Good Eating - Redneck Style

Tonight I finally dug into my halibut. I had about 41 pounds in the freezer, and now its down to 39. I fried up two packets in peanut oil and Zatarain's Southern Style Fish Fry.

I then proceeded to eat and eat. I gorged on the beautiful white meat, and I am stuffed. No side dishes, no bread, no salad - not even french fries. Just golden brown perfectly deep fried chunks of Alaskan halibut. I did sprinkle malt vinegar on it and it was perfect. Just three minutes in the fryer is all you need.

Angie, Dylan and even Marissa loved it. Cassie didn't really give it a chance although I did make her try it. I wouldn't care if they all hated it - that would just mean more for me.

Dylan and I are already thinking about more ways to make it. He suggested a ceviche and I thought he was right on - that would be outstanding (Michele - get a recipe for that and I'll get the guacamole and the tortilla chips). We thought grilled (lemon-pepper style) would be somewhat boring, but still yummy. Blackened is another way we'll try it to.

I can't wait to get that deer so we go have some Redneck surf and turf.

SL

A Question: Is the halibut so delicious because I caught it, cleaned it, and cooked it? I know the dove breasts, catfish, and the turkey I've harvested were...there may be something to having caught it yourself. Maybe its more fresh that way. What do you think?

Pretty Veep

John McCain just introduced, "the next Vice President of the United States", Sarah Palin.

I'm struck by how attractive she is and how much of an interesting choice she is, but it is too soon to know whether she is a winning pick. She may be as the reaction from the press has been mostly very positive.

She is a true conservative.

She is a woman.

She is young.

I believe that the dems only chance of winning was a combined ticket of Obama/Clinton. Since they didn't go that way, I don't believe they can win - particularly in the fact that McCain is not the Bush 3rd term that the dems present him as...he is a moderate who has a history of working with Democrats.

As I hear Governor Palin speak, I'm beginning to think she's going to capture the Hillary vote, thus cementing another Republican white house. I still believe that is ok.

And besides, at least for the next couple of months, we'll have someone pleasant to look at during all those speeches.

SL

School Zones

The kids started school today and there was no drama of which to speak.

Dylan started High School today. If mom is suffering from this fact, she isn't showing it. I think that once Justin graduated a couple of years ago, she came to grips with her kids getting older. He had a good experience on his first day - leaving so early this morning for the bus that I never saw him. He couldn't stop talking about the Chipotle line at lunch and the senior girls, very many of which were "hot".

Marissa returned to junior high school. She really came into her own last year, and we look for her to continue. She was very nervous this morning when we met a couple of her friends at Starbucks. I don't think that the Vanilla Bean Frappaccino she order settled her stomach, but going to school with some girlfriends probably did. By the time we dropped them off at school, she seemed fine - and informs us she had a good day.

Cassie entered first grade today and has instantly fallen in love with her teacher. Angie met her this morning, and although she seems very young, she's got a couple of years under her belt. Cassie made a song up with lyrics that explain how nice her teacher is and how much she loves her. I hope that lasts through the year.

Angie and I start our classes tomorrow. She is taking English Comp and Art History. I am taking Business Communications and Strategic Management. I'm really excited for her, but not so much for me. I only have eight classes left and I am seriously getting burned out.

As much as I couldn't wait for the summer to be over, I can't wait for school to be done.

SL

It's Too Piercing

Cassie and I returned late last night from our holiday in New York.

The big story? She got her ears pierced, as promised.

We started talking about it on her firth birthday. I told her then that when she was ready, I would take her. I wanted to be a part of the momentous occasion. In fact, it is the second time I've taken someone to get their ears pierced. My Aunt Carole reminded me this past week that we took her when she decided to get her ears done (she was tired of being referred to as 'sir', so she thought getting her ears pierced would help - not sure if it had the desired effect, but I told her she might want to stop lurking in men's rooms, too).

Cassie contemplated it for her sixth birthday back in January, but ultimately deciding not to do it. Out of nowhere, she said she wanted to do it on her last full day in NY. I wasn't sure she was going to go through with it, but on Friday morning she continued to say that she was ready.

AMA took Cassie and I to the Piercing Pagoda in Roosevelt Field Mall. Paul's girlfriend, Jackie met us at Cassie's request. We had the cameras going and mom on the cell phone, so we were very prepared. Cassie picked out a basic Cubic Zirconium stud for her starter earrings, and AMA purchased matching pink heart earrings for her, Cassie and Jackie. She'll be able to get them going in six weeks.

After meticulously measuring the ink dots, signing the release paperwork, and with dad giving the final OK, the two attendants put guns to ear and squeezed. It was over before it started and Cassie said no big deal when she stated, "it really didn't hurt." She's since revised her story and said that it hurt bad, but only for an instant.

