I know it's been a long time since I've written but I have been so wrapped up in the Casey Anthony you wouldn't believe it. Now that my jobs at Tulane & UNO have both ended, I have had lots of free time (when not working on translation and job-seeking) to watch the trial on HLN. And post about it on Facebook. And read other ppl's tweets about it (although I haven't gotten a Twitter acct just yet). And watch videos of it on CNN.com. And read what the Orlando Sentinel's website has to say about it. I even became FB friends with Richelle Carey from HLN just so I could read her posts about the trial while I was working on my translation project.
Casey Anthony was accused of murdering her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee.
The trial itself lasted just over a month but Casey Anthony has been on trial in the court of public opinion for about 3 years now, mostly thanks to Nancy Grace's continous harping on "Tot Mom". Miss Anthony was just declared not guilty of all the charges except for providing false information to police officers. Needless to say, my cell phone BLEW UP when this news came in. Naturally I was watching HLN's coverage of the verdict at the time. I see that loads of folks on FB are outraged & I'm sure Nancy Grace is having a fit of apoplexy right about now but my DVR has been on pause since the verdict was announced.
Nancy Grace's show gives her an opportunity to do what she couldn't do when she was a prosecutor: present inflammatory, skewed information to an apathetic public, whom she whips into a frenzy via the repetition of key phrases: "Justice for Caylee" "Tot Mom Went out PARTYING while the baby was missing" "Caylee's body was wrapped up like trash" "Caylee's body was found only 15 houses from the Anthony home!!" "The baby was tested for Ketamine--a DATE RAPE drug!!!!" Never mind that Caylee was tested for EVERY drug, Nancy Grace has to make it out as if Ketamine was the only thing the baby's body was tested for, and it just HAD to be because the police had evidence of the baby being drugged. The fact was & is that they NEVER had solid evidence of Casey Anthony's guilt, only a strange, sad set of circumstances.
I can't claim not to have been affected by all of this media coverage on the case. Based on HLN's night time lineup--Jane Velez-Mitchell, Nancy Grace, & Dr Drew--there was never any doubt that despite our "innocent until proven guilty" principle, HLN believed this woman was as guilty as hell & never really gave much airtime to the Defense's case, except the most outlandish aspects of it. There was plenty of coverage about searches on Casey Anthony's computer (84 I believe) for "chloroform" that were found by some IT expert. However, the fact that these searches didn't show up until a SECOND scan was done on the computer (which took this expert over 12 hours to make work). If I hadn't watched the entire closing arguments (the only time that HLN didn't incessantly break in with commercials, btw) I might have missed that on the 1st search on Casey's computer, the experts found NO mention of chloroform and 84 accesses to Myspace. Now this makes more sense to me. Once you look up how to make chloroform, why would you need to go back 40 times? It is more reasonable to me to expect someone to use myspace 40 times. Never mind that it is not 100% clear whether it was Casey who was actually using the computer at that time. HLN also never mentioned that the original State's Medical Examiner found no evidence of homicide & ONLY focussed on what celebrity Medical Examiner, Dr G (Jan Garavaglia) had to say about Caylee's remains, which had been gnawed on by animals.
But this is not really the point I was trying to make in the first place. Casey Anthony was arrested & accused of murdering her child because Casey Anthony lies. (She made up this whole elaborate fantasy about her Caylee being with a nanny, not to mention some story about a non-existent boyfriend & his children, and plenty more besides). She also steals (from her own grandfather's retirement home fund! Her best friend, Amy's checkbook!). And she ran around acting like a party girl for the 1st 31 days after her daughter went missing!!
But does the fact that someone behave abhorrently make it OK for us to lynch her? Jane Velez-Mitchell made a great point recently when she mentioned that this is the 1st trial to take place via social media. People receive sensationalistic information and then react on FB, Twitter, etc without knowing the whole story. People hate this Casey Anthony woman because she didn't act like we wanted her to. Never mind that she didn't "act" the way we expect a murderer to act--for example, by leaving town, hiding out, or trying to change her identity. At the end of the day though, the state's case really just boiled down to "Don't you just hate her? She was the last person to be seen with the baby, therefore she must have killed the baby, therefore we should put her to death!!"
I thought Casey Anthony's lawyer, Jose Baez, made a lot of mis-steps during this trial--not the least of which being to accuse Casey's dad of molesting her since age 8 in his opening statement--but his closing arguments were little short of genius. He easily poked holes in the State's flimsy case and pointed out how much reasonable doubt there really is where this case is concerned. Once you go beyond the sound bites and really look at the "evidence," there really isn't very much there.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Post-Birthday blog....
Well, June 2nd came & went & I'm still recovering. That's a sure sign you did something right, btw.
The festivities commenced in the evening of that great Thursday, after work (where my lovely friend Kit got my a delish chocolate B-day cake), my new friend Roy (whom I met at Dr Who Convention in LA this past February) flew in from Cudahy, WI to spend the weekend at my place in NOLA!
I got my gal pal Simone to bring me to the airport to pick him up & after some confusion about which exit to take we grabbed him & headed downtown to El Gato Negro, where the Carrot Juice Margaritas will ROCK YOUR WORLD!! Also joining us were my classmate/student/buddy Mad Martha, my ex-co-worker Bourgie Katherine, my fave lesbian couple/swimmin buddies Kris & Jen & (eventually) my lil sweetheart Daniella. As fate would have it, the back patio was completely empty & we had it all to ourselves. FANTASTIC. The service was stupendous as the staff easily kept up with our increasing need for cocktails on a warm Spring evening. We had the free chips & salsa while we nursed round 1 of Carrot Juice (CJ for short) Ritas & ordered their salsa sampler (delish but not for the faint of stomach. I was really glad for how sweet & refreshing my CJ Rita was when I tasted how hot they were). As people filtered in, more drinks were ordered, I promise. I stuck to the Top Shelf CJ Rita while Bourgie Katherine had some kinda Bourgie Pomegranate Mojito (which I sampled--YUM-O, to quote Rachel Ray). I think Simone also tried the Pineapple Cilantro Rita (also inspiring). And like the Large Retarded Women we are, we tucked into a delectable meal. The menu is not so long as to be imposing but it's just so hard to make a choice when everything is so good! I had the Center Cut Pork Chops Al Cazador while Roy had the Chicken Breast con Mole. For those who have not experienced mole: Stop. Get off the computer & find a quality Mexican establishment & eat the HELL out of it.
Okay, now that you're back at your computer, I can honestly tell you I think I remember Martha & Kris having some kinda nachos & well, did I mention by now we were at round 5 of CJ Ritas? Anyway, my so-called wife popped in with a pressie just before we walked Simone back to her car & retrieved Roy's carry-on bag from her car & put it in Bourgie Katherine's lil red Mustang & then headed to 1135 Decatur (the former Rubyfruit/Whirling Dervish/Crystal/Blue Crystal) for my old friend & fellow Gemini, Cameron's free House Music event. Being that it was a Thursday night & most hoes had to work the next day, pretty much every1 else took off besides Katherine & Roy but we were also joined by my Dear Sistery McBride, aka Steven Lemley. After a few drinks and a few mins on the dance floor with the long-lost Rick Glasgow, the four of us folded ourselves up into that lil convertible Mustang & headed over the Jimani, where one of Miss Bourgie's friend's was also having a b-day. After a few more drinks, Miss Bourgie dropped Roy, Sistery & myself off at my place, where we stayed up chatting til about 4am, when Sistery called a cab & I installed Roy on the couch & hit the bed.
