Mardi Gras Cups

Mardi Gras cups are thrown from floats each has a design relating to the year's theme and the name of the krewe. 

So there I am in the car trying to explain that parades are not something you just stand and watch, (yet again) to the oldest niece.  She just can't wrap her head around the concept of having to catch things instead of waving.  So I tried another angle by giving her a list of things that I want.  "Okay, I need cups because your Uncle J always takes them to work so if you get cups fork them over, okay?"  She looked at me as if I had grown a clown nose and asked, "Wait, they throw cups?"  "Well duh, how do you think I got that one?"  I pointed to the Krewe D'etat cup she was drinking from.  "From...     the...    store...?"  she replied thinking it was obvious and that I was weird.

I killed myself laughing, (I guess you'd have to have been there).  The kid has been surrounded by Mardi Gras throws all her life, (my sister kept beads and cups on hand), and thought we went to the store to buy all that mess.  It's going to be fun explaining the St. Patrick's day parade.

We're going to start these noobie kids off slow with parades in the suburbs and then next weekend it will be BAM!  They are going to have to hang with the big boys because we're not missing out on those super krews.

This year we are going to reuse and improve upon some costumes from the past,  so there will be no costume frenzy this year; I'm gonna miss it.   Nothing has hit us, no news story to satire, so we shall return to an oldie, but goodie.

PS.  I'm beginning to to think that this UTI may be something more.  Dammit; I may end up having to go to the doctor.  Dammit.

Weight loss Wednesday: UTI

Losing weight will not improve your self-worth. 

So here is another week of basically nothing happening.  I got sick, had a fever and hosted a lunch with my cousins, sister, nieces, and all the spouses.  The cleaning marathon that ensued would have lost me a pound or two except that my bladder was so painful that my sister came over and cleaned instead, (bless her a million times).  She may have lost a couple of pounds but that doesn't count.

Water: Oh lawd I have been on water and cranberry juice until I could just scream so let's just say yeah, I've been keeping up with that one.

Exercise:  Uh uh, no way.  I couldn't walk upright let alone bounce about.

Confession:  There hasn't been a day without a left over oyster po-boy, shrimp po-boy or Olive Garden pasta waiting for me in the fridge this week.   (Okay and we had another king cake, but you can't have out of town guests during Carnival season and not feed them king cake.)

Weight loss: No loss, but no gain, then again, I'm full of water and cranberry juice so I wouldn't know.

Please note that I fully expect

A Sick Drama Queen

I HATE being sick.  Hate it.  I am told that there are people who like being sick.  I imagine those are the people whose parents made it pleasant while being sick.  My parents made being sick a living hell.  Between the humiliating home remedies from my mother who believed less medicine is better, (she was an RN), and my father's fear that we were going to die if our big toe touched the floor, it's no wonder I hate being sick.

So here I lay, fever of 102F, a painful UTI, and I'm sort of regretting my "I'm sick ground rules."  Basically they are 1. LEAVE ME ALONE. and 2. See rule number one.  Despite the rules, I'm miffed J hasn't come to check on me.  To be fair, J knows I like to be left alone, but the drama queen in me makes up scenarios where I am so sick I end up in the ICU with J sobbing in the waiting room wailing, "If only I'd checked on her more often!"  Okay I guess I'm gonna yell for J to bring me some water and a couple Tylenol, pout, whine, and show off the thermometer reading to prove I'm deathly ill and then tell him to go away.  I tell my loved ones to keep away, but the drama queen in me still secretly wishes for the attention.  Lol I'm such a baby.

PS. Did I mention that it's the first good parade weekend and I'm missing my Krewe du Vieux.  SIGH.

Weight Loss Wednesday: Stress & Joy

I have not been good this week.  I've been bad and today, (Tuesday), I've been horrible.  In honor of me being horrible I've decided to add another component, the confessional.  Here's the rundown:

Exercise:  1 ten minute workout and two days of hauling dirt.

Water:  I actually did a bit better with this one.  I stuck to one or more glasses of water a day.

