C’est La Vita
We got a table outside at La Vita and I hoisted my foot up. During the course of the evening, we held court amongst our neighbors and friends. At the table next to us was a woman, M, who had married D, and was on her honeymoon in Italy when Katrina hit. Her almost grown daughter S was in Baton Rouge at the time. And the questions turned to what happened to their dog – a neighbor had her and brought her to D.C. for them during the evacuation.
Moosey was sitting at a table down the way with B and K and some Turkish women. He came down and joined us regularly – holding my foot in his lap and rubbing my leg. Then B came over – handsome devil that he is – and told us about his routine of Pilates in the morning and meditation and he also held my leg in his lap and rubbed it. A&R came by on their way into eat. A is framing the elephant painting that G did for me. J walked by with his son M, who looked so tall, it made me think of W and how tall he must be right now – although I just saw him at Lowe’s the other day and didn’t notice him taller than I would have thought – although M looked unusually tall.
Y came over and sat with us for a while – he was dressed up in a gorgeous taupe suit with a nice crisp shirt and was looking very dashing. He has started a business to market all of M’s restaurants. L came by – my massage therapist and M at the table and I proclaimed her talents to be other worldly which caused a buzz of excitement around her.
F came and went from our table busily running the restaurant and being social at the same time – a deft handling I might add – and then B came by with Bayou Girl and sat down to have a cocktail. Turns out he used to wait tables at Houston and knew some of the people I did – he, F and I talked about how we really enjoyed waiting tables because we liked the pace, the people, and atmosphere. He was talking about his efforts with the park across the street and he said that so much good came out of it but there was some negative as well. He said he was telling his oldest son recently that when you put yourself out to the public, you can expect that, because you no longer control people’s perception of you.
It was getting late – B&K had closed up Swirl and come over for dinner with L&N. G was tired and begged off and went home. My foot was throbbing. Moosey was running staff home, one at a time. K arrived with a friend. Another party started up a few tables down from us. And it was time to call it a night. But what a night – what a beautiful night – surrounded by interesting people – in such a fabulous city.
I had brought my disposable CVS video camera and filmed G speaking about her bra, B speaking about his meditation, B speaking about finding Bayou Girl and growing up in the neighborhood and F talking about how great New Orleans is. I’m hoping to get some more footage and then upload it to YouTube.