We kept the fun going the next day, when Taheeshi Red AKA Matty Whips popped up and the three of us headed to Elizabeth's in the Marigny for a little lunch. It's more fun for brunch on the weekend, but the bright decor is always pleasant, even if the staff is a little subdued toward the end of the shift. I had the roast-beef po-boy (I ordered it with gravy but they don't have gravy evidently) which was tolerable but not stupendous. Matty had the BLT with pork jowls & Spinach (so more of a JST, but there you have it) & I think Roy had a seafood platter. The bloody mary's were just the right touch but lord when we got out in the sun, we pretty much cancelled our movie plans & opted for a day in the Air Conditioned coolness of my apt with my Wonder Woman DVDs. It didn't take us long to come up with WW drinking games (every spin is a drink & any motif of the show becomes a drink--like when Formicida the Ant Lady makes the ants eat a building you take a drink, etc). We completed our lazy day by ordering pizza & I guess we dozed off around 2ish. Possibly later.
We woke up the next morning with Dalida & WW & headed for The Country Club for some sun & swimming & brunch--oh my! Featuring Kris the Mimosa fiend. We had the bottomless mimosas (til 3PM) along with boudin balls as an appetizer (MMMM. Think of a battered, deep-fried ball of rice dressing with a creole mustard dipping sauce) and I think I had the traditional breakfast while Roy had the Portobello sandwich. Kris had a side of mac & cheese with peas (well maybe 2 of these) and something that escapes me, due to the bottomless mimosas. Then we frolicked in the pool til the sun went down!! We encountered a few other gay men (one of whom was drinking "abandoned" cocktails he found poolside & was aptly named--Hoover) but mostly just splashed around, chatting amongst ourselves. Eventually Jen found her way to the pool & we all hung out for a hot minute before the gals took off. I wonder if they ever made it to their next destination, Nonna Mia? Who can say....
So as Roy & I were settling up at the bar we ran into a former classmate of mine & chatted with him & his ex-roomie for awhile b4 calling for a cab to whisk us back into WW DVD land. I believe this is when we watched Amazon Hot Wax, a WW adventure featuring Lynda Carter as Diana Prince going undercover as a singer named Cathy Meadows, featuring 2 songs from her album "Portrait"--Clearly the drinking game continued...I might also mention that the Internet Fairies blessed us with the mid-season Finale of Dr Who!!
Sunday we cabbed over to The Ruby Slipper on S. Cortez in Mid-City where we had a few Bloody Mary's while waiting for a table. The wait was not excessive, and the rainy weather (& umbrellas outside) made it bearable. Roy had the Crab Cake breakfast while I stuck to the traditional but went a lil carb-crazy by having breakfast potatoes & grits (TO DIE FOR). Afterwards, we strolled over to Angelo Brocato's for a lil authentic taste of NOLA ice cream before proceeding back to my house, where Roy packed his bag & we watched one last episode of WW & bid each other "see you again" & that's really what it feels like. On more than one occasion he told me "Grrl, we are gonna know each other for a long time."
So yes, this was the best birthday yet. Friends, new & old, joy, laughter, Wonder Woman, Dr Who...what more could I ask for?
The festivities commenced in the evening of that great Thursday, after work (where my lovely friend Kit got my a delish chocolate B-day cake), my new friend Roy (whom I met at Dr Who Convention in LA this past February) flew in from Cudahy, WI to spend the weekend at my place in NOLA!
I got my gal pal Simone to bring me to the airport to pick him up & after some confusion about which exit to take we grabbed him & headed downtown to El Gato Negro, where the Carrot Juice Margaritas will ROCK YOUR WORLD!! Also joining us were my classmate/student/buddy Mad Martha, my ex-co-worker Bourgie Katherine, my fave lesbian couple/swimmin buddies Kris & Jen & (eventually) my lil sweetheart Daniella. As fate would have it, the back patio was completely empty & we had it all to ourselves. FANTASTIC. The service was stupendous as the staff easily kept up with our increasing need for cocktails on a warm Spring evening. We had the free chips & salsa while we nursed round 1 of Carrot Juice (CJ for short) Ritas & ordered their salsa sampler (delish but not for the faint of stomach. I was really glad for how sweet & refreshing my CJ Rita was when I tasted how hot they were). As people filtered in, more drinks were ordered, I promise. I stuck to the Top Shelf CJ Rita while Bourgie Katherine had some kinda Bourgie Pomegranate Mojito (which I sampled--YUM-O, to quote Rachel Ray). I think Simone also tried the Pineapple Cilantro Rita (also inspiring). And like the Large Retarded Women we are, we tucked into a delectable meal. The menu is not so long as to be imposing but it's just so hard to make a choice when everything is so good! I had the Center Cut Pork Chops Al Cazador while Roy had the Chicken Breast con Mole. For those who have not experienced mole: Stop. Get off the computer & find a quality Mexican establishment & eat the HELL out of it.
Okay, now that you're back at your computer, I can honestly tell you I think I remember Martha & Kris having some kinda nachos & well, did I mention by now we were at round 5 of CJ Ritas? Anyway, my so-called wife popped in with a pressie just before we walked Simone back to her car & retrieved Roy's carry-on bag from her car & put it in Bourgie Katherine's lil red Mustang & then headed to 1135 Decatur (the former Rubyfruit/Whirling Dervish/Crystal/Blue Crystal) for my old friend & fellow Gemini, Cameron's free House Music event. Being that it was a Thursday night & most hoes had to work the next day, pretty much every1 else took off besides Katherine & Roy but we were also joined by my Dear Sistery McBride, aka Steven Lemley. After a few drinks and a few mins on the dance floor with the long-lost Rick Glasgow, the four of us folded ourselves up into that lil convertible Mustang & headed over the Jimani, where one of Miss Bourgie's friend's was also having a b-day. After a few more drinks, Miss Bourgie dropped Roy, Sistery & myself off at my place, where we stayed up chatting til about 4am, when Sistery called a cab & I installed Roy on the couch & hit the bed.
We kept the fun going the next day, when Taheeshi Red AKA Matty Whips popped up and the three of us headed to Elizabeth's in the Marigny for a little lunch. It's more fun for brunch on the weekend, but the bright decor is always pleasant, even if the staff is a little subdued toward the end of the shift. I had the roast-beef po-boy (I ordered it with gravy but they don't have gravy evidently) which was tolerable but not stupendous. Matty had the BLT with pork jowls & Spinach (so more of a JST, but there you have it) & I think Roy had a seafood platter. The bloody mary's were just the right touch but lord when we got out in the sun, we pretty much cancelled our movie plans & opted for a day in the Air Conditioned coolness of my apt with my Wonder Woman DVDs. It didn't take us long to come up with WW drinking games (every spin is a drink & any motif of the show becomes a drink--like when Formicida the Ant Lady makes the ants eat a building you take a drink, etc). We completed our lazy day by ordering pizza & I guess we dozed off around 2ish. Possibly later.
