Good Morning Ladies & Gentlemen,
Well, we’ve come to the eve of Halloween Weekend 2011… so I thought it was finally time to share with you my adventures from Halloween Weekend 2010 in New Orleans. Why have I not shared it before? Laziness. Okay, only partially… but I didn’t want to give you only half of the story. You see… up until a few weeks ago, I didn’t have any pictures to pair up with the events… for a series of reasons. First off, I had forgotten my camera before boarding the plane. Second, I took a few pictures with my phone… but only a handful… and they were all wiped out when I took a swim in Lake Tahoe in July with the phone in my pocket. Thirdly, Filly hadn’t sent me a copy of pictures from her camera. Fourthly, as we all know, a story without pictures… is not really a story at all & boring as hell. Therefore, after collecting pictures from Filly during our rendezvous last month… and the timing being proper, I give you… Halloween 2010. By the way, the entry was typed up in November a week after I returned… so a few things have changed since then (number one being my living in Truckee then, but now in San Francisco) but hey, we’ll get to that when the conclusion rolls around… enjoy!!!
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2010 2:36 PM
Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,
And the saga begins…
Day 1 – Thursday, October 28, 2010
As mentioned (previous entry last year), woke up at 4 AM, got ready, met my stepsister at the Reno Airport around 6 AM so that she could watch Gretchen at gratis instead of paying $70 to leave my car in the middle of the desert unattended at the airport. Don’t worry, I got her and the kids some great little things from New Orleans… but more on that later. The flight wasn’t bad at all. I basically slept on the hour long one to Vegas and woke up just in time to see the Strip, Lake Mead, Henderson and all the many spoils of my mistress. On the connector, I even got to see the Grand Canyon (but alas, no camera on hand). I also got to meet a lovely woman by the name of Aubrey… and a gentleman by the name of Mister Higgins. Mister Higgins was quiet… but I got that he was going to Mississippi to see his brother and he seemed like a real nice guy. Aubrey though, was just about the sweetest woman ever. Probably in her sixties, African-American, and was flying from LA to Mississippi for a funeral of her great aunt (she was 92). We got to chatting about family and all that… and it was just a great way to pass the time.
I met up with Filly at the airport… and was hungry… and thirsty… so our first stop was to, I kid you not, a drive-thru daiquiri place… and they were NOT skimpy on the booze either. I still have yet to find a drive-thru liquor establishment here in Truckee… but I know of a few in Reno. Still though, alcoholic slurpees with the convenience of a drive-thru. It could be huge is all I’m saying. After that, we went to the Avenues Bar & Grill near her house and I had my first taste of Ya Ga Mein, which is basically Chinese noodles… but with roast beef, chicken, sausage, peas, chopped green onions, boiled egg, and whatever else they would throw in there… and it was delicious. We also had a beer or two and enjoyed something new for this kid from Utah… being the only white boy in the whole place. Great place though. We went there a few times. I also met Filly’s roommates Vyper & Maximus (would it make you feel better if I told you those weren’t their real names?). We hung out and watched movies… and I met Filly’s coworkers at the stables… and it was just a good day.
Day 2 – Friday, October 29
This was the day that I got to know Maximus & Vyper a bit as Filly had to work… and they’re cool cats. We watched some movies, walked around the neighborhood with Pi (Filly’s pitbull & yes, named after the constant of the circumference of a circle divided by the diameter) and when they had to go to work, I hitched a ride into the French Quarter and wandered around the craziness that was Bourbon Street & Jackson Square. After a few hours of that though, I was a little tired, so I made my way back to Filly’s place by around 2 AM. Let me explain that one a bit. I was tired… because Filly’s typically sleeping schedule is the exact same hours as I usually work (8 AM to 5 PM) and we were basically on her time this week… because it was Halloween in New Orleans… so that’s the proper hours. I wasn’t used to it this first day because I was up for about 24 hours before my 4 hour nap before I was up again this day. Also… to be honest, I was wandering around New Orleans alone on a Friday night, so after a few couple of hours (and a few drinks) I was ready to save up the energy for the next day.
