No Post Saturday VI - Delayed

It was suppose to be last Saturday, But since I was in New Orleans decided to delay it a week...which means the next no post Saturday will be in four weeks instead of the usual 5 weeks.  Oh well, I needed this weekend to kick back and relax after the push upon my return.  Heck, this has been a post unto itself!

TGIF - Seriously!

Here I was on holiday most of the week and only in the office yesterday and today, but boy am I ready for this day to be done.  I have truly been a slug.  Granted I did what I had to do for the day, but also have gotten the blog updated, and had to update a lot of my autopay accounts in that my credit card associated with them expires at the end of the month.  Do have a few phone calls to make and then it will be time to hit the road and go home. 

I am not sure how social I am going to be this weekend in that I need some alone time, but may be seeing Jodie and Rob.  We shall see.  The past couple of nights have been quite interesting in that I have been using up stuff in the cabinets and frig.  Cooking things that I have not had before and at the same time being experimental.  Thankful that I have a grocery delivery tomorrow.  It will be good to have restocked frig and cabinets.  Here is hoping that you all have a great weekend!

Back To The Salt Mine

Alas, I finally got home Wednesday morning at 3AM, only about 4 hours delayed, but boy was I tired.  Fell asleep and woke up at 7:11am knowing that there was no way I was going to be able to make it through the day at the office.  Called in and extended vacation by a day.  Slept and drank 8 liters of water!  It was a good idea to stay home.  Allowed me to do laundry and get settled in as I had been away a week. 

The trip showed me that there is a need to have a life and work as well.  So I came in this morning with a smile on my face and ready to go.  Sure there were over 500 emails waiting for me and in the end my boss was actually not a complete ass either this day.  But my oh my, at 3pm I was so ready to hit the road and go home.  It will be a quiet night and plan to get a good night's sleep.  Funny, for working only two days this week it sure feels like a long one! 

Rosh Hashanah Greetings

To all my Jewish friends out there, know that you are in my thoughts this day. 

Travel Tuesday

Last Wednesday we arrived in New Orleans and there was a lot of anticipation for the week ahead.  I knew the heat and humidity was going to be a challenge, but it was a heck of a lot more impact than I thought.  It was frustrating in that it really hindered a lot of what was planned.  We did a lot of fun things and had good food, but I know I will never return to NOLA in the summer.  Not a fun time.  But, the time together was a blast and we got to have several really good conversations and look forward to coming back together at the end of the month when Damon comes to Seattle for a multi-month visit. 

Spent the morning having a low-key breakfast and getting packed up for our flights home.  I get to fly home via Chicago and Damon has a non-stop to Las Vegas.  Yes, I am a tad bit jealous.  I get home just before midnight and that is if everything goes right.  We shall see.  I have to say I am relaxed and that is a big positive.  It is easy to dwell on the negative and yes, I have acknowledged those things, but in the end it was fun to spend a week unplugged and spending time with Damon.  Who would have thought that we would be still together a year later. 

From a post earlier remembering the day we met:  "There was a dinner that occurred on Sunday, September 2, 2012 in that was the first time Damon and I had dinner together.  For those that have heard me describe him, he is a bit caveman and also rabbi.  But he does make me smile and laugh a lot."  And he still is!

NOLA Food Finds

Usually reserved for Sunday, the food summary is coming to you in a special holiday edition.  As mentioned earlier, we went to Daisy Duke's for dinner.  Actually, we decided to do breakfast for dinner.  We got there and the line was a block out.  Must be a good place for food.  It was too hot and humid to stand there and wait so we got takeout and headed back to the hotel for the cool and comfort of our room.

So I decided to go for the gold and get the alligator sausage omelet.  They serve it with hash browns and a biscuit.  I think they serve everything with hash browns and a biscuit.  Well, the hash browns were forgettable and left most of them but a damn fine biscuit.  The omelet was really good.  A bit on the spicy side, but really hit the spot.  While I both opted for lots of water, Damon loves his root beer.  We both got a water bottle to use for the trip, a must have in this city.

Here is Damon showing off his "breakfast" of 4 scrambled eggs with bacon, hash browns and a biscuit.  He went for the mild side as he was still recovering from his Bourbon Street experience.  I was a tad shocked that when he went to get the soda, he also got a bag of cheese puffs.  They are disgusting, but hey, he likes them and he is on vacation too.

I decided to snag this picture just because this T-shirt makes me laugh.  Indeed, Trix are for kids and it did not fail to get the attention of many people.  A lot of them wanted their picture taken with him.  It was quite cute.

Dinner last night was on the lighter side and quite tasty.  We ate here at the hotel and below is the appetizer which was a seafood gratin.  Quite tasty.  For dinner I opted for a blue crab salad with tomatoes, cucumber and mozzarella with a balsamic vinaigrette.  Damon opted for a pizza which was bbq sauce with chicken and cheese.  In my opinion a tad on the small side, but it was good per Damon.  So there you go, a food summary.

For our last night in New Orleans and we talked it over and decided to go for Brother's and I munched on chicken livers that were AMAZING and also tried a chicken thigh.  Damon went for a chicken breast and some chicken fingers.  We ate some of their meat pies.  All of it is a tad spicy.  But in the end it was a mighty fine finale to our food experience in the city.  Avoided a lot of fancy and overly expensive places.  Water is my best friend on this trip and so goes another day in The Big Easy.

New Orelan's Adventure Continues

After hearing from a couple of people I realized that I totally space sharing our Friday in the city.  Well, it was a day of hoping the St. Charles streetcar and riding it out to the garden district.  By the time we got to the end of the line I was a dripping mess.  No AC on the streetcars and it was humid and hot.  Yes, sounding like a broken record some, but seriously it is nasty.  Thank goodness I packed a lot of extra clothes.

Took a cold shower upon return, but Damon decided he needed to see The French Quarter and off he went to explore.  At least he did it during daylight hours.  We met up for dinner and it was a very pleasant Friday night.  Now I do believe I shared all about Saturday and so now there is today.  We are up and have had breakfast downstairs - a bit more traditional this day - and will soon be off on our Plantation tour.  I am quite excited about this as it is something that I fondly remember from my former visits.  We are being picked up at the hotel in about an hour and then off we go.  We are taking the Oak Alley Plantation Tour. 

Their material says - The Oak Alley Plantation Tour from New Orleans takes you back in time. Feel the gentle breeze of southern hospitality on a tour that takes you back to a time of mint juleps, gracious living and the glory of the Old South.  Experience a bygone era in one of the South's most beautiful settings - Oak Alley Plantation, built in 1839. Marvel at the unbelievable view of a quarter-mile long alley of 28 magnificent oak trees, each over 250 years old. Listen to fascinating and amusing stories of the home and its history, presented by your professional guide.

I do believe we will be stopping at two other plantations before returning to the hotel around 5pm.  Depending on how I feel I might update this posting or just save some comments for tomorrow.  Enjoy your day!