We woke up the next morning with Dalida & WW & headed for The Country Club for some sun & swimming & brunch--oh my! Featuring Kris the Mimosa fiend. We had the bottomless mimosas (til 3PM) along with boudin balls as an appetizer (MMMM. Think of a battered, deep-fried ball of rice dressing with a creole mustard dipping sauce) and I think I had the traditional breakfast while Roy had the Portobello sandwich. Kris had a side of mac & cheese with peas (well maybe 2 of these) and something that escapes me, due to the bottomless mimosas. Then we frolicked in the pool til the sun went down!! We encountered a few other gay men (one of whom was drinking "abandoned" cocktails he found poolside & was aptly named--Hoover) but mostly just splashed around, chatting amongst ourselves. Eventually Jen found her way to the pool & we all hung out for a hot minute before the gals took off. I wonder if they ever made it to their next destination, Nonna Mia? Who can say....
So as Roy & I were settling up at the bar we ran into a former classmate of mine & chatted with him & his ex-roomie for awhile b4 calling for a cab to whisk us back into WW DVD land. I believe this is when we watched Amazon Hot Wax, a WW adventure featuring Lynda Carter as Diana Prince going undercover as a singer named Cathy Meadows, featuring 2 songs from her album "Portrait"--Clearly the drinking game continued...I might also mention that the Internet Fairies blessed us with the mid-season Finale of Dr Who!!
Sunday we cabbed over to The Ruby Slipper on S. Cortez in Mid-City where we had a few Bloody Mary's while waiting for a table. The wait was not excessive, and the rainy weather (& umbrellas outside) made it bearable. Roy had the Crab Cake breakfast while I stuck to the traditional but went a lil carb-crazy by having breakfast potatoes & grits (TO DIE FOR). Afterwards, we strolled over to Angelo Brocato's for a lil authentic taste of NOLA ice cream before proceeding back to my house, where Roy packed his bag & we watched one last episode of WW & bid each other "see you again" & that's really what it feels like. On more than one occasion he told me "Grrl, we are gonna know each other for a long time."
So yes, this was the best birthday yet. Friends, new & old, joy, laughter, Wonder Woman, Dr Who...what more could I ask for?
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Travel follies with the Large & Retarded.
So today I was supposed to go to Chicago to do a role playing job for this British company called Impromptu, Ltd. (http://www.impromptultd.com/) & get your minds out of the gutter. It's not clever, it's not original, it's just kinda boring. No you are not the 1st person to associate Role Playing with sexual kink & make some snarky comment about it. But I digress.
So anyway, the way it works is that I pay the airfare & ground transport & they cover the hotel & meals plus a (substantial) fee. My flight itinerary was an 11:30AM flight from NOLA to Memphis with a layover until 2:20 then on to Chicago. The plan was to spend the night at the hotel where we were working that evening & the call time was 8:30AM Wednesday.
When I arrived in Memphy, I noticed the departure time to Chicago had been pushed back to 3:30. I decided to take advantage of the fact the The Blue Note Bar & Grill has a smoking section & have a little lunch (AKA Chicken Tenders, Fries & a soda that totalled up to $15). My waitress, Airnitrisha, was around 6 ft tall & had a Big Freedia (http://www.bigfreedia.com/) style hairdo but it was all bleached at the top. She was a good time & made me feel right at home!! When I got back to my gate around 2:45 I notice the departure time had been pushed back again to 4:20. This made me wish for another kinda smoke break, but there you have it. Anyway, I sat around at the gate, chatting with some ppl who were heading home to Chicago & as the day went on, the departure time kept getting pushed back. The gate agents periodically made announcements about maintenance on the plane as well as bad weather in Chicago. There were problems with the PA & they often sounded like Charlie Brown's teacher, but eventually the pilot came out and addressed everyone & explained how crucial the maintenance was & how skilled the team was that were working on it blah blah blah....they don't know when/if they are getting to Chicago, because so many flights from around the country were being delayed due to storms in the Midwest.
You can probably guess from the way this is going that the flight was eventually cancelled. After the usual rush of people at the Gate Agents & the Help phones & kiosks, I managed to get thru to a lady at the help desk. She was amazingly nice & efficient & appropriately apologetic when she told me that my only options were to try to go standby on a flight arriving in Chicago at 9:30PM the following day (i.e. 13 hours after my call time & 30 mins after my flight home was scheduled to leave). I think I burst into tears at this point. I explained my situation to her & asked if she could just please get me home. Mercifully there was a flight for NOLA leaving within 15 minutes two gates over from where I was standing. She told me she booked me on the flight & that all I had to do was give the gate agent my boarding pass & it would be handled from there. I txted my so-called wife my flight # and asked if she could pick me up in an hour from the airport & (I'm tearin up in gratitude) she txtd back "I got you, girl" & so I boarded the plane.
As I was walking in, looking harried I am sure, one of the Sky Waitresses helped me stow my carryon in an overhead & I mentioned that when she came around with the drinks cart I would be ready. She said, "We may not do full drink service with the turbulence" I said "Oh lawd, don't tell me that!!" She had a chuckle & asked what I would like & I said "A double!!" and sat down. Did I mention that Memphy was having tornado troubles today?? So as we were sitting in this plane, the winds were so heavy that the plane was moving back and forth as if we were taxiing but no.We were sitting still & delayed for about another 30 mins? Miss Sky Waitress caught my eye & asked what I wanted to drink via sign language & I stage whispered "Bloody Mary." After a little more waiting, the plane eventually took off. I can honestly say this was the most turbulent flight I have ever been on. Saints be praised, I had the Target novelization of Dr Who: Fury From the Deep to keep my mind occupied. Since the flight was so turbulent, there was only a brief amount of service time so the Sky Waitresses did what they call a "Water Walk" but Miss Thing was true to her word!! Not only did she hook me up, she REALLY hooked me up & wouldn't even accept my credit card to pay!!
This is when I knew everything was gonna be all right.
I made it to the ground safe & sound & txted Miss Flawless, who was practically at the airport b4 I even got to the gate!! We landed around 9:45PM, which means by the time I got home I'd been gone for just about 12 hours. Lame. Frustrating. But it was not in my hands. I hate when I do everything I'm supposed to do but some external thing goes wrong & puts all my plans in shambles. I am not sure yet how the $$ for the plane ticket is gonna work out. I will contact the airline in the morning and see what they have to say. I certainly can't expect Impromptu, LTD to foot the bill for something like this, but I will double check my contract to see if there is any provision for this kind of scenario. I am also unsure of how I'm going to make up for the $$ I will be missing from not working this gig, especially given the lack of steady work in my immediate future beyond 2 days next week & the week of June 13th at the Medical School, but I'm sure I will find a way.
I always do!!
