My Mega Exciting Life: As promised, I got my New Orleans ON.

Some months ago, an open invite went out to all my girlfriends to come on a weekend getaway to New Orleans. The brave lasses who accepted and survived the challenge: Ms. Kristina Canan (Ki), Ms. Rachel Landry (Pretty Princess), Mrs. Megan Smith (me. duh.), and Ms. Amanda Womac ('Mander).

Here is what ensued:

hilarity. my fave.

Three were headed into New Orleans via Knoxville but one had to teach class on Monday evening (she said something about "responsibilities" and something about a "job," I don't know...) so 'Mander took a flight. Pretty Princess was coming from Sarasota so she flew too. It was up to Ki and I to get in the car and get to New Orleans in one piece!

so far, so good. this is in ki's driveway. we're exciiiiiiited!

Just so you know, when Ki and I are iron-butting it to where we needs to gets, yet we're very Journey Not Destination people. We had a lot of laughs in the car. For instance - it was 'Mander's birthday and Ki had neglected to find a present. No worries - we decided something bought at every stop we made would make an excellent present/scrapbook of our trip to NO.

We only stopped twice. We iron-butt it, remember? Oh well. A for effort.

The first purchase was made in Noccalula Falls, AL.

i'm willing to bet this was the only gift shop in noccalula falls, al. it was a gas station too - how convenient! ki bought 'mander a very special shot glass that says "noccalula falls"

The next item was purchased in Meridian, MS. It was an ashtray that says, "Mississippi." I love how Ki appealed to all Amanda's vices. Nice!

Speaking of Meridian, MS - as we neared the city, I realized we were ahead of schedule (wasn't taking into account the extra hour we got from EST to CST!) so I phoned a friend and old college buddy, Scott Causey (he was in my and Mr. Smith's wedding!)

I asked if he wanted to take two blondes to lunch. He was amenable to the request. He's ever the gentleman.

here we are in the crescent cafe

After a nice lunch, we got up to leave and I crossed this intriguing machine - you put in a quarter and a gum ball would go through this complicated series of swirls, twirls, levers and dips and end up at the bottom of the machine in your hand. I stopped in my tracks and was digging for a quarter when I was informed that the machine was broken. I was disappointed.

nay, i was mad. DANGIT.

Causey ain't changed at all.

you do your alma mater proud, scott causey. so good to catch up!

We rolled into NO planning to go straight to the airport and pick up Rach and Amanda, but were pleasantly surprised to find we had enough time to go to the condo and drop off all our gear. Which was good because we both totes overpacked and both ladies were going to have to drive to the condo with their carry-on luggage in their laps. They were due to arrive within fifteen minutes of each other but on the way to the airport we found out Amanda had been delayed for two hours in the ATL. No matter, we are on our way to get Rach and wait it out in an airport restaurant for a nice, long leisurely supper.

At least we thought. Ki and I were going the wrong way on I-10. Rach waited 20 minutes before we realized we were headed in the wrong direction. She called while we were turning around and correcting; be there in 20 minutes, Rach!

By correcting, Ki got off the interstate and accidentally got back on heading back in the same, wrong, direction. We were a bit annoyed about having to go yet another exit to turn around. That annoyance was compounded when we crossed a bridge about 10 miles long (not. kidding. I just looked it up - yup, 10 miles; one direction). When we got turned around, we were 40 minutes from the airport.

Sigh. Read my above statement re: journey, not destination.

We laughed. Felt bad for Rach, but assured her we were on our way!

here's rach and me (after we finally picked her up) being silly at supper waiting for amanda's flight to arrive. amanda got bumped to first class! whee!

The next morning, I made a nice brunch and my Woolley in-laws came for a visit!

every time the aunties host me and mr. smith in NO they show us such a lovely time! whenever i'm in town i try to reciprocate with a small brunch, and always, ALWAYS deny any assistance from them whatsoever. UNTIL auntie mickey showed up with A KING CAKE.

cutie pie aunts adri and mickey are totes awesome. i took this photo because they kept referring to themselves as "the kept women." ladies and gentlemen, i give you - The Kept Women.

little vince, the ever-adorable reagan (who i didn't get a good shot of, sorry - you're ever-adorable!), big vince, herbie and adri chat it up.

vince, ki, rach, mickey and adri enjoy fellowship

rach and amanda get friendly

whee! having so much fun!

It was so so so good to see everyone! Thank you all for coming out to visit me and my friends!

Next, we go shopping on Magazine Street!

Everyone's ready to go, see?

magazine street, magazine street, magazine street!

a lot of laughing was involved

I love Magazine Street for all the funky boutiques and clothes. Today... not so much. I go for:

candy. rach looks on in horror as i try to make off with a basket of lollipops.

omg. a trifecta of corn. of the cherry, candy and cinnamon variety. i plied myself with a little of each.

Next, the UT/Bama game was about to start (SIDEBAR: the day before I threatened to spit on The State of Alabama in an act of defiance in the light of said upcoming game when we stopped to gas up. I forgot. When I remembered I forgot I was driving so Ki very kindly rolled down her window and spat. It blew back in on her. We laughed 'till we cried. Little did we know it was foreshadowing.) Knowing Amanda and Rach didn't like football, I tricked them into coming to a sports bar!

cooter brown's. hallowed ground.

When Rach realizes she's been duped, she gets OUTRAGED!

WHAAAT! I'm WHERE?

When Ki realizes Rach is wearing Bama colors, sparks REALLY begin to fly!

and a hiiiii-YAAAAH!!!!

Oh who am I kidding. We all had fun. Amanda and Rach and went for early lunch at Camilla's and Ki and I stayed and had lunch at Cooter Brown's.

