Mardi Gras Baby!

Ken with our daughter in Destin, FL .. 1993

For the past several years, we've been busy creating new wood pieces for Nirvana & all sorts of other projects, but our greatest creation has always been our daughter! I mention this because our baby girl gave birth to her own "greatest creation" .. a baby boy! 

Our grandson was going to be a "Mardi Gras baby" and was due on Mardi Gras day, February 13th. However, he didn't wanna wait and on February 5th, we became grand-parents! Three weeks ago today, baby Orson was born and I was fortunate to be in the delivery room with our daughter and witness that amazing thing called "childbirth". Both mom & baby are well, and we're enjoying having a baby around again. Orson is adorable & sweet, and we are beyond excited to have this little guy in our family!

Life is indeed short, and while it's crazy to watch our baby girl care for her own baby, it warms our heart to see her & our son-in-law so happy & filled with love. They're gonna be fantastic parents!

So here is our grandson at one day old .. so sweet! I printed this photo and we have a copy in our boat. Whenever we look it at, we smile.

We also have this photo of him at 2.5 weeks on our phones, and whenever I show it to Ken he beams!

Ken hasn't decided what he wants to be called, but I'm stealing an idea from our former marina neighbor and going with "GiGi". When I heard this name, I immediately loved it and when I realized that the initials for Grandma Geeting are G.G. .. I knew it was perfect!

This month of February has been pretty fantastic. Not only did we meet our grandson, but winter disappeared almost overnight! Luckily, the groundhog was wrong and this month has treated us to record highs in the low 80's. We've been able to live comfortably on Nirvana without heat or a/c .. just a big fan. The change in the weather has greatly improved our morale & we're starting to get off our butts and tackle boat projects again. 

A typical day at the marina lately ...

We spent Saturday installing hardware for the curtains (post to come) while enjoying the gorgeous weather and listening to music. On Sunday, we spent the entire day at our daughter's house to use her kitchen table & sewing machine. With her help, we're almost done! It was a family project, with Ken measuring & cutting the panels, me measuring & pinning the panels, and our daughter ironing & sewing the panels. Our son-in-law was lucky that he escaped with his monthly weekend drill! Anyway, we couldn't have tackled this project without our daughter (I don't sew), and we're thankful for her help. She kept me from freaking out from frustration .. in between breast-feeding all day. She's pretty amazing! I can't wait to see the installed curtains later this week. I've learned a lot from this project, and I think I can actually sew a few basic items now. Am I ready to sew a dodger? Never!

February also brought us Mardi Gras on February 13th.  Since "Fat Tuesday" was Orson's due date, we weren't planning on going to New Orleans this year. Our "Mardi Gras baby" arrived early and allowed us to go after all. We kept the tradition of going with our good friend Judy. For some reason she keeps inviting us every year to join her in free seafood, adult beverages & beads! We're really lucky she hasn't gotten tired of us yet. The weather was perfect and it was another fun time in the French Quarter!

This is what we're gonna do in our "golden years" !

A drag queen in an "Eggo" dress .. I'll never look at waffles the same again! Nipple Glitter anyone?!

As the sun sets on a great month (Notice the helicopter to the right of the sun? That's a local guy that often flies overhead and takes photos), we're looking forward to March. We've got some real exciting stuff coming up .. and it includes a sailing adventure!  Stay tuned!

Hasta luego ... until then. Mid-Life Cruising!

Mardi Gras in N'awlins!

The picture above may look calm and peaceful (it was), but just around the corner was a party! It was "Fat Tuesday", otherwise known as "Mardi Gras" in New Orleans.  It was February 28th, which is a little late for Mardi Gras .. meaning the weather was warm and perfect!

Esplanade Avenue is on the edge of the French Quarter, and where we typically enter. It's in the photo above, and it's a street that we love! The street is lined with gorgeous oak trees and charming homes .. it's beautiful! We've visited this street numerous times since childhood, and to me .. it's a warm welcome to one of our favorite places. 

