life in the old lane

Monday was cold. But, before noon I made my way to Bourbon Street and the festivities were underway. Or maybe still going on from the night before.

I will not really call this “street photography” – I was on the street and using a camera. But the people were all on stage.

She looks really happy with her puppies. Complements to her plastics person. And yes, they were on a balcony of the French Quarter Sheraton Hotel.

Actually, that one shot made the whole trip worth the journey.

It snowed here this afternoon. I was not amused. Not in the least. I did not leave the Asylum.

Made it back to Alexandria Virginia about four hours late. An hour after that I was back at the Asylum. Back in the Old Bat Cave. The was more beer, chocolate, wine and coffee in my apartment than when I left it. Plus, avocadoes and good bread. 

And, just time for a long shower and quick rest – then off to my 75th birthday celebration. These friends are what makes the Asylum work for me. It would be grim without them. It is good with them. 

We seem to have a new resident male piano player. Like the other resident piano players: he doesn’t play rock-n-music. His repertoire tends towards Bach partitas. I understand that I am getting a new neighbor who will have a piano. Most likely in the room next to my bed. That is why I have earplugs. Somehow, I don’t imagine that piano with be used for rock or blues or jazz either.  I may be wrong. Maybe Billy Joel will be moving in. 

Left New Orleans at seven this morning. It is now 4:30pm and we are some where in Alabama.

Birmingham is the only place that the train passed through that looks in the least interesting. But not interesting enough to warrant a visit.

Many passengers are Mardi gras survivors. The train makes for an interesting transfer back to reality.

Just got a notice the Alex Trebek announced that he has stage 4 pancreatic cancer. He has been a part of our lives for decades. I think Morgan Freeman’s character in Bucket List was a faithful viewer. Nobody is promised tomorrow.

And tomorrow – The Asylum.

It was 41 degrees, it was early, but New Orleans was determined to party. Men in pink suits start things off.

But they were just the opening acts.

In good time the floats arrived.

There were at least 2 parades after the Zulu Parade. But I had been out in the cold for over six hours. Time to bail. I had gotten my money’s worth of my grandstand seat.

Wreckage of tommorow. The Crescent, my train, left 4 hours late today and is now 7 hours behind schedule. It looks like it’s been cancelled. Well, that’s one for tomorrow.

In conclusion – for me Mardi gras was worth the trip. Must get packed up again.

Ok, here is the deal. I am really tired. I was outside in the cold all day and wifi is wicked fast here in the Ace Hotel. So, how about I just do images. From Shamu 2.

And the parade is still going on. Without me.

Yesterday, I discovered that the WordPress app sort of worked with out internet. But I is a lot smoother with internet, so, I shall try doing the text and then fire up the app when I have good signal.

It is 4:30pm now and I am ready for the next part of the adventure. Just checked, we might make it into New Orleans on time which should have me in a much needed shower by 11pm. Oh there is a shower on the train, but I am thinking about buckets of hot water. Then a bed with fluffy pillows. That’s the 75 year old version of laissez les bon temps rouler.

The train has made it to Louisiana. I haven’t been to Louisiana in several decades. But it still stinks. Sulfur.

According to Google, my hotel is 11 minutes from the station by foot. Have not a clue how sketchy the neighborhood is. I’ll just trust my gut reaction and decide what to do.

I have a dinner reservation at 6:30 tonight, but the train is very empty. So, I don’t know if I have interesting dinner mates. An interesting dinner mate would have a car service waiting at the station and offer me a ride to my hotel.

Time to read some more. Or go to the lounge car for a brew. Laissez les bon temps rouler already.

At this instant, there is no cell service. And, this train doesn’t have wifi. So,act of faith that I don’t lose this entry.

Day started when I woke up at 6am. The train was parked in the Tucson station. But my car had a pot of coffee ready and waiting. In good time, I had breakfast and settled in for a morning of looking out the window, napping and very little reading.

