Dangermond.org

I’ve written many a time about the fruit and vegetable vendors here in the city – they pepper street corners and one, Mr. Okra, rides through the neighborhood. There is nothing like this city.

Last night, despite it being a school night, T and I went to see Evan’s gig at Chickie Wah Wah and oh, how glad we are that we did. I sat there tapping my feet wondering where else in this big old world could you go a few blocks down the street from your house, pay a $6 cover charge, and listen to three of the most talented musicians you’ve ever heard? Evan Christopher on clarinet, James Singleton on bass, and Shannon Powell on drums – wow – they were outstanding.

They are playing every Monday night at Chickie Wah Wah right on Canal Street from 7 to 10 PM (they are moving it up an hour in the future from the 6-9PM originally billed). The kitchen is open and serving among other things Cuban sandwiches.

Really, if you don’t go hear them on Monday night, you are missing something big. And let me just sing the praises of New Orleans musicians one more time. For $6 to see this kind of talent!!! It’s quite amazing. Do them a favor, leave something in the tip jar before you leave.

Check it out:

Chickie Wah Wah’s (2828 Canal St) Every Monday, 6pm-9pm

Clarinet Power Trio featuring Shannon Powell (drums), James Singleton (bass)

$6 Kitchen will be open.
Cleanest bathrooms of any music venue in New Orleans.
Don’t forget to say hi to Lola.

Ever notice how when you bring up a new subject that friends or even perfect strangers will chime in with the worst case scenario on the topic. Like I say, I’m pregnant, then suddenly every horror story of a pregnancy arises in conversation. Or like today while Loca and I were walking in the park and this guy was walking alongside us and then we started chatting about how much Lab Loca has in her and he said he thought she had a lot because he always had Labs for duck hunting and as a matter of fact his best Lab who he loved so dearly died of congestive heart failure at a young age and nearly killed him. Good morning to you too.

This morning, walking through City Park, all the birds were segregated into their own kind – the cormorants were all in the middle of the lagoon, the ducks were all by the banks, the moorhens were on the grass, and the egrets were in one spot all together while the ibis were directly across.

A pelican flew to where the cormorants were and acted as if he hadn’t got the memo this morning.

I’ve caught a virus. I felt it on Friday when I went to have lunch with friends and midway through the meal I felt like collapsing into my salad bowl. Then Saturday I woke feeling puny but rallied for lunch with Mom only to come home and collapse. But Sunday morning the virus said you are not going anywhere – my head hurts, my stomach ranges from queasy to starving and back in minutes, my throat seems active in its pursuit to get something.

This is the second virus in a matter of months. I’m usually not sick but now I’m wondering why the viruses seem particularly virulent this year.

I’m self medicating with my three tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.

We had a friend in and was showing him City Park and he compared it to a meadow because of its lack of forest. City Park is studded with Louisiana live oaks, some as old as 600 years although a friend debates that and says maybe 350 tops. But we are so in love with the park and its beauty.

Yesterday, I was walking Loca through the park and on my way out, I saw a young couple taking photographs of the swans that were preening in the lagoon. Pelicans flew by and the cormorants were hanging out in the denuded tree in the middle of the water. The young woman looked up at me in glee and said, “This is paradise!”

I said, indeed.

She then went on to say that she and her beau were from Virginia and that it was so wonderful to be in the park and seeing the wildlife. I told her I had gone recently on a bayou tour and saw a few gators, but nothing compared to my daily diet of herons, egrets, turtles, pelicans and swans.

She said, you’re lucky.

I said, indeed.

Mom and I went to Mandina’s for lunch yesterday and there were lots of women dressed to the nines wearing a white dove on their shoulder. They had just been to a memorial for Antoinette K-Doe who died during Mardi Gras. If you’ve never had the chance to go to the Mother In Law Lounge – the shrine she built for her deceased husband Ernie K-Doe, you should go and pay your respects.