I have not been back to NOLA since 2006. I spent four days, there, mostly by myself, walking the city. It was supposed to be sort of a closure experience after the four months I spent in Louisiana after the hurricanes with the (gasp!) FEMA PA program. It was probably the most stressful times of my life, and yet, I remember having some of the best times of my life. The first time we drove to New Orleans was early November. I had already been in LA for a month, but I had been working 12 hour days at least, and was pretty much by myself. I went with my new friend Laurie, and we met her boss Mangeeve, who had gone to Tulane years and years ago. I had such a great time with one person I had met twenty minutes ago, and another person I had met two hours earlier. I still remember when Mangeeve, who asked me about swear words, and I said, "WORK!" He offered to hire me on the spot! Too bad their office headquarters were in Colorado and not Minnesota, where my heart really is. Although, if I were to pick another city, it would be NOLA - no questions asked - as long as the hubby would be ok with it! We drove all over New Orleans (at least where we could drive) and I listened to Mangeeve tell me stories about his times in college, getting drunk for the first time, hitting on a guy in drag, etc. And now my trip to NOLA is so soon, and all I can think about is bringing the stories from everyone I'll meet (and those of whom I've met on the phone but not in person) back home to Mpls and my friends and colleagues here. When I last was in NOLA, I had Easter breakfast at Petunia's, jazz brunch at the Two Sisters, dinner at Ilene's, and now that I'm going back, I look forward to my morning beignets, music, friendship, mimosas, early mornings, late nights, Rue Royale, the cemetery I spent half a day at, the work I'll be doing, a successful Saturday, and cafe au lait. Or a sloe gin fizz. Or both.
H
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