As Pete said "Mom, you are just flyin across Texas!" Indeed I did.... heck, the speed limit was 80. Having spent almost 9 days in New Mexico I felt like I could run for office there. And after watching their campaign ads for all that time I felt I was probably as qualified. Anyway, not as much sight seeing in Texas but what has been even better is stopping by to see friends. Betsys good friend Taylor Bowles was so nice to let me join her, her mom and daughters in Austin for lunch last Thur. (Nov. 4th). She only has 3 darling little girls under the age of 4 and was wondering what to do with her time.
Not wanting to delay nap time for the Bowles little ladies, I hit the road for Houston and arrived at Marty and Kathy Goossens in time for a glass of wine and out for great Tex Mex. Kathy and I met at an event at the American Club in Tokyo in 1984 for newcomers. We were seated at tables by our birthdays and we two Aquarians have been friends ever since. Lots of gossip to catch up on. Marty, their son Matt and his fiancee Lacey joined us for dinner.
A quick tour of River Oaks on Friday and I was off to Covington, Louisiana. That was another looong drive. Minnie the Mooch stayed with my sister-in-law, Mary and Michael Cannon. Their
daughter Allie is is getting married next weekend so they didn't have much to do either and were happy to entertain me. We dined at "Rips" onLake Pontchatrain ( the 23 mi. wide lake north of New Orleans) where I tasted my first crawfish. "Mudbugs" as they're known. Sort of like shrimp not too horrible. Best to drown in hot sauce. My knowledge of this area is almost nil so it was neat to check it out... like all the homes on the north shore have to be raised 8 feet in order to get flood insurance. It makes sense after Katrina but what an undertaking. Mary said that the company that did most of the houses was able to lift them up without spilling a drop of tea from a teacup. I take her word for it. The only disappointment was the armadillos didn't show. They come out at night and dig up the garden but maybe like the bats, they've gone to Mexico for the winter.
My visit to New Orleans seems to be the only hiccup in my travel plans. My original group couldn't make it and then my friend Barb Stark had to bow out due to a wicked virus. But I love the city and have walked all over, taken a few tours and enjoyed muffulettas, beignets and po'boys. The city is jumping... not the sad place I expected. Since LSU and the Saints both won their football games this weekend, the natives have more excuses to run around screaming "who dat." It offended my east coast sensibilities. Toured the 9th ward today and it is startling. Obviously its all "cleaned" up but every other house that is standing (and there are many empty lots where the houses were torn down) is still boarded up. Some number like 150,000 people left New Orleans and never returned.
I'm staying at a chic little hotel in the French Quarter, the "Soniat House." Brad Pitt supposedly lives around the corner when in town. To give him his due, he is behind a major rebuilding project in the 9th ward...and the houses he has helped fund make up the "greenest" community in America right now. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
Did you know they have drive-thru daiquiri bars here? The driver isn't allowed to take the paper off his straw until he arrives at his destination. No, Miss Jane isn't trying this when she heads to Mississippi tomorrow.
and we loved having my sister in law jane visit us here in covington. wish she had stayed longer. love you Jane!
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