New Orleans Food

I want to get all this food when I am back in New Orleans soon.

It all looks so good and I think I have had everything on this page. YEA!

I think they missed the pickled green beans and the king cake. (...someone must've ate those.)
I saw someone had "K&B Ice Cream" on thier page on Facebook, how'd that happen?
http://apps.facebook.com/a-taste-of-new-cefij/?link=dashboard&_fb_q=1
Oh I see, it reminds me of the old chain letters. It's just a little trickier now that it's online.
...Lucky Dogs too? I'm hungry.

I love New Orleans food.

Boy of the Moment - BrokeStraightBoys Hottie

My friend who was in New Orleans for Southern Decedance took these photos for me (THANK YOU!) of this guy that I am totally in lust with. He's so gorgeous. ARGH!
My friend mentioned that you can "...see his religion" and I love it. He makes me feel religious alright! I have a confession to make - "He makes me feel kinda funny. " *wink* ...not only that, this sexy guy makes me want to get on my knees for sure!
In these photos he's on the float that was presented by BrokeStraightBoys and JustUsBoys Magazine.

Lola's in Las Vegas

We found a fun New Orleans restaurant in Las Vegas and got to meet the owner of Lola's in the old Holsum bread factory in Las Vegas.
We plan on going back.

I don't think Jason Pitt liked it too much, he's picky eater, but that's okay, he can have sweet tea, sweetie until he busts! *wink*

Check out the website and menu at http://lolaslasvegas.com/.

Popeyes Chicken and Al Copeland

I enjoyed reading all about Popeye's Chicken and the owner, Al Copeland, who recently died and was a New Orleans native.

"Some international franchises, such as the ones located in Germany, Italy and Japan, are only located on U.S. military installations and are generally not accessible to the local civilian public."

I know some of the old style Popeyes building that is pictured here that were/are in the New Orleans area still.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popeyes_Chicken_&_Biscuits

http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/03/al_copeland_dies_in_germany.html

New Orleans Coaster Memories

I got some special New Orleans coasters while I was home last.

These are all things that remind me of New Orleans.

Pirate's Alley in New Orleans

...this is a photo I took of 'Pirate's Alley' in New Orleans after it rained while I was home last week. It's right next to the St. Louis Cathedral. (...the big thing on the right in this photo.)
It was beautiful in it's own right eh?
My apartment is really close to here in New Orleans.

"The Lost City of New Orleans"

I love the episode of "Family Guy" where Peter Griffin tells the family at an aquarium to about a recreation of "The Lost City of New Orleans."

The “Lost City of New Orleans” is a reference to Hurricane Katrina and the city of Atlantis.
The tank also contains the skeletal remains of a Girls Gone Wild cameraman and the woman who flashed him.

Chris Griffin: "Dad, was there ever a real city of New Orleans?",
Peter Griffin: "No one knows, Chris. No one knows."
http://familyguy.wikia.com/wiki/Bill_and_Peter%27s_Bogus_Journey/Quotes

You can watch the entire episode for free at http://www.watchtvsitcoms.com/FamilyGuy/S05E13.php. The New Orleans part is right at the beginning.

I still need to see the new "Life After People" but I hear it has New Orleans in it too.

110

Waters of Death

June 23, 2009

A look at what happens to the world we leave behind when water floods our cities. New Orleans is flooded with rain water. Its aquarium's power goes out, spelling trouble for the animals inside. Head lice die off without human hosts. The fate of the Seattle Space Needle is shown, and humidity in the Middle East wrecks Dubai's space-age structures. The episode examines buildings in New Orleans that were damaged by Hurricane Katrina and were subsequently abandoned four years ago.

Friends of the Bourbon Pub and the Fleur De Lis

I joined a Facebook group called, "Friends of the Bourbon Pub" and I can't believe this photo to the right.
Man, the place has hardly changed. Wow.

I really like Fleur De Lis as a symbol because it reminds me of New Orleans.
I got particularly excited about this rainbow one I came across on that web page today. YEA!
I told Angel, Lisa found a Fleur De Lis hole puncher and I got it the other day, so now I am Fleur De Lis hole punching maniac. (I went back and got a martini one too.)

