How hot is it down here?

Not as hot as it is down there. Gotta love New Orleans.

Chin-ouisiana

 
 So the other night, having a Chinese dinner....in the far far exurbs,
out in the swamp, our (Chinese) waitress greeted us wearing a camouflage cheongsam,
 a thing that actually exists.

happy ash wednesday!

Leave it to New Orleans:
Drive through daiquiris to
drive through ashes.

once upon a carnival

1950s?

1930s

 1

1950s

1970

1973

1977

1977

1987



via 

discount corner

While shopping for beads the other day,
I happened upon the Confederate flag/Gay pride section.
Both on sale, half off.          I wonder why?  

Krewed

It's that time of the year...when giant penises parade though the streets.

Yes, it's the beginning of carnival already.

Christmas time in New Orleans

I notice he doesn't mention the need to drag out the short pants again.
 I guess he couldn't figure out a rhyme for that.

Ten years...

I saw this old weather worn sticker the other day on the back of a stop sign. I had to stop. It's from the Book of the Dead.

So, ten years ago today, I was lucky.  I mean, in the space of a few hours, I lost my home,  everything I owned, both sentimental and material, my job, my very place of employment...good friends to other cities, and two relatives to death.

But I'm still lucky.

 I'm grateful for the friends I still do have, that the city is even better in some ways than it was before, but most importantly that my parents are still here.  I just hope ten years later I can say the same.

thought for the day...

Did I mention the heat index projection down here is like 124 degrees today?
(I might have missed a couple of zeros there, however.)

recent random randomness...

The past few days I've been blessed by being able to visit with friends.

I tried for like a whole minute to figure a clever way to organize these photos into a cohesive narrative with a message and a theme, but...um.... I'm just too lazy.

Sorry.

Instead, here's a photo dump of badly taken cell phone photos.
Enjoy!

Anyway, I was fortunate enough to spend the 4th with the ever-charming Mr. Peenee and the completely wonderful Diane. Delightful!

First up are these books found by kismet on Independence Night. They were nestled in a pile of  strays left on some poor soul's stoop (no doubt being evicted for inability to pay her rent)  Finally... at last.... I'll now know what to do with my life.

At Goodwill, Diane's legendary thrift store mojo led me to this.  Some sort of handmade snow dowager.  Is there anything sadder than a widowed snow-woman?

Aaaand, why yes, apparently there is something sadder.

Yesterday, one of my best friends, Michael, unexpectedly came into town.  Naturally, we went record shopping. He bought some.  I did not. Frankly, I don't have the energy to be dropping needles on records.  It's all too exhausting.  I did, however, snap a few pictures.

I found these two in the "beautiful manly hair sings" section.  

Speaking of " beautiful manly hair sings"

Afterward,  we had a drink at the newly renovated St. Roch Market, which seems to have been turned into a very yuppie food court, but that's not necessarily a criticism. 

I had something called the "Mary Pickford".  Because, I mean, of course I did.  Michael had the manlier (ha!) drink (some sort of mongrel margarita with black pepper and salt around the rim)

We took a walk to the newly opened Crescent Park, which seemed like less a "park" than a really nice open air space.  This is a view from the walkway to it

And here's a view of the city from the "park"

RIP

Sadly, tonight one of the best parts of Louisiana history, the lovely Blaze Starr, has gone on to the burlesque stage in the sky. 

beadazzled

Just a few of the uses I've seen around town for wayward Mardi Gras beads

decorating the railings

Decorating the palm trees

discouraging hipsters

Filling in potholes

just jealous

I used to walk by this house all the time when I lived uptown, I used to dream about the day I'd own it myself.

You know, after I climbed the ladder of success and did a full Diana Ross on my former girl group sisters, to become an international R and B sex symbol/superstar.

Meanwhile, seems some trifling-ass basic bitch and her husband or whatever have beat me to it.

dammit

Look up!

So Monday it was all raining boxcars down here,



Crazee

but this afternoon I look up and see this:

It's like a Christmas miracle, y'all!

Erin Go Bragh-less

Only here in the land of dreamy dreams, would I get stopped in traffic for  the traditional Five-Days-after-St. Patrick's-Day parade.

Of course, nothing says "Happy St. Patrick's Day!" like Dracula's coffin, am I right?

Unless it's Magraritas O'Maracas

And of course the several tons of cabbage, potatoes green vomit beads littering the highway

.

                                    Five days without a parade, and the city goes into withdrawal. 

Disgusting filth from around town

Filthy Muff-a-liciousness in the windows

Shower with a Tricky Dick at the thrift stores

Lips and more lips in the Co-ops

Scatological Suppers in the discount stores

Homosexual pornography in the record stores

Homosexual pornography in the record stores

TMI at the burger joints

Big giant cocks on the walls

whew...

good thing I tipped well.

thought for the day...

let's go for a walk!

Yesterday, some friends and I took a little walk to the record store.


(why yes, you did read that right. And yes, it is 2014. 

I think.) 

Anywho, like any such quixotic quest, it was absolutely fraught with danger.

Walking through Bywater on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, addled by one too many bloody marys, we seemed to encounter horror after horror:

Rudolph prepared for a Christmas sacrifice.

The cactus of the severed heads of Santa

Scary Claus

Something scarier still.  You just know she's the mastermind behind Rudolph's death.

Thank Santa for small miracles

And big cocks