Thanks for reading & thanks to Kit, Kris, Matty, Elisha, Diney & Seppy for dealing with my text frenzy today!!
xxxo
So anyway, the way it works is that I pay the airfare & ground transport & they cover the hotel & meals plus a (substantial) fee. My flight itinerary was an 11:30AM flight from NOLA to Memphis with a layover until 2:20 then on to Chicago. The plan was to spend the night at the hotel where we were working that evening & the call time was 8:30AM Wednesday.
When I arrived in Memphy, I noticed the departure time to Chicago had been pushed back to 3:30. I decided to take advantage of the fact the The Blue Note Bar & Grill has a smoking section & have a little lunch (AKA Chicken Tenders, Fries & a soda that totalled up to $15). My waitress, Airnitrisha, was around 6 ft tall & had a Big Freedia (http://www.bigfreedia.com/) style hairdo but it was all bleached at the top. She was a good time & made me feel right at home!! When I got back to my gate around 2:45 I notice the departure time had been pushed back again to 4:20. This made me wish for another kinda smoke break, but there you have it. Anyway, I sat around at the gate, chatting with some ppl who were heading home to Chicago & as the day went on, the departure time kept getting pushed back. The gate agents periodically made announcements about maintenance on the plane as well as bad weather in Chicago. There were problems with the PA & they often sounded like Charlie Brown's teacher, but eventually the pilot came out and addressed everyone & explained how crucial the maintenance was & how skilled the team was that were working on it blah blah blah....they don't know when/if they are getting to Chicago, because so many flights from around the country were being delayed due to storms in the Midwest.
You can probably guess from the way this is going that the flight was eventually cancelled. After the usual rush of people at the Gate Agents & the Help phones & kiosks, I managed to get thru to a lady at the help desk. She was amazingly nice & efficient & appropriately apologetic when she told me that my only options were to try to go standby on a flight arriving in Chicago at 9:30PM the following day (i.e. 13 hours after my call time & 30 mins after my flight home was scheduled to leave). I think I burst into tears at this point. I explained my situation to her & asked if she could just please get me home. Mercifully there was a flight for NOLA leaving within 15 minutes two gates over from where I was standing. She told me she booked me on the flight & that all I had to do was give the gate agent my boarding pass & it would be handled from there. I txted my so-called wife my flight # and asked if she could pick me up in an hour from the airport & (I'm tearin up in gratitude) she txtd back "I got you, girl" & so I boarded the plane.
As I was walking in, looking harried I am sure, one of the Sky Waitresses helped me stow my carryon in an overhead & I mentioned that when she came around with the drinks cart I would be ready. She said, "We may not do full drink service with the turbulence" I said "Oh lawd, don't tell me that!!" She had a chuckle & asked what I would like & I said "A double!!" and sat down. Did I mention that Memphy was having tornado troubles today?? So as we were sitting in this plane, the winds were so heavy that the plane was moving back and forth as if we were taxiing but no.We were sitting still & delayed for about another 30 mins? Miss Sky Waitress caught my eye & asked what I wanted to drink via sign language & I stage whispered "Bloody Mary." After a little more waiting, the plane eventually took off. I can honestly say this was the most turbulent flight I have ever been on. Saints be praised, I had the Target novelization of Dr Who: Fury From the Deep to keep my mind occupied. Since the flight was so turbulent, there was only a brief amount of service time so the Sky Waitresses did what they call a "Water Walk" but Miss Thing was true to her word!! Not only did she hook me up, she REALLY hooked me up & wouldn't even accept my credit card to pay!!
This is when I knew everything was gonna be all right.
I made it to the ground safe & sound & txted Miss Flawless, who was practically at the airport b4 I even got to the gate!! We landed around 9:45PM, which means by the time I got home I'd been gone for just about 12 hours. Lame. Frustrating. But it was not in my hands. I hate when I do everything I'm supposed to do but some external thing goes wrong & puts all my plans in shambles. I am not sure yet how the $$ for the plane ticket is gonna work out. I will contact the airline in the morning and see what they have to say. I certainly can't expect Impromptu, LTD to foot the bill for something like this, but I will double check my contract to see if there is any provision for this kind of scenario. I am also unsure of how I'm going to make up for the $$ I will be missing from not working this gig, especially given the lack of steady work in my immediate future beyond 2 days next week & the week of June 13th at the Medical School, but I'm sure I will find a way.
I always do!!
Thanks for reading & thanks to Kit, Kris, Matty, Elisha, Diney & Seppy for dealing with my text frenzy today!!
xxxo
Sunday, May 22, 2011
LRW Day in the Marigny!!!
So the Grad Festivities continued as I was whisked away to The Country Club, 634 Louisa St., by my fellow LRWs, & my personal vote for cutest couple, Kris & Jen. I was treated like a queen by my gals & a non-entity by most of the other gays, but PS what else is new? For those who haven't been, from the outside, it just looks like another beautiful Marigny style home but once you walk in, there's a hostess stand and some nicely appointed tables in the dining room. We bypassed dining room service & headed to the well-airconditioned (and ventilated) bar area where Kris had the bottomless mimosa & I got started on the a la carte Bloody Marys. YUM. had mine with pickled beans & no olives, as usual. After a few of these & a lil attitude from the topless, tasty bartender over a question about the soup du jourI I got confused about the menu and ordered the 1st thing that grabbed my eye, the sinfully delicious Chipotle Lime Cheddar Bacon Chicken sandwich. I think I might have been slurring at this point bc right after I ordered, this aging hustler next to us at the bar who working on some older, bleach blond queen said "What is a Sugar Sandwich?" (Or maybe that ho was drunker than me, who can say?). But I digress.
Kris had a side of Mac & Cheese w Green Peas (her fave side EVER) & the Traditional breakfast--2 scrambled eggs, thick cut bacon, cheese grits & toast. She raved about it, but the dish that gave me Buyer's Remorse (is that possible when some1 else is paying?) was Jen's entree: Southern Fried Chicken w Smashed Potatoes & Asparagus w Brown Gravy. That just looked Stunning.
After a third Bloody Mary, we headed to the pool for some fun in the sun. Let me just say I love the pool. I love swimming pools in general but I really like the vibe there. Cruisy yes but not too shady. There is always an eclectic mix of ppl-- straight, gay, in-betweens, hustlers, hipsters, hoes...& all in various stages of Clothing Optional. No judging, ppl acting cool about any number of body flaws, although there were definitely some hot bodies to be seen. Harmless hedonism at its finest. The booze flowed freely (thanks again to Kris & Jen!!) and of course the only man there who had anything substantial to say to me was some Straight but not Narrow Quasi-Hipster type in designer eyewear and bikini brief swimwear. At least he & his good gay friend who works at the pub had cool stuff to talk about. Eventually my girls had to head to another party & had to go home & nap for a lil while b4 seeing Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee, directed by Jennifer Growden, at the Shadowbox Theater at 2400 St. Claude Avenue with my old pal, Katrina Manhattan.
