Mardi Gras Memories, Version 2014

This was definitely a different sort of Mardi Gras for us. It was fun to stay with friends and catch up with neighbors, but it just felt . . . like we were visitors.  Which, of course, we were.

Wow. That's kind of hard to admit.

Anyway, we spent the first part of the week staying with a friend in Lakeview, and we left our car there for the second part of the week, not really being up for paying $50.00 per day to park in the Quarter. Retired Navy friends picked us up there and took us to their lovely 200 year old  home in the Quarter after dinner on the Lake (they live up the street from Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's house, and catty-corner from one of Nicholas Cage's former houses. One of the ones he lost during his little tiff with our pals at the IRS. I might note that our friends are less than enthralled with Brangelina.). Here are two views of the downstairs parlor:

One thing that made me feel "at home" was the ubiquitous Mardi Gras decor.  I did a few things outdoors, but didn't manage to get the lights up. That failure will not happen next year. It's just cheery to see decor like this:

One doesn't encounter decorative arts like that in Little Rock.

We made it to the old neighborhood twice, got to visit with dearly missed neighbors and meet new babies both trips, and even got an extended tour of Moogie's Mansion, which is now nothing like Moogie's Mansion inside. On Bacchus Sunday, we went to two neighborhood parties and visited with the out-of-retirement-just-for-Mardi-Gras Security Guard at St. Elizabeth's who had taken a shine to Pepper and wound up giving him quite a few hunting rifles and shotguns before we moved because he was downsizing. (That is proof positive that it certainly pays to take plates of food to the Security Guard on a regular basis!) It was a great day, but another you-don't-live-in-Moogie's-Mansion realization hit us square in the face when we couldn't find a parking place any closer to the parade route than a mile and a half! We got our exercise in that day, for sure. Here is what the front yard looks like now at the Mansion:

No more holly, jasmine, and lantana on the front fence. And JB's gardenia has been dramatically pruned. It should be okay though -- it survived Bouie's puppyhood, after all. They offered to let us take the Mother's Day birdbath, but we didn't get back over there on the way home. At least I have a picture of it as it sits today.

I went with our Lakeview friend to the Mystic Krewe of Nyx's parade on Wednesday night after our arrival while Pepper relaxed. It was freakin' freezing! And I didn't wear nearly enough clothes, thinking I was back in New Orleans and all -- it took me all night to thaw out beneath the covers. Who knew? This is one of my favorite new floats -- it's one of the signature Nyx floats:

Cosmo, anyone?

I can't believe I didn't take more pics of the food we gorged ourselves on during the week.  Maybe I feared that just looking at the pics would pack on the pounds. On Friday night, we had dinner at Ralph's on the Park with our real estate guy -- he had become a very good friend. He even bought Pepper's 911 so we wouldn't have to move it. (Don't grieve for Pepper's loss of a Porsche.  He had a gently used, but not terribly well-maintained, Cayenne waiting for him in Little Rock that had found its way into the family last spring during a trip when we were supposed to be babysitting, not car shopping. I call it "The German Lemon." Hopefully, it's in good shape now, plus we can get in and out of it a lot easier than the 911.) This preceded dinner -- a cucumber martini. (It had been prettier -- I had already eaten the cucumber slice perched on the rim of the glass):

This was my dinner -- Visiting Fish:

I think we had dessert, but it disappeared PDQ.

This was breakfast with the Krewe of Eggs on Mardi Gras morning on St. Charles Avenue across from Gallier Hall.  Pretty darn good buffet on a dreary, cold, rainy morning!

But, I think this was my favorite.  A shrimp Po Boy from our neighborhood grocery, Zara's.  Or what was left of it by the time I snapped this pic. I called in the order as we were hiking toward the old neighborhood and it was steaming hot by the time we got there, just waiting on us. We ate it on the neutral ground. It also pays not to delete numbers from one's phone when one moves:

There was a lot more food and fun than I photographed. And I finally got to see the Sophie B. Wright Academy marching band as Zulu passed our restaurant on Mardi Gras morning!

