A day around NOLA
“I’ll get you drunk cheap” — the man says while gently swaying as though following a rhythm in his head that only he could hear. Carly and I glance at him with a look of surprise on our faces. Unsolicited attention seems to be the theme here in the French Quarter.
“Can you get the baby drunk cheap?”— responds Carly with a tinge of amusement in her voice. We walk away before he has a chance to respond, pushing the stroller through muddy rainwater puddles.
Wondering through the French Quarter fuels a sense being alive. There is music everywhere and delicious smells tickle your nose as you walks down the narrow streets. There are so many different kinds of people out and about and even the unsavory types seem harmless. Carly and Derek tell me there is a lot of violence in New Orleans but somehow I only see through my rosy colored glasses. The urban mess is enchanting.
So I broke my phone the night before. Carly and I had made a plan in order to avoid the crowds on Black Friday. We were going to the mall as soon as it opened and Carly would drop me off and come back to pick me up at the entrance since she would most likely not be able to find parking. Lydia, of course, had a different idea. Everything changes when there is a baby around. The baby trumps all of your plans. So while Carly was working on calming a teething baby, I made us some tea and French toast in a mug. I had seen the recipe the day before and decided to try it. It worked out really well even with gluten free bread and almond milk. The Darjeeling tea was delicious. It made me want to watch the movie again because I don’t really remember much beyond the main plot.
Derek came home from work early and was nice enough to hang out with Lydia while Carly and I went to the mall. Near death experiences seem to abound. However, once I got in — they replaced my phone at no cost. It was pretty awesome!! I don’t have all my apps and things are not in the same order but at least I have a working phone.
Then we got back, ate and went back out around the city. We ended up at this lace called “the bulldog.” It was so refreshing to just talk about the old days, the new days and days that haven’t happened yet. I feel so blessed!!
I’m falling asleep while typing this. To be continued…
Nov 27
