The week after Christmas, we went on this special tour of the French Quarter, where for two days 5 historic homes were opened up and you could walk through them, and one of them, which was owned by a local debutante society, was even set up with punch and cookies for everyone to have, and after this (older) (white) lady spoke about 19th c. Christmas traditions from the area, they opened up these doors at the end of the hall to show the beautifully decorated table.
To clear, several younger (white) girls who were dressed up as maids were walking around with trays, and you'd put your china cups and plates on them.
To one, who was about 10, I was like, "Great costume!", and when she thanked me, I asked her if she'd prefer to be a servant or out enjoying everything with everyone.
At that, her nose wrinkled up and she grimaced and she said she'd rather be doing something else.
Upstairs, a lady was showing us around a room, and she opened up this small historic cupboard and showed us this enameled pot the size of a small stew pot, but with a small handle on it.
"Now does anyone know what this is?", she was like, and when no-one knew, she was like, "A chamber pot!".
"Wow," I was like, "That's kind of big. And I thought people were smaller back then."
"Maybe they used it multiple times?", she suggested, helpfully.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Friday, January 18, 2013
New Orleans vacation (8 of 8): Two park rangers.
One day, me and my one friend with the cat biked like 2 hours to this national park south of the city.
As we were outside the visitors' center looking at a map on the wall, this (white) (older) (hippie-looking) (male) ranger came out and was like, "Hey, come on inside, we're open, and we got the same damn thing on papers you can have!".
After the hike, as we were eating a sandwich and getting ready to get back on our bikes and go back, this (middle-aged) (white) (female) ranger came out and asked us if those were our bikes locked up outside, and when we said yes, she gave us her card, since she's part of a local bike advocacy group and would love to hear what we think, since not many people bike all the way to the park, though more and more do, lately.
As we were outside the visitors' center looking at a map on the wall, this (white) (older) (hippie-looking) (male) ranger came out and was like, "Hey, come on inside, we're open, and we got the same damn thing on papers you can have!".
After the hike, as we were eating a sandwich and getting ready to get back on our bikes and go back, this (middle-aged) (white) (female) ranger came out and asked us if those were our bikes locked up outside, and when we said yes, she gave us her card, since she's part of a local bike advocacy group and would love to hear what we think, since not many people bike all the way to the park, though more and more do, lately.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
New Orleans vacation (7 of 7): A schnauzer microphallus.
At the house of the (white) (mid-30s) friends of my one friend with the cat, they had this old aging schnauzer who had developed cataracts in the past few months and was still learning his way back around the apartment.
Somehow we were all talking about something dirty, and the wife of the couple lifted up the dog and hugged him so he faced outwards, inadvertently exposing his penis.
"And the poor guy's got a small penis, too!", she was like. "No, honestly, when we lived in Latin America, the vets there used to laugh about his penis. One vet even called in another guy from the other room to show him how small it was."
Somehow we were all talking about something dirty, and the wife of the couple lifted up the dog and hugged him so he faced outwards, inadvertently exposing his penis.
"And the poor guy's got a small penis, too!", she was like. "No, honestly, when we lived in Latin America, the vets there used to laugh about his penis. One vet even called in another guy from the other room to show him how small it was."
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
New Orleans vacation (6 of 7): Conversation with a cop.
After having coffee with my one friend with the cat and her lawyer friend, she went back to her house to do some work, and I stayed at the roofed Starbucks patio to read and pass out a storm that was going to blow through for an hour or two.
A few other people were out there, and we all started chatting, and it turns out one (white) guy was a cop who was originally from Connecticut, but had been in New Orleans for a few years.
He occasionally worked the French Quarter, and he said the worst source of trouble was this black leather bar with a clientele of rough men in their 40s.
Like every other week, he said, the cops would be called in, and some white businessman would be knocked out cold in the bathroom with his nose caved in and all his pockets turned out, and no one in the bar would have seen anything.
A few other people were out there, and we all started chatting, and it turns out one (white) guy was a cop who was originally from Connecticut, but had been in New Orleans for a few years.
He occasionally worked the French Quarter, and he said the worst source of trouble was this black leather bar with a clientele of rough men in their 40s.
Like every other week, he said, the cops would be called in, and some white businessman would be knocked out cold in the bathroom with his nose caved in and all his pockets turned out, and no one in the bar would have seen anything.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
New Orleans vacation (5 of 7): Trey Songz concert.
At the casino downtown, where we stopped through Christmas day waiting for a movie, the (black) lady in the gift shop was telling us about an upcoming Trey Songz concert.
"I like him, though I really like my Boyz II Men," she was saying. "Though I'm still going to throw my panties up there!"
"I like him, though I really like my Boyz II Men," she was saying. "Though I'm still going to throw my panties up there!"
Monday, January 14, 2013
New Orleans vacation (4 of 7): Even more informality.
On New Years Eve when me and my friend were waiting for the bus to go downtown to the French Quarter - we had been biking, but didn't want to risk the drunks - we were out by the bus bench near her house waiting for it to come, and it came a few minutes late, then pulled over in front of a Circle K halfway up the block, and the driver got out.
Like 5-10 minutes later, he got back on, and then he pulled up.
He waited till we paid, even though that forced him to miss the light.
He just wasn't in a hurry, though that was probably the biggest public transportation night of the year... The bus ran just once an hour, and by the end of the route it was packed to the gills.
Like 5-10 minutes later, he got back on, and then he pulled up.
He waited till we paid, even though that forced him to miss the light.
He just wasn't in a hurry, though that was probably the biggest public transportation night of the year... The bus ran just once an hour, and by the end of the route it was packed to the gills.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
New Orleans vacation (3 of 7): More informality.
At this one dinner function I went to with my one friend with the cat, I met an art school student who was doing a documentary about the annual drag queen parade, which attracts up to like 8,000 people a year.
He said a big thing right now is that the city is finally asking them to get a permit.
In years past, they just announced where the parade was going to be a few weeks beforehand, let someone from the city know kind of where, and just did it, and that was always good enough.
He said a big thing right now is that the city is finally asking them to get a permit.
In years past, they just announced where the parade was going to be a few weeks beforehand, let someone from the city know kind of where, and just did it, and that was always good enough.
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