Three Martini Lunch

Yes please! I met Hannah at the England/USA game. Last week was her birthday. A Facebook invite was sent out, and because our schedules are both crazy, I hadn't seen her since the day I met her. I immediately responded that I would be there - if the three course lunch didn't catch my eye, the $.25 martinis sure did!!

There were about 15 of us, most of them her colleagues. I was seated with a bunch of random people I didn't know and will likely never see again. There was good conversation, laughs by most (I didn't get most of their jokes - being an outsider sucks!), but overall it was a great time.

My total bill was $40, for a delightful watermelon gazpacho, a chilled shrimp salad with peppers and a coconut curry dressing, and a peach sorbet with honey cinnamon. Oh, and three cosmos. 3. Best. Deal. Ever! I highly recommend Commander's Palace. Except for one of our servers for rolling her eyes at one of my table mates. I know he was asking a lot, but don't roll your eyes on the floor. That's absurd. Especially considering the price point of your food. You're better than that.

After lunch, we sat around chatting for a bit, then one of the girls wanted to get a tattoo. So the five of us headed over to the tattoo parlor and she got her fleur de lis. I know it's super cliche, but I really am starting to want one. I have no idea where I'd put it, due to the two that are already on my ankles....my shoulder blade and lower back, well any part of my back, are out completely, I have no desire to have one on my arm, so that leaves my hip. And I'm really not digging that placement. What if I get fat again? What if for some reason I rethink my stance on children? Ok, so the second question is a stretch. So that would leave legs and feet. Maybe the top of my foot? Maybe? I think it would be cool to get one for every place I've lived...though if all goes according to plan, that would pretty much cover me...hmmm. Going to ponder this a while.

Anyway, after the tattoos, we all headed home, to nap, shower, whatever before the bigger party that evening. I opted out of the festivities on account of my early morning, but all in all it was a great day. I met a lot of people, ate some really good food, saw more of the city and laughed lots. We have plans for a girls night next week - complete with a stripper pole class!! I really am enjoying myself here. Come visit please.

Sunday Funday!

Well, it started out that way, anyway. I got up early to catch the Italy v. New Zealand game at the local bar. Not that I really care about soccer, but somehow I drew Italy in the bar pool, and if they win the World Cup, I win $300. ITALIA, ITALIA, ITALIA!!!!

After the game, the bar emptied out, but as it got closer to the Brazil game, it filled back up a bit. There were a couple guys sitting near me for the first game that left and came back. When they came back, we started chatting, and I found out one of them plays kickball at the field close to my house. And they both live within stumbling distance to the bar. There weren’t any kickball games due to it being Father’s Day, but there was a party on the field, so we decided to check it out.

En route to the field, my phone died…and then really died….like done. Finished. Kaput. Of course with my luck, it had to happen BEFORE I called my father, but that’s just par for the course in my life. It was hotter than hot, so we stopped into the bar right by the field, where I’m pretty sure I consumed my weight in water. We eventually made it over to the field where a kiddy pool and a makeshift ‘Slip n’ Slide’ were set up. We chatted and laughed with their teammates and I said hello to a few friends….but after about an hour, I thought I was going to die. I walked back home and crashed.

I don’t know if it was the heat or something I ate, but I thought I was going to die. I slept fitfully until about 2 in the morning and couldn’t get myself back to sleep…too late for a sleeping pill, too early to think about going to work. So I stared at the ceiling and reflected. And then all of a sudden, it was time to go to work. I haven’t felt right since, and I’m hoping I will by tomorrow…..this is not a good time for me to be sick. To a better week!!

Woo hoo!

Yet another fabulous weekend is in the history books. Friday may have been the first day that I didn't feel like a 90 year old. I am ridiculously out of shape, it would appear. I felt completely normal on Saturday, but Friday was great. Productive day at work, LOTS of laughs had...all in all a great day at the office. We left around 4 for HH.....and what was supposed to be two at Cajun Mikes turned into four. Then we made tracks to the Bulldog (closer to home for both my counterpart and I), where one turned into four. Analytical conversations interspersed with dirty jokes is a wonderful way to end the long week. I was supposed to meet up with a friend I met at the concert, but it turns out my body had a different agenda. As I laid down to read the newspaper, I let my eyes rest......and four missed calls and two texts later, it's 1AM. Guess I wasn't going out further.

Saturday I woke up super early....like 7AM early. After forcing myself back to sleep for a couple hours, I grabbed a cup of coffee and waited for my couches to arrive. I HAVE COUCHES! Plural! And they're SUPER nice. Soft, comfy black leather. I really only have room for one of them, but the pair was about half of what I paid for my previous couch. Singular. They're my first "official" pieces of furniture (the clothing racks and air mattress don't count). I had some time to kill before the USA v. England soccer match, so I caught up on the most recent Wine Spectator.

The destination for the soccer game was the Bulldog, and I went a bit early to secure a table. There were only a few left when I got there, none of which were in the bar area, but I call it a success. It was absolutely packed after an hour....like to the point of not being able to move. Beers were drank, laughs were had, friendships started. I had intended to meet up with my friend Rob, but by the time I got home, the furthest I was going was McCools. I wanted to check to see who my team in their pool is (Italy....and if they win it all, I win $300) and there were a few people I knew sitting outside. Stayed for a couple drinks and called it an early night.

I really thought people were lying to me when they said there's a festival here every weekend. There literally is. And when I saw the Creole Tomato Festival, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I woke up super early again on Sunday, grabbed breakfast and finally was able to meet up with Rob for this festival. And it was super lame. The highlight of it was the creole tomato bloody mary mix. We stopped into Margaritaville to bask in the air conditioner, ate alligator and then found Ryan's pub for the Germany v. Australia game. The rest of the afternoon slash early evening carried on like that - something good at one bar, something good at another bar.....The best was the Pimm's Cup at the Carousel bar though. The bar itself was odd at first....spinning around took some getting used to, as well as the kitsch factor of the place. Lots of old people. And cougars. Overall worth the experience though.

Should be another good week this week....I have my first client lunch today, I'm going to the gym Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Tuesday a few of us are going to check out Cochon and Friday there's another great concert. Seems that I am taking to this city after all.