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New Orleans Day 2: The French Quarter

Of course the first place I had to see in New Orleans was the French Quarter. I mean, it's so famous that even Disneyland has a replica of it. It has come to epitomize the city just as... I can't think of anything clever to put here. It's late, and I just want to put up these pictures, so I can go to bed. That's what happens when you save your blogging till the end of a long day. Anywhoo... here are some pictures of the French Quarter (with a little commentary).

The first thing I think of when I think of New Orleans is wrought iron balconies with lots of lacy ironwork. In this, I was not disappointed.

The second thing I think of is Zataran's, the taste of New Orleans, which is basically red beans and rice, or you can get dirty rice, jambalaya, etc... The options seem to be endless and while I enjoy a good serving of Zataran's bought at my local grocer, I wanted to try the real thing. We stopped by this restaurant because we were told it had the best gumbo. We sampled the gumbo, jambalaya, and fried chicken. The gumbo and jambalaya were really good, and I just felt blessed that I didn't get food poisoning from the undercooked chicken.

Then we strolled around for a bit. Peter was really tired.

Here's what the French Quarter looks like:

I loved all the shutters on the houses and buildings. I don't know why the appealed to me so much. I guess I'd like to have the option sometimes of shutting everything out, like hurricanes.

I really wanted to see Bourbon Street. I just had to find out for myself if it really smelled like vomit, alcohol, and urine like everyone says. We walked along the street for a bit, and honestly, the smell did get stronger as we neared that section, but we veered off. There was more to see than people hunched over the sidewalk at 3 in the afternoon.

Here's an interesting fact about New Orleans: it's old. In fact, it's so old that the streets all used to be called something different when Spain controlled the land. Every corner had some nice tile plaques telling us what the streets used to be named.

Even though Mardi Gras was a long time ago, there are still beads hanging EVERYWHERE!

We walked through Jackson Square where there is a long row of fortune tellers asking to tell your fortune. I was kind of tempted. There's a beautiful cathedral named after Louis Armstrong (not really - it was probably named after one of those French kings.)

We paused for a family self-portrait.

By this time, we were ready for some world famous beignets at Cafe du Monde.

The cafe was packed! But we found a good seat and waited for a very weary server to come take our order. We passed the time by taking photos.

{The camera totally caught the man at the table next to us watching.}

And then our beignets and hot cocoa finally arrived. So much powdered sugar.

I told Amanda that I wanted a picture of myself eating one (because why not). I didn't know she'd document my whole meal.

Including how I got powdered sugar all over my chin. It's actually really hard not to do that.

Afterward, we stopped by the Mississippi to say hello.

There's the St. Charles streetcar. It just started running again for the first time since Katrina.

The sun was setting and little Peter was getting tired, so we decided to go home. Next up: a famous plantation.

New Orleans Day 1: Thanksgiving

(This entry might as well be called "The Cutest Nephew Ever" and you will see why. I had to restrain myself from too many photos. More will be posted on my flickr soon.)

I arrived in New Orleans around midnight on Wednesday, so my first real day there was Thanksgiving. In the morning, I went with Mike to pick up some food for the missionaries made by a woman in their congregation. Her name was Iris and after Mike told me that she had survived a heart attack, a stroke, and now had cancer, I expected an older lady. But Iris was young and so generous and kind. I wanted to go with Mike because Iris also lived in "the ghetto" and I am somewhat ashamed to admit that I wanted to see what it was like. I guess I wanted to go slumming for a bit, and I also wanted to see some of the effects of Hurricane Katrina. However, it was hard to tell if the boarded windows and crumbling exteriors were actually from Katrina. They seemed so comfortable and part of the scene that it felt like it must have been like that for years and years. Even though I had my camera in my lap, I never did take any photos. I kind of regret it now, but at the time, it felt wrong somehow. But we passed by a wide expanse of apartment buildings (projects) that were all boarded up, and I couldn't believe the signs warning that "No Animal Fights" were allowed. And there was a creepy old elementary school built on stilts. The second floor was falling to pieces, but there were still vibrant murals of children jumping rope. But Iris's home was warm and welcoming. We picked up the food and took it to the church for the missionaries. There we also picked up tables and chairs to accommodate the 16 guests (plus babies) at our meal.