We are stuck on the train until 1 ish when we get recess in El Paso. It looks the same as the last time I was there. I made sure to be on the train when it left the station.

The afternoon was spent much like the morning. Skipped lunch. Being a slug doesn’t burn any calories. At 5pm we got another parole, this time in Alpine, Texas. A splendid little town. With much Wall art. But I was sure to be back on the train in time.

Oh, I had dinner last night and breakfast this morning with a woman from New Mexico. She is my age, old, and had been an iron worker. She was from a Native American family and all the men were welders on bridges and skyscrapers. She is the only girl in her family to pursue that trade she said she was the best welder in her generation, but she never made as much money as her brothers and cousins. She had worked mostly in California, but moved back to NM when she retired. And, that is one of the fun parts of taking the train.

Of course I would find men in skimpy outfits dancing. With in easy walking distance of Los Angeles Union Station. I have 8 hours to kill here. 4 down 4 to go. I am tired, so I plan on curling up in a chair and reading for a while.

As practice for my RTW trip, I have put my iPad and computer away for the rest of the trip. I want to minimize the amount of stuff that I haul around 25,000 miles.

Traveling makes me hate stuff. I have to pack it, lug it, and guard it.

All in all, I had a fine time in Santa Barbara, The Sunset Limited across the southern border should be interesting. Or at least restful.

I hope the train arrives in New Orleans somewhere near on time. And that my health gets better or at least reminds stable.

Union Station – Los Angeles.

Still cloudy and cool. But not raining. So, according to Shamu the Phone – who is now in charge of counting my steps and miles – Shamu says I got 19,811 steps and almost 8 miles. Not too shabby for an old woman with a sinus infection/cold/rhinovirus/whatever. 

Went to breakfast and to the grocery to replenish my emergency rations kit for the next part of the trip. Then, to avoid shopping temptation (I bet that Chanel jacket was still there) – I decided to go to the Santa Barbara Zoo. It is a modest but very well endowed zoo. Exactly what you get when you have a bunch of rich people and a really good “donor development” person. Most towns with a population of 100,000 would be hard pressed to have a really nice zoo. There is no evidence that they are big time into species survival or any such thing. They just have animals that visitor like. And, nice play areas for kids. Oh and farm animals – so kids can see cows and sheep etc. 

After I got back to the temporary old bat house, I was going to nap and rest and enjoy poor health. Having another dinner of granola bars, pistachios, wine, and chocolate. But, heck, I wasn’t going to feel any worse if I went to find the Mexican restaurant that James and Julia Child recommended. La Super-Rica Taqueria. According to Google, it was 1.6 miles away. It is apparently really busy – but I guessed that 4:30 might beat the rush. Off I went. To the “real” Santa Barbara. 

The plates are plastic, the roof is canvas, the food is outstanding. It helps to remember how to count in Spanish. They call the number out in Spanish first when your order is ready. If you don’t show up to pick it up – they say the number in English. Fortunately, I remembered, cuarenta y seis was 46.

Now, I guess I should get things ready to go tomorrow morning. I should have time to do it in the morning – but – if this sinus infection/cold/rhinovirus/whatever gets worse overnight. Well, that is the wreckage of the future as Carlton would say. It could get better.

Next stop LA and The Sunset Limited to New Orleans.

It has been 55° and drizzly all day. When I made it back to the temporary old bat cave – I was ready to call it a day. I napped most of the afternoon. When I woke up – it was still 55° and drizzly and I had no interest in going out and rounding up dinner. It is a good night for Room Service. But wait, Room Service is out of order at this hotel. Well, how about Grub Hub? This hotel isn’t Grub Hub friendly. I would have to go to the lobby – which is a block away – to collect my order. Which means I would have to get dressed and go out in the chilly drizzle. Let’s see, what do I have to eat: Wine (lagniappe from the hotel since there is no Room Service), tangerines, pistachios,  half a cookie, chocolate, Luna Bars, coffee and tea. Sounds like dinner to me. There is also the minibar. But, it doesn’t have much more than I have in my little “survival kit”. 

