Well it's been an interesting week since I blogged last. We did absolutely nothing Monday - Wednesday. I was still suffering with a headache and coughing and Jerry was just keeping me company.
Thursday, December 21 I rested a bit so we could go to the 16th Annual Spencer Bohren concert at Snug Harbor. (The main reason we came to NOLA in the first place.) Had bought our tickets 12/1 so were set. Took a different bridge over the Mississippi River - $1 toll (Crescent City Bridge) and it was jammed with rush hour traffic. However, we left early because we knew it would be busy. Arrived (after a few scenic mis-calculations) on Esplanade - heading south. What an amazing neighborhood (think we were probably in Fouberg Marigny). Low overhanging live oak trees, narrow streets, amazing NOLA style homes with front porches all decorated. Mansions with huge Christmas trees all lit, columns wrapped with red ribbons, lots of colorful wreaths with baubles on doors and windows. I can't begin to describe them...but trust me - amazing. Then turned onto Frenchmen Street (home of many restaurants, jazz clubs and poky places) Would have loved to have arrived early to explore....next time, I guess. We had never been in this neighborhood which is right to the East of the FQ. Fascinating.
Amazingly we found a place to park just across the street from Snug Harbor. I was glad as it was only 5:30 PM and the wind was already chilly. Got a wonderful seat in the restaurant section right in the window so we could people watch. The decor was festive and low-lit with tiny blue candleholders on each table. We had time to enjoy our adult beverage and dinner as the doors for the concert didn't open til 7. We finished and headed to the back of the restaurant to get in line for the concert...we were first. Chatted with the hostess. Pretty soon w heard someone tell the hostess that some people weren't going to be able to come to the 10 PM show and would donate their 2 tickets...well that's all J needed - Can we have them? We've driven all the way from Iowa and have paid for the 8 PM show! Sure...Yippee. Soon, Spencer and his wife, Marilyn came and greeted us and took Jerry into the show area to save our seats and two for their friends traveling from Atlanta - front row right corner. The venue was small and intimate. Probably about 50 small wooden tables with the same blue candle holders and stainless aluminum? chairs around. Christmas lights on the balcony with greens added to the festive stage decor of palm trees superinposed with a light on the Snug Harbor sign. The stage was probably 30 x 15 and crowded with instruments including a baby grande piano. Spencer told Jerry as they were chatting that he had been there all afternoon setting up as he brought about 15 of his own instruments for the performers to use as it would have been a nightmare and a slow show if all had to move their own stuff up before their performance. (15 yrs of experience is worth a lot!) Finally the show started and it was so fantastic. Musical friends of Spencer's and two of is 4 children performed. He usually accompanied them either singing or playing an instrument or both. Very talented musicians from bass guitar to alto sax and a trio with drums, string bass and guitar played a variety of music. Each guest did 2 numbers, except for his son, Andre, who played Beethoven (1st show) and Chopin (2nd show) numbers which were astounding. Such talent to make those fingers fly and to do justice to these magnificent composer's music. His daughter, Corinna (from AZ - manages a ballet Company's 10,000 costumes) did a duet with Spencer - very sweet. These musicians all donate their performance at this annual event (Spencer does provide food and drink for them along with a tray of Marilyn's Christmas Cookies). The second show started about 25 minutes after the first one ended and was equally amazing. Both shows ended with the number, Mamba New Orleans Christmas and they passed out jingle bells to the audience to ring and sing along. Fun.
Even though I wasn't up to snuff, I thoroughly enjoyed the evening...(with enough drugs in my system...lol). Home about 12:30 PM...way past my bedtime! LOL
Friday, Dec. 21
Woke up feeling awful and my ears starting to hurt, so got on the internet and found a walk-in clinic. Got in right away at 10 and back out by 11:30 - not back for a WIC. Another (or continuing) sinus infection. This time got better drugs (z-pak), more cough syrup with codiene and non-drowsy benedryl (to dry me up.) This was a new idea to me and when I ?? the Dr. he said, well it is an anti-histamine. Well, I did know that and knew it would help keep from producing the histamines, but didn't know benedryl had drying up capablilities. Nice to know info since I can't take the sudafed-type drugs. He was kind of a jerk, though. Looked in my ears and just shook his head - a mess he said. I said, "infected?" I can't tell. (Well, I know I have weird ears, but he was kind of rude about it.) He said, well you have such a small face, I understand ...blah blah. At any rate, as he was leaving the room he asked if we had been enjoying our stay....duh - I've been sick... Well, enough. Picked up my prescriptions at Walgreen's, grabbed a fast-food grilled chicken sandwich and went home. We both took a nap as it had been a short night. Picked up the RV a bit to get ready to move on Sat.
Sat. Dec. 22
We got on the road about 12;30 PM yest. after dumping tanks. Ran along
southern area of LA - Highway 90 and then LA1 - small highways through the heart of Acadiana. Sights ran the gamut from beautiful mansions along the many bayous we
followed or crossed to tumbledown shacks and boarded buildings. Houma is a
beautiful area. So many waterways, bayous, canals, fishing boats, houseboats tied up, many bridges - some pontoons, all drawbridges. Most homes around here were not on stilts or raised so this area must not flood.
By 3:30 I'd had it - first day in a month with no nap and I had been up since 5ish. J pulled into a
huge marina area with probably 200 boat trailers attached to their pickups...
Also it said "swamp tours" and he was intrigued. Inquired at Bob's and no boat
tours - no customers. Bummer, but for $10 we could park here. Kind of high for
getting nothing except some brown grass, but he knew I needed to rest, so he
took it. Bless his heart, we had a beer and some soup for supper and he didn't
even complain. (The beer even tasted good to me so I must be getting better!)
First one I've had in probably a month.
Jerry's getting so good at setting up our tv satellite. Most often he guesses the satellite direction and he just sits the dish
down on the ground, screws in the cables and it links! Whatta guy. Didn't have such good luck with propane
heater, though. Hadn't used it since October, and it didn't want to start.
When I got up this am, it was going, so don't know what the problem was. Will travel again tomorrow....wandering slowly toward's our lot in Spring Branch, TX...need to be there by 12/30, so we're not in a hurry. Enjoy the poky little towns and byways.
No pix this time...sorry! Now that I'm feeling better, I will actually feel like taking some...was terrible being such a vegetable for so long! (Not sure what that makes me now...! LOL)
My new year's resolution is going to be not to hug, kiss or touch anyone or anything so I don't catch another virus! Or to invest in a huge bottle of hand sanitizer! LOL
Want to wish all of our family and friends who travel along with us a Merry Christmas. Please enjoy your time with family and friends, (give them an extra tight hug this year), Christmas Eve services, caroling, and all the fun things that go along with the holiday. We are grateful that Jesus was born and came into our lives.
God Bless and Merry Christmas to you all. Love, Sue & Jerry
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