And a good time was had by all...

We had a lovely time with Kevin's parents when they came to visit. The weekend was spent hitting up our favorite local joints (thus far) and showing Kitty and Mitch the way we exist in our new city. We found this chandelier on someone's balcony in the French Quarter. Very colorful! I will have a true chandelier in my home someday.


We visited our favorite ice cream joint - The Creole Creamery. They make their own ice cream in the store, fresh. I have enjoyed such flavors as saffron pistachio and goat cheese and fig but they of course have regular flavors like chocolate and peppermint. Yummy, yummy!


I think Kitty really likes her ice cream! She looks happy.


Which brings me to this picture. This is the wall we sat under in the ice cream shop. I like the pink walls and the message, "Eat Ice Cream, Be Happy." That is sooo true!

We look happy, too!

We went to the seafood store and bought some more Cajun fast food - boiled shrimp, boiled potatoes and corn. Kitty took this cool picture of the crab hanging out in the cooler.

We visited the Maison Bourbon Jazz Club on Bourbon St after enjoying a delicious burger from Yo Mama's. I think everyone was enjoying the great music - that trumpet player had some chops on him. And the old guy in suspenders was entertaining to watch dance!


Our fur-children received Halloween costumes from their Grandma and Grandpa. Here is Oliver in the pirate hat - and yes, this hat includes a ribbon and some nice dread locks. Very Johnny Depp, Oliver!

Here is Alice (sort of) wearing the fairy costume. I think Oliver likes her antennae.

Oliver in the same costume. There is something slightly disturbing about his glowing eyes in this picture.


And of course, Pirate Alice. I really like the kitty skull and cross bones on the hat. Of course, her sweet face doesn't make her look like a very menacing pirate! I think her defense is purring someone into a coma.


As you can tell, we all had a nice visit and a good laugh at the kitties. Alice and Oliver told me that they can't wait until their Grandma and Grandpa come back to visit. And Kevin and I have to agree! Thanks for the great time!

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!