“Phew!”
After the excitement of two weekends of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, we were very ready for a quiet and uneventful week.
Diana entertained me with some ” Birthday Month” surprises. First was a box of Whoppers and a card. Yes – they’re all gone already.
Then I was treated to empanadas from Empanola. They are so good. The mushroom one was great for lunch. And then the next day the Argentina Beef was even tastier. Thanks for spoiling me, Diana.
Next up was an invite to Happy Hour on Friday. Of course I checked the correct box.
Happy Hour was at Chaise Delachaise, one of my very favourite spots. They have excellent prices on drinks and snacks and the service is always good. It is a bit far away – which is probably a good thing. When I say “a bit far away”, it’s a solid 13 minute drive – funny how our perceptions change. We would have thought nothing about driving 30 minutes to Happy Hour in Dallas. There are just so many good places in walking distance here.
The mussels are wonderful – and such a big serving at a very good price.
And the dry, crisp white wine that McD loves is not hard to find here. Don’t the cheeses sound tempting?
Steve Gleason is a New Orleans hero of the first order. He played for the Saints and blocked a punt to win the first game played in the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina tried to wipe this city off the map. In 2011 he was diagnosed with ALS, and has been a massive advocate in encouraging folks living with the disease. At this point all that he can move is his eyes, and he wrote a book using infrared technology that tracks his eye movements.
He did a book event at the Garden District Book Store, just across the street from us. This was a real tear jerker. He had recorded a message talking about the book that was so life affirming and heartbreaking at the same time. His wife, Michel, had a stamp she was using to sign the books. If you have a box of Kleenex that needs to be used up, watch the movie “Gleason” and you’ll get more of the story.
If you look into Steve’s eyes you will see an indomitable life force shining back at you.
Colleen invited me to join her, Greg, and her brother Hugh, our across the street neighbour, for the Echo and the Bunnymen concert at the Joy theater on Saturday night. This was a new venue for all of us. Our tickets were downstairs standing room. We arrived a little before 8pm, the band advertised to start at 8pm. The place was packed and we waited for the start, and waited…. The stage was all set and we didn’t understand the delay.
The band finally took the stage at 8:35pm. Not a big deal – they sounded good and the music was well mixed and produced. And then, at 9:05pm, a solid 30 minutes into the concert, Ian McCullough, the lead singer, mumbled in an unintelligible northern English accent, that they were taking a 20 minute break. That was it for me. Rude and disrespectful of their audience. Never again. I hopped in an Uber home. If the Rolling Stones can play for 2 hours straight at 80, then Echo and the Bunnymen can do more than 30 minutes at 60.
And another thing…what’s with the back lighting only? We couldn’t see anyone’s face – just their silhouette – again, just rude!
Oh well, lesson learned. Here’s my favourite of their songs:
I’m back to reading again, finally. My book was “Listen for the Lie” by Amy Tintera. I haven’t chuckled as much at a book in a long time. Wonderfully written. I suppose when Stephen King is gushing about a book, it’s worth reading. Here’s some online chatter about the book.
“A world-class whodunit.”
―Stephen King
“An extremely successful high-wire act, balancing between dark comedy and darker thrills.”
―Alex Michaelides, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Laugh-out-loud funny, thrilling and twisty…”
―Liane Moriarty, #1 New York Times bestselling author
What if you thought you murdered your best friend? And if everyone else thought so too? And what if the truth doesn’t matter?
After Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer. Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart, and enviable. Lucy married a dream guy with a big ring and an even bigger new home. Savvy was the social butterfly loved by all, and if you believe the rumors, especially popular with the men in town. It’s been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy can’t remember anything about, and she has since moved to LA and started a new life.
But now the phenomenally huge hit true crime podcast “Listen for the Lie,” and its too-good looking host Ben Owens, have decided to investigate Savvy’s murder for the show’s second season. Lucy is forced to return to the place she vowed never to set foot in again to solve her friend’s murder, even if she is the one that did it.
The truth is out there, if we just listen.
Something tasty from the wonderful Robbie Robertson:
Something poignant from Loudon Wainwright (such an amazing songwriter):
Coexist peacefully, with kindness and patience for all!