The First of the Last Vistors

My dear friend and former roommate Amanda, known to nearly 100,000 YouTube viewers as Flight Attendant, came to visit for a few days. She's the first of a series of visitors who will come during our last six or so months in Louisiana (!). So now that we have to show the place to fellow Northerners, what did we show?

For one thing, we met LSU mascot Mike the Tiger. It looked like this:

Well, that was just one encounter. We met current Mike the Tiger when we took a spin through the LSU campus. We pretty much stood there at his caged habitat for five minutes saying, "That's a tiger!" and "Look at how big he is!" and "Hi, Mike!" while Mike ignored us and small children ran back and forth laughing manically, following his every stride. 

Our animal encounters didn't end there. An official shit ton of pelicans have taken roost on the University Lakes lately. And on the way to New Orleans, we saw a massive bloated dead nutria, my second in as many weekends after never seeing one before that. On that ride to and from NOLA we saw at least six dead owls along 10, all of the same type, but all in different places. I'm baffled as to what misfortune has befallen them. Mass suicide? Poisoning? Seriously, does anyone have any info on this phenomenon?

While we did some touristy things--I drove her through the Garden District of Baton Rouge, and in NOLA we strolled through the French Quarter, shopped Magazine Street, and took an unplanned, but revelatory for Amanda, detour to the Lower Ninth Ward--Amanda's had a very rough time of it lately, and we really wanted to show her food.

In New Orleans, we brunched at Elizabeth's, which was amazing. Less amazing was our 40+ minute wait on line for beignets at Cafe du Monde, but at least while on line we got to watch an insane lady rapturously conducting an orchestra only she could hear. And then we turned our backs a moment and she vanished, leaving only sparrows in her place. And then the sparrows disappeared. On Saturday the hubbs and I rolled out our greatest hits for a cookout, higlighting local shrimp and contributions from our garden--

Please just witness how jumbo this homegrown habanero is--

 

and on Sunday Amanda and I teamed up to make a seafood gumbo, again with the shrimp. We also squeezed in a po'boy before she departed.

At one local watering hole we hit before that po'boy came this exchange:

Amanda: "We're being watched suspiciously, did you notice that?"

Me: "Oh, I'm used to it."

It's not really suspicion, though, with these older folks, I think it's more curiosity. With the younger hipper folks, I don't know what to call the flavor of their staredown--resentment? I need help from fellow outsider Kara here, because she's noticed the 'tude as well.

I think Amanda definitely got a sense of the frustrating "because that's just how it is here" business during her brief stay. Perhaps this phenomenon is best exemplified by the following: as I drove her to BR Metro airport, we were looking for the right exit to take, and knew it was close.

"There we go!" Amanda declared, on seeing the exit for Airline Highway.

"Nooo...you don't take Airline to the airport. I know that would make sense, but that's just how it is here."

Stuff like that. 

Then after taking the right exit, it was signed so badly we could barely find the airport, and the airport smelled like stale beer. But I hope Amanda had a rejuvenating visit.

Comments

[Kevin]

Bad signage is one of my biggest complaints in life. Signage is not a field for "close enough" or "you know what we're trying to say." Or when people giving directions say "right" instead of "left" and act like there's not much difference--b/c they're both directions. Is it better in other places? Sounds heavenly.

[vl100butch]

and the day of the last tailgate approaches.....we need to coordinate closely to ensure you take maximum advantage....

[kartek]

In NJ, it's signs overload. You can be like on the west side of the state and see signs for garden state parkway, which is located along the eastern coast. it's what i call a "big fat lie" cuz you can be hours from that highway.

[vl100butch]

was that picture with Mike III taken at the Pasttime?

haven't been there in years...good sandwiches and pizza there....

[Colleen Kane]

Kevin, it can be better, but like Karin says, there's that infamous GSP trap in Jerse, to which I have fallen victim.

Good eye, Butch, that it was. We were interested in checking out the kind of bar that has an askew martini glass as part of its neon sign.

[vl100butch]

that picture of mike 3 was old when i was an undergraduate.....

used to be a good surplus store across the street (i still think one of the old german anti-tank guns is sitting out in front of it)

but the quantity of pizza i consumed at the pasttime in three years in baton rouge.....ah the memories!!!!

but today....i have a craving for a shrimp po-boy that won't go away!!!

[Trey]

I want a shrimp and/or oyster po' boy like you can't even imagine.

At Jesus time I will have nothing but seafood.

[Teeray in L.A.]

Being northern transplants, there is a roughly 98.5% chance that people stare at you because they think you're talking too loud. There is no delicate way to put this.

You will also encounter this among Europeans, although Euros are exponentially more likely to tell you to pipe down to your face.

[cokane]

Teeray, nope. Especially not since I got used to the staredown/being noticed when I was first experiencing BR alone a lot of the time and I would hope I wasn't talking too loud during those times.
In this particular case, Amanda & I were already talking in more hushed tones than we would normallly because we were so aware of eyes on us, plus the delicate nature of what we were talking about. I have a loud-ass laugh, but I hate when people talk too loud myself.
Also, I've been to Europe and know it's the Italians that are really the loud ones.

[MeanieT]

So....people are quiet talkers down South? That place is looking better all the time.

[kristina]

oh, hi amanda.