It's been a minute since my last post and it will always amaze me how we can allow ourselves to be consumed by worry and stress while letting life pass us by. No matter how I try to roll with the punches, some things just find a way to get under my skin and I hate that I let it happen. This time it was our living situation. First, let me say that I love the location of our apartment. The French Quarter is a glorious place and, let's be honest, being able to get to work in less than 5 minutes is a wonderful thing. But living here is not for the faint of heart. Although beautiful, the buildings are OLD. Which translates to old plumbing and electrical systems, and no insulation. It can also translate to decay - leaks, loose bricks, cracks, holes, etc. The Quarter is also full of mice and roaches who find ways into your home through the aforementioned cracks and holes. Then there are the tourists, who keep our fair city going - God love them, but who may also leave you an unexpected "gift" on your porch or sidewalk after too much to drink. In the past year this has been our experience. Our list of issues with our crumbling building has been long, and the landlords less than responsive. It starts to wear you down after a while. Then there is the fact that we have had a roommate for the past 11 months, which turned out to be a less than ideal situation after being used to our privacy and can put a strain on your relationship. So, what has consumed me for the past month is the transition into change. A parting of ways with our roommate and possibly our apartment, and wanting it to be done amicably. At the present time, part of the situation has resolved itself. Bryan had absolutely no problem finding a friend to go in on a place with and will be moving at the end of the month. We, however, have not been able to find anything in the area where I want to live. Anytime I find something, a crowd of people has gotten there before me. But if we have to stay here, it's OK. Because even though all of the needed repairs and the landlords can be extremely frustrating and annoying, somehow being in the French Quarter makes it tolerable. It just makes it all better. Early in the morning, when the streets are deserted and still wet from being cleaned; the air is cool, the colors are vivid, and you may hear the steam whistle of a riverboat, and I can't imagine that there is a more beautiful place in the world. Letting things go and enjoying your life and your surroundings is the way to go. Doing this isn't always easy, sometimes it's easier to let the fact that you still haven't finished that class you've been working on for way too long cause you to have a panic attack. Or to feel the steam coming out of your ears when you have to call the landlord a fourth time about your shitty air conditioner. But all of the stress doesn't help anything.....it's only harmful.
And I'm letting it all go.
I did have some moments of fun in my month of absentia. I went to a fundraiser at Three Muses for Animal Helper, the organization that rescued Pancho. Really nice time! And I can say that Three Muses is a great pleasure when less crowded. But the biggest fun of the past month was a visit from my best friend, Liz. A great time was had by all! We ended up having to stay in a hotel because of the excessive heat and our crappy air conditioner, but it felt like a little vacation for me and was a nice change from daily life. So I'll give a shout-out to The Lamothe House - a pleasant surprise with a pool, a nice breakfast variety (Mmmm.....doughnut), and a bangin' air conditioner. Some of our activities that weekend:
~ Our first food stop was Mother's. Mother's does an incredible tourist business, there's always a line down the street to get in. And I don't quite understand why. On previous visits I was disappointed, but Liz wanted a particular sammich from there so, what the hell. This time I chose to get the "Debris" Po' Boy. Debris is basically shredded roast beef and has the potential to be delicious. This was bland and watery. Some gravy might spruce it up.
~ Checked out The Insectarium (mainly for the air conditioning)
~ Hit some bars: Fahy's, Evelyn's Place, Apple Barrel, Cafe Negril, Spotted Cat, Napoleon's Itch, Johnny White's and Tujague's
~ People watched at the Satchmo Club Strut
~ Ate well: Adolfo's - fabulous, as usual; Port of Call - ditto; Coop's - why did I stay away so long? Great food, strong drinks; Buffa's - first time for Sunday brunch - loved it! Biscuits and gravy - YUM! Will definitely go back; Marigny Brasserie - tasty comfort food
~ Followed a second line down Esplanade
~ Sifted through the junk shops on Decatur St.
~ A Sunday afternoon at Satchmo Fest listening to New Birth Brass Band, Hot 8 Brass Band, Glen David Andrews; dodging thunderstorms and sampling some food (banana Nutella crepe)
Just a busy, fun weekend with friends and I was sad to see it end. I wish we weren't so far apart and could do it more often. Just the thing to take your mind off of life's daily trials.
Now, if I could just get that air conditioner fixed........