Writing this post brought up some very pleasant memories.  And it kept me from concentrating on Ukraine and our paper tiger president, who is on yet another golf vacation in the Florida Keys while the world threatens to implode.

Thank you for your indulgence.  I think I'll go find a little snack!

And maybe a cocktail. After all, it's 5:00 in the Florida Keys.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Carnival, and the Status of the Unionized Speech

Why, yes, I am still alive, thanks for inquiring!  I'm not sure where last week went, but it was probably consumed with the taking down of Christmas finery, the putting out of Mardi Gras excess, and our first ever Endymion Coronation Ball. Pepper will be riding on a brand new super float, throwing trinkets to the masses, and getting properly lubricated for the Extravaganza that follows the parade on February 18th in the Superdome.

The Coronation Ball was pretty impressive -- it staggers the imagination to think of the logistical nightmares that accompany an intimate dinner service for 5,000+, but it was pulled off with style and flair (even though we left before the Second Line parade -- the Second Line parade that kicked off at 2:00 a.m.!  Pepper and Bouie had a date to go bird hunting early on a foggy Sunday morning.)

So, it's beginning to look a lot like Mardi Gras here at Moogie's Mansion!  We're expecting anywhere from 4 to 9 guests for the big second weekend.  I guess folks are finally accepting that this could be our last Carnival season as New Orleans residents (translation: free bed and breakfast a block off the Uptown parade route).  Here's a little bit of the finery --

The dining room is my favorite spot to decorate for Mardi Gras because we spend a lot of time at the table -- and you have to go through the dining room to get most anywhere downstairs.

The front parlor is fun, too.

Then, there's the upstairs tribute to my Krewe of Muses, the night-parading, all-woman Krewe.  I usually leave this good loot out all year 'round so our houseguests have an adequate opportunity to develop an appropriate appreciation for the Muses.  If Pepper wants to erect a shrine to Endymion he'll have to find another spot.

Yep --  shoes play a large role in Muses treasure.  (The roll of toilet paper is from the Krewe of Tucks.  Their monarch doesn't ride on a throne, he rides on a giant toilet and throws plungers and squirting toilets!).

And, of course, the Sophie Wright marching band is in full practice mode, and they've been practicing outdoors in the unusually-warm weather we've been experiencing.  Yep. I had to turn on the AC in the middle of January!

I'm sure I'll feel like this come Ash Wednesday.

Now, changing gears, what Drinking Game trigger words shall we establish for tonight's Status of the Unionized speech?  "Fair share?"  "Millionaires and billionaires?"  "Educational opportunity?"  Everyone had better get a designated driver set up -- this could be a tipsy evening!

It's Beginning to Sound a Lot Like . . . .

The Sophie Wright Institute for Academic Excellence marching band has been doing a lot of practicing lately.  Yesterday I caught them marching down our side street back toward the schoolyard.


I've been wondering why they're practicing so hard -- it's nowhere near Carnival season and football season is over for them.  Then, while waiting on Rosie to do her thing in the front yard this morning, I listened to them playing "Angels We Have Heard on High"  (well, they were sorta playing it -- some of them might have been playing something different) and thought maybe they were gearing up for a Christmas Program at school.  Then they played it again, a little better.  And again, better still.

As I opened the back gate to let in the guy from Entergy so he could change out our meters with new ones that can be read remotely (Entergy has been estimating our bills for years -- the meter readers obviously don't have the breaking-and-entering skillz of thugs who steal lawn mowers and, it turns out, cordless drills and Skil saws) , I discovered the reason for the frantic practicing -- the band was loading onto buses wearing Santa hats!  They were on their way to march in today's Krewe of Jingle Christmas Parade downtown!  Sorry -- I didn't have a camera with me, so you'll just have to trust me on this one.

I think maybe they should've practiced the Christmas music a little more, but they'll do great.

Don't you wonder why they make the 4 girls who play clarinet march in the very back?

Carnival 2011 -- Weekend 1

My wonderful friend (she who should've been my sister, the one who lives part-time in Little Rock and the rest of the time in Hong Kong) came for a visit this weekend!  She is what is known around these parts as a "Mardi Gras Virgin," in that she has never experienced Carnival.  We're doing our best to make sure she gets thoroughly de-flowered.  Here is a little bit of the stuff we've dragged her to (and made her wear!).