It's a really cosy little black box theater in the former Marquer Drugs Building, with an eclectic bunch of chairs, ranging from rows of movie seats to folding chairs, arranged on risers. The effect is such that the 1st row is sitting in the living room of George & Martha, the mean-spirited, aging couple, with the bar/dining room just off to the right of the audience. I previously saw A Taste of Honey at this location and the "kitchen sink" nature of both these plays is absolutely perfect for the space. It permits the audience a level of physical as well as emotional intimacy with these desperately flawed characters.
I was really excited to see this play, I have never seen the film (but I'm sure I will, SOON), and I was not disappointed. The plot is straightforward enough: after a dinner party, a mean-spirited middle-aged couple, George and Martha, have a younger couple over for drinks and psychological torture. The younger, naive couple, are alternately fascinated and repulsed by the people they are most likely destined to become. Michael Martin gives a star turn as George and Kathryn Talbot absolutely matches him as his braying, harridan of a wife, Martha. The stiff performances of Giselle Chatelain & Matt Story make me wonder if Jennifer Growden thinks, as I do, that the characters of Honey & Nick are just figments of George & Martha's overactive, booze-soaked imaginations (like so many other references to truth & illusion in the text). Story's over-enunciated T's & D's when he is drunk is one indication of this, as is Chatelain's mirroring of Martha's body language at the climax of the final act. It is a long show, but the theater offers delicious hors-d'oeuvres & a cash bar during both intermissions, so you don't have to get tempted by the Rally's across the street. This is a great opportunity for a unique theater experience, & I definitely recommend that you catch it before it closes on May 29.
http://www.bestofneworleans.com/gambit/whos-afraid-of-virginia-woolf/Event?oid=1714617
Thanks again to Jen & Kris & Katrina Manhattan for a fun-filled Saturday!!!
Kris had a side of Mac & Cheese w Green Peas (her fave side EVER) & the Traditional breakfast--2 scrambled eggs, thick cut bacon, cheese grits & toast. She raved about it, but the dish that gave me Buyer's Remorse (is that possible when some1 else is paying?) was Jen's entree: Southern Fried Chicken w Smashed Potatoes & Asparagus w Brown Gravy. That just looked Stunning.
After a third Bloody Mary, we headed to the pool for some fun in the sun. Let me just say I love the pool. I love swimming pools in general but I really like the vibe there. Cruisy yes but not too shady. There is always an eclectic mix of ppl-- straight, gay, in-betweens, hustlers, hipsters, hoes...& all in various stages of Clothing Optional. No judging, ppl acting cool about any number of body flaws, although there were definitely some hot bodies to be seen. Harmless hedonism at its finest. The booze flowed freely (thanks again to Kris & Jen!!) and of course the only man there who had anything substantial to say to me was some Straight but not Narrow Quasi-Hipster type in designer eyewear and bikini brief swimwear. At least he & his good gay friend who works at the pub had cool stuff to talk about. Eventually my girls had to head to another party & had to go home & nap for a lil while b4 seeing Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee, directed by Jennifer Growden, at the Shadowbox Theater at 2400 St. Claude Avenue with my old pal, Katrina Manhattan.
It's a really cosy little black box theater in the former Marquer Drugs Building, with an eclectic bunch of chairs, ranging from rows of movie seats to folding chairs, arranged on risers. The effect is such that the 1st row is sitting in the living room of George & Martha, the mean-spirited, aging couple, with the bar/dining room just off to the right of the audience. I previously saw A Taste of Honey at this location and the "kitchen sink" nature of both these plays is absolutely perfect for the space. It permits the audience a level of physical as well as emotional intimacy with these desperately flawed characters.
I was really excited to see this play, I have never seen the film (but I'm sure I will, SOON), and I was not disappointed. The plot is straightforward enough: after a dinner party, a mean-spirited middle-aged couple, George and Martha, have a younger couple over for drinks and psychological torture. The younger, naive couple, are alternately fascinated and repulsed by the people they are most likely destined to become. Michael Martin gives a star turn as George and Kathryn Talbot absolutely matches him as his braying, harridan of a wife, Martha. The stiff performances of Giselle Chatelain & Matt Story make me wonder if Jennifer Growden thinks, as I do, that the characters of Honey & Nick are just figments of George & Martha's overactive, booze-soaked imaginations (like so many other references to truth & illusion in the text). Story's over-enunciated T's & D's when he is drunk is one indication of this, as is Chatelain's mirroring of Martha's body language at the climax of the final act. It is a long show, but the theater offers delicious hors-d'oeuvres & a cash bar during both intermissions, so you don't have to get tempted by the Rally's across the street. This is a great opportunity for a unique theater experience, & I definitely recommend that you catch it before it closes on May 29.
http://www.bestofneworleans.com/gambit/whos-afraid-of-virginia-woolf/Event?oid=1714617
Thanks again to Jen & Kris & Katrina Manhattan for a fun-filled Saturday!!!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Lunch @ Lüke w LRWs!!!
So today, my dear friend, Sistery McBride, took me out for (another) sassy graduation celebration meal! We headed over to Lüke at 333 St. Charles. I had already experienced the restaurant & was looking forward to seeing my friend's reaction to the delicious fare. The décor is rustic, the brown wood of the tables is echoed throughout the dining room. There are--room dividers? in wood with brass railings, oddly festooned with sections of newspapers. Yes like the sports section is hanging over this brass railing with the Metro section next to it, and so forth. The table settings themselves are minimalist at best. Small water tumblers and silverware rolled up in these white kitchen rag type napkins with blue lines on them. The napkins carry a funky odor that is decidedly unappetizing, by the way. Speaking of unappetizing, there is also some kind of raw seafood display at the end of the bar as you walk into the dining room that also gives off a pretty strong odor. The last (and most unappetizing thing) was the waiters' uniforms. White, formless jackets & black bow ties. I'm sure these things cost a fortune but they are completely impractical in food service and unflattering on everyone. We were inexplicably seated right next to another couple despite there being at least a half dozen empty two tops scattered around the cozy dining room.
Our waiter brought over a carafe of water and asked if we'd like a cocktail. We declined, and he seemed a bit crestfallen, and left us a carafe of ice water. When I asked about the specials, he said "Everything's on the menu" and said he'd give us a minute to choose. When he came back, we ordered the pâté de campagne, and Sistery had the express lunch (crawfish bisque & whole roast cochon de lait with cherry mustard and stewed greens. I had the entrecôte grillée au (should have been aux on the menu) frites, (AKA a contre-filet, not a ribeye, as you might think), medium rare.
The pâté was delivered by a manageress whose name I didn't catch, who explained the accoutrements and wished us bon appétit. The pâté was rich and coarse, served with a plentiful supply of grilled (AKA slightly burnt) french bread croustades. The cherry mustard was featured with this and provided a great counterpoint to the earthy flavor of the pâté itself. While we were still enjoying our pâté, Sistery's soup was delivered. The bisque was quite brown, and according to Sistery (you know I have a shellfish allergy & can't be messin with all that), had a rather earthy, if not to say muddy, flavor. The Chatty Manageress came by to check on us and cleared our table as we talked a bit with her, pouring our own water from the carafe left on the table by the waiter. Our entrées came out just after I had swapped our empty water carafe with the half-full one left on the table next to us by a couple who'd been gone for about 10 minutes at that point. The food was announced and left on the table. I had to ask for a steak knife as one had not been pre-set. The foodrunner went to a waiter station and looked in some drawers and then a few seconds later, our waiter came by with a steak knife. I might also add at this point that no one stayed to let me cut into my steak and verify that it was cooked to my preferred temperature. Mercifully, it was cooked to PERFECTION and an utter delight to the palate. Sistery raved about how delish her cochon de lait was.