The French Quarter is never a dull moment and it has tons of character! The French and Spanish architecture mixed with the street performers and New Orleans charm is hard to beat. Even though I was born in New Orleans, I never get tired of this place. We've found nothing like it in our travels!

After getting lucky and finding free parking (on Mardi Gras day .. that's almost a miracle!), we walked to the famous "Cafe Du Monde" for a serving a beignets. I must admit that we rarely eat these delicious donuts .. I guess it's one of those things that we don't do as locals. But, we played "tourist" and indulged .. so good!

After dusting the powdered sugar off our clothes, we roamed the streets and took in the sights & sounds. Just steps away is the famous "Jackson Square", where we found these guys ...

Crawfish season has just arrived, and it's something we love in Louisiana. Zatarain's is a popular seasoning here in the South. I see a crawfish boil in our future soon!

We then headed to the famous "Pat O' Brien's".  No, we weren't there for their famous "Hurricane" drinks .. we were there to use their bathrooms! To be honest those sugary drinks aren't all that, but the place is worth checking out if you're in the area.

We then headed to the Acme Oyster House for a private party of free drinks and seafood. How great is that?! We've been really lucky the past few years to be invited by our good friend, Judy. Grilled oysters are a rare treat for me ... so good!

I planned on taking a few pics of all the amazing costumes in the streets .. after all it was warm and there was a lot of skin! But, I must admit that I was too busy partying .. way too busy. I should have eaten more seafood and drank less Crown & 7's! Needless to say, the day flew by and I suffered that night and the next day!

Me and my friend, Judy, on a Bourbon Street balcony ... can you tell I was having fun?!  

Anyway, my head has stopped pounding and we're now back to boat work.  We spent this past weekend finishing up our plumbing .. woo hoo!  For those that find plumbing & shiny, new faucets interesting (only a boat owner would) .. a post coming soon!

Oh, and we did manage to attend a couple of parades here in Slidell (about 25 minutes North of New Orleans).  To be honest, I've been going to parades since I was a toddler so they don't interest me much anymore.  However, I do enjoy the night parades just steps away from our condo.  I managed to get one picture .. pitiful, I know.

For those interested in seeing some cool pics from previous time spent in the French Quarter for Mardi Gras, check out this blog post from a few years ago .. or this one. One of these days I need to find & scan a few photos from many of the Mardi Gras' past.  We really have had some good (and crazy) times!

Hasta luego .. until then.  Mid-Life Cruising!

A Day at the Mardi Gras

Yet another year has flown by, and another Mardi Gras has turned up.  As long as we're still living so close to New Orleans, Ken and I have gotta spend at least one day in the French Quarter to take part in the Mardi Gras festivities.  There's no floats or parades in our plans ... that would require leaving the French Quarter, and why would we wanna do that?!

I imagine that most visitors to the city would want to stand along the parade routes to catch some beads and trinkets.  As a New Orleans native, I've been to countless parades and have become burnt out on them.  Don't get me wrong, I've got some amazing memories of our days on St. Charles street.  There's nothing like waking up on the floor (you sleep where you can) of a friend's St. Charles residence on Mardi Gras morning ... the sounds of friends chattering on the balcony, revelers on the streets, and music in the air ... great times!  But, our friend no longer lives on St. Charles so ... the French Quarter it is the past few years.  Not to mention, we've been lucky enough to have another great friend with her own balcony hook-up ... on Bourbon Street ... with free food and alcohol ... and bathrooms!  Thank Judy!

As in the past few years, we start the day on the balcony to fill up our stomachs ... and our red solo cups.  We then walk up and down Bourbon Street, while taking in the sites and making new friends. When we need to refill our cups (and empty our bladders), we head back to the balcony.  While there, we may as well throw a few beads down to the party below before hitting the streets again.

Me and Judy at the "Funky Pirate" bar on Bourbon ... one of our favorite places for live music!  Ken took this picture ... have you noticed he hates to be in a picture?