She looks so grown up and I can't believe how pretty she looks in all of the pictures from our week in the big apple. I guess she's growing up...she starts first grade tomorrow AND she lost her second tooth today.

Tomorrow, she'll be fighting the boys off like her twelve year old sister. Sheesh.

SL

New York Minutes

I am a man with two homes. There are two places on this earth where I am "at home". One is in Texas. It is where my home, my family and my future reside (at least my near future).

The other is where I am from - New York. Fortunately, because of the fact that I telecommute, I am able to spend a week "working" from AMA's house in NY, while she and Cassie get to play. Although I have gotten a ton of needed work done (all I need is my laptop, my mobile phone, and a broadband Internet connection), I have also had a great deal of fun.

On Sunday, AMA had a monster Hawaiian-themed cookout, making my favorite of hers - sweet and sour chicken. There were about thirty people at the house, including some old family friends that I hadn't seen since I moved to Texas over eight years ago. My aunt (AMA) knows how important that is to me. On one such visit, she surprised me by arranging family from Canada to be here. I cried.

I worked on Monday.

On Tuesday, I took the day off and several of us went to visit my sister who is living and working for the summer on Fire Island. We took the ferry over, sat on the beach, ate at the restaurant where she works (and got taken care of by the exec. chef), and generally had a great time. The scenery was pleasant and the weather outstanding.

On Wednesday, I worked, while the girls went into Manhattan. They spent the day at the American Girl Store buying a doll, accessories, having dinner, and taking in a show. However, the real show didn't start until I met them on Broadway, for "The Little Mermaid". I know it is a kids show, but it was OUTSTANDING. The singing, dancing, and production were just really amazing. I hate to admit it, but I had a wonderful time. Some of that wonder was just watching Cassie enjoy it.

I don't know what they are doing today, but I am working. I will try and go see my Mets play one last time this year, and say my goodbyes to Shea Stadium. It gets razed after this season and replaced by Citi Field right next door.

Tomorrow, I am also working, but will take an extended lunch to go get Cassie's ears pierced and to help AMA pick out a nice laptop so I can set her up before I go.

Who says you can't go home again - I go every summer, and I couldn't imagine not doing it. I want my family to know New York like I do.

SL

Open Letter to American Airlines

To whom it may concern,

I understand today's business environment. I understand that the ever increasing price of fuel is squeezing your margins and ability to operate profitably. I understand the costs incurred for additional security measures and safety protocols. I even understand the need to maximize revenue through baggage fees, snacks and ticketing assistance.

That being said, I truly believe that the problem with your airline and the huge operating losses that you are incurring has nothing to do with the above - it is a result of your totally and completely inept management.

During the past several months, I have been inconvenienced by your airline like no customer should ever be inconvenienced - yet, I continue to purchase your service. At this point, I must begin to ask myself why I remain loyal to your airline when I know that my loyalty is not returned. I know that my loyalty stems from the fact that I feel invested in American Airlines. For the last ten years, I have flown American Airlines as exclusively as possible, earning over 1.2M program miles. This year I have already flown American sixty times for over 85,000 elite miles. Yet, today, I find myself asking why.

Several months ago, I was stranded in Raleigh, North Carolina as your airline cancelled hundreds of flights to reinspect and repair your MD-80 fleet. You blamed the FAA for more stringent requirements, but we all realized the truth. You mismanaged the process and had to do it all over again. Every other airline seemed to manage this better than American, yet I remained patient, stuck away from my family, and waited for you to accommodate me. It only took three days.

Last weekend, I was stranded in Anchorage, Alaska with over $1,200.00 of thawing halibut as you cancelled my flight home. Correction - you didn't cancel the flight, rather it had been delayed for twenty four hours. Again, a situation of complete and utter mismanagement. We received no information for three hours while we waited. We then were instructed to claim our bags and go to ticketing for meal vouchers and lodging assistance. We claimed our bags, but when we went to ticketing, it was dark. After waiting for thirty minutes, we decided to get lodging on our own. I'm not sure what everyone else did, but I heard nothing about complaints about the rest of that evening.

The comedy of mismanagement continued as we reported for our "delayed" flight. Although reimbursed for our meals, taxi, and lodging - we were denied the storage charge for our fish. I presume the airline rather reimburse for $1,250.00 worth of spoiled fish rather than $29.00 for freezer storage.

