The Weekend Ahead

Happy Friday, ya'll! I hope everyone has big plans for this weekend. Maybe it is renovating that new home (well new to you), spending time with friends and family, or simply catching up on some well deserved rest. There is something therapeutic about the weekend.

As for Kevin and me, we are spending the weekend with his parents. I am lucky to have such nice people as my in-laws. They are generous and kind and extremely supportive of our move to New Orleans. I am excited for them to be able to experience more of what this city has to offer. I am also excited to have the opportunity to venture out of the house and enjoy these experiences as well.

I know we plan on eating some burgers at Yo' Mamas and riding the street car a few times. Heck, we might even convince Mitch to eat a Lucky Dog! I think he will need a few daiquiris before we tackle the great and mighty Lucky Dog. They always sound like a good idea at the time and then you eat one and decide, "hmmm....well, maybe that wasn't such a good idea". Not to knock the Lucky Dog - it is just something that you should not make a part of your diet on a regular basis.

So, here's to a great weekend with family! Take some time and reflect on how lucky you are to have loved ones surrounding you!

Cheers!

Unrequited Love

My Dearest NOLA,

Why must you continue to scorn me? I love you and came here to help you with your wounds and to be a part of what makes you so special. What am I doing that makes you not want me? What can I do to appease you and finally accept me into your folds? I understand you typically only like individuals who come from the great state of Louisiana, but that is not the case for me. I come from Texas. I know, I know. Texans are loud and have big egos, but Texans are usually always friendly and willing to lend a helping hand in times of need.

And please don't tell me you do not need help. I walk your streets and still see the visible battle wounds from that crazy lady, Katrina. (Between you and me, she deserves a good spanking!) So, dearest of dears, hear my prayers. I want to work and am trying everything I know to make this a reality. Yet, no cheese. :( I'm not asking for much. Simply to have a purpose and a place to go every day. I will even gladly share my friendly, Texas smile and "go-get 'em" attitude. I promise not to talk about how big and great my former home is -- you don't need a constant reminder of a Texan's ego.

I just wanted to make certain you are aware of my adoration. You are a beautiful, ancient (no, I'm not insulting your age - that is what makes you so mysterious) place and you hold many mystifying secrets. I hope you will allow me to continue to discover the unseen.

With love always,

Kelly

Lazy Caturday

Kevin is working today, like always. At least someone is making some money around here! I found Oliver on the bed, taking a lovely cat nap. As you can tell, he is perfectly relaxed and airing out all his kitty bits. I know, why would I ever discuss kitty bits on my blog, but I think it is hilarious when they roll on their backs and put their bellies to the sky. I think that if there is reincarnation, I would like to come back as a cat who has owners like Kevin and me. That is definitely the cush life.

So, here's to a lazy Caturday! (And no, it's not Saturday - it's Caturday for all you ICHC fans.) I hope you get to take a nap or accomplish whatever projects you have set out to accomplish. I think I'm going to tackle some laundry and dishes and maybe bake some cookies. (If I can talk Monkey Peeler, Jamie Hayes Devil Doll, and Mr. Toucan into helping!)

Cheers!

Working Like a Dog

I filled out paperwork today at a staffing agency. Hey, it's better than nothing and I think this will be an opportunity for me to meet as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time. I have come to realize that finding a job in this city doesn't have anything to do with my education or work experience, rather, it's who you know. And I know no one.

Well, except for my new friend Jermaine that hooked me up with the temp agency contact. We met him when we went down to Vic's Kangaroo Cafe down in the Quarter. (Great bar - cold beer, cool people, and delicious air conditioning!) So, I'd like to give a proper shout out to my new friend. He's really nice and outgoing and I'm impressed with his mad skills for remembering names.

In fact, everyone at the staffing agency was great. Very friendly and helpful and encouraging. Thank you for not making me feel like a total reject and giving me some hope in finding success in our new home town.

