This weekend started Thursday after work, when C.J and I loaded the car and took off to New Orleans. 6 hours later we pulled up to...a resort. We stayed with Joni, a woman who has known me since the day I was born. A woman who thinks I am wonderful and always, always spoils me. Her house was like a resort. Seriously. 3 full walls of windows looking out on to a courtyard with an outdoor kitchen, 8 person table, couch and lagoon pool. Beautiful. Picture below. Visited a bit and went to bed.
Friday-up early and had coffee outdoors (because why would you be anywhere else). Then, on to Jazz Fest. Too many happenings to mention, but I here are the highlights-
I ate my weight in Cajun food. Spicy brown crawfish etouffe, creamy pink crawfish monica, Hot andouille, pheasant and quail gumbo. With beer. The day was a bit overcast and windy, so it was pleasantly warm and humid. We heard Papa Grows Funk and Art Neville, bobbing our heads and occasionally reading. Well, actually I occasionally read. C.J voraciously read. the entire time. We looked like the odd couple! The day was going well and shaping up to be a goody...and then Stevie Wonder took the stage. After an hours worth of political nonsense (he actually asked the crowd to chant Ba-rak O-Bam-A for about 10 minutes) and Love the world ballads, I was starting to get nervous. Then it happened. The first 2 notes of Signed, Sealed, Delivered came on, the skies let loose and the fun began! For the next 45 minutes, I danced so hard in the pouring rain, mud slinging, head thrown back, skirt muddy and soaking wet. I looked around and saw 100,000+ people doing this exact same thing. It was the epitome of Jazz Fest; the wettest, muddiest, funnest dance party of my life!
I would also like to note that during this dance party, C.J had her book under her poncho and continued to read. Even after drunk grey-ponytail dirty hippie lady pestered her and then took her picture. She finally conceded when they were physically trying to pull her from her chair and I was getting hot and red in the face. It was awesome (the reading, not the drunk hippie Oldie Hawn).
Then we got stuck in traffic and a bit lost, but who cares!
Saturday-slept late. really late. then had pancakes and coffee outside again, and read on the veranda for a while. Lovely. Finally decided to trek it back out there. We arrived to a foot of mud in every direction. Luckily, we were prepared and tromped on through it. It was hot. So hot that you are sure that your skin is going to slide off. Combine this with the mud and it smelled like a farm ( I told this to a friend who exclaimed "Oh you love farms!"). Despite the sun and mud,the fun continued. On the menu: soft shell crab po-boys (the best po boy I have ever tasted), crawfish rice and a crawfish puff, a tart like situation filled with rice, crawfish and roux. I would almost kill someone for another po-boy as good as that one. We hung out and heard The Subdudes and Jimmy Buffet. I have been to a lot of Jazz fests (about 12), but I have never seen a crowd quite like the Parrotheads. Most crowds are hippie like and chill. This one was redneck and loud! Like a beach party in the middle of the bayou. I loved it. It also resembled a 400,000+ karaoke bar at times!
Sunday, we had a leisurely morning again, getting ready to drive home. C.J went to meet an friend for lunch and I decided to swim...naked. That's right folks, I went skinny dipping. The house was empty, the pool was private and I went for it. It was wonderful. I love to skinny dip, and in the warm sun, it is amazing. Then I laid out (with no tan lines!). That very well may have been one of my favorite things about the trip (right behind rain dancing). Everyone should skinny dip as often as they feasibly can. Seriously.
Then we drove home and listened to The Beatles for the entire 6 hour drive and were silly and tired and goofy.
A welcomed weekend. This week, as many of you know, is not shaping up to be very happy, so I am not sure when I will write next. Thank you for all of your kind and encouraging emails and words.
I told someone today that New Orleans is my favorite city that I never want to live in. Yep. I hope to continue to go to Jazz Fest every year, no matter where I live.
Have a good week. Below is the pool where I swam. Don't you just want to jump in? I do.