New Orleans Floor - Flamingo Duct tape

Mardi Gras was such a fun time for me, I have some more photos to upload, but there was so much to this last trip. We did family photos, we did some work on the apartment, I found some new rentboy's and we had a BLAST partying on Bourbon Street for the actual Mardi Gras day.

While I was in my parents suburb of New Orleans for Mardi Gras, Rusty and I went to Lowe's to get some new flooring for the New Orleans apartment.
A couple of days later, Brian and I laid the new linoleum down, and well, wait, who am I kidding? Brian did all the work, I watched and took photos so I could write about it. *wink* - Brian laid down the new flooring and we went to a new more industrial, slate type tile that matches the new jet black painting on the cabinets. It put the apartment in a new and much more modern look. YEA!

While I was out shopping, I found pink duct tape. I mean really - PINK DUCT TAPE? I had to get it. What am I going to do with it? *wink* I had a few ideas.
...but my ideas didn't match my friends. *wink*

This Mardi Gras trip was a fully FUN-ctional trip of both work, play and work-play. *wink*

The name of the duct tape we found by the brand "Duck Tap" (...tricky huh?) is called "Funky Flamino" reminds me of one of my favorite flamingo stories. (Yes, I have a couple, don't we all?) When I was working as a cater waiter/rental bartender in New Orleans one of the gigs I worked was at the Zoo in New Orleans at Halloween for this Black Tie todo called "Boo at the Zoo." It was fancy and lots of fun. This time I was stationed at a pasta serving station where I would scoop out chicken Alfredo pasta. ...at one point this sophist acted old lady came up to my station and asked what I was serving. I looked to my right and saw that I was standing right next to the flamingo's and I turned my head around and told her, "Flamingo." She coyly smiled (...so did I with just a bit more of a mischevious twist.) and scooted off with her scoop of chicken pasta and a confused look on her face. *hehe*

Mardi Gras Garbage

If you are not from New Orleans, this may sound strange, but one of the ways the city used to measure the success of a parade and Mardi Gras as a whole is to measure the garbage picked up after the celebration rolls though.
Times have changed and it's no longer officially the way, but the theory remains.

Everyone is asking how Mardi Gras and New Orleans are doing after the hurricane and according to many reports, this year it was a success.

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/85013647/Getty-Images-News
http://www.wwltv.com/topstories/stories/wwl022509cbmardi.2af2128.html
http://www.lsureveille.com/mardi_gras_cleanup_in_new_orleans_costs_1.5m-1.1573997

http://www.nola.com/mardigras/index.ssf/2008/02/piles_of_trash_dont_lie_mardi.html

Some reports cite as many as twice as many (...from 25 to 50) trucks were needed this year.

However, if I wanted numbers to be up, I could report that too. I'd use smaller trucks. See what I mean?

Plus, this year, the garbage is privatized. ...that tends to skew things too if you ask me.

All in all, there was a pre-hurricane feel to this years celebration.

Mardi Gras 2009 Photos II - Around New Orleans

Here are some photos from around New Orleans and the French Quarter I took one day while I was waiting for the boys to join me at lunch.

Camera Phone Photos 21Feb09

I am at the first hotel getting ready to check out and hijacking the last of the internet I have on the room before I head over the lake to my parents.

Here are a few photos from my camera phone that I wanted to share.

This isn't from New Orleans, it's from Hollywood. Melrose Ave. actually, it's a funny sign that I saw the other day. IT says, "Sleep with me, I'm on Sale." and was for a furnishings outfit or interior design place, I can't remember. I thought that was cool.



Now you have some "R&R." Roxy and Rusty were asleep at the hotel.



Here is what Hollywood Blvd. looks like as it's closed in front of the Kodak Theater for the Oscar preparation the other day. It didn't help me in my route home, but it's neat that the city allows such a thing. YEA!



Now here's New Orleans. Here is a building that I think is beautiful as I walking to a friends house yesterday to catch up.
It was so crazy because I was at his same apartment years ago when I tricked with these two boys. It was so strange to be back in the same apartment with someone else. It's a small world, I tell you.



