Wow...

[msfledermaus]

I'm no longer one of the union stewards. I had my very last meeting today, after coaching the new steward. There were cookies, and handshakes. Afterwards, I felt like I was trying to settle into a new jacket, unsure of whether or not it's comfortable. I've been a steward for a long time, and it feels weird to have a break, even though I've been looking forward to this and wanting it for a while.

I'm not quite comfortable with it yet. But I will be...

Comments

[sageincave.livejournal.com]

Congratulations! You deserve some rest and relaxation!

[pianolessdevil.livejournal.com]

Yay! Now you can do other things like play with the bunneh! :D

[annablume.livejournal.com]

Congratulations! Welcome back to energy outside of work. Have some art.

[ravengirl.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a good time for break time to me! Did I miss something or is this vacation time or something? I get the feeling that you're either moving on to another job or that you've been promoted where you are, but I find no proof of either in prior posts!

Enjoy your R&R!!

[darkknight9.livejournal.com]

What piano said: more bunneh time!! :)

[msfledermaus.livejournal.com]

Yaaaay! Nor more worrying about "Ohhhh crap, how am I gonna fix THIS one?" and hiding from the other guards at lunch so I can eat without whipping out the contract to show them. Woot!

[msfledermaus.livejournal.com]

Shamu is very happy about this extra bunneh-playing thing:)

[msfledermaus.livejournal.com]

I haven't painted anything good in a while...maybe it's time.

[msfledermaus.livejournal.com]

Not vacation time, though there's some coming up for me in November--I'm going to New Orleans for a few days, where I have never been. Very exciting stuff!

And yeah, I got promoted last winter, which has made a positive difference in my comfort levels at work. There's still shenanigans, but I have more energy to dodge or combat the shenanigans now...

[msfledermaus.livejournal.com]

*scratches bunneh behind the ears*

I won't let the bunneh be a union steward, either...he'd get gray before his time, and he's such a pretty black and silver color now.

*scritch scritch scritch*

[ravengirl.livejournal.com]

Nice! I've spent a lot of time in New Orleans. I find it a magical, beautiful place in many ways. I only visited one time in August, however. I hope the weather is good while you're there and not too hot and humid. Enjoy!

[msfledermaus.livejournal.com]

I'm headed out there in November, so hopefully it should be a little nicer...I hope. I have no idea what the weather will be like then. But I want to take a nice schlocky tour and eat beignets and whatnot.
Poppy Z Brite's husband has a nice restaurant pretty close to my hotel I want to check out, and the whole thing makes my head spin in anticipation:)

Ya gotta tell me: What are the best things to see, that I absolutely should not miss under any circumstances? I will send you some kind of tchotchke for your collaboration...don't know what, some kind of cool something-or-other!

[ravengirl.livejournal.com]

Oh please, it's my pleasure to share and what I like, you'll probably be planning to see, anyway! No tchotchkes required! :)

A lot has changed post-levee break, but there's still so much. Let's see...

You'll have to have a very casual brunch at the Clover Grill or stop in super-late at night for a burger. It's a teensy joint and the fun part is the people who work there and some of the "regulars", so it's great for eavesdropping and free entertainment!
http://www.clovergrill.com/

I don't particularly like the whole Bourbon Street area because it's mostly filled with frat boys and stupidity, but Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop has history and lore, live music and my favorite Irish whiskey, Tullamore Dew. Great late at night.

Pirate's Alley and the whole of that area, Faulkner House and Jackson Square, taking time to sit at Cafe Du Monde, is all cool of course! I happen to love the French Quarter and just walking, taking pictures, fills a lot of time happily for the likes of me. There's a great little shop you might like- Voodoo Authentica on rue Dumaine. I was sent there by the author of a book on Voodoo, herself an academic, during my Oshun phase. ha! Seriously. I never had a "reading" done, but I've purchased a few items there.

Also in the French Quarter, one of my favorite art and, as it happens, "tchotchke" places: http://www.artistsmarketnola.com/about/
The store is vast and fun to spend time in. Visit! I think you'll like it a lot.

http://attalaart.com/
See the George Ohr painting right there at the top of the page? That was painted by Ginger and I have a print of it that she sold to me. I'm lookin' at it right now. It makes me happy. They used to be part of the store mentioned above, but it appears they've moved.

Do you like cemeteries as much as I do? I had a great experience at a famous NOLA cemetery here: http://ravengirl.livejournal.com/1474900.html

The one thing you cannot do in New Orleans in November is have a sno-ball and I'm here to tell ya, you HAVE to go sometime in the summer months just to try these. They're like nothing else I've ever experienced, truly original and tasty, and different "stands", as they call their businesses, make them in different ways. But the trick is in the way they shave the ice down there. It's a really big deal! http://noadventure.wordpress.com/2009/09/27/snoball-tour-of-nola/

BUT, you CAN and you SHOULD do at least one "drive-thru daiquiri" because, hello, where else on the planet can you do this? You won’t get busted for having an open container in your car as long as you don’t peel off the little sticker on the straw hole! And it still surprises me when I see people drinking on the street. I once got a "to-go" cup for my beer at a bar so I could leave. I mean really, they're so European in the "south of the south".

I love New Orleans. There's so much I'm not thinking of right now, but I'll send you updates as things come to mind! These are the obvious, off-the-top-of-my-head things. Some streets in some neighborhoods are great for walking and observing, for instance, and I'll look up the blocks. Some of my favorite places went out of business post-levee breaks, so I'll look up what's still around. It's a beautiful place. I'm so happy you're going!

[ravengirl.livejournal.com]

Oh! Igor's! On St Charles Avenue. One night, my partner's mother's dryer broke while drying our jeans. We went to Igor's to drink and play pool while our clothes dried and shared a snack there, as well. It's just an interesting spot, unique. You could stop in for a burger or just a game of pool, no laundry required! It's a bar, did I mention? I got a tee shirt that I now wear to the cat shelter regularly! :) Oh, Igor's.

My favorite times in New Orleans are the winter holidays. They know how to do Christmas and New Year's and I love celebrating with the city. The other best times are summer, for the languid days and sno-balls, and Mardi Gras, for the Indians, the family gatherings, the food, the fun, the parades! I love NOLA.

Do you have the music to get you goin' before your trip? Hit me up if you need some! I've got some good New Orleans music I could share, maybe through Sendspace dot com or I could mail a CD, if you like. Let me know!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mardi_Gras_Indians