Food:  This week we celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary, little sis's birthday, and J's second birthday dinner.  I divided these dinners in half, but lets face it, this is New Orleans and if it isn't fried, it's got butter or sauce or it's fried with butter and has a sauce.  Tournedos au Poivre, pan seared red fish with browned butter and garlic,  roast beef po-boys and the damage is done.


Confession:  I cleaned out the pantry today.  I ate a bag of marshmallows, a pack of graham crackers, and then had yummy greasy pizza.  Bad Jude!  Bad!


Weight loss: gained 1/2 pound.

A Bit o' Fluff

I am so not fashionable, but I love reading those fashion blogs which of course leads me to present to you this bit o' fluff.  As a rule I don't do this in the e-mail world, because I hate getting those, "you'll die a horrible death if you don't send this on," kind of things.  But because there is no threat attached, and I don't feel forced to "tag" people, which I don't do, so I decided to play along:

Here are the rules:
1. Post these rules 
2. Post 11 random things about yourself
3. Answer the questions set for you by the tagger
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you have tagged to answer
5. Tag 11 'peeps'  (I'm not tagging anyone, this is a do it if you wanna kinda thing in my book.)

11 Random Things About Me

1. I love cats, cake, and oysters.
2. I made it into NOCCA, (New Orleans Center for Creative Arts), well actually my sister made it into NOCCA using my art, she lasted two weeks, then they realized it wasn't her doing the art and she was booted out.  She was in class with Harry Connick Jr. (Ha that'll teach you not to do your sibling's homework.)
3. I wanted to be an archaeologist before Indiana Jones made it cool. 
4. I can talk your ear off, but I'm really a shy/loner sort of person.
5. The exterior of my house is done in black, white and gold, (well actually tan, couldn't get metallic gold stucco), the colors of the New Orleans Saints, and yes this was on purpose.
6. My favorite holidays are Mardi Gras and Halloween, (can't pick one over the other).
7. I love fixing/building things.
8. I am fearless when it comes to color.  Before Katrina my kitchen was K&B purple, apple green and trimmed out with red chili pepper lights.  The bathroom was painted ceiling to floor as a sunset.  Sadly it's much more sedate thanks to hubby's input, but I did get my red sofa.
9. Before I go to sleep I imagine all the things I could do if I won the lottery.  
10. I love foggy days when you can hear the ships on the river sounding their horns; I'll sit outside, drink my tea and wish it could go on all day.  
11. One day, when I win the lottery I am going to buy a huge piece of property to house homeless cats and have my friend M. run the foundation for me.  My mother says she will rock (as in rocking chair), the cats, my niece says she will be the vet, and I of course will travel far and wide finding cats who need a good home at our, Home for Wayward Cats.  Hubby of course will cringe in horror, roll his eyes, and love me and the cats anyways.

Megan's questions:1. How do you take your tea? (Coffee?)  Two sugars, splash of milk in my Earl Grey, Coffee? Well I never grew up and still take it as I did when I was a kid, cafe' au lait with lots of sugar.  
2. Describe your winter coat or jacket. (Pick your favorite if you have it). Black, wool blend, slightly fitted, and  with a hood.
3. Give me an adjective! Awesome.
4. Favorite guilty pleasure tv show (or movie).  Not feeling guilty about it;  the Walking Dead. 
5. Favorite blog. Wow, can't say I have a favorite, I like them all.  No, seriously, really.
6. If you found a $100 bill on the ground, what would you do with it? (assuming it belonged to no one, but the finder - you.).   I'd leave it there because I'd feel too guilty about picking it up.  What if the poor sot who lost it came back for it just moments after I picked it up?  What if that was the grocery money for the week?  What if it was going to pay for grandma's operation?  Nah, the invented guilt would make me nuts; I'd do better leaving it for someone else.
7. Would rather receive snail mail or an email? Email, paper kills trees.
8. Do you like patterns or solid colored clothing? Both! 
9. Stripes or Polka Dots?! Both!
10. Have you ever been on a plane? Where were you going? A few times. Last time I was going to Washington, DC.
11. Favorite accessory? Don't have one, but if I had to choose something I wore most often I guess it would be a bracelet, or rather a whole pile of 'em.

