DJDave - April 14, 1998

New Orleans was so much fun.  Let me tell you my story..... gather round, kiddies, here it is.

My story actually starts Wednesday when I got home from work.   There was a box waiting for me when I got in.  If you didn't already know this, I'm a huge video-phile, and am the proud owner of a DVD player.  I had managed to get a copy of "I Know What You Did Last Summer" on DVD before the recall, and it was being shipped out.  It arrived Wednesday.  I didn't have time to watch it that evening, but about 2am... I couldn't take it anymore.  I was laying in bed, excited about the next day... and I couldn't sleep.

So I watch a scary movie. :) Yeah, that helped.  I only got about half way through, then I got tired.

I got up Thursday, finished packing and loading the car, and took off for Richmond.  I picked the Lady Griffin up about 2:30 at her place, and we were on the road by 3.

4 hours later, we stopped in North Carolina for dinner.  It was our only substantial stop.  We chatted the whole way down, telling stories and all.  She even got the epic "first person" account of the story with my Mom.  About Georgia, we started playing Questions.  Now, my version of questions is that when you ask a question, you also have to answer it.  Keeps things fair.   Kristen then started driving.

We played that till about 3am, and I needed a nap.  I slept for about 45 minutes or so -- while Kristen hallucinated.  At least, that was what she told me when I woke up.

I drove again until Mississippi, where Kristen napped.  As we entered Louisiana, the clock changed to 6am.  Kristen woke up about now, and she noticed it was really dark.... at this point we realized the time shift.  We'd be getting to New Orleans about 6am local time -- and boy would Chip be happy to see us.

We pulled over as we came into New Orleans at a Mickey D's and woke Chip up.  Then, off to his place, pulled up some couch, and slept till 10.   Shower, shave, I felt a little more awake.

We headed off to the airport, and met Jen_Jen as she came off the plane.  Then, we waited a whole plane that Victor wasn't on, then met Grandma, and discovered Victor was coming in a little later.  Finally caught up with him...and it was time to eat!

Lunch at Copeland's right down the road, and then a quick drive twas the bar, and they had cider -- made me a happy camper.  Cider Jack is a wonderful thing.  Jen did the Woodchuck thing, which is good too, but I have a soft spot for the Cider Jack of late.

Then, bed.  Victor and I were sharing a room.

We were awoken by Jen telling us they were heading downtown, and would wait while we got ready.  As Victor got in the shower, Jen came back -- no, they would meet us downtown, and she gave me the Planet Hollywood flyer.

Now, the first rule of DJDave early in the morning, is don't give me instructions until I've had a full can of soda for caffeine, or maybe a shower to get me going.  The brain just doesn't fire very well.  So I didn't catch all the details -- like the cathedral.

Victor and I took the streetcar down to the French Quarter, fully intending to meet everyone at Planet Hollywood.  DOH.  So we wonder around like morons till we spot Jen and Greg, and she informs us we were supposed to be at the cathedral.

Oh, well.

Lunch at the Embers Steak House, which you can kinda see from the BourboCAM on Bourbon Street.  It's off to the left.

Shopping started, beginning at Reverend Zombie's Voodoo Shop.   Ri, Jen, and Victor all got their tarot and palms read, and Kristen and I realized this was gonna take a while.   We didn't want to sit around, so we wandered out, to meet them a little later.  We wandered back down, had coffee and beignets, looked at art, and wandered back. 

When we regrouped, we picked up Crossbow and Jas as well, and started back to the hotel to get cleaned up.  Ri and Jen bought Hurricanes, but hated them, so I ended up drinking one.  My first experience with a city with no open container laws.  Let me say, I love that idea.

Drinking, we continued down.  Crossbow found his infamous $4 MGD (thank god he found one), and caught the street car back.

As we were getting cleaned up, I took my first look at the BourboCAM, and realized it was where we had lunch.  Crossbow and Victor were looking, but we decided we needed another opinion.  I ran down to Jen, Songbyrd, & Griffin's room to get another opinion.   Kristen opens the door, and might I say, she was looking very, very fine.  She still had her hair in a towel, and I complimented her on her Erykah Badu look.

So we head down to our room, and we look.  Well, as we're looking, for some reason, I snicker at something.  Kristen turns to Victor and goes "Are you making fun of my towel?"  He gets very defensive, and mad at me for getting him in trouble.  So yes, I did get him in trouble.

We get ready, and head to dinner.  I don't remember the name of the steak house we were at, but Chip made a good choice.  It was delicious.   Meloney had finally joined us, and she, #20, Songbyrd, Jen, Jas, Ri, and I all shared the end of the table.  Needless to say, our end had more fun. :)

As dinner broke up, there was a move to head back to the hotel for margaritas.  Well, no offense to Greg's mixing abilities... but I didn't drive 16 hours to go back to the hotel to drink.  I wanted a night on the town in New Orleans... and so did Jen, Ri, Jas, #20, Meloney and Victor.  So we headed to the Top of the Mart, the rotating lounge at the top of the World Trade Center.  Two rotations -- 3 hours -- later, we were working on being pretty rocked.  We'd shared stories, viewed the city.. and Jen and I had done Oatmeal Cookie shots.

From there, we decided it was time to head into the city -- to Bourbon Street!   Let the drinking begin!  A yard at Suckers, then a Lemon Drop (with no sugar!) with Jen, another yard.... I was doing well.  I was ROCKED.  However, so was Meloney and Ri... Ri with her man and woman matching yards.  I think Jen was doing well too. :)

About 3 in the morning (4 with time advance), we left the city.   In my... condition ... I still remembered that I had to drive the next morning.   As #20 drove us back to the hotel, with Jen yelling "BEEF-CAKE!" at the top of her lungs, I remember saying.. "I have to get some sleep -- Kristen will be really pissed with me if I'm not up at 10 like I promised!"

So I stumbled to bed... and promptly passed out.

That horrible alarm went off at 9:30, and I showered, packed, met Victor as he was coming home at 9:50 am, and made it downstairs just on time.  We loaded the car, said our goodbyes, and set sail about 11.  Dinner at Pizza Hut somewhere in South Carolina, and we kept going.  Kristen actually drove till about 11pm, which I have to admit I am so impressed by -- I was getting tired just riding.   I drove for a while, and about Raleigh-Durham, I was starting to hallucinate myself.   We rolled into Richmond about 3:30am, and I couldn't make it home.

Kristen was nice enough to give me her couch, I slept till 7:30 when she went to work and I drove home.   Then, much needed sleep.

And that, my friends, is my New Orleans adventure.  It was a blast! Where's the next one?

DJDave