Adventures close to home and is that all there is?
I was listening to Peggy Lee’s Is That All There Is? – it’s funny because it starts with a fire and she says, is that all there is to a fire? And so we say here, is that all there is to a hurricane? Pish posh.
I took the week off from work and it seemed like all I did was what I normally do – work and take care of the LaLa – you can run but you cannot hide. Friday night I went to meet G at Sip. She had seen B that morning and asked him to meet us at Sip – this is a guy she’s been birddogging in the neighborhood. A&R showed up early in the evening and it was good to see them because I wanted to tell them about the Katrina commemoration. Then J came by to get wine because he was having a poker game at his house – I walked up and grabbed the pen he was tapping and without turning he said – I swear I’m not avoiding you – been trying to get him to do some pro bono work for New Orleans and he’s been busy – so he says. J came over to the table and said hi to G and introduced himself to B (meanwhile the mayor of the neighborhood came in B, with his wife M – both good looking and according to G, they have beautiful children) – we were talking about this and that when G burst out that she woke that morning utterly depressed and crying because of the state of affairs and Katrina – J said, well you’re out now, so you’re doing what all New Orleanians do, you grieve and then you seek out people to socialize. Is that all there is to a hurricane? So let’s keep dancing……
B, G, and I chatted and it turns out B used to teach my first husband at Rummel – good grief – and while we were in the window seat watching the comings and goings, I saw the BSF walking across the street, but he was headed away from us. I turned to watch him and he looked back and smiled. We found out B’s history and then he insisted we go to his house to have the best cosmopolitans ever – so we went – and hey, they were pretty damn good cosmopolitans. His house which he bought after his divorce two and half years ago cost $225K – he and his wife sold their freestanding house in the Quarter and he was able to pay cash for the house. He then mortgaged $80K to fix it up. It was a charming house with a 200 year old magnolia on the side. There were fireplaces in each room and gorgeous woodwork everywhere. It made me sigh considering the money I have sunk into the LaLa – at a $310K purchase price and already $260K cash, I am still no where near completion – one realtor estimated I was $100K from finishing, but sadly I think it will take more than that. Big sigh! So much for moving back to New Orleans to lower my cost of living.
The cosmo went straight to my head after the wine so I made my getaway at B’s leaving G there, and on the way home stopped at L’s, man of mystery, house where he was having a little party. I stayed to the end and he walked me to Big Blue and gave me a very delicious kiss goodnight – damn him – made me dream about him all night. Still I see danger there.
After riding my bike uptown for pilates today, I went over to my mom’s. We were chatting about H’s sister Meg Farris on WWL and suddenly it dawned on my mother, who has met H, that their father is Dr Farris who is the first doctor she went to work for when she graduated from nursing school back in 1957. She then regaled me with tales of those heady days and the nurses and the doctors and the whole drama that went on back then. I called H in Toronto and told him. He and T are coming back Sunday afternoon and might go look at L’s, man of mystery, house because he wants to sell.
I came home and ran into V who asked me what it would take to get me out, said he didn’t want to leave a note on my truck because he felt like a stalker, and I was coy at first – but then said, you know I’m just coming out of a long marriage – my divorce was final only two weeks ago – and he said, well let’s not get married then – I laughed and said maybe a glass of wine at Sip might be okay and left it at that.
Tonight I’m again going out with G on her date with B, who is probably wondering if he bargained for two women at the same time, but G’s not ready to see him solo, so I’m the decoy. We’re going to Finn’s to watch the Saints hopefully kick the Tennessee Titans ass. G’s from Knoxville so she professes some allegiance to the Titans.