And, my sinus infection from January is trying to come back. But, that isn’t what is keeping me indoors. It is the 55° and drizzle that is keeping me inside. 

In Kona, palm trees are dedicated to sport fishermen. Here they are dedicated to dogs. Was this Maggie Girl’s favorite tree? Speaking of dogs. A huge standard poodle on a very long leash pranced into the restaurant where I was having breakfast. The dog was very handsome (as was his owner). I am guessing the owner was showing off how well trained his dog was. The dog was surely tall enough to help himself to anyone’s breakfast. Guess Santa Barbara is a very dog friendly place. (Google says there are 79 dog-friendly restaurants in Santa Barbara.)

Did some additional window shopping today. And, I stopped off at CVS for cough drops, mucinex, etc.  I wandered around Nordstroms. Didn’t find anything that I wanted or needed. I must be slipping. It was a little strange not to have anybody back home to buy naughty underwear for. I used to always buy something risque for me for Carlton. 

But yesterday I did find a Chanel jacket that I “needed” at a consignment shop. I didn’t get it. Don’t think I’ll live long enough to amortize the cost down to something reasonable! Also not sure I could just wad a Chanel jacket up in a ball and stuff it in my backpack – like I do my Virginia Hospital Center jacket. And, I am positive I couldn’t toss it in the washer. So, no Chanel jacket for me.

Time to finish up the wine and pistachio course and move on to the Luna Bar and  tea course. I’ll finish it up with coffee, chocoate, tangerine and half a cookie. A 3-course feast.

Tomorrow – hopefully, do outdoor stuff. Run down a restaurant recommended by my brother and Julia Child. It was closed yesterday and today. And, get everything organized for the train adventure which resumes on Friday morning.  

 

I rather like this tree. According to the sign – a sailor gave a cutting of it to his girlfriend. A couple of years later, she left town as girlfriends are want to do. And, the sapling was transplanted to its current location near the Train Station. 

In some ways, Santa Barbara is like Kona. The Pacific Ocean, a pier, a beach. Surfing. A goodly number of homeless people. Young Latino men in tight black pants selling Preparation H repackaged as $500 “eye treatments”. etc. But, in other ways, it is very unlike Kona. For example:

Had a great day. Walked over 6 miles. Checked out the local grocery store, farmers market, and thrift shop.  And the bus system. Santa Barbara seems to hate cars as much as Arlington. Which is alright with me.

A great town. I could live here. But, I live at The Asylum. I think this is why Carlton wanted me to move to The Asylum. Because left to my own decision-making process – I would have started out on an “Endless Winter” adventure. A worldwide search for the perfect place to die.

Three things could have been really bad. But weren’t.

1. On the flight home, my seat mates are a modern family. Two men and their sons. One son is 4 going on 5 and the young guy was 16 months. This could have been really really bad. But, the kids were put into jammies and they slept like babies. So did the Dads.  Me, I sort of became unconscious. But, I wouldn’t call it sleep.  
2. I was going to check my bag. I figured I had plenty of time to get to the train station. And, there wasn’t going to be any change of plane. So, what could go wrong? Well, fortunately, I did not check my bag because there was nobody in the TSA PreCheck line. Me and my bag zip through TSA. Much later on the plane, while the boys were being put into jammies – the pilot announces take off was delayed because the checked bags were all on a plane going to Seattle. Except for the ones that were waiting to be loaded on an Alaska bound plane. They were trying to get it sorted out. But, the Seattle plane had already taken off. I got lucky. 
3. As soon as I got off the bus at the LA train station – I bring up my Amtrak info on my phone. YIKES. My train to Santa Barbara was canceled.  After about 30 minutes of searching for a Plan B and a large coffee,  that one worked out too. 

Now, I am exhausted and my legs hurt. But I am glad to be here. And grateful that all those potential major annoyances broke my way.