I've been terrible lately about taking pictures for our blog.  New Orleans' Mardi Gras ... what a perfect opportunity for pictures right?  Well, I guess we were having way too much fun to pull out the camera.  I've only got two pictures!

Oh well, if the small amount of pictures is a reflection of the good times ... we had a great time!  If there aren't pictures as evidence, then we got away with it, right?

Um, I guess there is evidence that I hogged the king cake.  What's a girl to do when she's been drinking Crown  & 7 all day and they've run out of all the other food?  Let us eat cake!

Like last year, today's "Fat Tuesday" is a crappy weather day.  Highs in the 40's (feeling like the 30's) with a drizzle throughout the day ... there's not enough alcohol for this Southern girl!  So, just like last year, our Mardi Gras has been limited to only one day.  Oh well, one day on a Bourbon St. balcony is better than none.  But damn it, I really do miss those grilled oysters that we're used to enjoying at the Acme Oyster House party Judy take us to every Mardi Gras day. 

For those new to our blog, here's a few pics from those days ... Ken's dad joined us in 2012.

and he threw a few beads too.

The streets start to fill up, and things get crazy.  You won't see all the pics I've taken over the years ... oh, the stories I could tell.  The girls, and guys, will do some ridiculous stuff to get a pair of beads.  I had a guy pull down his pants and sing ,,, and I even had a guy do some other crazy stuff, but I don't wanna scar you with the image, so I'll spare ya.  

Now don't let the peek inside our adventures scare you from visiting.   Actually, the Mardi Gras days are pretty mellow and things don't get crazy until after dark.  It's been many years since we've taken part in those times, as we leave before dark nowadays.

In 2013, the Honorary Mayor of Key West, Sammie "Gonzo" Mays joined Ken, Judy and I for a day of fun.  She wore her Margarita bullets, which we a hit ...

and she enjoyed some time on the balcony too!

Homer was also there that year ...

In 2011, we ran into these folks from Key West at the "Funky Pirate" ... they had just gotten married!  

Aaahh ... a picture with Ken in it (also from 2011).

Here's a few more pics from 2011, when I took out my camera more often.  Wanna see more from the years?  Just hit the Mardi Gras tag on the right of our site.

There were a few celebrities that year ... Lady Gaga, Charlie Sheen & the "Hangover" guy!

New Orleans may get some bad news sometimes, but doesn't every large city?  I tell ya, this place if full of great culture, architecture, food and friendly folks.  We love our city ... you gotta come visit!

Hasta luego ... until then.  Mid-Life Cruising!

Cut Short

When I realized that this year's Mardi Gras would be in March instead of February, I thought that would mean a beautifully warm Fat Tuesday ... boy, was I wrong!

On Monday (Lundy Gras), I realized that the forecast for the next day had changed for the worse ... wind chill in the high 20's with rain and sleet all day.  Okay, maybe we'd wake up the next morning and find that the weather girl was wrong.  It's happened before.

Well, the next morning we realized that the weather girl was accurate ... too damn accurate!  The three other friends we were going with decided to stay home ... what we were gonna do?  We reluctantly decided to also stay home.  The news showed an empty Bourbon Street, so there wouldn't be near as many people roaming the French Quarter in crazy outfits.  While we love Mardi Gras, thoughts of being cold and wet among a small crowd didn't sound like all that much fun.  Just like that, Mardi Gras was cut short ... it was over.

The good news is that we did go to the French Quarter that past Saturday for some Mardi Gras fun.  The weather was in the 70's and we had free, unlimited food and alcohol on the French Quarter balconies ... is there any better way?!  My friend, Judy, gets passes and has been inviting us to go along with her the past few years.  Most folks (including ourselves till a couple of years ago) don't have the luxury of enjoying balcony views ... and bathrooms.  Judy is awesome!  Anyway, we hung out a while on the balcony, threw some beads, grabbed some food and refilled our drinks (Crown & 7 for me) before heading down onto Bourbon Street.  We'd walk the street, see the sites (lots of crazy sites), then turn around for another stop at the balcony for a refill of food and drink.  It's always a blast, and goes way too fast.

