2 oz. Midori
2 oz. rum
1 scoop vanilla ice cream
After your home loses power, combine Midori and rum in a cocktail glass.
Add a scoop of the vanilla ice cream that is melting in your freezer. Stir,
and drink through a straw.

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BEACH EROSION
1 1/2 oz. Goldschläger
1 1/2 oz. apple brandy
1 pack Sugar in the Raw
Combine Goldschläger, apple brandy and sugar in cocktail glass. As you drink, seriously contemplate moving your Yankee butt back to New Jersey where it belongs.

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DOWNED POWER LINE
1 1/2 oz. rum
5 oz. Jolt Cola
Combine ingredients in a cocktail glass.
Drink while trying to figure out how the heck you're supposed to go two
freakin' weeks without television and AC.

==================================================

FLOOD ZONE
2 oz. Kahlúa
2 oz. Baileys Irish cream
4 oz. rum
Serve in a 6-ounce glass and laugh-cry deliriously as the mess spills
all over the countertop.

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COLD SHOWER
2 oz. Blue Aftershock
4 oz.. Sprite
Combine in a cocktail glass with crushed ice you received after
waiting in line for three hours at a mall parking lot. Take a deep
breath, sip and scream like a little girl when the cold beverage hits
your tongue.
Repeat.

==================================================

LOOTERS WILL BE SHOT
1 oz. Jack Daniel's
Splash of sarsaparilla
Rock salt
Load both barrels of a shotgun with rock salt.
Climb to the roof of your house with gun, bottle of Jack Daniel's and
can of sarsaparilla. Fill shot glass with Jack and splash of
sarsaparilla. Watch for looters. When you spot one, blast him with
rock salt. Drink shot. Repeat.

==================================================

THE CHAIN SAW
1 oz. Goldschläger
1 oz. Rumplemintz
3 oz. Jim Beam
Splash of vermouth
Combine Goldschläger, Rumplemintz and Jim Beam in an empty soup can.
Add splash of vermouth. Drink. Remove chain saw from garage and attempt
to cut up fallen tree limbs in yard. Ask neighbor to drive you to
hospital when it all goes horribly wrong.

==================================================

FOUR-WAY STOP
1 1/2 oz. vodka
1 1/2 oz. vodka and Midori
1 1/2 oz. vodka and Galliano
1 1/2 oz. vodka and grenadine
Pour each ingredient into a separate shot glass. Serve one to yourself
and three other people. The person with the clear shot of vodka drinks
first.. The person to his right drinks the Midori shot, and so on. If
somebody drinks out of order, develop a quick case of road rage and
beat the living crap out of him.

=================================================

BLUE TARP
1 1/2 oz. Curacao
2 oz. pineapple juice
Splash of lime
Combine ingredients in a leaky paper cup and serve.
Wait six to eight months for someone to repair the cup.
If you're impatient, hire an unlicensed, out-of-state contractor to do
the job for an exorbitant sum and pray he doesn't hurt himself in the
process.

==================================================

FEMA FIZZLE
1 1/2 oz. Southern Comfort
2 oz. sloe gin
Tonic water
One week after the storm has passed and your neighborhood is still in
ruins with no sign of help on the way, combine Southern Comfort and gin
in a cocktail glass. Fill remainder with tonic and add a dash of
Angostura bitters. Serve with a nut brownie.
Before drinking, raise the glass and say the toast, 'Doing a helluva
job Brownie

G and went to our office since the power is back on. We needed to lug our computers and files back and set up to get back to work Monday. It’s very quite over here, strangely quiet. I don’t know what to do with myself this weekend since nothing is going on and I’ve had the last few days to unpack, clean the house, etc. I never did go on the bike ride yesterday. I may ride with a friend tomorrow. Thankfully there's football to watch as a distraction.

G called his folks and they said they were told they should have power by 6pm tonight. That’s impressive. G’s brother who lives in Baton Rouge still does not have power. I need to refill my prescription, which means a trek to the Target on the Westbank. Hopefully I’ll find an open gas station. One good thing about only going to the in-laws to evacuate is I still have half a tank of gas.

I’m trying not to get excited about Ike yet. It is too far away to call accurately. I’m not paying any attention to what comes out of C. Ray’s mouth ever again. I’m only listening to Bob Breck and watching Weather Underground. I really don’t look forward to evacuating again or trying to get Hana into her cat carrier. She drew blood from both me and G when we were putting her in to bring her home. I wonder if there’s a small dart gun we could pop a tranquilizer into her, like they do on the wild life shows. I tried luring her in with shrimp but she’s too smart. The shrimp did get her out of her hiding spot. Speaking of shrimp, Kyoto, our favorite sushi restaurant reopened last night and it was packed. No Who Dat ?! rolls though – no oysters. Oh the indignity!

