After longing for my weekend plans after such a shitty week, Saturday finally came along. I thought about how it was going to be a great day, but come that morning I took it slow and easy getting ready. I made it over to Metairie around 2 PM to hang out with the family and head to the French Quarter Fest. After much adieu about what my cousin’s were going to wear and how they were going to do their hair and their friends arrival, we were ready to make our journey into town.
We stopped off at the Smoothie King on Vets for a quick bite to drink/eat for the minors. My cousin’s girlfriend and I headed to the daiquiri shop across the street for her adult beverage. I had my trustee backpack cooler full of jack and coke raring to go! We all met up again, loaded up the cars, and headed towards Canal St. Along our way we passed some public facility that was displaying a multitude of traffic cones in a row for no apparent reason at all. Maybe they had cleaned them and set them out to dry? Maybe they were making some big point that we were unaware of? We weren’t quite sure so I snapped a photo because it was such an odd sight. I also took a snap shot of my cousin, her boyfriend, and her friend in the back seat with smoothies in hand.
We parked by City Park Ave and Canal St and got ready for our street car ride. My last ride on a street car was without a/c, and I had to ditch the drink I had in hand, so I was prepared for it this time around. However, upon boarding I felt a wonderful blow of cool air as I struggled to feed my dollar bill through the slot. My cousin heckled me from behind and said he was paying for everyone this go round after saying my name two or three times. I pleasantly thanked him and proceeded to the back of the very full street car for the nearest standing strap holder thing. On my walk back the street car driver was of the lively sort and said into her loud speaker something along the lines of “Everyone let’s hear it for Sarah! We have Sarah on board today!” I took my cue and with arms flying in the air gave my best impression of Arsenio Hall and his dog pound with the “Woof! Woof!” (Does anyone else remember that??) The street car was a great place for some candid shots and very interesting advertisements.
We arrived at S. Peters and hopped off the street car for our day of adventure. First stop for the ladies of course was the bathroom. We took the privilege of using the facilities of the mall at Jax Brewery. I also took the opportunity to fill myself up with drink #2. After the bathroom, everyone else grabbed a bowl of jambalaya, but the greasy smell of it didn’t sit right with my stomach so I just grabbed a small sampling of sausage off one of the offered bowls. I had eaten a turkey sandwich and some watermelon before I left the house (that being my only food of the day) and figured it would be enough.
We walked to the river and enjoyed the sights and the band playing at the nearest stage. We sampled a few of the other stages and then decided to go for a walkabout through the Quarter. More photos of all the necessary sights including the river front, and Jackson Square – beautiful!
And some other random walking street shots.
I met and talked to a few strangers along the way.
We made our way to the French Market and the sunglass shops for the cousins.
I managed to find an ever-so-cute jazz fest type purse with bright colors and Om. I had a bit of a fiasco with paying for a credit card, but was able to do it at a neighboring booth. Then we marched on to the outside of the French Market where I took a fascinating photo with a crazy looking mannequin that had her tongue hanging out of her mouth.
Much more happened along our walking route including various pit stops, and what not, these will remain known only to the participants of this wonderful event. I want you to keep in mind at this point that my older cousin and his girlfriend had been continually responsible and watchful of the younger cousins. I as the second oldest cousin began to rapidly deteriorate at this point. We walked back to Cafe Du Monde for beignets and it was at this point that I realized I wasn’t doing so well. I told my older cousin’s girlfriend I was heading to the bathroom and left my stuff at the table. After seeing the line for the bathroom and the loudness of the Cafe booming in my head I decided it was best to walk out the back of the Cafe. I found a nice little perch at the corner of the ledge behind the Cafe and leaned over and let my head rest on my hands.
At this point I know there was spew-age. Not much, mind you because I hadn’t eaten anything and with all the walking and dehydrating in the sun most of the liquid was out of me. But nonetheless, something made its way to the surface. I was lucky enough to land it on the ledge on the side of me and not on my person. I also realized that there were people walking by witnessing the event and after 35 years of living in and around the city – i had turned into “one of those people.” I every so slickly reached for the pine needles in the corner garden I was leaning over and dragged a few over the mess I was leaving behind. I think my younger cousins’ boyfriend was on the search for me because I remember him stopping by after he found me. I probably told him I was alright and would sit there for a bit longer, but don’t remember what the actual conversation was to this day. I know that night came upon me. Did I fall asleep? Or was it one long eternal moment of spew-age, cover with pine needles, and remain slumped over in the corner? I couldn’t tell you. But I know it was the relief I needed at the time.
So there I was, in the darkness, brought back to consciousness by my older cousin’s hearty laughter at the sight of me. My instinct had me move more pine needles to cover the latest episode of my recent mess. I immediately started to apologize. It dawned on me that after spending all day with the kids, it was the 35 year old single mom that was making him take care of her when there were many more important things to worry about. I remembered I should be worried about my personal possessions that I left behind, but honestly all that shit is replaceable. And I think I would have been content to stay the night there with the comfort of my pine needles and ledge, but he was not having any of it. He grabbed my hand and with his forearm supported the entire left side of my body for my walk back to his car. Thank Christ I didn’t have to hold it together for the street car ride! And thank you to my older cousin for coming to my rescue and having to deal with my disgusting drunk ass! I think I had a few moments and spoken words on life in general and how I sucked for making you take care of me. I think you graciously dismissed them as moments of drunken stupor, but you should know that they were heart felt on my end and the gratitude was endless.