4. 11 New Questions From Me: Sheila
1. The Hokey-Pokey or the Chicken Dance?  Hokey-Pokey
2. What colour streak would you put in your hair (assuming you would)? What color wouldn't I do?  I've done a coca-cola red in the past.
3. What movie did you passionately love when you were younger?  Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back
4. Are you allergic to anything? Eggplant, but I eat it anyways.
5. People who stand in the middle of the sidewalk: should they be drawn and quartered or put in pillories and have fruit thrown at them? I like throwing fruit; let's throw fruit.
6. Tell me the last thing you saw that was live at a theatre, on a stage.  "The Somewhat True History of Saint Bernard, Abridged" Funny, but that part with Blackie Campo will make you cry.
7. What's your favourite piece of art?  It changes, but currently, I've got my eye on a skull made from broken Abita beer bottles by Andres Basurto.  Love.
8. Do you eat in front of the TV or at a dining table? Is the TV still on?  In front of the TV, guilty.
9. What item that you own would you take to "Antiques Roadshow" for evaluation? How much do you think it's worth? Lol everything is gone since Katrina, ain't dere no more.
10. What's on your nightstand/bedside table?  My book, a kindle, a cup of old tea, hubby's pic, a treasure chest, and a lamp.
11. You're meeting someone who doesn't know what you look like. Describe yourself in 10 words or less.  I'll be the shortest person in the room.

Jude's Questions:

1.  What's your favorite movie?

2.  Cake or death?  Tell me where I got that one. ; )

3.  One night in a haunted room or one night in a luxury hotel?

4.  What did you eat at your last meal?

5.  Bath or shower?

6.  The worst disaster you've ever experienced?

7.  Have you ever had a ghostly encounter?  Where?

8.  What's the best advice you've ever gotten?

9.  Your favorite toy/game as a kid?

10. A book you've read at least three times?

11. One guilty pleasure? 

Weight Loss Wednesday: Yogurt Blech.

So I didn't force myself to drink water until Saturday.  I live dehydrated; it's something left over from my teaching days.  I also forced myself to do my little ten minute workout.  As for food changes, well they weren't too positive.  I tried yogurt which didn't do too well because it was yucky.  Apparently it was yucky because it was past it's due date.  I'm gonna stick with cereal and oatmeal thank you.

Exercise:     one 10min. aerobic exercise
                    shoveled many loads of dirt
                    unloaded several bags of top soil

Water:  Still not drinking a glass a day.

Food:  J was off for the week so it wasn't that great.  I did divide my Mexican dinner in half, and then  purchased a dozen Gambino's petit fours.  Oh New Orleans bakeries how I love thee.

Weight Loss:  One pound.  (probably from the combo of bad yogurt and stomach flu but I'll take what I
 can get)

Pet of the Week:  Zoey!

Zoey wouldn't keep her eyes open.  She's very timid; we think she was abused pretty badly by her previous owners.  It's been four years since we adopted her, but she still cringes when you get too close.

Raised Garden Box DIY

     Our yearly attempt at an organic veggie garden is usually a flop by early June.  If the raccoons aren't attacking, you can count on the bugs.  This year I came up with the idea to move the garden to the front of our newly purchased lot next door from the "Lot Next Door Program,"and away from the woods, raccoons, and bugs.  I also figured that raccoons aren't that tall and a raised bed with a little fence might help.

I'm looking forward to getting the garden set up.  This week of 70 F weather has us thinking spring thoughts, but as every Southern Louisiana resident knows this is just a ruse on the part of Mother Nature.  

     I know I'm just fooling myself because those little bastards have super powers that are only known to raccoons and God alone.  They will destroy this garden too.  I'm no noob when it comes to the evil ways of our evil nemisis the raccoon.  I got the idea for these boxes from this web site.

Yeah, they're cute, but look at them, they are eating Baxter's food and plotting on how to turn my shed into a condo.