I went to lunch by myself when we landed. Rusty was too tired and went to sleep. I was so thrilled to be back home, I went to one of my favorite places, Mona Lisa Cafe', and had a calzone and Praline cheesecake. YUM!


I plan on taking more photos with the an actual camera to share more of the weekend with you.

Have a good weekend and whatever you are doing, throw in some purple, green and gold for me. *wink*

The Roosevelt New Orleans Blog

Lisa asked me today about the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans. I thought, "Wait, there isn't a Roosevelt in New Orleans, that hotel is in Hollywood." Then I thought, "Oh wait, this is ringing a bell for some reason." I looked it up online and there is/was indeed a Roosevelt New Orleans. Only the most recent incarnation was the Fairmont Hotel. ...that is where my ex-boyfriend in New Orleans worked. Fierce. MORE
After Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, the Fairmont is one of the businesses that found the rebuild to be much more than anticipated and halted re-construction.

Today I found out that the management company that I used to work for called "Dimension Development" has purchased the building and is planning to restore it to a former glory with a new twist as the Roosevelt New Orleans under the "Waldorf-Astoria" flag. HOT!
It looks like the don't have the Holiday Inn Covington, LA any more which is the property I used to work for, but they have expanded plenty.
The management company also owns the Homewood Suites Downtown New Orleans is based in Natchitoches, Louisiana. (...pronounced like Nack-a-dish.)

Find out more at The Roosevelt New Orleans Blog

Bloody Mary's

There are so many Bloody Mary variations. I say all it takes is for one of my gay friends to fall down and get a scrape and they are then a "Bloody Mary." *hehe*

Here's a few other "Bloody Mary's:

Birth of a Cocktail

When a bartender at Harry's New York Bar in Paris, mixed equal parts tomato juice and vodka, he had no idea his concoction would become world famous. According to the bartender, "one of the boys suggested we call the drink 'Bloody Mary' because it reminded him of the Bucket of Blood Club in Chicago, and a girl there named Mary."
In 1934, when the bartender made his way to the Unites States and to the King Cole Bar at the St.Regis in New York, he brought the recipe with him. The hotel tried to change the name to Red Snapper, but it didn't stick. Sophisticated New Yorkers felt the drink was too bland and requested more spice. The recipe then evolved to include black pepper, cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce, lemon, and a generous splash of Original TABASCO® brand Pepper Sauce for patrons who liked it even more spirited. Thus, an American classic was born.
...read more on the Bloody Mary HERE.

Birth of a Urban Legend

If you say "Bloody Mary" 13 times in front of a mirror in a dark room, a spirit will appear in the mirror.
Read more about this Bloody Mary HERE and HERE.
Does video thrill you? Visit HERE.

New Orleans Bloody Mary - the Tour Guide

...even though I drink most of my favorite Bloody Mary's in New Orleans with a pickled green bean or two - I know one more Bloody Mary in New Orleans. She's a tour guide that I recommend and that apparently, so do Brad and Angelina when they are in New Orleans.
Visit http://www.bloodymarystours.com/ and check out her cool website. (...that's her in the picture hanging on the wall in the upper left hand corner on the main page.)
You can see her in video on YouTube HERE.
She's really cool and used to work with us at one of the hotels I worked at in New Orleans that was haunted. (...which I recently heard and see is for sale for a mere $1,350,000.00. Let me get right on that.)

Thanks Howard for the information on the first and yummy Bloody Mary which is one of my favorite cocktails.

Lousiana Accent

Man, I just listened to that and I still don't even know what he's talking about.

You want more? (I like this video better.) This one is about some local words that might sound foreign to you, but are heart warming to others.

How to Tell if you are from New Orleans

"Where Y'At?" is short for "Where are you at?" in New Orleans.
It's also a local publication there and it's the thought I had that made me look up how to tell you are from N'Awlins.

I found this on Facebook about how to tell if you are from New Orleans.