When we went to get Amanda and Rach at Camilla's Ki and I made a pit stop. The bathroom was in the KITCHEN. Ki offered to help make pastry. She's friendly like that.

pie, anyone? i washed my hands!

We went to catch the train back home but one didn't come for forever. So we got to playing around and while we were waiting I re-enacted a scene from the movie Stand By Me.

Let me get in character. Ahem, ahem, ahem.... *neck roll, neck roll, neck roll...*

TRRRRAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIINNNNNN!!!!!

And, scene. You're welcome.

here we are on the st. charles car home.

Where we went on to lose the football game. DANGIT. I don't want to talk about it.

We rallied and moved onto the evening portion of the day:

da ladies roll in style on bourbon street. and i don't mean that sarcastically. see? we're totes ladies! and stylish!

oh lookit! we're laughing! again!

The family told us there was a parade in the Quarter that night and we went to see it. Ya'll, I love me some parade - I really do. It was called the Krewe of Boo Parade - how cute is THAT?

AAAAHHHH!!!

AAAAHHHH the sequel!

AAAAAAAAHHHHHAAAHHH the third!

Oh wait. THERE WERE BEADS INVOLVED. It was like Mardi Gras Lite!

i'm holding down the fort at a table (we took turns holding down the fort and catching beads) but the girls are out there saying, "Hey, mistah! Tro me some beads, mistah!"

rach scores.

amanda scores big time with a wheel of fortune t-shirt

but the trollop of the krewe of boo parade was ki. i think i saw her elbow a small child in the face for some plastic beads.

Next, we met this creep. The girls insisted on a photo.

ew.

No one had ever had a hurricane drink before so we sampled one. The group consensus was that it tasted like red dye.

rach and ki get friendly over a hurricane

Next, the a-stinkin'-dorable Danielle (seriously. How'd I get such cute cousins? I grew up with all boy cousins) showed up and she and Scott walked us to supper.

they had a wedding and couldn't make brunch so i was super duper glad that we could visit for a bit in the french quarter!

The girls and I had all had independent recommendations for Bayona for supper. When I called for reservations for 8 PM, I was told all was left was for 10:30. We took it. (YA'LL. I ate SUPPER in the middle of the NIGHT.)

ummmm! yummy! fancy food! i ate the easter bunny.

rach and ki bask in the glow that is bayona's

here are amanda and me basking

Ok, next photo: please don't judge. Please think: 4-mile run on the St. Charles Car Line (my fave, BTW{I left the girls all sleeping and ran back guilty because I figured no one could work the percolator and make coffee only to find no one had even woken up}), brunch I made myself for ten, shopping, football game, parade, French Quarter and fancy supper in the middle of the night; all, literally from one end of the city, to another, to another, to another. Ok, got it?

girlfriend wanna go nite-nite.

What we did the next day was more humbling and sobering than fun and light. Glad we did this, but was a day I will never think about without levity.

Since Tommy and I were married we visited New Orleans for various reasons fairly frequently. Our last visit was about two years after Hurricane Katrina happened for Reagan and Vince's wedding. We went to see Granny's house which got creamed by one of the levees. I found these pics in Tommy's phone, see?

here is where granny's house was razed

standing from the same position, looking to the right. that is a levee that broke.

So I thought I'd seen Katrina. I had never seen the Lower Ninth Ward.

We decided it was on our social conscious radar that we should go see what happened. We got lost trying to find it (shocking, I know) and had to stop at a gas station to ask for directions.

We arrived and here are a few pics of what we saw:

When I got my phone and figured out what the quadrants on the grid on the doors meant I got upset. We all were and we didn't have to live through what actually happened.

Driving through though - we saw houses rotting, we saw houses gutted, we saw houses razed, we saw houses completely rebuilt. We saw children playing and people working. In this scene of devastation butted up against renewal. All of us went down there intending to be unobtrusive and observational, and at nearly every turn we were greeted with a friendly wave by residents.

Those folks know what home is. My hat's off to you.

Apparently so is Brad Pitt's hat:

rach and amanda learn more

as does ki

In all seriousness, this is a project that has really caught my heart and my attention. I don't often stand in vacant lots and cry for no reason. Anywho, whether I blog about it or not, I'm paying attention to this project officially. Thank you, Lower Ninth, for your welcome. I'm gonna do what I can.

As I said, Mr. Brad Pitt's into the action. Far be it from me, but he can get things done like I could never do. Case in point:

fancy house (ignore the dumpster - bad angle)

ecologically, locally sound homes! me likey! hope it grows and flourishes!

Yea! Step in the right direction! And I am WITH YOU!

Here is their Web site.

Then, the girls went to New Orleans hungry. We all left full of seafood and Cajun cuisine. The obligatory options included us all eating ourselves silly:

po' boy

beignet!!!

waffle. that was supper for me one night! sorry! couldn't help it!

cylindrical fries! sorry! that was me again one day! yum! can't help it!

here we are drinking sweet goo!

here am i disapproving on decatur street! dadgum bra!

Very lastly - I have a Santa Claus figurine collection that is very important to me. It was my Grandmother's. When it was given to me I was surprised - I thought someone older an wiser would claim it, but it was given to me. I am seriously dedicated to keeping up the integrity of the collection. I only buy one a year; and am judicious when it comes to selection.

Tommy's mother is from New Orleans. I have tried to find Santa Claus Mardi Beads in her honor SINCE FOREVER.

Thank you, Suzy. They have arrived!!!

santa claus beads! WHA? rach said she eyed them and grabbed them in slo-mo. she ran up to me and shrieked "MEGAN VENABLE SMITH. LOOK WHAT I HAVE FOUND."

I love it. So much to where I want to display it as often as always! No matter what!