Check New Orleans Off the List!

I can finally check New Orleans off the list of cities I want to visit. I traveled there last weekend for the annual French Quarter Festival. I got the opportunity to join a large group heading to the Crescent City and hopped aboard the madness. I had a great time, ate a lot of delicious food, enjoyed some wonderful weather & the Southern hospitality and friendliness. Here is a sampling of things I did, ate, saw & of course DRANK:

enjoyed many local bands on multiple stages throughout the French Quarter
ate powdered sugar (with some beignets attached)
viewed a guy wearing leather/thonged/assless chaps
drank a 'Sex on the Levee' (okay, two)
took a ferry across the Mississippi river to Algiers
ate shrimp bisque & seafood gumbo
ate sweet potato mash and okra
ate an Arby's Beef & Cheddar (I couldn't help it!!)
drank the local Abita brew
drank several vodka gimlets
drank those vodka gimlets TO GO, on the streets of New Orleans (!!!)
loved the beautiful balconies & hanging plants in the fabulous neighborhoods
experienced "Louisiana Tummy" & "Louisiana Hair"
watched 'Dog Whisperer' marathon during above-referenced GI situation
learned some New Orleans history, before & after Hurricane Katrina
rode the streetcar while only moderately tipsy
grabbed beads hanging from the trees (left over from Mardi Gras)
rejoiced that I wasn't flying American Airlines
ate the best red beans & rice
ate andouille sausage
saw huge horses with police officers riding them
did not comsume one drop of alcohol on Bourbon Street
forgot which day it was - several times
and much, much more!

If you haven't been lucky enough to visit New Orleans already, add it to your list!!

The Results Are In...

...yes, the DNA results for Toby's breed mix are back from the lab. And with a resounding THUD I inform you all that Toby is SIGNIFICANTLY POMERANIAN. And that's it. No trace amounts of Newfoundland, Keeshond or Poodle. Just Pomeranian, which I already knew. My vet said that whatever his ancestors were, his family's breeding included so many Pomeranians that no other breed's significance showed up in the results. No Chow Chow, no Schipperke, no Great Dane.

The "breed standard" for Poms is 3-7 pounds. Anyone who has seen (or held!) T-Bone knows he is, uh, larger than that. He's like a Pom on steroids. So, the build up led to a bit of a let down and the mystery will continue in which breeds many generations back made Toby what he is today. He's still my fun, goofy, smart, sometimes-stubborn sweet boy and that is what matters.

MLB Opening Day 2008!

I woke up Monday morning like I do every other MLB Opening Day. Except yesterday ended quite differently than usual - when my head touched my pillow it would be with a smile on my face, happy knowing I finally attended an Opening Day game! A non-seat ticket to the Houston Astros v. San Diego Padres game became mine during the day by luck/chance/happenstance and I was ecstatic. Petco Park has a grassy hillside with a huge screen to watch the game on beyond the outfield walls. I could walk around the park like everyone else - and spend money - I just didn't have a formal seat - but I did receive a free, stylish promotional baseball cap.

Jake Peavy was nearly a one-man Astros-defeating machine! He pitched seven fabulous, shut-out innings AND had two RBI thanks to TWO hits! He was pitching against his friend and "huntin'" buddy, Roy Oswalt who had never lost at Petco Park...until last night!

Food consumed: big pretzel with spicy nacho cheese
Beer consumed: None - don't be concerned, I was too chilly for beer. I'll make up for that in a few weeks when I scratch The Jake/Progressive Field off my list of MLB stadiums to visit!!