The Conversation

Our first night in Utah. We've been traveling, so decide we are tired and want rum and cokes. Lithus googles "bars" and we head to the grill next to the highway. We were barely three steps in when I realize we have made a mistake. Lithus and I are talking about it when a sweet, young hostess comes over, gets reallyclosetous and speaks.

Sweet Young Hostess: "Hi, welcome to the grill next to the highway. Two?"
Lithus: "Do you have a cocktail lounge here?"
SYH: "Do ... we have ... a what?"
Lithus: "Do you have a cocktail lounge here?"
SYH: "Do we have a cocktail lounger?"
Lithus: "No, a cocktail lounge. Here. On site."
SYH: "A cocktail lounger... wellll...there's a bar."
Lithus: "Yes. Excellent. Then yes, two please..."
SYH: "But not here. There's a bar in town."
Lithus: "But not here."
SYH: "Well, it's here. Just not here."

Who's on first?

An Arizona Aside

Starbuck and I are hanging out. A lot. Our guys like each other. We like the other's guy. And we haven't stopped talking since I got to town. We both keep talking about how we hope the other doesn't tire of it first, because we can't get enough of the other. So far, it's working.

Lithus gave her a tour of his office the other day...

But It *Is* A Dry Heat

I missed a memo. That's the only thing I can figure. We've been in Arizona almost a week now, and I have just now figured out that when locals tell me I should be miserable in the heat, I need to agree that I am, I am. It is horrible. Hellish. I am indeed miserable.

And don't get me wrong: It's fucking hot. 100 degrees, 108 degrees...yeah, it's hot. But so is New Orleans. Shhhh....just don't say that too loudly. I am actually incredibly grateful Lithus and I are acclimated to 90+ degree temperatures with 75+% humidity, so we aren't completely dying here, because it is indeed hot. We just...aren't hot enough? Or something?

Regardless, I've learned. YES! Yes, it is hot and I am miserable! Miserable, miserable, miserable ~ and so grateful I'm used to it being hot. ;)

Wheels Up!

We hit the road again tomorrow. Arizona, then Utah. I haven't traveled since November. I can hardly stand myself I'm so excited.

The project is scheduled to be a 2 week on-2 week off deal. Only the second pilot is hung up in INS out of Canada. So, could Lithus fly for at least two weeks, but possibly six, depending on how long immigration takes? Of course, he says!

Yesterday, he called to check in. Looks like the customer may want both pilots, two helicopters, full bore 'til it's done. But they may not be. Is Lithus willing to stay out indefinitely? So long as Pobble is with me, sure, he says.

What does it mean? It means we are on the road again ~ and we have no idea when we're coming back. Maybe two weeks. Maybe the first snowfall in Utah. We'll just see.

Random NOLA

This is indeed still a travel blog, but I'm not traveling much these days. For a long time, that meant I wasn't updating here, either. Then it dawned on me: I live in New Orleans. Other people come here for vacation. Other people put my home on their travel blogs. So, why shouldn't I?

Every city I've ever been to has delightful, random happenings any given day, if you're just willing to see them. Thank goodness, New Orleans is no different.

Outside the coffee shop on the way to the grocery store:

The basketball game being set up in the road, just outside the Jesuit Cathedral:

Free jazz in the park on Thursdays:

And the shortest, most random, unexpected parade we've ever stumbled upon:

That was it. That was the whole parade. We hardly missed a traffic light rotation. Gotta love it.

Who am I kidding? You just gotta love my whole town.

French Quarter Fest

Down here in N'awlins, we measure time in festival seasons. Everybody knows about Mardi Gras. Many people know about JazzFest. But, oh, those are just the beginning. Just in the summer, we have New Orleans Wine and Food Experience. We have White Linen Night and Dirty Linen Night. We have so many festivals, it's hard to keep track of them. But they kick off the season with French Quarter Fest.

This year's FQF broke the single-day attendance record, with 303,000 people attending on Saturday. No, that isn't a typo. That's three hundred, three thousand people. Packed into the (not square) blocks that is the French Quarter. That's this:

Realistically, those 303,000 people were mostly gathered within these yellow lines:

And specifically, clustered in these areas:

The word you're looking for is madhouse. Delightful, colorful, musical madhouse.

It starts small, so you think it's not as crazy as everyone has said.

A nice jazz band, reasonably accessible concessions. Great people watching.

Trust, these guys were swinging

Walk right up crawfish

People watching the dancers; just a couple enjoying the band

Aaaaand, realizing I'm being people watched right back

Then, as you move on, you realize it is getting more crowded.

See? More crowded.

Maybe by a lot

Okay, definitely by a lot

A whole lot

But the stages get bigger, too:

As do the concessions:

Until there's nothing left to do but head to the secret coffee shop that is rightthere, but no one knows about it:

Please note: quiet and empty. Also? No address or map telling you where to find it. Yeah, that's intentional.

And retreat back all of three blocks to the CBD. The very empty CBD:

Only thing missing is a tumbleweed

If you go for an hour, a day, or the whole weekend, one thing can't be denied: NOLA sure as hell knows how to throw a party.

The guy in the hat ended up in several pictures. We were on the same path and mosey pace.

One hell of a party.

And All The Rest. Mardi Gras, 2013

And to think, it was a tame season because of the "cold" and the rain.

Zulu and Rex:

And then my batteries died. But I got them changed in time for the evening...

The Aftermath

Throwing beads from the balcony

Impromptu dance party to the drums

Balcony decorations

Sports coat and boxers

The Good God Guys

Yes, it's a weed van

Selling drinks outside the bar

EVERYWHERE sells alcohol