Mostly I got to play with Peter, though. I hadn't seen him since he was just a month old, but now at 7 months, he's much plumper and much more fun (meaning that he didn't cry every time I tried to hold him). He likes to roll around a lot right now. And loved to watch me play with the tiny little soccer ball.

Meanwhile, Mike and Amanda did all the hard work. Mike basted the turkey every half hour until it turned golden.

Amanda decorated the tables: Pilgrims and Indians.

I liked the little Mayflower placards.

Peter was all dressed in fall attire.

We had lots of spare time before the guests arrived, so I relaxed in the rocking chair.

Then the big feast. Mike and Amanda had invited several couples from church, along with some other post-docs from Mike's department at Tulane. They all brought dishes to share, so along with more traditional fare, we also had ham fried rice, shrimp rolls, beef jerky, and cornflake marshmallow treats. We had so much turkey that we kept telling people to take some as they left. And they all did, so no leftover turkey sandwiches for us, making it perfectly acceptable to eat out in the French Quarter the next day. But that entry will have to wait until tomorrow.

Birthday Flowers

I had almost forgotten that I took a picture of the beautiful flowers my roommate brought home for my birthday. I loved having them on my night stand, if only for a little while.

Phew...

Just got back from Nawlins (that's how the locals say it) late last night. Lots of pictures to upload and sort through, and I'll be writing about my trip soon, but here's a brief list to get you excited:

1. gumbo, jambalaya, poboys, and even a pizza with mushrooms.
2. wrought iron balconies!
3. an alley of really old and large and beautiful oak trees.
4. the cutest nephew ever!
5. football?
6. beignets loaded with powdered sugar that gets all over you.
7. cemeteries!
8. mansions.

But for now I have to work. Bah.

Birthday Weekend

The great thing about having your birthday on a Monday is that you get to celebrate the whole weekend before your birthday. That's what I did. It started off with the Of Montreal concert on Friday night. I think this was my fifth time seeing Of Montreal. Funny thing is, their concert was one of my first ever blog entries. (I like to think I've come a long way from that.) Of Montreal used to play for small crowds at Kilby Court, until The O.C. featured one of their songs and then they came to Lo-Fi Cafe (a mid-sized venue, now closed down). But then the Outback Steakhouse got hip to their poppy tunes and changed the lyrics to one of their songs and now Of Montreal plays at one of the worst venues in Salt Lake (but much bigger), In the Venue (also one of the worst named venues). The doors opened at 6. There were two opening bands. I did the math and planned on being there around 8:30 or 9. Tanker was coming with me, and he was all for 9 because who wants to sit through two opening bands, especially when you have a cold. I was out running errands when Kylie called to let me know (at 8:00) that Of Montreal was starting right then! I had to high-tail it downtown. I missed the first three songs. Tanker, in the throes of laundry at the laundromat, missed the first hour. But the ill-timed start of the concert wasn't what disappointed me in the show. It was more spectacle than usual. Don't get my wrong - I love spectacle. In fact, it's one of the reasons I go to Of Montreal shows, but somehow I felt disconnected from the performance. Could be that I was standing behind the sound guy, further away from the crowds, but I think it was also the set up of the band and how disconnected they were from each other (as Kylie observed). It was still a fun show, and I kicked myself for my bad planning. But it may also be my last Of Montreal concert. That makes these photos a little bittersweet.

On Saturday, Judy threw me a birthday party. Kylie and Jonathan were among the first to arrive. Basil was really excited to see Cosmo, Judy's big dog (much bigger than Daja, their pug). He started crawling towards it first thing.

But quickly got distracted by the fringe of the rug.

I tried to entertain him with my camera.

More friends showed up later, but I got too distracted by having fun to take pictures.

On Sunday, I went to my mom's house for a little family party. On the way there, I just couldn't get over the sunset. It was so bright and cheerful. I made the drive a little longer and went up by the This Is The Place Monument, trying to get a good shot.