After all this savor, we had a bit of a sweet tooth. We asked for a dessert menu & that's what we got. One menu, dropped onto the table between us, making a little cloud of crumbs puff up. When we ordered an espresso and a capuccino as well as a chocolate pot de crème, the waiter then crumbed our table with the dessert menu. Charming.
The espresso machine is behind the bar (and in my direct sight) and I watched the coffees being made and then...the dessert came. Two large soup spoons had been provided as dessert spoons, and we could barely fit them into the mason jar in which the dessert was featured. Our waiter arrived a minute later with our coffees. Sistery's oversize demi-tasse cup didn't have an accompanying spoon, so she had to ask for one & then use a normal size coffee spoon. The pot de crème was sinfully rich and delicious but not as thick as I'd expected. It wasn't quite as airy as a mousse, but it was more like a parfait of chocolate pudding, topped with chantilly cream & toasted almonds & chocolate slivers. Outstanding.
The waiter dropped off the check and this is when that table next to us finally started to get bussed. Yes I am serious. I might also add that it was around 3 in the afternoon and not crowded. The check before tip was $72 and we had to pour our own water. Sistery and I have both been in the service industry and we understand a lot of stuff that maybe the average diner doesn't, but honestly I've received friendlier, better service at Clover Grill. It's a real shame that such stellar food is so poorly presented.
Our waiter brought over a carafe of water and asked if we'd like a cocktail. We declined, and he seemed a bit crestfallen, and left us a carafe of ice water. When I asked about the specials, he said "Everything's on the menu" and said he'd give us a minute to choose. When he came back, we ordered the pâté de campagne, and Sistery had the express lunch (crawfish bisque & whole roast cochon de lait with cherry mustard and stewed greens. I had the entrecôte grillée au (should have been aux on the menu) frites, (AKA a contre-filet, not a ribeye, as you might think), medium rare.
The pâté was delivered by a manageress whose name I didn't catch, who explained the accoutrements and wished us bon appétit. The pâté was rich and coarse, served with a plentiful supply of grilled (AKA slightly burnt) french bread croustades. The cherry mustard was featured with this and provided a great counterpoint to the earthy flavor of the pâté itself. While we were still enjoying our pâté, Sistery's soup was delivered. The bisque was quite brown, and according to Sistery (you know I have a shellfish allergy & can't be messin with all that), had a rather earthy, if not to say muddy, flavor. The Chatty Manageress came by to check on us and cleared our table as we talked a bit with her, pouring our own water from the carafe left on the table by the waiter. Our entrées came out just after I had swapped our empty water carafe with the half-full one left on the table next to us by a couple who'd been gone for about 10 minutes at that point. The food was announced and left on the table. I had to ask for a steak knife as one had not been pre-set. The foodrunner went to a waiter station and looked in some drawers and then a few seconds later, our waiter came by with a steak knife. I might also add at this point that no one stayed to let me cut into my steak and verify that it was cooked to my preferred temperature. Mercifully, it was cooked to PERFECTION and an utter delight to the palate. Sistery raved about how delish her cochon de lait was.
After all this savor, we had a bit of a sweet tooth. We asked for a dessert menu & that's what we got. One menu, dropped onto the table between us, making a little cloud of crumbs puff up. When we ordered an espresso and a capuccino as well as a chocolate pot de crème, the waiter then crumbed our table with the dessert menu. Charming.
The espresso machine is behind the bar (and in my direct sight) and I watched the coffees being made and then...the dessert came. Two large soup spoons had been provided as dessert spoons, and we could barely fit them into the mason jar in which the dessert was featured. Our waiter arrived a minute later with our coffees. Sistery's oversize demi-tasse cup didn't have an accompanying spoon, so she had to ask for one & then use a normal size coffee spoon. The pot de crème was sinfully rich and delicious but not as thick as I'd expected. It wasn't quite as airy as a mousse, but it was more like a parfait of chocolate pudding, topped with chantilly cream & toasted almonds & chocolate slivers. Outstanding.
The waiter dropped off the check and this is when that table next to us finally started to get bussed. Yes I am serious. I might also add that it was around 3 in the afternoon and not crowded. The check before tip was $72 and we had to pour our own water. Sistery and I have both been in the service industry and we understand a lot of stuff that maybe the average diner doesn't, but honestly I've received friendlier, better service at Clover Grill. It's a real shame that such stellar food is so poorly presented.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
The luckiest boy in NOLA...
That's how I felt last night. For those of you who don't know about my so-called wife, Elisha, here is the thumbnail of our relationship: We met at UNO before Hurricane Katrina and just sort of clicked. We got closer after we both got back to town & have been damn near inseparable since then, to the point that we have actually been mistaken for a married couple. Seriously. One night a few years ago, we were sitting at a bar, playing one of those touch-screen trivia games & out of nowhere, this woman who had been sitting behind us came over and asked: "Excuse me, how long have y'all been married?" Without missing a beat I just turned around and said "Six years, grrl, it'll be seven in June." For those of you who don't know me that well, honestly, I can't imagine what this lady was thinking of. Elisha's and my relationship (IMO) seems like that of two Large Retarded Women, I certainly have never seen a straight married couple who acts like us.
But I digress.
Anyway, she is going to be out of town next weekend so she is going to miss my graduation. So, she offered to take me out for a night of glamour dining & OMG did she spoil me rotten!!! She came up with the idea of going on a Progressive Dinner with French & Spanish cuisine as the theme. How thoughtful is that??!! I told her to surprise me about which restaurants we were going to & boy was I in for a surprise....
(For those who don't know, no it's not a political thing, a Progressive Dinner is when you go from one place to the next for different courses of the meal)
Our first stop was Café Granada (1506 S. Carollton). Although their sidewalk tables were all full, we didn't mind eating inside (a first for both of us). I had a glass of Red Sangria (a little watery for my taste, but not bad) and I had the Andalusian gazpacho & she had el sopa del día (Soup of the Day), which was a cucumber gazpacho. Mine was just exactly what I think traditional gazpacho should be: finely pureed tomatoes, pepper & hint of garlic, served nice and cold for a warm summer evening. My mouth is watering just thinking of it. Hers was just as nice (if a lil avant garde for me), a somewhat creamy, cool puree of cucumber; very smooth with a refreshing finish. Then for a change of pace we tried las croquetas de queso (Golden Fried Goat Cheese Balls over a Mango-Ginger Sauce)--delicate but indulgent!! After a slight mistake on our waitress's part about our change, we decided it was time to Progress...
