New Orleans was a blast, but we missed Anne Rice by seconds....

So we were being the total tourists and standing outside her house looking up at the windows like the pathetic gawkers we evidently are. The limo was was running and the driver was standing outside her front door talking to someone in the front yard. I pretty much knew she was headed out and was not really interested in standing so close while she was about to come out the front door. I have seen pictures of the inside of the house andwanted to look at the side to see how far back the house might go. There was a gardener on the side of the house who was mumbling about termites. I mentioned out loud to nobody in particular that it smelled like fall in New orleans with all the leaves still covering the ground. The gardener smiled, ended the termite talk and started up with how the leaves never stop falling in New Orleans and he will be raking for months. All of this chatter seem boring? Yep, but at the time I thought it was pretty exciting. I mean I was talking to Anne Rice's gardener. However, at that very moment we were on the side of her house, Anne decided to take that opportunity to leave the house. She was with two female friends who had entered her house at the side door next to were we were standing two minutes before we decided to walk down the sidewalk. So we ended the coversation with the gardener and walked up front. We saw the side door of the limo close. G walked up and looked at the limo. Talk about disappointment! G was totally devastated. Of course it was my fault for walking to the side of the house. G stared into the limo. I do feel bad about the whole thing, but really, how would that have played out if we would have been standing right at the gates to her yard. I am not into the star thing.

Ate lunch at the Commander's Palace. They gave me pork and I didn't order pork. It was ok though, everything was spectacular!

Of course New Year's Eve was spent along the Mississippi watching fireworks. What a great night. We watched the ball drop in Times Square at 11 and then walked down along the French Quarter and onto the banks of the river. The crowds were not to bad, although we did not attempt to go out afterward. Our airport shuttle was picking us up at 7 and we still had to walk back to the hotel late as it was.

I just want to purchase a house in the garden district and read books on the porch while sipping ice tea. I bought a collection of stories titled, French Quarter Fiction...the Newest Stories of America's Oldest Bohemia.
I started it on the plane and find it to be a great read by Authors who know the Quarter first hand. I am also reading the Witching Hour by Rice. She describes New Orleans settings and I love that about her books.

Oh, the walking tour of City Park's Celebration in the Oaks. We took a bus tour, and we had such a great time walking in the gardens. There was a mini amusement park and storybook gardens. We had an absolute blast jamming down hot dogs and running thru the whole thing cause we only had an hour and it was't nearly enough time. I felt like I was a child again and really wished I could have shared it with my nieces, nephew, and Godchildren.

Now, it is wakeup to reality. Work and diet... Thank God for the memories!