Then, the crew arrived at departure time. Instead of boarding however, the captain wanted to test the engine for himself. I applaud his thoroughness, but I question why he didn't report early to the plane so that he could test and we could still leave on time. More mismanagement.
When we finally took off, I noticed that there were eight empty first class seats. It got me to wondering why the airline wouldn't review the passenger list and proactively upgrade it's executive platinum and then platinum frequent fliers. Inept management is my only answer.
Clearly, customer service is not as important as American Airlines communicates. It's clear in the state of the fleet, your management and your employees - some of the most bitter people I have ever run across.

Although I appreciate the 20,000 program miles that I received for this recent screw-up, and the $500.00 voucher I received for the inspection issue, I don't believe that your airline has done enough. I've been in customer service for well over a decade. Should I ever provide a service as poorly as American has provided, I would refund the customer completely.

Therefore, I respectfully request:
1) A $750 travel voucher to act as a refund for my round trip flights between DFW and ANC
2) Immediate designation of Executive Platinum status within the AAdvantage Program
3) Four VIP system wide upgrades
4) An additional 80K program miles
5) Your fervent pledge to replace all operational management with more able resources
and, finally, your immediate cessation of blaming September 11 for the airline's problems.

Clearly, 9/11 had nothing to do with your troubles. Your problems are of your own making.

Regards,

SL

Old Lady Grabs My Meat

Gotta love catchy titles.

Since we arrived in Homer late, and we had to get up at 5:00am to catch our fishing charter, we turned in early. Since Homer is really just a small fishing village, we weren't missing anything anyway.

We got to Bob's Trophy Charters at 6:00am. We had to pay for our two days of fishing and purchase non-resident Alaska Sports Fishing licenses. We did and were instructed where the boat was. In the office, they had a huge 5-ft (presumably over 300+ pound) Halibut replica hanging on the wall. That got us jazzed to catch the big one. We proceeded to find the Nauti-Lady and meet our crew and fellow fishers. (Clay fished with Bob's about a decade ago...the boat name is all he remembered. We googled it a couple of months ago and found the charter - last time they caught 80-pounders. We were hoping for that on this trip).

Day 1 was beautiful, but the seas were a little rough. The roughness was countered by the beautiful scenery, including a steaming volcano. Fortunately, fishing was good with lots of action. Between the two of us, we caught at least 20 halibut, but were only allowed to keep two each. I had the biggest on the boat for the day, at about 50 pounds. For the day, we had approximately 32 pounds of fillet meat.

Day 2 was more calm, but the fish weren't biting. We fished a spot for about four hours, with only two caught on the entire boat. The captain stayed there way too long in my opinion, and I got frustrated and took a break. He got a call and we motored to a different spot. Apparently, every boat in the bay did the same, but man were the fish biting. The second your line hit bottom you started getting bites. Clay and I probably caught a dozen each in those couple of hours, with about 50 pounders getting kept. I also brought up a large octopus, but we released it as someone else had just brought one up which was shot and used for bait. We ended up with 50 pounds of fillet meat, which almost became 34 pounds.

Homer has a fish processor that takes your meat, cuts it into smaller pieces, vacuum packs it and freezes it (assuming you want them to). They pick the fish up at the boat on the dock, so the first day, we just let them take the meat. The second day, we decided to go up to the processor to pay for their services. We didn't intend on catching up with our fish, but accidentally did - and noticed that our names were in the wrong color bin (we were blue tags both days). I inquired about this, and the old lady standing near the bin stated that she didn't know which color she was and things "got confused". I told her, "Bullshit they are confused - we are blue!" She proceeded to apologize and switch the names back. The blue haul - 50.2 pounds. The old lady haul - 34.0 pounds. At $15 / pound retail in Dallas, that comes to be $243.00 worth of fish.

We were so pissed, and the more we thought about it, the more pissed we got. We started wondering about our low take on day 1 - we thought we had a similar day 1 to day 2...but the weight was 18 pounds less. We steamed over the situation for the remainder of our stay in Alaska. Had we seen that lady again, we would have really let her have it. We learned a hard lesson - stay with your fish until it is weighed and you get a receipt. There are a lot of unscrupulous old people.

Afterwards, we had some beer-battered halibut, salmon, shrimp and scallops. That made me feel better.

Then American Airlines made me forget about the old lady. More on that tomorrow.

SL

On The Rocks

After sleeping in, we left for our seven hour ride to Seward on the Kenai Peninsula. The drive took us back through Anchorage and onward south. It was very picturesque, and somewhat interesting (in 1964 there was a massive earthquake that caused a 40-foot tsunami that drained the bay then devastated the area - the effects of which can still be seen - called Ghost Forests).

We arrived in Seward and walked the waterfront. We hadn't eaten real good yet (food is not that great in Alaska, although like everything else, it is expensive). We found a dinky little place that had fish and chips (using Halibut) and thought we'd try it. It was outstanding! We knew where we were gonna have dinner again.