Our second stop was The Flaming Torch (737 Octavia St, off Magazine St.). This little spot has a lot to offer as far as ambiance goes but I can't really recommend it. We were early for our 8:45 reservation and the hostess and the bartender both acted really flustered about it. They had us sit at the bar and after I ordered a glass of wine, they proceeded to ignore us. Please understand this is not a big dining room and so Miss Hostess Lady with the overprocessed, unkempt blond hair kept walking past us without making eye contact. Before long, it was 15 minutes past our original reservation time, so we had to basically stop Miss Hostess and ask her if we were going to be seated any time soon. She gave us some line about how this 2-top table had gotten their check several minutes ago but weren't getting up from their table. We explained to her about our Progressive Dinner plan & she said "Oh, well we have a table, but it's too big for two." We were like, "We'll take it, we won't be here for more than 1 course anyway." So then she seats us at a table that had been open the WHOLE time we had been there. That really steamed both of us. We have both been in the business long enough to know better, and I would have hoped Miss Hostess Lady had as well. When we were finally at a table, it took Miss Lady several moments to clear off the additional table settings and then several more minutes for her to bring us menus. Subsequently a rather harried-looking older waiter stopped by our tables to tell us about the specials and warn us that there were several large tables upstairs, so there might be some delay with our food. Please keep in mind that at this point we have already been at this restaurant for at least 40 minutes. This is when I interjected, "Listen, let me just cut to the chase. We are doing a progressive dinner, so we are only going to have two orders of the escargots and an order of the goose liver pâté." After he'd left the table, Elisha thanked me for handling the scenario, and some bread and butter was dropped off by Miss Hostess. Naturally, as LRWs, we wiped this out in a flash, and then spent the next 20 minutes or so observing the dining room. A couple in the corner looked angry and had no food on their table. Another couple closer to us had empty plates and glasses sitting in front of them as server after server (not to mention Miss Hostess) blithely walked by, empty-handed. Eventually the escargots & pâté arrived all at once, not in courses (the pâté should have come first as it is a cold app that requires minimal prep, whereas the escargots have to be heated for a substantial amount of time). The pâté was tasty, although the serving size cannot be called generous, and the consistency was a bit creamier than I have had before. It was accompanied by a few slivers of--prosciutto? Candied something? I'm not sure as the dish was not explained. There were 3 thin crispy pieces of bread on the plate as well, so we had to order another breadbasket. The escargots were not served as usual (ivre, in a garlic-butter cream sauce, in a martini glass) but rather in a quasi-classic escargot dish. Unlike the true classic escargot dish (which actually goes in the oven) this dish is a rather fragile piece of porcelain that wouldn't withstand heat and certainly doesn't retain any, as my escargots were quickly cooling. The sauce was a sort of pistou (French pesto) that would probably been tastier if it had been warmer. Once the bread arrived, (warm on top & cold on the bottom) we sopped up the rest of the sauces and asked for the check. I can honestly say the best thing about this leg of the journey was the company (and meeting a lovely family that Elisha knows). Progression never felt so good as we got in the car for the final stop on our LRW mystery dinner!!
My so-called wife saved the best for last, and we went to a restaurant neither of us had tried before: Dominique's (4729 Magazine, just down the block from Sade's Amour Hair Salon). This cozy place, in a renovated shotgun double style house, was definitely la pièce de résistance, hands down. We had run out of Flaming Torch so quickly that we were a couple minutes early for our 10 o'clock reservation, so we had a seat at the bar, where I ordered a Caipirinha from their sumptuous cocktail menu. We chatted a bit with the bartender, and by the time she served My First Caipirinha (& there's not many things I can say that about these days), our table was ready. The pictures on their website (dominiquesneworleans.com) really don't do justice to their geometrical, comfy decor. Although the dining room can get a bit loud, the colors are soothing and the staff is friendly and smartly attired. Eschewing dark, heavy colors prevalent in so many restaurants of this price range, the friendly servers are dressed in white shirts with khaki trousers, accented by pastel rainbow ties that complement the decor. We were taken care of by Erin, an open-faced brunette with amazing menu knowledge and outstanding salesmanship, not to mention a frankly charming personality. We were delighted here by the Duck Leg Confit with Poached Pears & the Charred Morgan Beef Tartare with Avocado Crème Fraiche. Then we had a cheese plate, consisting of House-Made Herbed Goat Cheese, Tomme de Bordeaux & something else that Erin would proably remember. Then we finished off with an amazing pair of desserts: Floating Island (the menu description doesn't do this justice either); it was a creamy meringue served over crème anglaise with a caramel drizzle and garnished with fruit & Chocolat Bavarois for me, which was like a thick pudding in a square-shaped mold that was coherent with the decor, accented by a plank of crispy chocolate and a dollop of ice cream. Dessert here is served accompanied by home-spun cotton candy like you never had at the fair. The flavor du jour was Green Apple & all I can say is WOW!!!
This night & so many others just tell me how blessed I really am. Thank you again, Elisha for taking such good care of me!!
But I digress.
Anyway, she is going to be out of town next weekend so she is going to miss my graduation. So, she offered to take me out for a night of glamour dining & OMG did she spoil me rotten!!! She came up with the idea of going on a Progressive Dinner with French & Spanish cuisine as the theme. How thoughtful is that??!! I told her to surprise me about which restaurants we were going to & boy was I in for a surprise....
(For those who don't know, no it's not a political thing, a Progressive Dinner is when you go from one place to the next for different courses of the meal)
Our first stop was Café Granada (1506 S. Carollton). Although their sidewalk tables were all full, we didn't mind eating inside (a first for both of us). I had a glass of Red Sangria (a little watery for my taste, but not bad) and I had the Andalusian gazpacho & she had el sopa del día (Soup of the Day), which was a cucumber gazpacho. Mine was just exactly what I think traditional gazpacho should be: finely pureed tomatoes, pepper & hint of garlic, served nice and cold for a warm summer evening. My mouth is watering just thinking of it. Hers was just as nice (if a lil avant garde for me), a somewhat creamy, cool puree of cucumber; very smooth with a refreshing finish. Then for a change of pace we tried las croquetas de queso (Golden Fried Goat Cheese Balls over a Mango-Ginger Sauce)--delicate but indulgent!! After a slight mistake on our waitress's part about our change, we decided it was time to Progress...
