Oh The Places I Go: Part Two

Forgive me for I have been sick with a little something I picked up from one of my nephews -- both have been down with the crud so I can't figure out who gets the blame. So let them share it, I say. Those two boys might be germy but they are the sweetest, cutest little fellows in the world and I love them so much. Even if they did give me this death rattle that's in my chest.

As for as this post... I know this have been a long time coming, but I really did want to share a couple of things from our trip. I've just been so sick and working so hard... okay, I'll save it.

First, an actual sign from a barbecue joint out in Junction, Texas:


Can't beat their meat, no siree! The husband and I laughed about that for MILES.

The next photo is a scene brought to you courtesy of the Texas Department of Safety. See, the Aggie may have gotten a little speeding ticket for going 90-miles-per-hour in an 80. Not one to let the opportunity to capture the scenery pass me by, I started snapping photos out the passenger side window while the fine troopers made sure he wasn't a Port Aransas dope dealer. Having determined we weren't smuggling illegals in the side panels of the Civic, we were allowed to leave. But not before the Aggie fell crossing the guard rail and nearly severed his knee from his body. We had to actually open the first aid kit in our car and dress his wound. Oh, and I'm pretty sure he should have gotten a tetanus shot. But what do I know! Silly woman that I am!

But I digress, if you look closely you can see cactus growing. This photo really captures what is one of my favorite things about living in Texas -- being able to experience the vast, differing landscapes. I love that just by getting in the car and driving a few hours in one direction you can be in an entirely different climate and culture.

I was mesmerized by the American west when I was first visited there as a child. I was 10 years old when my grandfather took us on a two-week road trip across Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. We even went south of the border before going to Wyoming, Montana and the Dakotas. That experience is one of the first things I clearly remember. It opened my eyes to an entirely different world and influenced my style and taste in ways that are ever present. Going back there was both bittersweet and exhilarating. Like traveling back in time -- both to the wild west and to my childhood.

Oh The Places I Go

Wow. So I started getting hate mail that is not just from the Pig Whore! I figured when my one loyal reader started getting tired of my shit that I should get it in gear. (Hi Granny Bitch.)

Truth is that when I'm not working hard for the money, I've been traveling extensively with the husband. We've had two graduations in as many weekends and while we were traveling for primarily familial obligations, we decided to try and do a little of kamikaze sightseeing while were at it.

Our adventure began with the graduation of my baby sister. The husband and I drove up to the University of Southern Mississippi to see her receive her bachelor's degree in nursing. No easy feat people! I am so proud of her.

Here she is with our nephew, the son of our middle sister. We call him the Catertot and we are pretty much in love with him:


Here's another one of our nephew:


He looks exactly like his mama, which is both a lovely and humbling experience for me because I remember how it felt and looked to hold my sister when she was a baby. I get such a similar feeling when I hold him – wonder, amazement and love. The only difference is my mother doesn't feel the need to say, "I swear to God you better not drop that baby!" every two seconds.

After graduation, the Aggie and I decided to drive down to New Orleans and spend a night in the French Quarter. We stayed in a really old, historic and swanky hotel called the Le Pavillion. It was Le Awesome, yall!

View from the front:



The fancy lobby:


Our room:


The best part of staying at the Le Pavillion was this little ritual they do every evening. At 10 p.m. they cart in gourmet peanut butter and jelly, fruit and hot chocolate to the lobby. Virtually everyone in the hotel shows up for this. And let me tell you – after drinking yourself silly on Bourbon Street, the joy this brings is equivalent to winning the lottery.

Other really cool things we did in the Big Easy included the following…

Cruising the French Quarter with Granny Bitch, Elle and the Aggie:



Drinking Hurricanes. One of us might have had too much at this point:



An amazing dinner at Brennan's:


Drinks at Jean Laffites Blacksmith Shop, the oldest building in New Orleans. Its six blocks from the usual Bourbon Street haunts and I think it is worth mentioning that I walked those entire six blocks without complaining once, while wearing a sundress and shoes that were not of the athletic nature.

Sign:

Here we are taking in the ambiance:


Façade:
Us in Jean Laffites after dark. There entire place is pretty much untouched by time. And considering it was built in the 1700s, that's saying a lot.

Then the morning we went to the National World War II Museum. Which is a blog within itself. More on that later.

So that's the first weekend in a nutshell. Coming soon will be two blogs on the ghosts of the places we visited in New Orleans for SAPS and Oh The Places I Go Part 2 -- The West Texas Ediion. Those are coming soon and with photos, I promise.

Not Participating

Tomorrow is National Bike to Work Day.

Guess who will not be partaking in this event?

If I were to participate, you might as well call it National Die Of A Heart Attack On Highway 288 Day.

Who am I kidding -- I'd never make it to the highway from my neighborhood. It'd be National Give Up Before I Got To The End Of My Street Day.

Other equally appropriate alternatives:

• National Sweat Your Balls Off Day
  
  
• National Chap Your Thighs Day
  
  
• National Smell Like A Bag Lady Day
  
  
• National I Will Never Be This Fucking Stupid Again Day
  
  
• National Compose Your Own Obituary Before You Leave Your House Day
  
  
• National This Sucks Way More Than Earth Day Day
  
  
• National Walk Funny Because There Way A Tiny Bike Seat Up Your Ass For Three Hours Day

Any of you participating in this "stupit" idea?

Where I Am

Busy, busy, busy with a multitude of things. My sisters graduation. My brother in law's graduation. My cousin's wedding. Work (that pays the bills) to do. Rag Monsters to finish. All these things have s-l-o-w-e-d me down. Sorry for the infrequent posts. But believe me when I say that I get it, people, I'm behind and I need to get my ass in gear.

In the last 24 hours: My friend Madge had admonished me for not being on top of the whole blog thing. The husband is pushing for me to finish a two-week old story on the Houston Rockets that I've been working on. My auntie has had to remind me 30 or 40 times to work on haunted San Antonio and New Orleans pieces for SAPS.

But I knew I'd was really tardy when I got this little missive from our old friend The Pig Whore:

MP,
What gives? You been gone forever. I miss reading your stupitity. If you do not write more then I can't read it and feel better about myself.
The Pig Whore

Thanks for motivating me to get to writing, Pig Whore. (Just a couple of points before we move on. One, if you are going to call me stupid, at least spell it correctly. Two, when did you shorten Momma Pug to MP? Not that I mind, PW. It's just the sort of touch that shows the intimacy of our relationship.)

So there you have it, I've been shamed out of my obligation-induced period of silence by hate mail.

Pig Whore, thank you for reminding me of real reason I write: To be criticized by the unwashed masses. Next time I'm in a slump that not even the pleads of my loved ones can't bring me out of, I'll recall this instant – the moment I let you down with my "stupitity." How horrible of me! I swear, I shall not disappoint you again.

In the coming days you can expect a plethora of musings:

• A recap of our visit to haunted New Orleans sites
  
  
• Why chicks should dig the Houston Rockets
  
  
• Sonny the Pug rides the underwater treadmill

It'll be worth the wait, I promise. So stay tuned. Especially you, Pig Whore.

Cinco de Mayo

El partio hardo, bitchos.