1. you've never heard of a dry county.
2. you don't know what a county is.
3. when you hear gambling is illegal in some other states and are surprised.
4. you know the 12 Yats of Christmas by heart.
5. you know what Schwegman's is.
6. when you know what "LAGNIAPPE" and "LAISSEZ LE BON TEMPS ROULER" mean.
7. when you go away for college, and when you tell people where you're from they automatically know you can drink more than everyone at the school put together
8. u tried "cajun" food somewhere else and u thought it tasted like shit
9. You reinforce your attic to store Mardi Gras beads.
10. Your sunglasses fog up when you step outside.
11. When you give directions you use "lakeside and riverside" not north & south.
12. Your ancestors are buried above the ground.
13. You get on a green streetcar to go to the park and a red one to the French Quarter.
14. You take a bite of five-alarm chili and reach for the Tabasco.
15. You don't learn until high school that Mardi Gras is not a national
16. holiday.
17. You push little old ladies out of the way to catch Mardi Gras beads.
18. Little old ladies push YOU out of the way to catch Mardi Gras beads.
19. You leave a parade with footprints on your hands.
20. You believe that purple, green, and gold look good together.
21. Your last name isn't pronounced the way it's spelled.
22. you get aggrevated when 1. people think mardi gras takes place in the french quarter and 2. that people think that no matter what time of the year it is if they go to the french quarter they will get a boob shot!
23. when you get pissed at people who pronounce it nawlins, norlens, or new or leans.
24. You know what a nutria is but you still pick it to represent your baseball team.
25. No matter where else you go in the world, you are always disappointed in the food.
26. Your town is low on the education chart, high on the obesity chart and you don't care because you're No. 1 on the party chart.
27. Your house payment is less than your utility bill.
28. You don't show your "pretties" during Mardi Gras.
29. You know that Tchoupitoulas is a street and not a disease.
30. Your grandparents are called "Maw-Maw" and "Paw-Paw."
31. Your Santa Claus rides an alligator and your favorite Saint is a football player.
32. You cringe every time you hear an actor with a Southern or Cajun accent in a "New Orleans-based" movie or TV show.
33. You have to reset your clocks after every thunderstorm.
34. You're walking in the French Quarter with a plastic cup of beer.
35. When it starts to rain, you cover your beer instead of your head.
36. You eat dinner out and spend the entire meal talking about all the other good places you've eaten.
37. You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from Louisiana.
38. you know what is meant by 'K&B purple
39. You know what it means for food to come 'dressed'...
40. you 'ax' for things...
41. you see a van taxi with spinners
42. you know your from new orleans if you recognize at least one person in a parade
43. You save newspapers, not for recycling but for tablecloths at crawfishboils
44. 
    
45. when you travel abroad you always remember to pack 2 things: bottle of tabasco and a salt shaker of tony's in your purse
46. Drive-thru daquiris -- it's not drinking and driving until you put the straw in.
47. You drive east to get to the West Bank.
48. You stand on the neutral ground at parades and have no idea what a 'median' is.
49. You get annoyed when you wear a Perlis shirt and people ask you if you work at Red Lobster.
50. You know how to pronounce Mignon Faget.
51. pulling a baby out of a cake is completely normal.
52. you know McKenzie is both a football player and a landmark
53. you made one bad turn and you end up on the twin span at least once.
54. you know what the twin span is.
55. you shop at Lakeside.
56. you listen to people represent their ward on Q93.
57. you know that the Riverwalk is for tourists.
58. sock hops were cool in middle school (and not the 70s) AND you think its stupid when people ask you if you actually took your socks off.
59. someone asks you for starbucks and you give them CCs or PJs
60. you have waited in the ridiculously long line for Camellia Grill during lunch at least once.
61. The only Bush you respect is a Black man.
62. You refuse to believe that there is such a thing as the "Utah Jazz".
63. There is a color called "Bur-GUN-dee".
64. The concept of a basement never crossed your mind.
65. You get your car's suspension repaired at least twice a year.
66. You know at least two best places for sno-balls.
67. You've seen roaches bigger than rats.
68. You've seen rats bigger than cats.
69. the roof of your house was at sea level, and your stuff was at the "bottom of the sea"
70. WHEN YOU DONT REFER ''MARDI GRAS'' AS THE CARNIVAL...WHO SAYS THAT???
71. If someone in a Lowe's store offers you assistance and they don't work there, you may live in Louisiana
72. If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you may live in Louisiana
73. If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you may live in Louisiana.
74. If "Vacation" means going to Dallas for the weekend,
75. you may live in Louisiana.
76. If you measure distance in hours, you may live in Louisiana .
77. If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you may live in Louisiana.
78. If you install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both unlocked, you may live in Louisiana.
79. If you carry jumper cables in your car and your wife knows how to use them , you may live in Louisiana.
80. If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph -- you're going 80 and everybody is passing you, you may live in Louisiana
81. 
    