On my way back to my mom's, I noticed this statue for the first time. I stopped to look at it more closely. I liked it better when I thought the kids were holding up jars with fireflies in them. But I guess the Olympics were okay, too.

I have to admit, I wasn't terribly happy this morning. This birthday has been kind of hard. The big two nine. The reminder of one more year gone just exacerbated the already ever-present feeling that I should have things more settled than I do right now. Add to that work issues and I wasn't feeling up to snuff this morning. But congratulatory texts, facebook messages, a great lunch with Emily, pumpkin bars at work, dinner with Kris, flowers, the promise of a pedicure and watching the worst ever season finale of The Bachelor tonight turned my day around. I guess this might turn out to be a pretty good year.

More Photobooth

Just What I Needed

Season 4 of Project Runway starts tonight! I need some Tim Gunn in my life. Now I just have to find someone with Bravo.

Latest Obsession

Scrabulous on facebook. I hate Scrabble so much. I don't know why I play this game, but I can't get enough of it.

(I purposefully chose the one game I am currently winning out of the four I'm currently playing. I really suck at Scrabble.)

Logan Revisited

Kris and I have been talking about driving back up to Logan where our friendship first began and visiting the scenes of our time at Utah State. We finally got a chance to yesterday. While the leaves in Sardine Canyon were long gone, I still anticipated my favorite curve where you see Cache Valley all laid out in front of you.

We went straight to campus and parked on Old Main Hill. Earlier in the week, the forecast had threatened rain, but luckily the rain waited until today. Yesterday was sunny and mid-60s with a crisp breeze. Perfect. We stood at the top of the hill and looked out over the town.

The Quad was always my favorite part of campus and where I spent most of my time. My classes were mostly here in the English Bldg.

We went inside the building because I wanted to see if my picture was still up on the wall. It wasn't. Then we walked across the breezeway to the Family Life building where the Interior Design program is housed. Apparently there was quite the scandal in the ID department a while ago when they found out that the head of the department was hoarding all the students' fees. He's no longer the head of the department and the money was used to buy new desks for the studio and to spruce up the offices. Here's Kris at the newly designed office:

Part of why I love the Quad is that it's the only place on campus with really great architecture. I've always loved the style of the Family Life building, especially these doors.

And the little frieze that goes around the building.

But there was something missing on the Quad, the Merrill Library! They completely tore it down just after I left, but I had forgotten all about that so it surprised me to have that whole space open.

Here are the English and Family Life buildings from across the Quad.

We wanted to visit the bookstore and maybe purchase some Aggie paraphernalia. I couldn't find anything I liked. It was all gray and blue, unlike Purdue attire that ranges a rainbow of colors. We wondered the halls of the student union for a moment. Here's the patio. I never sat out there, but I had to cross it a lot.

Old Main is the flagship building of Utah State's campus. I love it.

This is the A at the top of Old Main.

And this is Old Main Hill. I walked up it once. It's one mother of a hill. I never parked below it again.

When I worked at National Scenic Byways, we were located in a little room at Old Main. Since I didn't have a computer until my Senior year, I also spent a lot of time there writing papers, and even pulled an all-nighter or two. Ah, the good old days. I stopped by to visit on the slight chance that someone might be there, but the room was dark.

I took Kris to my favorite window in Old Main with a great view.

It happens to be located in the women's bathroom.

And here's one of Utah State's most venerable traditions, the True Aggie A by Old Main. In order to be a true Aggie, you have to stand on the A and kiss a True Aggie at midnight under a full moon.

Before leaving campus, though, (we were starving!), we stopped by the Interior Design studio where Kris spent all her time.

It just so happened that the student who had interned at Kristy's company this summer was there working on a project, so we were able to go inside and see the updates.

One of the students had a stack of books on Klimt, and I was feeling terribly nostalgic.

We still wanted to see more of campus, but we had to get something to eat first. After lunch, we drove past our old apartment and felt like we should just be able to hike the three flights of stairs and walk inside just as we used to. But we didn't get out of the car. Sadly, the cows were gone. A church was built in its place. Kris and I decided that to make our trip truly authentic, we had to browse the Ross Dress for Less close by our old apartment. Just like old times...