I had to take the typical typing tests as well as some testing in Excel and Word. Thank you symphony for helping me hone my mad spreadsheet skills. They came in handy today!

What was funny about this process was the personality questionnaire that I had to fill out before I started the testing. It asked the usual run of the mill questions like, "How often are you late to work" and "How often do you take merchandise from your employer". You answer with the typical Leichert Scale responses, 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree.

Of course, there were questions about drug use. One question asked, "How often do you use Meth?" The scale ranged from "I don't have a problem, but every day" to "Never". Now I have to ask, who in their right mind would answer "I don't have a problem, but every day"? You are trying to get a job! Even if it is a temporary position, it is still a job and why would you EVER sabotage yourself right out of the gate? (No worries, people. I answered honestly and informed them that I never use meth.)

The funniest question I came across during this test was about violence in the work place. It was a situational question: "If someone mouths off to me, he deserves a punch to the mouth." Ummm...I strongly disagree, I promise. (However, I'm sure a lot of you have imagined yourself punching a nasty coworker in his or her mouth because they were being jerky. No? Hrrmmm...I don't think you are being honest with yourself.) ;) Again, these questions are so obvious as to what you should say, I wonder if anyone answered "Strongly Agree"?

So, I'm excited for the new people I will meet in this new avenue. And who knows, I could actually land a permanent position from this adventure.

On a side note, the picture of the Blue Dog is from artist George Rodrigue. Pretty famous art in these parts. If you have an opportunity, check out his website. I particularly like the painting titled "Once More I'm thinking of You".

Cheers!

Let's Cook Like a True Southerner

Since I now live in a city that is known for it's unique cuisine, I decided it's time that I learn how to cook like the locals. For some reason I have been craving collard greens. I have never eaten collard greens before so it is odd that I would be craving something like this. Nevertheless, I looked up a few recipes and decided to try my hand at cooking greens.

You will need one bunch of collard greens, an onion, some ham hocks, salt, pepper and some sugar (salt, pepper and sugar not pictured).


Kevin wasn't so sure about this adventure into cooking. He doesn't like cooked spinach so he didn't think he would be a fan of the greens. Just you wait, m'dear...just you wait.


Put about 8 cups of water in a big pot. Add some salt. (Probably add more salt than you would be comfortable adding--trust me, you want some flavor).


Put your ham hocks in the salted water. You are going to bring these babies to a boil and cook them for about an hour and a half.


While you are bringing the ham hocks to a boil, go ahead and chop your onions. Then, add them to the boiling pot of ham hock salt water and continue boiling for the hour and a half (again, you want some flavor, baby!).


While that is cooking, go ahead and wash your greens thoroughly. I soaked mine in a sink full of water and rinsed each one before cutting. Speaking of cutting, you are going to cut out the giant middle stem of each leaf. These babies are HUGE!


Stack a big bunch of the cut leaves together.


Then, start rolling up your stack o' greens.


Like a burrito. I'm sure everyone knows how to roll something into a burrito.


Then, slice the burrito o' greens. This would be called a chiffon cut, for all the chefs out there.


Do this until you have washed, rolled, and cut all the greens.


I had just finished cutting all the greens when I heard a big monkey shriek! What's that, Monkey Peeler? You don't believe that I can successfully cook collards like a true Southerner? I'll show you!


Ding! The hour and a half is up on the ham hocks. Remove them from the bubbling liquid and shred the meat. Keep in mind that we used ham hocks. Lots of fat and not a whole lot of actual meat, so your goal is to find all the actual meaty parts and remove them from the bones. Disregard the rest (does anyone have any suggestions as to what to do with all the left over bits?).


I probably ended up with about a cup of actual ham from the two ham hocks. Make sure you chop this up really well because you are going to add this back in later.


While I was chopping up the ham, I noticed that Mr. Toucan and Jamie Hayes Devil Doll were chatting up a storm over by the microwave. Maybe the Monkey Peeler had gotten them riled up.