The next day we started on our six-hour cruise through the Kenai Fjord National Park. The cruise touts itself as a way to see the wildlife and the glaciers of the area, and it didn't disappoint. Upon sailing, we quickly saw a couple of humpback whales, puffins, stellar sea lions and dahl porpoises. We also saw some amazing scenery. The glaciers were truly incredible. They are fed by the Harding Icefield and some are retreating and some are advancing. The boat parked about two tenths of a mile from the Holgate Glacier which is advancing into the bay. We listened to the ice crack and thunder into the water below, sometimes dropping the 300-400 hundred feet that the glacier stands. The pictures make it look small, but it is truly an awe inspiring sight. Some of the icebergs were as big as a car.

As you can tell, the cruise was absolutely stunning, even if we didn't see an orca. We returned to shore and headed right back to the halibut and chips. Since we were fishing in Homer early the next day, we were off for the four and a half hour drive.

A drive in which we continued not to see moose or eagles!

SL

Bear Emergency

On Saturday evening, we arrived in Anchorage with no difficulty. I had started in Houston in the morning, and was tired, but Clay and I were in Alaska and beginning our week long adventure.
Adventure turned to fear when I woke up at 5AM unable to swallow. There was something wrong with my throat, we were leaving for the wilderness of Denali in a couple of hours, and we were in Alaska...my only choice - wake Clay and go to the emergency room. I was afraid that I was having an allergic reaction, but the doctor informed me that I actually had trauma to my uvula (uvulitis - probably suffered yelling at the Mets-Astros game and I've since learned that I have an infection and my tonsils and throat are swollen). He told me not to worry and I would be fine.

So, we started the 4.5 hour drive to Denali National Park. Since we had a travel day, we had plenty of time and took it slow - soaking up the views and the mountains that seemed to never cease.

The next day we started our eight hour tour of the park. Upon entering the park, we quickly saw a couple of grey wolves (apparently a sight that isn't very common) and a red fox. We then ran into the grizzly bears. We watched a mother and two cubs avoid a big bull male. Would have been a sight to see them mix it up. We also saw a couple of caribou, several more bears, and several species of birds. We never saw a moose and that became the rallying cry for the rest of the week...

When we got to the end of the road within Denali, we took a quick look at Mt. McKinley (covered in clouds and virtually un-viewable, which is normal) and then maneuvered to get close to the grizzly headed our way. He got within about 30 feet of the tour bus which was really exciting. On our way out, we saw several more animals, and stopped to see the polychrome mountains. Their coloring makes them really beautiful.

We ended a very interesting day with dinner and a ton of great pictures and video.

SL

I'm Baaaaaaaaaaack!

I'm finally home (a day late thanks to American Airlines) and have caught up on some sleep. I am way behind since we got in a day late so I'll post about my adventure as soon as I can. For now, the following pic will need to suffice.

Needless to say....awesome.

SL

Gone Fishin'

I'm out of pocket for the next 8 days.

We leave for our second annual Mets Kick 'Stros Hiney game in Houston. From there, I leave for my arctic adventure in Alaska. I will take tons of photos and hopefully have amazing stories when I return.

See you in a week.

SL

What Was I Thinking?

Sometimes I act before I think. Sue me, I'm a guy and that's how I roll.

Often it gets me in trouble and the last couple of weeks has been no different. What has been different is that this has effected my professional life, where most of the time I'm screwing up my personal life. Need proof? Just ask Angie.

Although I've always thought about my career and where I'm headed, I've started acting on those thoughts. In many ways it is because I've landed at a great company that rewards success, because I work for a boss and my boss's boss who both are genuinely interested in the advancement of their people, and because I truly have a mentor off of whom I can bounce ideas. (That mentor is also the gentleman that I am going to Alaska with next week - stay tuned for adventure stories and pictures).

So, a couple of weeks ago I had a skip level meeting with my boss's boss (our SVP who is an OUTSTANDING LEADER - check his blog here). I told him that I thought I could add additional value in his organization and I gave him ideas on how I could do that. He agreed, and before the end of that day, he was sending an e-mail out to his staff informing them of a presentation I was going to give proposing a new function. I gave that presentation this week and it was well received. The net for me - more work, but a great opportunity.

During that skip-level meeting, I also asked for his guidance on potentially doing some speaking or publishing - you know, getting my name out in the field kind of stuff. There happened to be a conference coming up and I thought I might be able to speak there. He agreed with the idea and said he would make some phone calls. Within the next couple of days I was being contacted for my bio, publicity photo and abstract of my presentation. I'll be speaking at the Service Strategies Industry Summit in Las Vegas in October. I'm already nervous.