Afterward we headed back to the eastern half of campus. We wanted to see the new performing arts center and library. The performing arts place (and the museum) was closed, but the library was open. And it turns out, it's super nice.

But we had no idea where anything was. We used to know exactly where to find the art books, even if the room was dingy and dark. Now, all we could see were books on watershed management. We realized at the library that we hadn't taken any pictures of ourselves together yet, so we took advantage of the library backdrop.

Utah State may not be the most beautiful campus, but there was some ivy.

One final stop before leaving town, the Logan Temple. They were in between landscaping, so the flowerbeds were all turned over and the fountain was cleared out.

It was starting to get late, so we wanted to get going.

But I wanted to get one of those really great photos of the temple first, so we tried to find a good spot. It proved a little more difficult than one would think. My first attempt:

Then we pulled around again and Kris took this one:

Here's the sky outside of Brigham City:

One final stop before our day was over. Smith and Edwards, the County Boy Store is one of those institutions that every one in Utah, at least anyone who has driven the stretch between Logan and SLC, knows about but probably never takes advantage of. I had been once, years ago, but Kris had never been so lucky. I felt like it was something she had to experience before leaving the country for England.

You can get pretty much anything at Smith and Edwards. And just so you know, you can register for your wedding there. In fact, you might want to register for one of these lamps. The great thing about them is that not only can you find something regardless of whether you're interested in dragons or dolphins, they are touch lamps. And for $19.99, it's a steal!

The last time I was at the country boys' store, I found all sorts of great square dancing attire. This time, all I could find were these hats.

Visiting Logan felt so comfortable. It brought back so many great memories, but it was also fun to talk about the future, i.e. my visit to England in the (hopefully) near future.

Relics of My Younger Self

When I moved this last time, I took a whole lot of boxes with me that were just sitting in my mom's basement. I had packed them up when we moved in 2002 or thereabouts out of the house I grew up in. I finally started sorting out the contents and keep finding old treasures that I had completely forgotten about and still don't know what to do with. I mean, it makes sense that I would throw away the empty container of pina colada lip balm I bought in Montana when I was 9. Why do I need that? But then I realize that I've had the lip balm container FOR 20 YEARS and wouldn't it be a shame to throw it out now? So I stuck it in my to-be-decided-upon-at-a-later-date pile. There were some real treasures that I had forgotten about but stumbled upon again, though. One of them was this:

This is my hand when I was 5-years-old. Th strange thing is, it's honestly not that much bigger 24 years later. I inherited my Granny's small hands and short frame and the rest of my giant family never lets me forget it.

And if you want to know anything about me at all, you should realize that these books completely shaped my existence.

I read them over and over again when I was growing up. Forget about Anne of Green Gables, who was very annoying after all with her pride (just forgive Gilbert already!) and her winning ways (you always knew that the crusty old woman introduced at the beginning of book would wind up loving Anne's irrepressible spirit). I was all about Emily of New Moon with the Flash (always in italics) and her writing and her deep connection with Teddy (who I secretly wanted to rename Freddy because somehow that name was better) and her slow smile. I wanted to be Emily. And sometimes I wonder if I identified with the characters because I was already like them in some way or if my character was shaped by their identities. Does that really matter even?

Wedding Bells Are the New Awesome

My friend, Betsy, whom you may know from the incredibly popular blog, the new awesome, got married on Friday. She invited us all to celebrate with her on Saturday evening at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building downtown.

Since she's from San Francisco, this meant that a whole bunch of other friends I rarely get to see came to visit, too. It felt like a big reunion. On Friday night, a bunch of us ate dinner at Koyo. Since there were so many, we had to reserve the banquet room. It felt like having a wedding luncheon, sans the bride and groom, who had other things to do that night. Saturday morning, we all met up again for a big breakfast at Johanna's. I just went for the company because I had already had scrumptious French toast, sausage, and eggs made by Monsieur Tanquer. And then we all gathered again for the ring ceremony and, of course, food. We figured that this might be one of the most well-documented wedding receptions ever, given the number of Betsy's friends that have blogs (Bryton's already gotten in on the action) and the number of cameras that were there. You can get a hint based on this picture of Betsy and Steve cutting the cake.