Then, Monkey Peeler showed up and told them he didn't know what I was thinking trying to cook something like this. Just you wait, my friends...just you wait.


Add the greens to the boiling liquid that you used to cook the ham hocks in. Prior to adding the greens, go ahead and add a good bit of pepper and throw in about a handful of sugar. You need some sweet to balance out the salt.


Like I said before, you want to cook this in a BIG pot. You are going to need the room in order to fit everything in (at the beginning, at least).


Once the greens have wilted a bit, go ahead and add the ham back into the pot and cook for another hour. The collard greens need some time to cook - very thick and very green and very leafy. Put a lid on the pot so you don't cook out all your yummy juices.


"This smells good", said Monkey Peeler. Mr. Toucan and Jamie Hayes Devil Doll also agreed, "Mmmm...maybe she's onto something". Take that, Peanut Gallery!


After an hour, you have greens! They look like spinach but with all the other yummy (a.k.a. bad for you) things we added, it's going to be delicious.


What do you think, Monkey Peeler, Mr. Toucan and Jamie Hayes Devil Doll? "Yummy, yummy! Can we get a bowl of that!?!"

Sorry guys, you are going to have to wait until tomorrow. This southern cooking thing takes some time and I'm going to let the flavors merry over night.

"Awww, MAN!", said Jamie Hayes Devil Doll. I already have my bottle of pepper sauce out and ready!

All in due time, my friends. All in due time.

Enjoy!

Monkey Heart Possessor

Most everyone who reads this blog knows me, but I thought I would go ahead and explain the whole Monkey Heart talk that goes on in my writing. I have a monkey heart. Really, an actual monkey heart. I was born with a bad ticker and through the amazing world of Dr. Frankenstein and Texas Heart Institute, I was given a monkey's heart. I have provided a picture of my scar just to prove how much my heart is that of a monkey's.

Do you believe me? Of course you don't! Haha! Okay, so you got me. I don't REALLY have a monkey heart but it is pretty fun to try and convince strangers of this phenomenon. I was born with a few congenital heart defects. To be more specific, I was born with an atrial septal defect (ASD), a ventricular septal defect (VSD), and a coacrtation of the aorta. Dr. Denton Cooley (he performed the first successful human heart transplant back in 1968) performed both my surgeries at Texas Heart Institute in Houston, TX. My first surgery took place when I was six weeks old and they closed up the holes when I was two.

My life has consisted of numerous trips to a cardiologist, lots of medical students standing in on my exams and listening to my heart, and dentists refusing to clean my teeth until I have "premedicated" (taking antibiotics so I don't get endocarditis and die).

Speaking of endocarditis, "Don't scratch that mosquito bite! You'll catch endocarditis and die!" I heard this and similar statements from my mother my entire life. Heck, she still says this to me on occasion. It's become somewhat of a joke to me now and I often say, "Don't look at that! You'll get endocarditis and die!" Hahaha! Aren't morbid jokes funny? I think so. I know it makes a lot of people uncomfortable, me joking like that but I choose to believe that if you can't laugh about your condition then you are taking your life WAY too seriously. Everyone has to die sometime and according to my early doctors (before my parents were able to take me to Texas Heart), I'm already on borrowed time.

So, here's to living with a monkey heart and taking lots of antibiotics and making funny jokes about my condition. Laugh, because life is too short to be sad about the cards you have been dealt. And look at it this way - I wasn't blessed with a big bosom and Dr. Cooley just drew on some cleavage for me. Thanks, Dr. C!

I pity the fool

It's official. Kevin is now a member of the A-Team! What's that? You pity the fool that gets placed on the A-Team? Allow me to explain. During hurricane season, Kevin's hospital has an A-Team and a B-Team of staff members. If the city is required to evacuate for a storm (knock on wood, ya'll), Kevin has to stay. He must report to the hospital 24 hours before the storm hits land and is required to stay there until the city re-opens. Then, the B-Team comes in and relieves the A-Team.