Well, we’ve come to the eve of Halloween Weekend 2011… so I thought it was finally time to share with you my adventures from Halloween Weekend 2010 in New Orleans. Why have I not shared it before? Laziness. Okay, only partially… but I didn’t want to give you only half of the story. You see… up until a few weeks ago, I didn’t have any pictures to pair up with the events… for a series of reasons. First off, I had forgotten my camera before boarding the plane. Second, I took a few pictures with my phone… but only a handful… and they were all wiped out when I took a swim in Lake Tahoe in July with the phone in my pocket. Thirdly, Filly hadn’t sent me a copy of pictures from her camera. Fourthly, as we all know, a story without pictures… is not really a story at all & boring as hell. Therefore, after collecting pictures from Filly during our rendezvous last month… and the timing being proper, I give you… Halloween 2010. By the way, the entry was typed up in November a week after I returned… so a few things have changed since then (number one being my living in Truckee then, but now in San Francisco) but hey, we’ll get to that when the conclusion rolls around… enjoy!!!
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2010 2:36 PM
Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,
And the saga begins…
Day 1 – Thursday, October 28, 2010
As mentioned (previous entry last year), woke up at 4 AM, got ready, met my stepsister at the Reno Airport around 6 AM so that she could watch Gretchen at gratis instead of paying $70 to leave my car in the middle of the desert unattended at the airport. Don’t worry, I got her and the kids some great little things from New Orleans… but more on that later. The flight wasn’t bad at all. I basically slept on the hour long one to Vegas and woke up just in time to see the Strip, Lake Mead, Henderson and all the many spoils of my mistress. On the connector, I even got to see the Grand Canyon (but alas, no camera on hand). I also got to meet a lovely woman by the name of Aubrey… and a gentleman by the name of Mister Higgins. Mister Higgins was quiet… but I got that he was going to Mississippi to see his brother and he seemed like a real nice guy. Aubrey though, was just about the sweetest woman ever. Probably in her sixties, African-American, and was flying from LA to Mississippi for a funeral of her great aunt (she was 92). We got to chatting about family and all that… and it was just a great way to pass the time.
I met up with Filly at the airport… and was hungry… and thirsty… so our first stop was to, I kid you not, a drive-thru daiquiri place… and they were NOT skimpy on the booze either. I still have yet to find a drive-thru liquor establishment here in Truckee… but I know of a few in Reno. Still though, alcoholic slurpees with the convenience of a drive-thru. It could be huge is all I’m saying. After that, we went to the Avenues Bar & Grill near her house and I had my first taste of Ya Ga Mein, which is basically Chinese noodles… but with roast beef, chicken, sausage, peas, chopped green onions, boiled egg, and whatever else they would throw in there… and it was delicious. We also had a beer or two and enjoyed something new for this kid from Utah… being the only white boy in the whole place. Great place though. We went there a few times. I also met Filly’s roommates Vyper & Maximus (would it make you feel better if I told you those weren’t their real names?). We hung out and watched movies… and I met Filly’s coworkers at the stables… and it was just a good day.
Day 2 – Friday, October 29
This was the day that I got to know Maximus & Vyper a bit as Filly had to work… and they’re cool cats. We watched some movies, walked around the neighborhood with Pi (Filly’s pitbull & yes, named after the constant of the circumference of a circle divided by the diameter) and when they had to go to work, I hitched a ride into the French Quarter and wandered around the craziness that was Bourbon Street & Jackson Square. After a few hours of that though, I was a little tired, so I made my way back to Filly’s place by around 2 AM. Let me explain that one a bit. I was tired… because Filly’s typically sleeping schedule is the exact same hours as I usually work (8 AM to 5 PM) and we were basically on her time this week… because it was Halloween in New Orleans… so that’s the proper hours. I wasn’t used to it this first day because I was up for about 24 hours before my 4 hour nap before I was up again this day. Also… to be honest, I was wandering around New Orleans alone on a Friday night, so after a few couple of hours (and a few drinks) I was ready to save up the energy for the next day.
I just liked the design on this knock-off mountain dew...
Day 3 – Saturday, October 30
This was really the big Halloween day, as it was a Saturday… and Filly had work off due to the Krewe of Boo Parade, which is like a Mardi Gras parade… but scary. During the day, we didn’t do much… as we stayed up until about 6 AM. But about the time the sun was going down, we transformed into our costume. I as the great Waldeaux (the Big Easy version of “Where’s Waldo?”) and Filly as Rosie the Riveter. Pi also came along with his wonderful pumpkin sweater… so yes, he was Pumpkin Pi. Delicious. Now, our plans were to go to the Krewe of Boo… and we checked sites all over the worldwide web… and the info ranged from 6 PM to 9 PM for a start time… but the majority said 7 PM, so we went with that. We headed down the street to see the beginning… and we ran into some Vikings aboard their ship, which may have been a float… but they said they were with a different neighborhood one that started in a few hours. After asking around, we had just missed it apparently.