Somehow I got into the jeep and realized I didn’t really care about being buckled in or the fact that there were no doors and I was swaying too and fro with the motion of the Jeep. I recognized Metairie, and the conversation around me as to the younger cousins being on board in the vehicle with me. I recognized the grass of Bonnabel Blvd like the grass in my own back yard and wanted to willingly just lop out of the jeep into their comfort. Maybe they would find me tomorrow, or maybe I could just be left to sleep off this crappy ass week and this crappy ass ending to an awesome day. Rally’s. We were in the Rally’s drive thru. OH! the smell of greasy grossness of a fast food joint in Metairie. And there it was again, that delightful spew-age, carefully angled out of the jeep, yet down my entire right arm at the shoulder. Again, there wasn’t much too it. More like gross tablespoons of spit, but yet enough to keep my shoulder damp. I politely asked for a napkin and carefully wiped myself off.
Salvation! My cousin’s house! I had made it back to base camp thanks to the loving care of my cousins! Sanctuary! The hot tub! I walked right out of my shoes and right into the hot tub. No bother in changing clothes, the cleansing experience of it was great for me. I came back to reality slowly, but surely. I even tried a bite of a Rallyburger…. no… no that tastes like crap…. please take it back. And then at the point of exhaustion up the stair for a proper shower, drying my hair, placing all my wet clothing into what I thought was the dryer – but it was one of those fancy ones – so it may have been the washer. And finally, to bed. Sweet….. sweet…. bed.
Daylight. 640 AM. I’m freaking dying of a thirst here. Down the stairs for a glass of water, a glass of orange juice, and another glass of water. Back up the stairs for an attempt at more sleep. 840 AM the phone rings. It’s my mother. After Friday night I didn’t have much tolerance for her shenanigans. My son was safe with my father at the camp sight and I knew they hadn’t tried to call me. The conversation starts…
Mom: Where are you?
Me: I’m at my cousins (to myself: where you know I am!)
Mom: Why didn’t you answer the phone last night????
Me: (to myself: I am off shagging the entire royal guard and have no time for you. For Christ’s sake I am 35 years old, no matter what happened last night – what kind of a question is this??) Ummm… I was probably in the pool.
Mom: (what I heard – blah, blah, blah, blah) …. and your bikes were just there on the carport of your house and I didn’t know if the dog fence should be opened or closed with no car there to protect the bikes.
Me: (to myself: WTF?? Where is this going? If you wanted me to be awake because you are awake, just say so and stop all this bullshit! Get passed it and just say it out loud – you are not entitled to any fun! you are a single mom and all you need to do is take care of your son and nothing else!) Mom, I have no where else to put the bikes. They are chained to the post of my carport.
The bullshit about the bikes went on and on and at some point I ended it because this was a bullshit phone call. I made my way into the bathroom to get myself together for the drive home because I longed for the comfort of my bed and to have my son safe at home with me and to be rid of the bullshit phone calls because my dad was doing something with my son and my mom hates the fact that my dad is involved with the boy scouts.
I ate a donut with my cousins, but my mouth wasn’t working so well and the whole of me was shaky and off. I found all of my personal items, one by one, thank you again to all of my family members that managed to grab them all for me from the French Quarter. I made my way back across the lake to the comfort of my home. I called my dad to check on the arrival time of my son and he was just getting to his house. The bed would have to wait. I went to pick up my son. My dad was exhausted and not much interested in paying any attention to me. My mother, the good Catholic woman that she was, was watching mass on TV as my son was trying to work the video games in his room at their house.
I found him! My sweet little home away from home. Big hug. BIIIIIGGG HUUUUGGGGG! And he was stinky. My mother had to tell me everything negative she had heard about the camping trip and all I wanted to hear was from my son how much fun he had at the campsite. I got him into a nice hot bath and cleaned him up really good. He had tons of huge bug bites, a huge bruise on his forehead, and dirt and rashes in every crack and cranny of his body. I took care of that and gave him some Benadryl for the bites and we headed back home. Home. Sweet. Home.
I got him into the bed to chill in his Benadryl state of mind and watch TV in my room. I unloaded the car, fed the animals, checked on things around the house. TomTom wanted lunch so I got him lunch in bed. I made some lunch for myself too. I noted that I needed to mow the lawn, fertilize, water the garden, and blow off the carport. It was about 1 PM. There was time for a nap in there. I crawled in next to TomTom and after his complaining about a nap I promised him he could wake up whenever he wanted to – I didn’t really care as long as I got 15 minutes of sleep.
We woke up at 4 PM. I cut the grass. I fertilized the lawn. I gave the dog a bath. I watered the garden. I did laundry. I cooked dinner. I got TomTom to bed for the night. I sat on the couch and stared at the TV while the movie “Nine” was on it. I got into my bed and called it a weekend.
No comments:
Post a Comment