I am proud of him that they think so highly of him to put him on the A-Team. Frankly, I would want someone as cool and collected working on me during a crisis like a giant hurricane of Katrina magnitude. No complainers, please! This is why I think he was chosen to serve on the A-Team. Would you really want someone working during that situation that was doing nothing but complain about how they aren't evacuating with their families?

But, I'm afraid for me and the kitties. This means that I get to evacuate with the cats by myself. I can do it and will be just fine, but the idea is just a little scary to me. That means no one is there to help me administer the Children's Benadryl to Oliver or keep me company while we sit in traffic for a million plus hours. Cest la vie.

I trust that everyone on that team will do anything in his or her power to make sure the patients at the hospital are safe and sound. Who knows, it could be quite an adventure for him and he might feel like he were in medical school, having to actually sleep at the hospital. As for me, I see a trip to Houston or Austin in my near future, but let's pray that it doesn't come to that this season.

So, here's to the A-Team!

Don't tell me it's not art

I repeat. DO NOT TELL ME IT IS NOT ART! I had an interview recently with someone who works on the outside of the arts industry. A supplier of sorts. He needed someone educated (obviously, because he couldn't even seem to spell educated correctly) and I know that this post will wipe out any chance I ever had of working with him, but I do not care.

He asked me what my hopes were in working with him. I answered, to work in an arts associated field and still have the flexibility to take a ballet class if I wanted. Then he informed me that his industry was not the arts. Excuse my language, but BULLSHIT! To all my friends who are lighting designers and set designers and stage managers, you are artists. You may not be on the stage when the lights go up and the audience is anxiously awaiting your performance, but YOU make the production happen. YOU are just as much a part of the entire theatre experience as any actor, dancer, or singer.

Therefore, to my uneducated interviewer. Suck it. You need some perspective on what truly goes on when making a production, whether it be a stage show or a major film production. IT IS ALL ART. It is a type of thinking. It is a common thread of creativity that brings everyone together and frankly, can make even the most common of person feel something. Thank you for your time but, no thank you. Perhaps you were threatened and that is why you reposted your job listing an hour after I left your presence. I feel sorry for you. Feel something. Create something. Struggle through something rather than have something just handed to you because you were born into it. That is not living and I consider it a blessing that the Great Universe is keeping that position away from me. That keeps you safe because if I were your employee and had to listen to how much we weren't a part of the arts, I think I would have to stab you with a blunt object. (Not really, I'm not the violent type, but I would atleast play out that scenario in my head repeatedly.)

Thank you for the opportunity to practice my interviewing skills, once again. Also, thank you for showing me that just because I interview with someone does not mean I have to accept a job just because it is available. I will find my place here and it will be with individuals that understand me and understand what it is to be creatively minded.

Lions and Tigers and Fleas - OH MY!!

Yuck. Gross. Poor babies! Our cat Alice has not been acting like herself lately. She normally is very sweet and wants lots of love and attention. She always loved her backside "spanked" (little love pats by her tail) but recently, when we would pet her, she would randomly lick the air. WHAT?!? Very odd to see, actually. We thought she had ant bites or mosquito bites because we were allowing her to sit on our balcony to sun her buns.

Then I noticed her biting at her fur and Oliver had started scratching like crazy as well. So, last night I did some research and figured out that our "babies" have fleas. YUCK! GROSS! In the seven years we have had the cats, they have never had a flea, tick or tapeworm. Now, it seems we are infested with them.

Thankfully, we found a wonderful veterinary hospital down the street. Magazine Street Animal Clinic was more than helpful and hooked us up with some Advantage. So, here's a tip to all you animal lovers: if you live in a humid, warm climate like we are now living, you MUST treat your pets for fleas. Apparently, it doesn't get cold enough here to ever freeze and kill the little buggers off so they just grow and multiply and become even more of a pest.