The Krewe of Cork's sashay through the French Quarter.

This is a friend of mine dressed up as champagne bubbles.  Doesn't Moogie have interesting friends?

The Irish Channel Marching Club's St. Patty's Day "Practice Parade" near Harrah's, including SIL#1 as a brand new member.  The wife of one of SIL#1's cousins says she doesn't understand why a bunch of grown men need to practice drinking and marching at the same time.  Well, it's obvious to me why they need the practice -- it's to get their "sea legs" so they can use the porta-potties on the float-in-motion.  That takes some practice, according to SIL#1.

Franky & Johnny's.  They make the best fried onion rings and peppers on the face of the planet (but, you don't want to look at the floor!).

A large black dog on guard duty as revelers head toward the neutral ground.  We sat on the porch soaking up the gorgeous weather in between parades.

Parades, parades, parades!

And, last but not least -- the Sophie Wright Marching Band and Spirit Groups in full regalia (the sound's kinda loud)!

There's still much more fun to be had!  I'm going to go revel a bit more and try not to think about union thugs and Ghadify and the NorKs.  I doubt I'll have much trouble not thinking about them!

It's Boom-Boom Time!

All right!  It's time to start getting pumped about Mardi Gras!

Moogie's Mansion is one block off the major Uptown parade route.  There are usually in excess of 20 parades that roll during the last week and a half of Carnival, and the marching bands always practice drumlines while they're waiting to get started.  Consequently, hearing drumlines always gets me pumped for Mardi Gras, and I thought I'd share a bit of that excitement with you. 

This is the Sophie Wright Marching Band, Spirit Squads, and chaperones doing an around-the-neighborhood practice run yesterday, training for the miles and miles and miles that they'll march over the next several weeks.  The little guy on his dad's shoulders in the street is our nearly-2-year-old neighbor, Ren.  He was spitting a cloud of unswallowed graham crackers from his mouth as he clapped and cheered for the band -- his dad told me that when the drums started up, Ren yelled, "Boom-boom, Daddy!  Boom-boom!  Go see!  Go see!  Go see!!!"  So, they went to go see, go see, go see!!!  Without even finishing his snack!  They're never gonna be able to get that kid to move away from the parade route.

Without further ado, Sophie Wright's finest:

Welcome to my World.  They'll do this every day for the foreseeable future.  Often.  They and their sponsors work so very hard.  Ya gotta learn to love it, and I have!

A Public Education Success Story in New Orleans -- Wright in My Neighborhood!

Finally! I finally remembered to post pictures of the Sophie B. Wright Charter School marching band!

These pictures were taken on Super Bowl Sunday during the King Arthur parade.

It's difficult to describe how proud I am of these young people and their adult sponsors. If you check out the above link to a recent Times-Picayune article about the school's journey, you might come to appreciate the obstacles thrown into the school's path since 2001. You might also come to understand how Katrina's devastation and aftermath might have been the genesis of the good things going on in education in New Orleans: when the slate is wiped clean, there are no more "lines" inside of which the system must color.

After Katrina, and liberated by the designation of her school as a "charter" affiliated with one of our universities, Wright's no-nonsense Principal chose traditional values and discipline as the foundation for her re-molded school. She rounded up a phenomenal faculty and staff, and recruited not only highly-performing students, but also parents whom she knew to be both interested and committed to raising and educating good citizens who will become contributing members of society. Not a bad equation.

When we first moved to this neighborhood in 1999, Sophie Wright was a mess -- what you envision as a typical inner-city junior high with slovenly-attired, foul-mouthed students that walked to school or jumped off the bus early, leaving littering and looting in their wake. I choose to forget how many times the cars were vandalized, or how many plants were ripped out by the roots, or how many things "disappeared" from our wrought-iron-fenced-and-gated yard, or what unpleasantly foul words I heard wafting loudly through the air as school opened or closed. Many was the day I tried to get through by phone to the office to report wandering students or a fight among them taking place at our corner. Rarely was the phone answered.