Our second stop was The Flaming Torch (737 Octavia St, off Magazine St.). This little spot has a lot to offer as far as ambiance goes but I can't really recommend it. We were early for our 8:45 reservation and the hostess and the bartender both acted really flustered about it. They had us sit at the bar and after I ordered a glass of wine, they proceeded to ignore us. Please understand this is not a big dining room and so Miss Hostess Lady with the overprocessed, unkempt blond hair kept walking past us without making eye contact. Before long, it was 15 minutes past our original reservation time, so we had to basically stop Miss Hostess and ask her if we were going to be seated any time soon. She gave us some line about how this 2-top table had gotten their check several minutes ago but weren't getting up from their table. We explained to her about our Progressive Dinner plan & she said "Oh, well we have a table, but it's too big for two." We were like, "We'll take it, we won't be here for more than 1 course anyway." So then she seats us at a table that had been open the WHOLE time we had been there. That really steamed both of us. We have both been in the business long enough to know better, and I would have hoped Miss Hostess Lady had as well. When we were finally at a table, it took Miss Lady several moments to clear off the additional table settings and then several more minutes for her to bring us menus. Subsequently a rather harried-looking older waiter stopped by our tables to tell us about the specials and warn us that there were several large tables upstairs, so there might be some delay with our food. Please keep in mind that at this point we have already been at this restaurant for at least 40 minutes. This is when I interjected, "Listen, let me just cut to the chase. We are doing a progressive dinner, so we are only going to have two orders of the escargots and an order of the goose liver pâté." After he'd left the table, Elisha thanked me for handling the scenario, and some bread and butter was dropped off by Miss Hostess. Naturally, as LRWs, we wiped this out in a flash, and then spent the next 20 minutes or so observing the dining room. A couple in the corner looked angry and had no food on their table. Another couple closer to us had empty plates and glasses sitting in front of them as server after server (not to mention Miss Hostess) blithely walked by, empty-handed. Eventually the escargots & pâté arrived all at once, not in courses (the pâté should have come first as it is a cold app that requires minimal prep, whereas the escargots have to be heated for a substantial amount of time). The pâté was tasty, although the serving size cannot be called generous, and the consistency was a bit creamier than I have had before. It was accompanied by a few slivers of--prosciutto? Candied something? I'm not sure as the dish was not explained. There were 3 thin crispy pieces of bread on the plate as well, so we had to order another breadbasket. The escargots were not served as usual (ivre, in a garlic-butter cream sauce, in a martini glass) but rather in a quasi-classic escargot dish. Unlike the true classic escargot dish (which actually goes in the oven) this dish is a rather fragile piece of porcelain that wouldn't withstand heat and certainly doesn't retain any, as my escargots were quickly cooling. The sauce was a sort of pistou (French pesto) that would probably been tastier if it had been warmer. Once the bread arrived, (warm on top & cold on the bottom) we sopped up the rest of the sauces and asked for the check. I can honestly say the best thing about this leg of the journey was the company (and meeting a lovely family that Elisha knows). Progression never felt so good as we got in the car for the final stop on our LRW mystery dinner!!
My so-called wife saved the best for last, and we went to a restaurant neither of us had tried before: Dominique's (4729 Magazine, just down the block from Sade's Amour Hair Salon). This cozy place, in a renovated shotgun double style house, was definitely la pièce de résistance, hands down. We had run out of Flaming Torch so quickly that we were a couple minutes early for our 10 o'clock reservation, so we had a seat at the bar, where I ordered a Caipirinha from their sumptuous cocktail menu. We chatted a bit with the bartender, and by the time she served My First Caipirinha (& there's not many things I can say that about these days), our table was ready. The pictures on their website (dominiquesneworleans.com) really don't do justice to their geometrical, comfy decor. Although the dining room can get a bit loud, the colors are soothing and the staff is friendly and smartly attired. Eschewing dark, heavy colors prevalent in so many restaurants of this price range, the friendly servers are dressed in white shirts with khaki trousers, accented by pastel rainbow ties that complement the decor. We were taken care of by Erin, an open-faced brunette with amazing menu knowledge and outstanding salesmanship, not to mention a frankly charming personality. We were delighted here by the Duck Leg Confit with Poached Pears & the Charred Morgan Beef Tartare with Avocado Crème Fraiche. Then we had a cheese plate, consisting of House-Made Herbed Goat Cheese, Tomme de Bordeaux & something else that Erin would proably remember. Then we finished off with an amazing pair of desserts: Floating Island (the menu description doesn't do this justice either); it was a creamy meringue served over crème anglaise with a caramel drizzle and garnished with fruit & Chocolat Bavarois for me, which was like a thick pudding in a square-shaped mold that was coherent with the decor, accented by a plank of crispy chocolate and a dollop of ice cream. Dessert here is served accompanied by home-spun cotton candy like you never had at the fair. The flavor du jour was Green Apple & all I can say is WOW!!!
This night & so many others just tell me how blessed I really am. Thank you again, Elisha for taking such good care of me!!
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Final E-mails & exams....
So yesterday I gave my students their Final Exam. The day before the Final, I get an email from a student who was big pregnant at the beginning of the semester & dematerialized from class to give birth. She has been to class a few times since (usually to take tests) and the last time I saw her (like mid-March) I told her in no uncertain terms that I would be glad to work with her as long as she was keeping up with her work from home, but that she had to stay in touch with me. We have an online textbook & it easily lends itself to this as the homework is all submitted online. So here is Miss Thing's email:
(I'm not omitting a greeting like "Hola Profe," she simply did not write one)
But the laughs don't stop there!! That student who asked me awhile ago if it would be possible to get a "C" despite her frankly non-existent attendance & awful scores decided to stay in the class & then didn't show up to the Oral Exam last week nor the Final Exam yesterday. & To top it all off, despite the fact that I pushed back the Exam time by an hour because I had a commitment at my job at the med skool, I STILL had someone come in 15 minutes late (after I'd already given the Dictation portion of the Final). I made him stay until everyone else left & then asked him the Dictation questions.
(I'm not omitting a greeting like "Hola Profe," she simply did not write one)
I’m sorry I have not gotten to you sooner. I have not been to class because my daughter had contracted a contagious virus which she also gave to me. My 11 week (old I think she means) daughter being this sick sent my world upside down. I was wondering if you could give me an incomplete mark for this semester so I can come back next semester to take the course again. I understand if you cannot.
Thank you,
Lady X
After some consideration (and a completely unhelpful response from my dept head), this is what I sent back:
Hola Lady X
I'm sorry to hear about your circumstances, but unfortunately at this point my hands are tied. What you are not understanding about an "I" is that you have to complete the coursework & turn it in to the professor of record before the end of the 1st week of classes for the following semester. Even if I were inclined to do this for you, as far as I am aware, I will not be teaching at UNO in the Fall so it would be impossible for me to accept your work & change your grade from "I."
The only thing I can tell you at this point is that you receive an F for this class and if you are a Freshman, at least you have the option to re-take the class & delete your grade (although you should speak to a counselor to verify this.)
El Profe
The only thing I can tell you at this point is that you receive an F for this class and if you are a Freshman, at least you have the option to re-take the class & delete your grade (although you should speak to a counselor to verify this.)
El Profe
But the laughs don't stop there!! That student who asked me awhile ago if it would be possible to get a "C" despite her frankly non-existent attendance & awful scores decided to stay in the class & then didn't show up to the Oral Exam last week nor the Final Exam yesterday. & To top it all off, despite the fact that I pushed back the Exam time by an hour because I had a commitment at my job at the med skool, I STILL had someone come in 15 minutes late (after I'd already given the Dictation portion of the Final). I made him stay until everyone else left & then asked him the Dictation questions.
Sometimes, incipient unemployment doesn't seem so bad after all....
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