I've been a little lazy with taking pictures for our blog lately, so I made sure to charge my camera and take a lot of crazy pictures to share with ya'll.  When I grabbed my camera to take a picture of the overweight seventy-something year old man who was wearing nothing but his tye-died "tighty whities" ... the battery was dead!  I haven't had this camera long enough for these kinda problems.  I figured I'd try again on Mardi Gras Day ... needless to say I have no pictures.  The only two that I have below are from Judy ...

Ken made some new friends ... and has a new appreciation for Bud Light!

With our friend, Judy ... on the balcony overlooking Bourbon Street.

This morning, we watched the news before heading to work and saw footage from yesterday ... folks in their rain gear having a great time.  We started thinking that maybe we should have gone.  Oh well, too late now.  Our Mardi Gras at home wasn't that bad.  We finally watched "Into The Wild" on our Roku, which I really enjoyed.  It's a true story about a guy who left everything to isolate himself from society and experience nature. There's some lessons to be learned from the movie.  I'll write a post about my thoughts on the movie (and our Roku) soon.

Since I don't have pictures from this year's Mardi Gras, I thought I'd share some from recent Mardi Gras Days ... good times!

Some famous folks come to Mardi Gras ... the Hangover guy

Judy and I with Charlie Sheen ...

Lady GaGa ... yep that's crap on her shoulder!  (Pickled Pirate is my other site.  I haven't kept up with it lately, but I will once we're hitting those Caribbean bars!)

These folks got married on Mardi Gras 2011 ... wonder how they're doin'.

Hasta luego ... until then.  Mid-Life Cruising!

Mardi Gras 2013

Corner of Bourbon Street

As I predicted in my last post, Ken and I had a lot of fun for the past week and a half!  Actually, we partied for a week and spent the past weekend on the sofa.  It's been really hard to get back to our normal routine!

After celebrating the Superbowl in the French Quarter, we then slid right into the Mardi Gras festivities.  The Friday before "Fat Tuesday" we once again found ourselves in the French Quarter with our friend Judy.  Like last year's Mardi Gras and the one before that, Judy hooked us up with a private party at the Royal Sonesta Hotel on Bourbon Street.  Access to a balcony on Bourbon Street with free food, alcohol and beads ... it doesn't get much better than that!  We're missing the strippers you say?  Okay, add a private party at Larry Flynt's "Hustler Club" on Bourbon Street ... we're in.  Judy, you're the best!

Me, Mayor Gonzo Mays and Judy.  Where's Ken?!  Perhaps inside ...

This year we had another friend with us, the Honorary Mayor Gonzo Mays of the Florida Keys!  She arrived with "bullets" on her chest ... her Gonzo Margarita shooters.  They were really good and came in handy while walking the streets of the French Quarter.  If you're not familiar with the "Mayor", check out her Facebook page.  She's always into something in the Florida Keys!

I think the "Mayor" had a good time ... perhaps we've earned a few "political favors" that will be good to have when we sail to the Florida Keys!

There's Ken!  Homer is a bad influence!

From the Royal Sonesta balcony ... 

Chillin' out back on the patio of one of our favorite places for live music ... "The Funky Pirate"!

This was the last day of our Mardi Gras for 2013, cause this year we skipped "Fat Tuesday" and headed out of town for a few days.  You'll have to wait till the next post to find out where we went ... or just check out our Facebook page for a couple of pictures that give it away.  There was a real good reason for going out of town, but I haven't revealed that anywhere just yet ... I'm keeping that under wraps till the next post.

Hasta luego ... until then.  Mid-Life Cruising!

Laisse les Bon Temps Rouler!

Let The Good Times Roll!