All I know is that it is great to work for people that aren't only interested in what they can get out of you. When I shared that with our SVP, he said that he much rather be discussing my advancement than doing all the other work he had on his plate.

I believed him.

SL

You Gotta Love a Woman...

...who likes to go to Bass Pro.

After church tonight, we decided to run to Bass Pro Shops. I needed to provision for my fishing trip to Alaska in a week, so we thought we'd run to the greatest dude playground on earth, buy some clothes, some rain gear, and just mess around.

Angie likes to go and so does Cassie...so there were no complaints to my idea.

A couple of weird things occurred while we were there, though. First, Angie found that she loves all of the antiques that are used to decorate around the store. I think she could do without the trophies all over the place, but she loves the old trunks, globes, and other junk used to decorate around the camo, fishing and hunting gear. She saw an old gas stove and fell in love with it...

Second, Cassie gets jazzed while we are there. She acted like it was the first time out of the house - ever! She was out of control...jumping on the boats, climbing in the little river, looking at the 5-foot alligator gar in the big fish tank. She just about drove us nuts tonight.

Thirdly, I realized that I needed every hunting aid in the store. Mojo dove decoy....need it! Static poseable dove decoys...must have them! More ammo...yes! Targets, clays, new sights....thank you! I could literally spend $30,000.00 there in an instant.

That takes us to our final point. Angie and I have been dying to get a boat. A sport-fishing boat that I can fish on, that the kids can tube/knee board/ski on, and one in which we can entertain on. That type of boat that can do all three is hard to find - AND NOT CHEAP. We think we found one, and we almost bought it. Can you imagine? I went into Bass Pro to buy a couple of pairs of jeans and rain gear, and I left with a boat.

Actually, we didn't as cooler heads prevailed - this time.

I don't think we'll be as smart the next as we get closer each time.

SL

Mets vs. Yankees

A day after them NY Mets have taken sole possesion of first place in the National League East, I couldn't have said it any better...

Shea Stadium vs. Yankee Stadium

The homes to these teams are both being replaced, but the memories enjoyed will never be.

Let's Go Mets!

SL

Sorry, But I Hate You...

...State of California.

I realize that I was taught that it was wrong to hate (I should "strong dislike" instead), but I really do hate California. I'm not entirely sure why, either - especially because two of my favorite cities are San Diego and San Francisco. As for the rest of the state, I'm waiting for the big one to plunge it into the Pacific Ocean.

I think it is because California reminds me of Europe so much. That's not to say that I don't really love Europe. In fact, I love Europe and hate California. So, I'm not sure how that works, but if you haven't clicked off this page by now, allow me to try to work through this.

I'm in California this week for work and will be back next week for some more work. My hotel (one I've never stayed at before and one in which I am very comfortable) has these signs up all over the place. This sign is a real symbol of why I hate California. Why would the state legislate the fact that these signs need to be posted every five feet where people are smoking? My problem is, this sign is up in the elevator, so I'm wondering if there is some kind of steel dust from the elevator cable that is slowly turning my lung tissue into a malignant ball of tumor.

All joking aside, does the state government (and ultimately the people they represent) really believe that we are so stupid that we need signs posted to tell us that smoking is occurring? Can't I just smell the cigarette smoke and make that determination for myself? Do I really need that level of protection from the state? I don't know why this pisses me off so much, but it raises my hackles. It would seem that the state has much bigger fish to fry like incessant traffic, out of control prices, and the Governator fixing "dis and dat".

Whenever I get the impression that government thinks we are dumb asses, I get really pissed. European governments are really good at this, too. Let us make our choices, even poor choices - and hold us accountable for the results. Don't try to protect us from ourselves...

...it's not what governments are supposed to do. Even in the state of Cal-EE-forn-EE-ah.

SL

Sin Cities

Justin and I flew in from our weekend in Las Vegas yesterday, and boy are my arms tired.


In fact, EVERYTHING is tired. It may have someone to do with our 8:10AM flight, or it may have something to do with the fact that sleeping, like eating, is a secondary body function and is optional while in Vegas.


I've been to Vegas many times and it strikes me as amazing that it is ALWAYS fun - and the city is always growing. Justin picked LV as his summer weekend trip and that was fine with me; it's been a couple of years since I've been and I was definitely ready for some blackjack.