Then… we met two lovely young ladies who appeared to be lost… so I inquired, “Are you ladies looking for something?” Please keep in mind that I’m dressed as the world’s sexiest Waldeaux… and they are in regular clothing revealing a lot of their legs. “We were just trying to find the Halloween Parade.” Filly stepped in, “So are we but I think we may have missed it.” “Dang.” “Well… we were just going to try to catch up on Canal Street if you’d like to ride along with us.” By the way, this was Filly playing the role of Chick-n-Wing to hook a brutha up. “Sure, can we stop to get a drink first? We’ll buy ya one for the gas or something.” SOLD!!! Along the way, we found out they were from Houston and were here with a bunch of friends, the friends slept in while they wanted to see the city… and boy did they stumble upon two of the best tour guides the city has to offer. Long story short, we got to Canal Street… and missed it there too by about 15 minutes (apparently it DID start at 6 PM) but the ladies still wanted to hang out (they had ample opportunity to ditch us) so we gave them a ride back to where they were staying (nice place in the Quarter) and just chatted on the stoop while their friends were getting ready. Filly told me that when I would excuse myself to use the restroom, they were asking a LOT about me… and if we were a couple… and all this stuff. She was nothing but the perfect Chick-n-Wing… even getting the digits in a non-threatening way while I was away. Kudos Filly!
We went to get some pizza because… frankly their friends were taking too damn long & I was losing my buzz. We got to know each other more… and share tales of wonders at our respective homes… and then their friends showed up… and yeah, that was pretty much the end of that. We got separated in Frenchmans Street, they didn’t call the next day to go exploring (probably hung over, which was understandable) and yeah, that was that. Their loss… because we had some fun. Frenchmans Street – CRAZY!!! We did some people watching, some dancing, wandering through the quiet streets in the Quarter between Frenchmans & Bourbon… and with it being Halloween… and a little fog coming into the streetlights later in the evening, it was cool & creepy. The weather honestly couldn’t have been better during the first few days though… and was appreciated since my outfit involved long sleeves & a f**king knit cap. Bourbon Street – F**KING CRAZY!!! We didn’t hang out there much because… after a few hours of drunken idiots saying “HEY WALDO!!! I FOUND YOU!!!” it’s okay… but when it was getting into the 8th or 9th hour, I was about done. We wandered to Jackson Square, ate beignets while people watching with the Mighty Mississippi at our backs, it was really just an amazing night. I had a LOT of fun… and as usual, it didn’t even require me drinking myself into a stupor & banging some random hotties from Houston for my first ménage e trios (Though it would’ve been quite pleasurable for all three of us…)
There's something you don't see everyday...
a guy playing the banjo
"Excuse me miss... get the f**k off my car..."
Carmen Sandiego & Waldo...
seriously, they should just hook up...
...or Jessica Rabbit works too...
Day 4 – Sunday, October 31
The official Halloween and Filly had to work… because you gotta make that mother f**king money. Around nightfall, I was just about ready to head to the Quarter by bike when Vyper said that he was heading into the Quarter to do some drumming with his group, so I hitched a ride… and lo & behold, we were both headed to the same spot anyway – Voodoofest on Rue Dumaine!!! He was a drummer with the group playing the voodoo beats for the ritual dances they were doing. “Voodoo rituals? That ain’t right!” I beg to differ. See, the beats was bangin’, they were passing around bottles of rum to help “enliven the spirits within” and seriously, I was looking for albums to buy. This was held at the Voodoo Cultural Center or something… and it was awesome. People all dressed up for Halloween, people passionately chanting, even a 90+ year old Haitian voodoo priestess giving blessing out like candy… and thanks to the free rum bottles on an empty stomach, I was in the zone. Side note: The ladies seemed to like dancing around me too… maybe coincidence… maybe they just know a good thing when they see one. Stayed there for about three hours until they decided to stop, would’ve stayed longer. I got $30 for the booze and tunes towards the cause (which I think went to Haiti relief & their center).