I know ya'll are probably wanting some sailing stuff  but the fact is the holidays recently ended, we've been working on our rental which is now also for sale, the Super Bowl came to town, and Mardi Gras has arrived so ... you'll have to endure a few more posts that have absolutely nothing to do with sailing.  Yes, cruising is our priority but big projects on Nirvana won't happen till the house sells and Ken's been working like a dog at work (construction), so he needs a mental and physical break on the weekends.  This upcoming week we're taking a break from everything!  Heck, it's better than hearing about our real estate woes, right?

We're looking forward to the next week, with lots of fun things planned.  If I don't post for a week, you'll know why.  We're either having too much fun or we're on the sofa recuperating from it all!

Hasta luego ... until then.  Mid-Life Cruising!

Mardi Gras 2012!

The "tacky tourist" with the Honorary Mayor of the Florida Keys, Sammie "Gonzo" Mays

The past several days have been a blur ... could it be because it was Mardi Gras here in New Orleans?!  I'm having a hard time getting back into my normal routine.  Thankfully tomorrow's already Friday and things should be back to normal by Monday.

Although Ken and I had been to the annual boat parade recently, the Mardi Gras celebrations didn't really start for us until this past Sunday.  We kicked off the season by walking in the annual "Parade in the Pass" on the beautiful Mississippi Gulf Coast.  Ken and I were invited by Mayor Gonzo Mays to dress as "tacky tourists" and hold the banner that introduced the Honorary Mayor of the Florida Keys as this year's Grand Marshall.  We were honored to be invited, and happily accepted the invitation.

Mardi Gras 2011

After a rough patch with a lot of bad luck, I was looking forward to spending this past weekend cutting loose and enjoying one of the world's greatest free parties ... New Orleans Mardi Gras! Ken and I stayed indoors on Saturday out of the rain, but Sunday we were headed to the French Quarter.  With our good friend, Judy, we hit the streets around noon and had a great time people watching and taking part in the craziness.  Judy had some great connections, and we were able to drop in at the Royal Sonesta for free food, drinks, a space on the balcony to throw beads, and a bathroom.  If you've ever been to Mardi Gras before, you know that the last two items are priceless!  Thanks Judy!

Since we all three had to work on Monday, we headed home that evening and on Fat Tuesday the three of us were back in the French Quarter!  I love to dress up on Mardi Gras day, so I opted to dress as a pirate this year.  I thought it would be appropriate with our future cruising plans.  We saw so many fantastic costumes, and even a few famous people such as Charlie Sheen and Lady Gaga (yes, her outfit was s#@t!).

On Fat Tuesday Judy not only had passes to the Royal Sonesta again, but also to one of our favorite seafood restaurants, Acme Oyster House!  What a treat it was to walk into this place and have access to an unlimited amount of free drinks and seafood.  We had a choice of raw oysters, grilled oysters, jambalaya, gumbo, red beans n rice, and fried shrimp.  If there hadn't been a party going on outside, we could have stayed here all day and eaten until we were miserable ... delicious!

After filling up on food and drink we walked the streets, taking in all the sights.  No matter how many times we attend Mardi Gras, the costumes never cease to amaze us.  Some of them are really elaborate, and others just plain crazy. Since this is a "family oriented" site, I can't share half of them with you!

We made our way to one of our favorite bars, the "Funky Pirate".  We love this place because they've always got live music, and we've never been disappointed.  This particular visit was unique, as we walked in just in time to watch these two love "birds" get married!  This was a first for us on Mardi Gras, and we were honored to sign the guest list. 

Around 4:00 the streets were really filling up, so we decided to walk through this mass of people one last time before heading home. 

We had a great time and there's a lot more really cool pictures on our Facebook page, so check it out!  If you've ever thought about visiting New Orleans during Mardi Gras, these pics will give you a glimpse of what it's like.  While we wouldn't recommend bringing small children to this party, we highly recommend the experience! Yes, there's a lot of craziness, but everybody is there for a good time and very friendly.  Come on down and check out our Southern hospitality!

Hasta luego ... until then.  Mid-Life Cruising!