Justin and I arrived Friday morning, checked into the California and proceeded to the buffet at Main Street Station. After brunch, we headed straight for Freemont Steet to see what was going on. We walked the entire length and then some ending (starting) at the El Cortez. The El Cortez may be the scummiest of casinos downtown, but I think it has a type of charm, like an old guy smoking through his stoma kind of charm...but charm nonetheless. We ended up buying into a poker game for $25 each. I ended up playing for about an hour before losing on a half bluff with a pair of 10's. We then walked back through Freemont, looking for a cheap poker tournament for Justin. We found one at Fitzgerald's and knew where Justin was gonna be the next day. We gambled and lost some more and then headed for our show - Blue Man Group at the Venetian. I had seen the show a couple of years earlier, but I knew that Justin would love it, so I got us tickets. They rocked, and I was right, Justin LOVED it.


The next day, Justin started his poker tourney, and I started my quest. After losing a bit at Fitzgerald's, I headed over to 4 Queens. I've always enjoyed 4 Queens, so I was looking to continue that love. I wasn't disappointed. After winning some at blackjack, I headed to the craps table. I rolled very well, as did some other players and quickly won $100 in about two hours. Justin texted me that he was second in chips with five players left. I was done with the queen, so I walked over to Golden Nugget. I was about to sit down at a table when I got the page, he was done. He ended up getting knocked out and ended up in fifth place...not in the money, but not bad for a tournament in Vegas with sixteen players.


We headed over to Binion's and quickly lost a bunch from a dealer with attitude. Although she took my money, she entertained so the sting didn't seem so harsh.


We headed over to Treasure Island for dinner and for our second show, Cirque du Soleil's Mystere. It was AWESOME, especially the two "clowns" who stole the show. Several times during the acts we looked at each other and agreed we couldn't believe we were seeing people do what they were doing.


After the show, we headed over to the Mirage, as Justin wanted to see what the deal was the the Beatles stuff. We tried to get tickets for that Cirque du Soleil show, "Love", but they were sold out. We headed over the the Beatles themed club, "Revolution", but it was closed for a private party.


We headed over to Freemont Street and watched the light show.


We then headed off to an early bed time, having lost enough money and preparing for getting up at 4:30 for an early flight.



I think Justin had a great time - I know he wants to get back to check out that Beatles show and I had a great time hanging out with him.

Fortunately, I go back in October for a speaking engagement and most likely Angie will come with. We get to stay and the brand spanking new Palazzo and I think we'll take in another Cirque du Soleil show.

SL

Day 4 - Not Worth The Wait

One thing I forgot from last night (Day 3)...we stopped at Arnaud's Remoulade for a very late dinner. Arnaud's is on Bourbon St. and is one of the more famous restaurants in the French Quarter. We ate at the bar and restaurant, which is next door to the formal dining room.

The meal was OUTSTANDING. I got the Oyster Arnaud, a sampler appetizer that had 6 oysters, each prepared a different way. One was a Rockefeller, and one was a Bienville. The others I don't recall, but they were ALL good. I also had a Louisiana Taster. With it came a bowl of turtle soup. I asked if it was real turtle, or mock turtle (beef, pork or something else) and was assured it was the real McCoy. It was amazing! Even Angie thought it was awesome. Also included was a meat pie which was delicious and some crawfish etouffee. Angie got a cheeseburger, but I think she would have preferred my meal. It was really fabulous AND it was authentic.

So, back to Sunday - get away day. By now, Angie and I had done and seen everything that we wanted, save one...the beignet at Cafe du Monde. Since we were slow to get started and were up against our flight home, we took a cab to Cafe du Monde. However, it seemed like everyone in New Orleans had the same idea, and the wait was prohibitive. We decided to walk across the street to Cafe Beignet. There are a couple of them throughout the quarter and it was packed, so we thought we'd be OK. Besides, there was a line, but it wasn't too long.

So, we waited and waited and waited, and waited some more. I swear that each order took about five minutes to place, and since there was six or seven people in front of us, we must have waited 30 minutes plus to place our order. The cafe had one person who took the order and fixed the drinks, another two in the kitchen, one of which brought the food out. I ordered a breakfast sandwich, an order of beignets and an iced cafe au lait. During the process I came to the realization that the order taker was just living life to a difference cadence than my own. It was surreal.

Breakfast, however, was excellent. I prefer a Boston Cream over a beignet any day, but the breakfast really hit the spot. Afterwards, Angie and I finished up our souvenir shopping (like a Bobble Head Jesus for a friend) and proceeded to walk back to the hotel to checkout and leave for the airport. On the way, however, Angie asked to stop at some tarot card readers in Jackson Square and get her cards read. It was a fifteen minute endeavour in stupidity, but she was entertained by it, so it was worth it. The reader did mention the different pace of the south due to the heat and humidity - and it dawned on me...the service has been so bad because they all move just a little slower here. Once we had that mystery figured out, we laughed about her reading all the way home.