We applied the treatment to their fur and both kitties seem to be much happier. After a thorough mopping and washing every last stitch of fabric in the house, I think we might have killed the beasts. I feel like a bad kitty mommy for not realizing sooner that our cats had such a common problem. I guess that's what we get for being naive to the ways of the swamp lands. I'm learning new things all the time.

Perception Redirection

"We could never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joy in the world."
Helen Keller

As of late, I have been learning to find my joy in the little things. No longer do I have a job that makes me feel important and powerful. I have simplified my life in such a way that I have had to readjust how I approach and appreciate things. Back in Texas, Kev and I led a cushy life. We had friends and money and things to do. I didn't have to worry if I didn't feel like cooking dinner and wanted to go out to eat. That is no longer the case and honestly, I am VERY happy about that. (Except we live in a city that is known for it's delicious cuisine and it would be nice to partake in said food from time to time.)

We plan our grocery trips according to what is on sale. We make it a point to not go grocery shopping until we have eaten everything in the fridge and pantry, including all the leftovers. This has made me realize how much we wasted back in Amarillo. What horrible consumers we were. This reminds me of the starving children our mothers warned us about. Shame on us.

I have found joy in really taking care of my husband. Making sure he has clean socks and clean scrubs and the bed is made. (Because, honestly, doesn't it just FEEL better to get into a bed that has been made up in the morning? Something about crisper sheets and a positive flow of energy for you Feng Shui people)

I find joy in the magnolia tree that is across the street and the little boys that run up and down our block playing. Speaking of those boys, I saw them running down the sidewalk yesterday, avoiding stepping on every crack along the way. How do I know they were playing "Don't break your mother's back"? Because I played this when I was little, too. Oh, to not have any care in the world except what outfit I was going to wear on the first day of school!

I am learning and growing with these self imposed hardships. As I continue to find my niche in this close-knit community, I make it a point to remind myself of the little things that still bring me joy every single day. My husband, the kitties, actually having made the move to New Orleans, and knowing that these current hardships shall pass.

On the corner of St. Ann & N. Claiborne...

Under the highway, there is a mini art gallery. Local artists have turned the support columns for the highway into works of art. Rather than have graffiti covering every last inch of these concrete pillars, people have taken the time to tell a cultural story of New Orleans.


Here is a depiction of a southern lady carrying her "Second Line" umbrella. It does get hot around here and portable shade can be a necessity.


There are depictions of the delicious. There are multiple pillars that focus on the local cuisine. Anyone up for a bowl of gumbo and a crawfish boil?


Here is a Mardi Gras Indian. Mysterious and grand, consider yourself lucky if you happen to run into one during Carnival.


There are depictions of the uglier side of the city. This pillar shows the Freedom Riders and how African Americans struggled for equality during the Civil Rights Movement. In my opinion, racism is still a huge problem in this city. A friend of mine in the city told me one time, "If you're white, you're all right. If you're black, watch your back." Unfortunately, the longer I have been here, the more I have to agree with him.


Krewe of Zulu is one of the many Mardi Gras krewes that actively participate in the festivities of Carnival. They have the privilege of rolling (that is, their parade rolls) on Fat Tuesday. I think this guy has been working out! Look at those washboard abs!


What is New Orleans without some Voodoo thrown in. I particularly like this pillar because it reminds me of Texas and the Dia de los Muertos celebrations. Plus, I think I just have a thing for pictures of skeletons. Don't ask me why.


Here is the other side of that pillar. You get two pictures of this one because I think it is particularly awesome.

This city continues to amaze me with the combination of complete destruction and awe inspiring beauty. I admire how the city's residents can take something so ordinary and turn it into art. And because these artists took the time to create something meaningful, the amount of scribble and graffiti has been somewhat lessened. I think I have found my muse in this city.

Oh my aching nerves...

On my way to yet another job interview. Keep your fingers crossed! I just want someone to want me - you know, really want me! Enough to pay me, at least. And get me out of the house! I'm going stir crazy!

