More New Orleans

Hello all! I think I'm finally readjusted to the Atlanta weather. I must say, Walking around in a pair of shorts and a tank in February was quite a treat. Ch-Ch-Check out some of the pix I took on my walk about the city of sin and redemption. (No, I don't think that New Orleans is actually known for either of those things, in fact, it sounds more like a Vegas thing... Just go with it, ok?)

I stayed with my buddy Corey in the Warehouse District at this AWESOME loft building that used to be a cotton mill.There was all this cool old machinery and brick about the compound. The builders had just left much of it standing where it was when they found it, making a sort of art thing. Here's a big piece of equipment that's been stationed out in front. I guess they put cotton through it. (Who the hell knows such things?) On my first day down, I did some exploring, and ended up on the river walk.
Friday afternoon we did some walking around the French Quarter area of town. The area was alive with the spirit (or spirits) of Mardi Gras. There were performers, mule rides, mimes, and one of the first parades. Before we left the French Quarter, we stopped to watch a small parade pass by and saw the most interesting costume. This dude was dressed as a dryad of some sort. Watching him move was something out of children's nightmares come to reality. That was pretty much it for the rest of the weekend.

I did have a rather interesting experience on the plane ride back. An elderly woman named Yvonne sat next to me and we chatted away the entire trip back, which incidentally flew by.

It was so very interesting to hear her tell about life back when she was growing up. She told me about her husband, who had died some 26 years ago and she had been married to for 35 years. She said it was love at first sight. She had been out to a dance with another date (Yvonne was quite the looker in her younger days I took it), and left the guy standing on the dance floor to leave with her future husband.

I was nearly in tears by the time we landed. Hearing Yvonne's life story brought me back to reality, and led me to think that perhaps, there is more to life than Prada and the gym. Yvonne kept stressing to me that family is the most important thing in life. I guess our priorities change as we grow.

Maybe I should invest in this 'family' thing.