Thanks for traveling to NOLA with us. We had a great trip in an interesting city, but I don't see myself going back - not by choice anyway. It's one of those places that you go, you see, and you cross it off your list. That being said, if I have to go back, that's OK too. I already miss the food.

And the Hurricanes.

SL

Day 3 - We Traveled To New Orleans To Do WHAT?!?!

I said to Angie, "What is it about women that they can browse through stuff even if they have no desire to own any of it?"

I then added, "If they put plates of dog shit out, you'd probably still be browsing through here!"

The last comment didn't win me any friends when I said it, but understand the circumstances. We were in New Orleans and Angie is rummaging through a Flea Market. What's the deal with that? A Flea Market?!?!

Angie saw the market on Thursday evening and since it was closed, she made a mental note that she wanted to revisit. So, after sleeping in a little bit, Angie and I set out on foot for the French Market / Flea Market. I knew the only way I was going to deal with this was with the help of Hurricanes, so I made sure we walked up Bourbon St. first and I got fueled for the day.

We stopped in just about EVERY shop in the French Quarter, and Angie was in heaven. It is what she likes to do, so when I get the chance to make her happy, I know my role. Walk with her, don't talk too much, tell her I like everything, say 'YES' to whatever she wants, and don't mention that she saw the same crap on the previous table. In fact, when she mentioned to me that I needed to stop complaining, I knew I was in trouble and had ceased fulfilling my role (accompanying Angie to little shops is my role when we travel). I never said another negative word after that, and instead turned my focus to more Hurricanes.

We then had perhaps the only really negative experience of the week. We ended up at the River's Edge Cafe on Decatur. We waited a while to be greeted and shown to our table. Service is different in New Orleans and we had learned that already, so we didn't really note HOW long it actually took. That was until Angie asked the waitress to come back in a minute as she didn't know what she wanted. Twenty minutes later, and we still hadn't ordered. OK, so we didn't get the best waitress - her name was Esther and if you see her, run like hell. Besides, she's so slow, she won't be able to catch you. After we ordered (crab cakes and a crawfish boudin po-boy for me, cheese sticks and spaghetti and meatballs for Angie) we waited and waited and waited. During our wait, we noticed that much of the plates that were being cleared off tables still had food on them. A lot of food on them. We received our appetizers and although not terrible, they weren't very good. We then waited some more, and they brought out our food - but Angie's meal was the wrong thing. And, mine just about was the worst looking and not much better tasting food I have ever been served. I commented that I wouldn't serve it to our dogs, let alone eat it. They came back to the table and told us they were out of meatballs, at that point we cancelled Angie's order. She complained about the service and the food, but they still made us pay for my entree. Thirty dollars was a small price to pay to get the hell out of there are this point, so we were gone. On our way, we informed a party of three not to bother waiting, so in the end we hopefully cost them as much as they should have let us go for.

Just so we are clear, if you are in NOLA, stay away from the River's Edge Restaurant on 801 Decatur. Their phone number is 504.525.4478. They are horrible and you have been warned - too bad, too - their location is amazing, right on Jackson Square and Decatur St.

So, we continued around the market seeing the same stuff over any over...Mardi Gras stuff, African stuff, silver, leather, souvenirs, gator heads, repeat, repeat. Angie had a great time and really enjoyed Sterling Silvia's on French Market Place. We ended up buying a beautiful cross with Fleur De Lis on them for her cross wall. We also found the Louisiana Pizza Kitchen and were entertained with great pizza AND excellent service.

We continued to stroll down Decatur to return to a store we saw earlier in the day, and ended up at the ticket booth to the paddle wheeled steamship, Natchez. Angie thought it would be fun to take a two hour cruise down the Mississippi and see New Orleans from a different vantage point, so we bought two tickets and boarded (they have a dinner cruise, too, but we were still stuff from our pizza). We boarded, listened to some live jazz, enjoyed the breeze and had a couple of Hurricanes. The captain regaled us with information about the port, shipping, the Battle of New Orleans, the ship and other interesting facts on our South-bound journey and then we enjoyed more Jazz (and, yes, Hurricanes) on the North-bound portion.

We arrived back at the dock and were pretty much done with our long day. We walked back to the hotel, again cutting through Bourbon Street for more Hurricanes and a cigar. We saw some pretty and not so pretty women earn their beads (I guess you have to experience that while there) and called it a night.

Tomorrow: Day 4 - Not Worth The Wait

Day 2 - Tour Day

Angie and I ran into Cajun Encounters on Decatur during Day 1 and thought a day spent seeing the Louisiana sights might be fun.