That doesn't happen anymore, or at least it doesn't happen where the neighborhood is made keenly aware of it.

We sensed the beginnings of change in the fall of 2006 or spring of 2007. Still a little gun-shy (pardon the pun) about the neighborhood's darling children, we kept a close eye on them as they traveled to and from school. One afternoon, a young girl -- probably no older than 12 or 13 -- was being cruelly taunted by a small group of young men as they headed home on foot. She took all she could take and picked up a brick, eyeing them as targets. Pepper happened to be puttering in the yard and yelled at the young men to leave her alone and to clean up their language -- they all took off, lickety-split, and he thought maybe, once again, he should try to report the incident, not expecting to have much success as past experience suggested. He called the office and someone answered the phone, even though school had been dismissed for the day! He deemed it a refreshing experience as he gave a description of the events and kids involved, but thought that would probably be the end of it.

Not so.

Ten minutes or so later, a man wearing the uniform of Sophie Wright's faculty and staff appeared at the gate with a clipboard and the young people in tow. He politely introduced himself and showed appropriate identification as a member of the Sophie Wright team and asked Pepper to recount what he had observed. Flabbergasted, Pepper re-told his tale, identifying the players along the way. Then, you could have knocked him over with a feather when the Wright faculty member exacted an apology from the kids to one another and to Pepper, and he promised that their parents would be informed and the students disciplined. To be honest, we were a little fearful of retribution, but nothing ever happened, and those students minded their manners thereafter when passing through the neighborhood. At least they did in front of our house!

Since that time, the appearance of the campus has been brightened and beautified by groups of students, staff, and parents working together. The academic performance of the school as a whole has measurably improved. Activity is going on at the school all the time, keeping its students engaged in creative, wholesome pursuits. And I'm no longer secretly afraid of the neighborhood students.

To me, the marching band is the public face of Sophie Wright's success. We listen each year as the band starts from scratch, practicing in the schoolyard, sometimes wondering if they will ever all play the same notes at the same time. But, they work -- they work hard, putting in long hours -- and they succeed in coming together. Their band director and chaperones work hard, too, and should share in the glow of success, knowing that they have probably changed these children's lives forever, for the better.

This year, the band began practicing for the parades by circling the block while playing or dancing. Part of their training is learning to concentrate through the din of cheering parade-watchers. Pepper and I tried to help them out by standing outside and clapping as they pass, or honking a car horn in rhythm to the beat. They did as instructed and concentrated on their performances -- for the most part. We spied quite a number of surreptitious peeks in our direction, accompanied by shy, satisfied grins. But, who can fault them?

The last few years during Carnival, entrepreneurial booster groups (including non-band students) have opened the school during weekend parades, selling really good (donated) food prepared in the cafeteria, secure parking spots in the schoolyard, and use of clean restrooms. That's teaching by example, I'd say.

The proceeds go, among other places, to the purchase of those dazzling uniforms and instruments you see pictured above, and to outfitting the spirit groups for the Warriors. I've even kicked in a few donations myself.

Sophie Wright was everywhere this Carnival season, showing off their hard work and doing their beaming mentors proud. We were proud of them, too.

Sophie Wright is a win-win for its students, the neighborhood, and the future of public education. We wish them continued success as their program builds and their school's successes multiply.

Now, if we could only do something about that awful bus backing-upping beeping!

No Saturday Rest for the Moogie

Remember Sophie Wright Middle School Academy a half-block down the street? The School whose marching band I've bragged on and encouraged?

They've turned on me.

Tomorrow, Sophie Wright will host the Louisiana Drumline Mini-Camp, a "workshop for experienced drummers ages 8 - 18, " including sessions on drums and other percussion instruments.

Legions of eight year old drummers! Hooray.

Even if they forget and leave their drumsticks at home, it won't matter -- a new pair of drumsticks is included in the registration fee.

The hours? 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m..

So much for a peaceful Saturday morning sleep-in. And so much for a morning without bleeping beeping bus backing upping.

*Sigh* What I go through to support the arts.