Always one to follow the crowd, I took my fair share of pictures. Basil was a big hit at the party. Everyone wanted a chance to hold him (but guess what - he only falls asleep on my shoulder).

{Judy and Emily}

{Danny teasing Basil with his pacifier.}

{Basil chilling at the table.}

Then there are the posed photos, like this one of Lee and Damian. So suave!

And Nate and Emily, both looking totally hip.

Kylie and I were taking artsy photos of the centerpieces.

Here's my attempt:

The reception was on the top floor of the building, and I liked how you could see the chandeliers and the ceiling reflected in the glass all evening. The way the ceiling was painted almost made it look like the sun was permanently trying to set.

Keith was totally trying to win the ladies' hearts by playing with the flower girls. (It was working.)

Courtney played with Betsy's beautiful bouquet (how's that for alliteration):

Judy got her turn with Basil.

And Betsy finally had a chance to come over and chat with us for a bit. I believe we were talking about the honeymoon in this series of pictures.

Congratulations Betsy and Steve!

Euros Childs (formerly of Gorky's Zygotic Mynci)

My jaw dropped when I saw on Pollstar a couple months back that Euros Childs of Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, a Welsh band, was coming to the ol' SLC. It didn't matter that it was at the Urban Lounge, my least favorite venue. I still had to attend.

I'm not the one to give a history of Gorky's. Really I'm more of a fan by association since they just happen to be favorite band of my best friends. Here are two videos that kind of show their evolution. The first is for the song "Merched Yn Neud Gwallt Eu Gilydd," and they look super young! I believe it was recorded in the early 90s.

They're a little older in this one for the song "Iechyd Da."

Unfortunately, the band broke up in 2006. Now Euros Childs has several solo albums and the tour was in support of that. I'm not as familiar with his solo work, but here is a favorite song from the album Chops

Hi Mewn Socasau

And even more unfortunately, the concert was not as well attended as it could've been. In fact, most of the people were there to see the accoustic guitar, coffee house stylings of a U of U grad student in poetry, Kathryn Cowles. Funny story about Kathryn Cowles. When I was in high school, I was the Sterling Scholar in English for Alta. I made it past the regional competition and on to the state finals where I was bested by none other than Kathryn Cowles. Although, I believe she got second place, but I'm not exactly sure. It was, after all, ten years ago. So I think we were the only fans there, all three of us. The rest of the audience was made up of loud talkers who had sense enough to know that the music was great to dance to at least. Except for the really drunk guy who made his presence known through woofing (think Aresinio Hall style, with his hand in the air) and yes, even howling during the slower parts of the song with comments such as, "Pick it up!" He asked each one of us at some point throughout the show whether or not we wanted to dance. We didn't. At least, not with him. But it was still a great show and I'm so glad we got a chance to see Euros because chances are he won't be coming back again. Here are a few more pictures from the show.

Let's also just say that it would take A LOT to get me back to the Urban Lounge any time soon.

All Hallow's Eve

I really missed being a kid yesterday. But at least I could watch Claire be a kid dressed as a flapper. She even did the Charleston.

Here's the flapper and the frog.

Get it, the frog? Because Isabelle was dressed as a Frenchman... the frog... ha ... ha... sigh.

More pictures of Claire. She was exhausted after trick-or-treating.

But the thought of all that candy ... she just couldn't sit still.

Matt serenaded us with the guitar.

I was in costume, too. Kind of.

And I'd like to point out my adorable nephew, the pumpkin eater.

Thanks for Water

My roommate and friend, Judy, is spearheading a way for us to end poverty and hunger. Sounds like a big deal, right? It is. But it doesn't mean that it has to be hard. She is collecting donations to build a community water system in Nueva Concepcion, Guatemala. You can read more about it on her new blog, Thanks for Water. I am inspired by this project and by her desire to make a difference in the world. Please get the word out and, if possible, donate. She is accepting donations up until Thanksgiving.