Day 245, 9/2/2013 - Eat, John, Marilyn and I went for an early lunch in the hotel at Drago's Seafood. John talked about how good their charbroiled oysters were and he did not lie. They were wonderful. We also shared crab and cheese dip since Marilyn detest oysters. The Fried Shrimp Remoulade Po-boy was great. We walked a bit in hopes of finding paper for our new pens. When none was found at the near by Canal Street shops I returned to the hotel to rest my foot before walking more at the airport. Once at the airport I had a New Orleans style Bloody Mary with green beans, pickled okra and an olive. Just the right spice. Since I had a lot of time to kill, I later had Corn & Clam Chowder & biscuits from Copeland's. Not bad. Pray, I pray that I have an uneventful flight. Other than the fact that it was overbooked it was fine. I could have got a $500 voucher, hotel and flight tomorrow (Tuesday) morning. Wish that I didn't need to get back for work, it was tempting. Joy, my joy is in the entire long weekend spent with friends and my souvenirs. One is the glass ink pen, it writes so smoothly and for several lines before needing more ink. Can't wait to have a note to send to someone.
Day 244, 9/1/2013 - Eat, lunch was at the famous Galotoire's. John wore his seersucker suit for the last time of the season and Marilyn and I dressed for the occasion as well. This is old elegant style dinning. Peter, our requested server, treated us like New Orleans royalty. I had Red Fish Almandine with lump crab meat, melt in your mouth goodness. What a treat after lunch, the Cafe Brulot. Coffee boiled with cloves, cinnamon sticks, orange, liqueurs, etc. that steep with the coffee making each cup better than the last. Peter flamed it right at the table and poured it up hot. I usually have coffee with milk but this had such a good flavor once steeped, no milk needed. Dinner was at the famous Pat O'Brians. I of course had a Hurricane to drink but did not keep the glass knowing I already had one glass to hand carry back to Dallas. We stopped by the Carousel Bar for another ride before leaving town tomorrow.
Day 243, 8/31/2013 - Eat, went to Napoleon House for lunch. We all had Pimms Cup to drink. Made with Pimm's No. 1, cucumber wheel, lemon wheel, lemon/lime soda and lemon twist, very refreshing. Shared a Muffaletta with John after the meat and cheese tray. Muffalettas are huge, we shared 1/2 so we were each full with 1/4. Visited shops and most every bought something. Mike bought quite an assortment of beads as it was Southern Decadence weekend in New Orleans. When in New Orleans, well suffice it to say, mild mannered Dr. Mike during the week, happy gay go lucky Mike when in New Orleans. We bought him a rainbow tutu and he was such a good sport to wear it the rest of the day. We all had fun watching people watch him! A great afternoon in spite of my aching foot. Dinner was at Galotoire's 33 Bar & Steak. Excellent dining experience in every way, from the host, food, service, servers, right down to the company, Marilyn and John. I had the 7 oz. Filet with sides of broccoli and potatoes au gratin, exquisite! We enjoyed cherry cheesecake paired with Elysium Black Muscat, perfect ending to our fabulous meal. Pray, continued prayers for my foot, it was quite swollen this morning and walking all day has not helped. We had another afternoon swim before going to dinner. The cool water and resting it for awhile helped. Taking a taxi to dinner also helped. Joy, my joy was in the evening dinning experience. I love to get dressed up and be treated well in a restaurant. John was such a gentleman the whole weekend. His mama raised him well!
Day 242, 8/30/2013 - Eat, made myself coffee in the room. We met John at the Rib Room for drinks before lunch there. Mike, the long time bartender was very good to us. Had my "stand by" drink, Cosmo and a new drink for me, a Sazerac. Made with exact blends of Rye Whiskey, Peychaud's Bitters, 1 sugar cube, absinth and twist of lemon peel. I was shocked that I actually liked it, however, too many could be dangerous. We had a couple of bottles of white wine with lunch, both were quite nice. I had crab cake and a Chicken Florentine entrée, both were excellent. Dinner was at Cafe Giovanni Italian. I had the Pasta Carbonara, delightful. Pray, I prayed that my foot not be too badly injured. Somewhere along our travels I stumbled coming down some stairs. Therefore I took my first ever Pedicab ride back to the hotel. Those guys work really hard for their money in my opinion. I was grateful for the ride from my friend, John. Joy, my joy was in being in and touring a city like New Orleans with friends, Jeremy, Mike, John and Marilyn. Especially John and Marilyn who know the city so well and were excellent tour guides.
Day 241, 8/29/2013 - Eat, stopped by the donut shop this morning after dropping my son, James, at the U-Haul place to pick up his moving van. I am so proud of him for getting his own apartment. He is doing so well, working and going to school. So grown up at 21, hard to believe he is all on his own. I know he is glad to no longer have roommates to deal with. No time for lunch as when I got to work all hell broke loose. The copier broke down with newsletters and church bulletins to print. A/C broke down in the newborn classroom of the pre-school. Payroll and payables to process. It doesn't sound like much as I write it down but I spent most of my day crawling around the workroom floor troubleshooting the printer problem and trying to find someone who could repair A/C today, not tomorrow or next week. I almost forgot to pay myself! Fortunate for me I have very understanding Cash Management people at our bank...yay, I will have money for my long weekend. Once at the airport I was able to relax and have a drink and some dinner before taking off for New Orleans. I had the appetizer smorgasbord. Parmesan Meatballs, Bruschetta and Bacon Mac & Cheese bites. As usual , ordered too much, left some behind. Arrived in New Orleans and we went for a late night drink at the Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone. With seats for about 25 guest you hop on for a ride for as many drinks as you dare. It takes about 20 minutes to make a revolution. I had their specialty drink, the Fleur de lis. Hendricks gin, St. Germaine, etc. Pray, I frantically prayed during the day that things would get fixed and I would accomplish everything in time. Prayers answered, praise the Lord. Joy, my joy is in getting away for a long weekend. I look forward to fun and relaxation.
