Snow Days

Today is our second snow day we've used this week.  We have had a lot of snow, and now ice, that have made the roads terrible.  Who knows if we'll go tomorrow or not??  Here are a few pics of our day today.

This is how Isabella spends her snow days.

This is how Max spends his snow days.

View from my front door.  That looks like a puddle of water at the end of the sidewalk, but it's a sheet of ice!

View of my cross-street.  I have heard 3 vehicles and saw one walker go by today.

Not-so-giant icicle.

View up the street.  Thank goodness I parked my vehicle in the garage last night!

Christmas Program

My students just had their last elementary Christmas program on Tuesday night.  Our music teacher, Mrs. Richardson, is new this year.  I think she did a fantastic job!  Here are a few pics:

Here are the happy 5th graders

Santa is in my class

Hard to see, but two of "my" reindeer catching hoops on their antlers.

Here's a better reindeer pic.

The stage.  The Christmas program was kind of like the Reindeer Olympics.  Very cute and entertaining!

I might add that these pics were from the dress rehearsal performance that we put on during the day before the real program that night.  That's why most of the kids don't look dressed up!

Ok, Teacher, How Are You Going to Handle This One?

I'm not really sure how to start this post.  I had a very sickening day today at school.  First, I was observed by my principal as part of my yearly evaluation.  That part went well, but I get so nervous when he comes to observe me.  The next part was what made me sick.

After the principal left, one of my male students came up to me and said he needed to speak with me in the hallway.  I was thinking to myself, "What on earth could he want to talk to me about in private?"  At this age, you expect the girls to ask to speak to you privately about "girl stuff."  Anyway, we finally found a "quiet" spot in the hallway and I asked him what was up.

He proceeded to tell me that this happens every year, but the kids were making fun of him.  When I asked which students, he said "everyone" and dissolved into tears.  Now, I must give a little background info here.  This student is an intelligent, kind, caring, trustworthy, and conscientious student.  He's not interested in most things my other boys are, like hunting, sports, etc.  He's interested in art, gardening, and music.  He has an appreciation for everyone and everything.  As soon as his first tear fell, I wanted to punch someone.  Hard.  We talked a little more through his tears and I narrowed in on the general group of students who were targeting him.  The more we talked, the more he cried and the angrier I got.  Tears started to form in my eyes, but I knew I needed to get a grip and be a professional, not a bodyguard like I wanted to be.

Ok, teacher, how do you handle that?  I think this is one of the hardest things as an educator to deal with.  Sometimes, kids are just being kids.  They are expressing themselves in the only way they know how, whether that's in a positive or negative way.  You can talk to them, guide them, and send them on their way.  Then, after so much guiding and redirecting, there comes a time when more serious measures need to be taken.  Sometimes that's a talk with the principal, sometimes that's a conference with a parent, sometimes it could be a combination of things.  The truth is, I don't think there's any "good" way to deal with a situation like this.  By nature I don't like confrontation (I know, that's a strange thing for a teacher to say).  I like everyone to do what they're supposed to do and that's what makes the world go 'round, in my mind.  When I need to confront someone, I'm not very consistent in my punishments, either (which, granted, different situations require different consequences).

In life, adults are this way, too.  As adults, our defense mechanisms are better at dealing with negative people.  We learn to let things go, slide off our back, go in one ear and out the other.  Or we get fed up and give someone a piece of our minds. As kids...I think it's harder.  By age 9 or 10, kids are learning that not everyone in the class is their friend (adults already know this).  They learn who they prefer to be around, and who they most definitely do not want to be anywhere near (adults already know this, too).  They have to begin to learn to deal with those people who are negative (ditto on the adults).  I think this is one of the hardest things kids have to do.

So, teacher, what did you do?  Well, first I had to calm down a little.  Like I said, my first instinct was to throw someone into something hard. (I think it's a good thing I don't have children of my own.  I can only imagine how I would react if one of them was in a situation like this!  I would be knowns a "that" mom for sure!).  Next, I talked to a few of the kids that I had a sneaking suspicion they had been behind some of this.  After that, I contacted a parent and possibly tomorrow I will be contacting more.  I certainly don't want to make this into a huge deal, but to this boy, it's already a huge deal.  I have documented this incident, and will be more watchful for others like it.  My principal will be involved in some capacity, too.

For now, I will try to keep calming down.  I'll hopefully get a good night's sleep and be able to look on the situation a little differently in the morning.  I can only pray that this little boy who has been targeted does the same.

Would you have done anything differently?

Evansville with Lily Grace

Today was an awesome day!!  I got to spend most of it with a sweet, soon-to-be-3-year-old.  I've only watched Miss Lily a few times, so I was excited to spend some time with her.  Why was I watching her?  Big sis Regan and her mommy were going to have breakfast with the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Regan all ready for her date with Mommy



Lily and I had plans of our own...I had a few places in Evansville I needed to visit.  First stop was The Teacher's Aid for their 30% off everything sale.  Unfortunately, I made the fatal mistake of taking Lily through the toy section first.

I finally got to do a little teacher shopping and we headed out into the cold rain.  After a quick stop at JCPenney Home Store, we headed to Chick-fil-A for some much-needed chicken n' fries, then for a little playtime.

