Monday, Sept. 29, 2003 - 10:32 a.m.
Greetings,
Hem, hem.
Hurrrrrrrrrrrrm, hurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrm.
Hem, hem.
Hurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrm.
The cubes are alive with the sound of throat clearing. (Insert a shot of Julie Andrews running madly through the cube farm with a machine gun here with the “Sound of Music” theme song swelling in the background.)
It’s like working with clones of Professor Dolores Umbridge from Hogwarts.
******************************
Okay. I’ve blocked all the irritating noise around here and now I’m ready to begin chronicling my weekend. Well, the parts I haven’t already talked about.
Crescentwood was glowing fantastically by 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon. At 215 as I was heading out the door to pick up Kristen at the bus station, my cell phone rang and it was her. She was already in New Orleans because the bus came in early.
So I scurried off to pick her up and we went directly to the French Quarter (Royal Street to be exact) so Kristen could drop off some voodoo dolls she sells at Mystic Curio. The sun was shining, but it was relatively cool by New Orleans standards.
After she dropped off her dolls, we drove to Audubon Park to get some sticks for the night’s Working and to sit on a bench by the water and talk while enjoying the outdoors and the breeze. I haven’t been to Audubon Park in quite a while so it was nice to check back in for a while. It’s always a peaceful oasis to dip into.
Back at Crescentwood Thomas was busy putting the last touches on his Chamber and we all sat around drinking diet Coke until Jaye arrived promptly at 5.
It was off to Whole Foods shortly after that and we drove around trying to find a parking space for a bit, but we managed to snag one. I located more lavender incense, which made me extremely happy, and then we dithered about wondering what sort of food to buy for dinner for at least half an hour.
We ended up with chicken and mashed potatoes (at least Jaye, Tom and I did.)
We ate at a bistro table in front of the store and made up stories about the people passing by with their shopping carts. Kristen bought some excellent Sicilian marinated olives that she generously shared with those of us at the table (everyone but Tommy) who liked them.
The Rite of the Dark Crescent was a very wonderful Working. The magical alliance we all share is difficult to write about with mere words.
We ended up in the French Quarter around 10:30 or so and walked along the Riverwalk under the moonlight (enduring stoned tourists from Chicago teaching each other the “hookah, hookah, hookah” dance) and then we had a drink in Pirate’s Alley.
We got back to Crescentwood around 1 a.m. or so and talked until about 2:30 when Jaye left. Around 3 or so, I inflated my Aerobed mattress for Kristen and she was curled up and sleeping underneath the Tigger comforter in less time than it took to type this sentence.
I read Harry Potter in bed until about 3:30 before dropping off to sleep myself.
Yesterday we pottered about in the morning (which didn’t start until 10 a.m. for me and more like 11 or after for Tommy and Kristen), drinking coffee and showering and petting the cats. We piled into Kharis at about 1:30 and headed off for Magazine Po Boy for lunch.
Unfortunately it was closed so we drove downtown and near the Convention Center, Kristen remembered this little Mom & Pop grocery store/sandwich shop that she and Austin used to eat at. After driving around for a while we found it. I even had to parallel park (and I did it in one move, Jaye!) and we proceeded to enjoy some of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had in New Orleans while sitting out on a covered courtyard where we talked and talked until we realized the shop closed at 3 and it was nearly 4. We had to be let out the back way.
Then we drove to the Quarter, parked by the river, and proceeded to wander. First we went to the Moonwalk and sat right at the river’s edge watching the fish jump and the waves lap the rocks. That’s such a soothing sound, water lapping over rocks. Someone had carved the words, “Yes, the river knows” into the wooden deck we sat upon. Very true words.
When the sun got too hot upon the backs of our necks, we strolled along the Riverwalk and popped into Tower and Virgin and Jax Brewery.
I found a Dixie beer magnet for three bucks. Tom bought the new Acid Velvet Christ CD.
We found ourselves wandering up Dumaine and so we just had to visit Voodoo Authentica where I found a lovely pink Erzulie candle with her veve picked out in pink and white.
Then we went to Erzulie’s, the store, where I bought some rose petals for my upcoming Erzulie voodoo rite and talked for a while to Anna, the proprietor, about Erzulie. Very enlightening.
After that we went to CC’s on Royal for some iced coffee and chai and heated discussions about the loa.
We finally realized it was after 7:30 and Meow needed her shot and we needed dinner, so we went back to Kharis. Along the way we had to stop and stare appreciatively at the crescent moon floating in the night sky above us. Tom said when he saw it, he was reminded of John and the Cheshire Cat. I, of course, thought the Dark Crescent.
We finally tore ourselves away from the moon and drove to Schwinn Sixie to buy pasta, salad and boiled shrimp for dinner.
While I browned hamburger and made spaghetti, Kristen peeled 2 pounds of shrimp and arranged them artistically on one of my new cut glass dishes from my aunt.
With plates piled high with pasta, glasses of Merlot clutched in our hands, we retreated to the living room to watch “White Zombie”, one of my favorite old b&w Lugosi films. It’s safe to say we all highly enjoyed this.
It was bedtime around 11-11:30.
This morning we all got up, got coffee, got dressed and were out of the house by 10 of 7. We listened to Tommy’s “Halloween” compilation of songs on the drive. Tommy got dropped off at work on the Westblank and Kristen got dropped off on the corner of Poydras and O’Keefe. She walked off towards the Quarter with her backpack and duffle bag slung over her shoulders and I proceeded along to the parking garage and here.
This week should be exciting because:
1.) October begins midweek
2.) I have a Triple Header of Caftan Nights scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights
3.) I have Friday off
4.) I’m decorating for Halloween on Friday
Now if I can just get through all the throat clearing action around this office, I’ll be set. Wish me luck!