Slowly the city gets repopulated. When we drove in Wednesday evening, it was quiet, hardly any traffic. Yesterday, we had breakfast at Slim Goodies (reduced menu and cash only). We walked over to the just opened Breaux Mart to pick up a few things. A woman told us the butchers were in their way in and they would have meat in a few hours. The only other thing they didn’t have was bread, but she said she was working on that as well. The rest of the day was spent unpacking, cleaning up, upboarding etc. Later that day, we drove by Martins Wine Cellar on Magazine (closed) and Rouses. There was a line to get into Rouses and they had little produce and no meat, but everything else. We took Magazine from Napoleon down to Washington. Almost every restaurant was open! Walgreens was open as was the Bulldog, Balcony Bar and Rendezvous. After unloading our groceries, G texted the Mad Irish Man “Rendezvous is open.” He replied “I’m on my way.” We decided to be social and headed over. It was good to see familiar faces, sit in the AC and drink a cold pint. We walked over to Reginelli’s for dinner. It felt like Mardi Gras! The street was clogged with traffic and people were walking all over the place. The restaurants were packed. This just 24 hours after we got back into a silent city. I think I’m going to hop on my bike and explore and see if the power is back on at my office.

Plug: my friend's bar in Mid-City is open with cold beer, food, AC and TV: Mid-City Yacht Club, 440 South St. Patrick Street.

Saw this bumper sticker on a car in the Rouse's parking lot: "If you have been reading this for the past 14 hours, you must be evacuating."

It was so good to sleep in my own bed again. I’ve been on the move for the last 12 days having one adventure after another. Where to begin? I guess I will work my way backwards.

We arrived home yesterday around 5:00pm. We drove back home the way we came, on Hwy 61/Airline Hwy. It was smooth sailing except for traffic lights that were out; they became 4-way stops, which slowed things down. When we arrived home about 3 hours later (usually a 1.5 hr drive) G talked to one neighbor who was working in his yard and I talked to another over his fence. We unloaded the car and then looked around. A few sheets of corrugated metal got pulled off the shed roof but thankfully they didn’t go flying. A tree next to our house is now leaning towards the house. It didn’t fall on it and thankfully it didn’t take out the phone line. Fence neighbor said he didn’t notice any missing roof shingles on our house. I replied “there better not be, that’s a brand new roof.” The cats are elated to be back home. We have full power, water, phone and Internet. Today I will check out the grocery stores. We cleaned out the fridge before leaving so we need some perishables. It is very quiet. No traffic on the streets, no noise from the port. Just the occasional helicopter fly-over and a NOPD or a National Guard patrol drive-by.

It was miserable at Linwood. No power, no phone. The temperature was rising and the humidity was suffocating. The love bugs were swarming. Before we left, G helped his father put the window unit in so they could have AC. The cell signal was weak and many times in the middle of sending a text message I would lose the signal and have to try again later. It was a throw back to years past. My mother-in-law and I would sit on the back gallery fanning ourselves, trying to move as little as possible. Extension cords ran all over the place, plugging the TV and other things into the generator. You had to be careful not to trip over them.


Tuesday, the day after, would normally be clean up day but it was raining. Also, the debris was pretty big – whole trees were down, 7 total! It’s a miracle that none fell on the house. We did all go out to clear the mile-long gravel lane that leads to the street. No major trees fell, just large limbs, something we could handle.

Two large oaks that went over

G next to roots for scale

So sad.

We watched the local news and they did a good job covering the whole state, not just the Baton Rouge area. The press conferences by Gov. Bobby Jindal were a test of patience. He said so much and talked so fast you would zone out only to snap to when you heard something that was important to you. WWL 870 am was also a good source of information. Reading some of my fellow bloggers, there were many complaints about CNN.

Quick post - we are home and have power, phone and water. Not sure about internet. We are glad to be back! More details to come.

It is coming up on 8pm. I haven't been able to log in to make an update. The wind is still blowing but the worst is over. Several big trees blew over but none on Linwood (the house). The generator is going and we will be eating dinner soon.The poor kitties have been hiding under a bed all day. But we are all doing fine.

Uptown New Orleans seems to have suffered only minor damage which is encouraging.

We are coming up on 4pm. At 2:45 the eye wall passed near us at Zachary, LA. It has been pretty bad ever since. Strong winds plus huge gusts. Lots of limbs down - one whole pecan tree over and a front window got blown that G and his dad had to board up. But they got the generator going which is running the fridge and TV. This is worse here than it was for Katrina because the storm is west of us - Katrina was east. But all in we are fine.

12:44pm and we just lost power. The wind has picked up with some pretty strong gusts. The wind is coming from the east which means the eye is due south of us. A steady light rain and just some small branches down. Now is when things get boring but I will take boring right now.

It is just after 9am here at Linwood (name of my in-laws house) I was just going to write it has been quiet, just a steady breeze with a little bit of wind, but the first gust just blew. We feel fortunate we still have power - we are out in the country with plenty of trees. We know it is not IF the power goes out but when. We are prepared. I got a full night sleep and long hot shower, but feel drained from a week of travel and the last couple of stressful days. But I can relax for now. Maybe I will plug in my computer, download my trip photos and write up some notes from my trip. Or maybe I will go sit out on the gallery and watch the wind. Or maybe take a nap.

I did want to do my "national news is crap" rant. If you really want to know what is going on in New Orleans, log on to NOLA.com or Google "New Orleans news" and check out the local tv stations' web sites. Turn off CNN and Fox. Watching them after Katrina I can tell you they make stuff up or pass off speculation as fact.