"On the road again...."
Tic-toc, tic-toc, the calendar tells us that new adventures await us in Europe so it is time to go. Finishing our big winter project just days before our departure gave us the opportunity for some emergency relaxation (!!!) before we drove off. We made good use of the time to visit our favorite local haunts, enjoy some friend's company and bask in the glory of a job well done.
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| Remember this? |
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| Well, this is how it turned out. Next year a deck is planned to enjoy the outside of the see through 2 sided fireplace. |
Finally, we packed and headed out on our road trip. Once again, we drove across the country, this time in our pickup, with the goal of leaving it at the Island as our replacement vehicle for the one we drove back home in California last October. Taking advantage of the opportunity to get a bunch of stuff from California to the Island that we could not have taken on the plane was a bonus.
Along the way we stopped in Las Vegas to visit friends for a few days. Vegas is big on food and we have a real hard time convincing our French friends that Americans don't overdo it on portion control in our restaurant meals when they see us order something as simple as a little pot pie.
Next on our road show was Phoenix to visit our favorite aunt's and uncle's and New Orleans to visit daughter Kami. We lucked out to be there for the opening of Mardi Gras. This was our first time attending the festivities and we were not disappointed. Mardi Gras is like stepping into the 'Star Wars' bar scene, but with everyone on drugs. It is a celebration of excess, the weird and twisted.
What I didn't know was that Mardi Gras is not just the parade you see on TV that winds it's way through Bourbon St. but a series of over 35 parades that wind through different neighborhoods over a period of two weeks. These people know how to party! While few communities allow open containers on city streets, here it is all but mandatory.
The trash left behind after everyone has gone home for each of these parades is astounding. We had trouble driving across a boulevard that was nearly knee deep in trash in some places. The clean up crews are serious though and it is all gone within hours. Finally, we wined and dined, toured the city and it's museums and it was off we go.
Then, it was put the pedal to the metal to make a ... eh... "beeline" for the Bee. As we arrived in the area we went into thermal shock as to the temperature difference from a few days previous. We left California on a sunny 77 degree day (25 C) and arrived to a head snapping snowy minus 26 degrees [with wind chill ] (-34C) , a 100 degree spread. It reconfirmed why I left this climate 38 years ago and cannot fathom living here on purpose. They would have to just shoot me.
It was colder than your ex's heart. Colder than a witch's breast in a brass bra. Colder than a... (Janice just said "Enough! They get the idea") Once there, we stored our vehicle for the next 4 months and disappeared faster than someone in the witness protection program.
Thinking I was real clever, I thought to take advantage of Our February 14th departure this morning to score points with Janice. I told my bride that I would take her to Paris for Valentine's day. "Big deal" she said. "We go there every year."
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| The restaurant's idea of a single portion |
Next on our road show was Phoenix to visit our favorite aunt's and uncle's and New Orleans to visit daughter Kami. We lucked out to be there for the opening of Mardi Gras. This was our first time attending the festivities and we were not disappointed. Mardi Gras is like stepping into the 'Star Wars' bar scene, but with everyone on drugs. It is a celebration of excess, the weird and twisted.
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| Mardi Gras in New Orleans with Kami. This guy was tame compared to the revelers |
What I didn't know was that Mardi Gras is not just the parade you see on TV that winds it's way through Bourbon St. but a series of over 35 parades that wind through different neighborhoods over a period of two weeks. These people know how to party! While few communities allow open containers on city streets, here it is all but mandatory.
The trash left behind after everyone has gone home for each of these parades is astounding. We had trouble driving across a boulevard that was nearly knee deep in trash in some places. The clean up crews are serious though and it is all gone within hours. Finally, we wined and dined, toured the city and it's museums and it was off we go.
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| City's landmark Oak tree |
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| Same tree, in perspective |
Then, it was put the pedal to the metal to make a ... eh... "beeline" for the Bee. As we arrived in the area we went into thermal shock as to the temperature difference from a few days previous. We left California on a sunny 77 degree day (25 C) and arrived to a head snapping snowy minus 26 degrees [with wind chill ] (-34C) , a 100 degree spread. It reconfirmed why I left this climate 38 years ago and cannot fathom living here on purpose. They would have to just shoot me.
 |
| This is just wrong |
It was colder than your ex's heart. Colder than a witch's breast in a brass bra. Colder than a... (Janice just said "Enough! They get the idea") Once there, we stored our vehicle for the next 4 months and disappeared faster than someone in the witness protection program.
Thinking I was real clever, I thought to take advantage of Our February 14th departure this morning to score points with Janice. I told my bride that I would take her to Paris for Valentine's day. "Big deal" she said. "We go there every year."
The rest of the story...
This circus show happened days before our departure from California just across our fence on our neighbors property. First reported as a horse falling into a sink hole, the authorities became curious as to why such a large hole was covered with plywood and a thin layer of dirt. Our neighbor reportedly had no knowledge of it's existence and thought perhaps a previous owner had dug it out.
The authorities became suspicious though when they observed that the "hole" actually had a tunnel of sorts -with lights- that branched off toward a small storage shed in the middle of their field. The area soon had a number of long haired, bearded scruffy types emerging from law enforcement vehicles showing a great deal of interest in the discovery. When they insisted to have a peek in the shed, a staircase was found inside leading to the tunnel.
So where do you put all this dirt that was dug up? Well, like in the movie "The Great Escape" it was hidden in plain view by spreading it about nearby, creating a volleyball court. Could all of this have disrupted the enterprising operation of an ...eh... "underground" pharmaceutical facility? We report, you decide.
So where do you put all this dirt that was dug up? Well, like in the movie "The Great Escape" it was hidden in plain view by spreading it about nearby, creating a volleyball court. Could all of this have disrupted the enterprising operation of an ...eh... "underground" pharmaceutical facility? We report, you decide.