The tours offered were, City Tour, Swamp Tour, Plantation Tour, and Fright Tour. In addition to these, Katrina Tours and Recovery Tours were all the rage. We each picked what we wanted to do and they had a combo where we could do one in the morning and one in the afternoon. A full day of touring.

I selected the Swamp Tour and it was suggested that we do the tour in the morning where the wildlife would be more active as the heat of the day would not yet be reached. Since I hate the heat, it sounded like a grand idea.

The tour would pick us up at hour hotel at 7:15 to get our day started. We were picked up and whisked away to the bayou and swamps north of New Orleans. We drove over Lake Pontchartrain and saw some of the devastation from Katrina. The abandoned homes were numerous, some still having the rescuers markings on them stating that they had been searched. It was erie.

We got to Honey Island Swamp and started out tour. We boarded the boat of Captain Ted, a real Cajun, and for the next two hours he drove us around the swamp and bayou giving us the skinny on the swamps, the ecosystem, Katrina, Nutria, gators, why the swamps are needed, etc.

After the tour, we were returned to Decatur for lunch. We found Central Grocery, and their speciality, the Muffuletta. The Muffuletta is an Italian hero on a Focacia bread and covered in "Olive Salad". We ordered a whole, which is about 12 inches in diameter, and began to feast. Angie promptly proceeded to remove the Olive Salad ("the best part") and I put it on mine. They were delicious.

Upon being well fed, we embarked on our plantation tour, Angie's selection. We were bused about an hour and 10 minutes West of New Orleans to the Oak Alley Plantation. The grounds of the plantation date back to 1700 when a row of 28 Live Oak Trees were planted giving the plantation its name. The house was built later that century and has a interesting history as home, plantation residence, etc. The grounds did not have the slave quarters anymore, but the history of the 113 slaves on the grounds was recorded. It was very interesting.

We were returned to our hotel and we promptly went to the pool to cool off. If memory serves, we brought a couple of Hurricanes with us.

After refreshing from our hot day, we got dressed up and went down to the hotel restaurant...Dickie Brennan's Bourbon House Seafood. Angie has an awesome seafood platter with Fried Oysters, Soft shell Crab Claws, Shrimp and Catfish. I had a Filet and a dozen raw oysters. We had an AWESOME meal and a great ending to a fun day.

Tomorrow: Day 3 - We traveled to New Orleans to do WHAT?!?!

SL

Day 1 - Shock And Awe

While we flew towards New Orleans, Angie admitted to me a small amount of trepidation around our trip. She shared that she was somewhat concerned about security in the city since Katrina, and that perhaps the city had not recovered enough for us to be safe during our weekend. The airport losing complete power upon our arrival did nothing to allay her fears.

However, upon our arrival to our hotel, I think she started getting more comfortable. The hotel we beautiful and was well located on the corners of Canal and Bourbon Streets in the French Quarter.

We had no real plans for our weekend, so we thought we would just walk and get some ideas. We started down Bourbon Street. The bars, restaurants, and small shops were expected and enjoyed...the sex shops, sex clubs and strip bars were somewhat of a surprise. I felt like I was walking through Amsterdam, and that was unfortunate...I'm not a huge fan of the sleaze.

Along the way, Angie and I ordered our first Hurricane - a cacophony of Light Rum, Dark Rum, Grenadine, Orange and Cranberry Juice. Basically, Hawaiian Punch and Jet Fuel. Yummy.

We continued to walk the Quarter and enjoyed some quiet time at the St. Louis Cathedral, where we proceeded to make fun of a street magician who made my disappearing napkin trick look polished. When he dropped his fake thumb, we were rolling.

We continued up the Quarter. Angie immensely enjoyed the architecture and I immensely enjoyed another Hurricane.

We ended up on Decatur, which is the end of the French Quarter along the Mississippi River. Angie saw the Flea Market / French Market and knew what she wanted to do before we went home. Me, I saw some restaurants and new what I wanted to do right away. We ended up at the French Market Restaurant and Bar. We had a GREAT meal of boiled shrimp, raw oysters, jambalaya, shrimp etouffee, red beans and rice, filet mignon, and....Hurricanes.

After dinner, we continued to walk around the French Quarter, and ended up at Harrah's Casino. If I was expecting a well run casino in the Las Vegas tradition, and I was, I was apt to be disappointed. There were only a couple of blackjack tables open and no available seats (although there were tons of other blackjack tables with dealers, but they were all standing around waiting for cards?!?!?). We played roulette for a little while, lost $45 and decided that our NOLA casino experience was satiated.

We walked back to the hotel, Hurricane and cigar in hand, and called it a night.

All in all, a great start to our long weekend holiday.

Tomorrow - Tour Day.

SL