Rod's Alter Ego

Big Easy 'n Back

We're all doing well so don't worry. The paucity of posts is due to... well, I'm not sure really. Try the usual excuse that we're all unforgivably busy.

Mom 'n Master were in the Big Easy recently enjoying an extended weekend with family and friends.

Stepping up to the counter to pay for the bayou trip tickets, it occurred to Master that bugs may be a problem on the boat. Still water, lots of trees 'n swamp stuff, eighty degrees and high humidity. Can you say mosquitoes? But no! Turns out, according to "Captain Gary", that mosquito larvae die in water if it's the least bit disturbed. The water must be completely stagnant. "You're saying this ain't stagnant water?" Master asked incredulously, pointing to what appeared to be quintessentially stagnant water. Nope. Per Captain Gary, an unseen current runs through much of the bayou; even though it appears stagnant it ain't. Not only were there no mosquitoes, there weren't any pesty bugs at all. Amazing.

They saw alligators, too.

Alligators enjoy marshmallows. In fact, an alligator can be facing 180 degrees away from you and still detect a marshmallow hitting the water many feet behind them. Captain Gary - a proud Cajun who shamelessly proclaimed to everyone in the boat that Cajuns poach: “It’s what we do” – held forth in didactic fashion about the tiny sensors lining the underside of a ‘gators mouth, which evidently provides them an exquisite sense for the slightest movement in water.

Everyone went on a cemetery tour, too. Hey, you can't spend all your time in The Quarter. Turns out everything in New Orleans is slowly sinking, including the remains of the dead. The highlight of the tour was learning that Dennis Hopper shagged some girl on a sacred burial stone in this cemetery during the making of the movie Easy Rider. According to Ernie the tour guide you need to get the uncut version to see it. Personally, I can way see Dennis Hopper doing that.

Everyone's back at home now, and all is normal. Well, sort of.

In the evening after dinner and wine, when we're all laying around winding down for bedtime, Master (or Mom - one can never predict who) will remove one or both of their socks and fling it at the fireplace brick. This usually only works with sticky wool socks, but every now and then a basic cotton sock will stick too.

Seriously, the image is not doctored, this is exactly how it stuck!