82. You know that there is one "Original Lee's Hamburgers" even though they all say they are the one.
83. If there's a major hurricane headed straight for you and all you're worried about is that they changed the time of the LSU game.

There is some more at http://www.gumbopages.com/you-know.html,
, http://www.yatpundit.com/archives/2005/06/you_know_youre.html and http://christopherjohnston.blogspot.com/2007/07/you-know-you-are-from-new-orleans-when.html

New Orleans Imagery

"I'm baaaack." in New Orleans

"I'm baaaack."

I am back to blogging, I always feel guilty when I go this long and I think to myself, "When can I jump on the already moving train without me and not cause a derailment with all this information?"
The answer came to finally. You can't. ...so here I am jumping back on the story train with mounds of information that you can enjoy with us.

I get overwhelmed and think, "I can't blog right now, it's just not right. I need more to get back with my peeps." and then I wait longer and it's even worse.
*bangs head on wall*

I get so sick of reading the posts from people who want to be welcomed back with open arms when they have disappeared from the blog0sphere and think they can just weasel back in and pretend like the absence was not in the least bit frustrating.
Now I am one of them.

It's really hard to maintain loyalty when I don't have regular updates and trust me, I can find every excuse not to do posts when I am traveling or when I am doing an event.
I have a bank of excuses, you can borrow from anytime. I will spare you any deposits right now though.

Physically, I am in New Orleans until Sunday night with my family.
My mom has a screw loose. Literally. She has a pin just below her knee that is coming out. It's gross, but it's still my mom. (...and it's alot of fun to not get in trouble when I say, "My mom has a screw loose."
She has some surgery really early in the morning tomorrow that my dad is taking her to.

Mentally, I don't know where I am. I am not worried or frustrated like I normally would be however, I know I have to find my way quickly out of this hazy mess or this it's not going be pretty.

I am glad I will get to see Dustin while I am here in the South. YEA!
I think he's a little pissed at me right now because I haven't been answering my phone, but all I do is offer him a platinum membership in the "Brandon Never Answers His Phone Club."

Iko Iko - The Dixie Cups

This is a very New Orleans song that is usually played around Mardi Gras. You know when you hear this song on the radio in New Orleans it's Carnival time in the Big Easy.

This song is short compared to the average song length of approximately 3 minutes and 20 seconds and you can tell, but I like a short song here and there. It seems in my own gay culture, we hear extended remix versions often. *wink*

Cyndi Lauper did this song too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI4Pdkix7oY (How strange because I blogged another of her song versions earlier.)

Read about the song at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iko_Iko. I have heard that it's about two of the flambeau's at Mardi Gras (...the guys at the head of the Mardi Gras parade who lighted torches used to illuminate floats in New Orleans.) but that's not the entire case.

In any case, I enjoy the song and it makes me think of the colorful part of New Orleans and the Mardi Gras parades.

New Orleans Bound

I am headed to New Orleans tomorrow. ...bright and early if I can make the flight.
Southern Decadence is about to become a little more decadent.
I seriously thought Rusty and I were heading out today. I told everyone in my office goodbye last night thinking I was leaving this morning. Oops.

I think we are headed to Here! tonight.

Today has been hectic trying to tie up some loose ends and stuff before I leave to New Orleans and finding out about more new ends. ARGH!

I love this photo of New Orleans, it's so bright and vibrant.