"F**kin' voodoo magick, mon!"
After that, I decided to jaunt past Bourbon for a few minutes, then just chill at a bar somewhere off Jackson Square. Why? Because the Steelers were playing the Saints just down the street at the Superdome and I wanted to check on that… and get a few drinks as well. While there, I met a few pairs of people in outfits who also stopped in to see the game for a little bit… and then met up with them later on Frenchmans for a quick concert… but I left about 20 minutes into it because Filly had told me that she was off work & not feeling well… so then we met up, watched some X-Files episodes (I had forgotten how good it was), enjoyed some Ya Ga Mein and just had a good time to start November.
Day 5 – Monday, November 1
The next day, we met up with one of Filly’s artist friends (very cute but extremely shy) and we drove her across the river to Jefferson Parish (where Steven Seagal is a sheriff) to do some shopping at Hong Kong Groceries… and again, nothing like this in my deck of the woods… and that’s disappointing… because I could live off that stuff. Dumplings, various exotic meats, even durians (which is probably the worst smelling fruit possible for those who don’t know) and all at discount prices. Even the beverages were odd & intriguing… but just FYI, the white tea soda, not that good. Good times though… and we got back into New Orleans crossing the bridge at sunset so… here are some pictures…
Day 6 – Tuesday, November 2
This day, it basically rained all day… but I did get to meet Filly’s boyfriend Chris. For some reason, she was really worried about it… and I have no idea why… probably because she’s a chick or something. Quick story: They’ve been going out for a while… but Chris is very secretive and not trusting of others (because of his past and where he was raised). Also, he’s probably only heard nothing but amazing things about me… and that I’m technically a giant… and been friends with her for the better part of a decade… and I don’t know, maybe he was just nervous for some reason. Who knows? To help ease his reservations, Filly spent some time with him after work most days I was there… which was fine, because I was out getting drunk in the Quarter anyway. Long story short, we met, hit it off pretty much immediately, he found out all the rumors are true, they seem smitten, we had some Popeye’s chicken, drove around in his new truck, listened to hip-hop (of which we’re both educating Filly about), and just had a good time for a few hours on an otherwise just rainy day in the Big Easy. Oh… and now they have plans to come and visit me here in Tahoe next summer… and Filly’s already saving up for it. Apparently she misses the mountains & he’s never seen them… so I’d be happy to show them off.
Day 7 – November 3
And then I flew back, met up with my stepsister to get my Gretchen back, gave her & the kids some goodies from the Big Easy (little art things from Filly’s cute artist friend & beignet mix) and made it back home just in time for the first dusting of snow. Since then, I’ve just been insanely busy with work and family drama… which believe it or not, I’d rather not talk about because… it’ll just infuriate me and there’s not a whole lot I can do. Basically it just reinstates that sometimes my mom is a foolish woman & my brother is a psychotic douche… and police were involved. Fun, right? Well, on that note, have a great day everybody!!! Hope you all enjoyed this trip to New Orleans. You’ll get to see more of it again in about six months when the snow thaws…
Also... thanks to Filly, you get an added bonus of some pictures from my trip to Mardi Gras 2009... so enjoy...
Remember Sunrise?
Do NOT judge me...
And thus the story ends… and in the year since then, let’s see… Six months later, you did get to see New Orleans again for my 30th birthday cruise & Filly's cute friend is the one who gave me the world's greatest panda $teve painting. Have I not posted that yet? Maybe I will again soon. The family drama has… passed, I guess. In that we don’t really speak of it. Filly’s roommates Vyper & Maximus left shortly after because apparently they weren’t cool guys. I moved from Truckee to San Francisco about two months after this… yet still live in a National Park, just without the snow. Still no word on when Filly & her beau Chris will come out to see the mountains (oh I’ll still show them off) but their relationship is an odd one & the economy is what it is. I’ll be dressing up as Waldeaux yet again this year… since I found out about the “Where’s Waldo Flashmob Pub Crawl” tonight. That’s like the perfect combination of Halloween, booze, nerd, exploration, laziness & social gathering that I was looking for. It’s like the pub crawl was made for me… and I already had the costume. Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed the stories AND pictures now. Here are a few addition ones that were on the disc that Filly gave me from Mardi Gras too. Just thought I’d share… Have a great weekend everybody!!!
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