Day 15: Ruby Slipper
Monday: I can't believe it's already been a week since Mike left. For our last meal I took him to the Ruby Slipper, my favorite brunch spot in New Orleans. I have officially taken every one of my visitors there and it has never disappointed. They have six different types of Eggs Benedict so even though I have been there 4 times I haven't tried them all! I got the Salmon Benedict last week and it was to die for. Great meal to end a great visit.
Day 16: Scene It!
Tuesday: Three weeks running now our Tuesday meeting has been the highlight of my Tuesdays. We have one night per month that is set aside for community time which basically translates to us all eating and hanging out together. Jess's parents were in town and graciously bought us all pizza which was instantly devoured. We then decided as a house to play a movie trivia game called Scene It! Things we learned? Jess knows pretty much everything there is to know about movies and the rest of the house doesn't haha. We had some good laughs including one category was the game gave you a movie title where the words were replaced with synomns and you had to translate it to reveal the title.
Examples:
Pasture of Imaginings = Field of Dreams
A dozen +4 Birthday Torches = 16 Candles
Needless to say many of us couldn't control our laughter at this.
Day 17: Bad Words
Wednesday: One of my new friends here in New Orleans got tickets to see the new Jason Bateman movie Bad Words before it was officially released in theaters. I left work a little early so I could make it (how could I turn down free movie tickets?) and was not disappointed. I am a huge Jason Bateman fan in general and I thought the movie was wonderful. I also felt kind of like a VIP because I got a wristband and there were people guarding the door. I would highly recommend seeing the movie if you like Jason Bateman, adorable little kids, spelling bees, raunchy humor or all the above.
Day 18: Country Club
Thursday: I almost debated making the Country Club my happy moment for Thursday because the fact that I got to swim in an outdoor heated swimming pool while New Jersey is still freezing it's butt off just doesn't seem fair! But I did it anyways :) The Country Club is a bar in the Bywater that has an outdoor swimming pool and hot tub and is quite easily one of my favorite spots in New Orleans. It felt so good to jump in the water and take in the beautiful cool night. Once it gets warmer out I will be making much more frequent visits.
Day 19: Elvira Home Dedication
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| I wish I had a better picture with Elvira and her family but because of all the flooding and helping Kelly set up I didn't take any pictures! This is the front of Elvira's house though! |
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| Elvira's street on the day of the dedication...doesn't look as fun as swimming at the Country Club does it? |
Friday: One of the best parts about my job is that I get to help plan Home Dedications. When Project Homecoming finishes a house, part of the process is to hold a ceremony officially welcoming home the homeowner and presenting them with some gifts to remember all the hands that came together to complete their house. We present them with a quilt (hand stitched by Presbyterian women), a frame signed by Project Homecoming staff and volunteers) and a giant ribbon that they get to cut in front of their house. Elvira is a wonderful lady and was kind enough to cook all the guests Red Beans and Rice (so delicious) and open up her home for everyone to walk through. Unfortunately Friday ended up being rainy and there were flash flood warnings all day. Driving down her street was near impossible! But we all got our socks a little bit wet to participate in dedicating her home and it was wonderful to connect both Elvira's family to the larger Project Homecoming family.
Day 20: Kelly's House Warming Party
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| Rachel joked that this picture looks like a stock photo (I guess it kind of does!) but all of us cheering our glasses to Kelly's new home. |
Saturday: One of my coworkers at Project Homecoming just bought her very first house! It's an adorable shotgun in the Mid-City/Treme area complete with an adorable backyard. She invited Project Homecoming staff, family and friends to grill, drink and enjoy the beautiful sunshine. Kelly is wonderful but I don't get to see her much outside of work so it was really a treat to hang out at her house with great food and company.
Day 21: Super Sunday
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| Hunter, John, Me, Anna Leigh and Rachel all enjoying DELICIOUS snoballs out in the beautiful sun at Super Sunday. |
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| One of the Indian Chiefs, all the detail is hand beaded work - incredible! |
Sunday: By far my happiest moments in this past week happened when I went to Super Sunday. Traditionally Super Sunday happens the Sunday after Mardi Gras and it a time where all the Mardi Gras Indians show off their costumes that they work on all year hand sewing and beading them. It was unfortunately delayed a few weeks because of inclement weather (you can't bring those beautiful feathers suits out in the rain!) so it finally happened yesterday. There are food trucks, live music, Mardi Gras Indians, brass bands parading around the park, and people just dancing their hearts out! So much soul and life. I went with Anna Leigh and 3 other Project Homecoming folks (John, Hunter and Rachel) and we collectively decided that the experience was wonderful and felt like authentic New Orleans. Anna Leigh even mentioned that she liked it better than the parades. Seeing the spirit, the excitement and the awe over the costumes was an incredible sight to see.
Lesson from the Journey: Funnel cakes are on a different level down here. Best I've ever had.
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