I'll keep you posted - keep your fingers crossed and do a job acquirement dance for me while you are at it! I need all the good mojo I can get!

Anne Rice and the Tree Foot

"Even the approach through the deserted streets seduced him. He walked slowly over cracked and uneven sidewalks of herringbone brick or gray flagstone, under an unbroken archway of oak branches, the light eternally dappled, the sky perpetually veiled in green." Anne Rice, The Witching Hour

I visited Anne Rice's former home yesterday, (well, the outside at least). I wanted to take pictures and to see in person the detailed descriptions of the Mayfair Witch's home in which I have been so absorbed for the past couple of days. The picture above is of Ms. Rice's home. It is now on the market for $3.7 million. I think I will put a bid on the house, what do you say?

While her former home is a gem, I was more interested to see the house that is across the street from where she wrote in her solarium (on the left side of the house, upstairs).

"Greek Revival style they called it - a long violet-gray town house on a dark shady corner in the Garden District, its front gate guarded it seemed by two enormous oaks. The iron lace railings were made in a rose pattern and much festooned with vines - purple wisteria, the yellow Virginia creeper, and bougainvillea of a dark, incandescent pink." Anne Rice, The Witching Hour

I believe that she took liberties in describing the Mayfair house and it is actually a combination of both her home and the house she could see from her window. Writers write what they know, after all. And her descriptions of this hauntingly beautiful city are, in my opinion, some of the most romantic, spot on descriptions around.

"Always he paused at the largest tree that had lifted the iron fence with its bulbous roots. He could not have gotten his arms around the trunk of it." Anne Rice, The Witching Hour

I thought this tree was interesting. One of the amazing, ancient oaks. It looks like the foot of a giant. And it is a giant! If these trees could talk, I wonder what they would say?

I think this one would say, "Oh my aching foot!"

A Dapper Evening

I will admit that I have been neglecting my love of nature and the outdoors. I live in one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen and yet, I seem to stay in my little comfort zone. So, this evening, I grabbed the camera and set out to find some things that make me smile about my little neighborhood.


I headed down to Magazine Street. For those of you who are not familiar, Magazine Street is a street that has a plethora of restaurants, boutiques, and art galleries. We live within walking distance and could easily walk down the street to enjoy some fabulous live music or delectable Cajun cuisine. It is very charming and eclectic.


Here is a little candy store. Other than chain stores, I have not seen a candy shop in a very long time. I simply adore the horses that sit out front. Sometimes, the owner ties balloons to the horses and they float in the breeze. There is something so simple and nostalgic about going to buy candy. And colorful, for that matter! If you look in the upper corner, you can see a sign for the Buddha Belly. It's a pool hall/bar/laundromat - I think that sounds like a plan! Have a beer and wash your socks all at the same time!


Here is a picture of the French Bakery that is literally right down the street from our house. It's so charming with it's bright blue walls and and yellow trim and smell of baking bread in the mornings. Mmmm....warm bread. Is there anything better?


Here is a purple house. I am obsessed with the purple houses in these parts - a very popular color. I love the boldness, yet the calmness of the purple. They definitely stand out, but then again, so do the bright orange or lime green houses you see.


Here is a picture of the house we live in. This is the front of the house and our front door is on the side of the house.


And here is our front door. Yes, we do have a steel cage door that we have to open before we can open our actual front door. I particularly like the glass that is in the door. Alice likes to sit on the landing and sun herself in the afternoons in the stairwell.


Finally, here is our street. I love how the neighborhoods around here have the street names embedded into the concrete on each street corner. It's the small things that make this city charming. The water meter cover, the lady at the grocery that calls you "baby", the way the magnolia blossoms only seem to stick around for a day, and the way you can set your watch to the afternoon rainstorms. And boy, those thunderheads are huge! I guess that's what you get to observe when you live so close to the Gulf Coast and the Mississippi River. I love New Orleans.