Which was followed by some ice-cream.  Then Mommy came to pick Miss Lily up and I went to Sams' Club, came home, and took a well-deserved nap.

What a great day!

I Bet You Hate Your Job, Ms. Sutton

One of my students told me this week, after I gave a lecture on behavior to the class:

"I bet you hate your job, Ms. Sutton."

Hmm.  No, I definitely don't hate my job.  Do I have days I wish I was at home/the beach/shopping/etc. instead of at work?  Sure.  Everyone does.  I've had many challenges during the time I've worked for the school corporation.  I had many trying students, coworkers, personal issues, you name it.  Not once did I hate my job.

Hate is a very strong word.  Last year, I outlawed that word (among others) in my classroom.  You could "strongly dislike" something, or "strongly dislike" how someone was acting, but "hate" you could not.

This week has been a trying week.  I can't figure out if we're all getting sick, if there's a full moon, or perhaps if we all have cabin fever (note that it's been in the 70s this week and we've taken full advantage of our recess time).  I am just not sure.  I am hoping it's not a case of "Holiday Hyperness,"  because if it is, we need to get a handle on it quick because we still have a month of school before Christmas Break.

My favorite (note the sarcasm here) thing is when I start to teach and all my students start talking.  Or coloring.  Or reading.  Apparently, they already know how to do everything that I've taught, so they don't see the need to pay attention.  Hmm.  Okay.

Our principal is very big on respect.  You are respectful to everyone, whether you like them or not, whether you agree with them or not.  Not paying attention to your teacher when he/she is teaching is disrespectful.  In fact, our principal spent about 25 minutes in my room last week talking to my class about how we need to be respectful and tolerant of each other (I have a few personality conflicts in my room).  Today we were respectful to our Veterans, but not so respectful to the teacher or to each other.

Now, granted, we have more than our fair share of fun in my classroom.  I strongly dislike being all stuffy and serious for the entire school day.  However, the State of Indiana has deemed me in charge of educating 19 students in the 5th grade state standards.  Unfortunately, you can't teach all those standards in a non-stuffy, non-serious fashion.  You also can't have much peace and order without everyone dishing out their fair share of respect.

Okay--enough of my rant and rave for the evening.  Friday, here I come!!

Veterans Day

I was VERY proud of my students today.  In our school, the 5th grade students take charge of the Veterans Day program.  Our wonderful music teacher, Melissa, taught them some songs and my coworkers found and put together slides for a patriotic slideshow.  I stayed out of the limelight on this one as I am not all that creative and do well enough to get my kids lined up and to practices/performances on time. :)

Anyway...all four 5th grade classes did a very nice job singing during the performance.  They were quiet and respectful during the Veterans' part in the ceremony, and they did a great job getting to and from the performance in a quiet, orderly manner.  A few of my students were chosen to be in the Singing Indians group (kind of like the Swing Choir at the high school) and they did a wonderful job as well.  The performance was short, as the Veterans had many more programs to attend today, but amazingly meaningful.  I asked my students, after the performance, how many of them had someone in their family who was a Veteran.  Most raised their hands.  Next I asked if they knew someone who was a Veteran.  All raised their hands. One of my students has an uncle who recently returned from the Middle East and that student has shared many stories about his uncle.  I hope my students know what it means to give up your time, family, and your life for our country. 

Union

Yesterday was a day for friends and family.  My very good friend, Sandy, and I went to Jasper.  We ate at the "new" Los Bravos and shopped. 

That evening, I did something I'd never done and had been wanting to do forever. I ate at the Union Store (Sullivan's Grocery).  Now, this may not seem like a milestone for anyone but me, but the last time I attempted to sample their wares, the power went out.  I had been soooo excited to eat there and couldn't!! This time, I got to try their bacon cheeseburger.  YUM. I was also blessed to spend the meal with my cousin, her guy, and two dear friends, one of whom traveled up from Murfreesboro, TN.  (Not for the meal, for other reasons. :) )  We talked, ate, laughed, and watched Zenyatta lose the race by a nose (literally!).

Afterwards, I visited my Gma and Gpa Sutton.

All in all, it was a very good day.

The Union Store (Sullivan's Grocery)

Such a nice, homey place!

Twirly eating his Drumstick and so kindly paying for our meals.

Our happy (and full) group!

Some kids...

Some kids are challenging--you spend the majority of your time trying to figure out what makes them tick.

Some kids are hilarious--you want to hear their jokes and their opinions all day long.

Some kids are your ray of sunshine--you look forward to the next time you will see them and also look forward to hearing what they have to say.

Some kids get under your skin--you find yourself counting to 10 all day long when they're on a roll.

Some kids tug at your heartstrings--you know that if you could keep this child, they would have a shot in life.

Some kids are responsible--you never have to worry when you put these kids in charge of something.

Some kids are just there at the right time--they put that much-needed smile on your face just when you didn't think you could go on.

Some kids are in your life for such a short time--but they change your life forever.

All kids are precious.  They deserve the very best that the adults in their lives have to give them.  They look up to us as role models and we have the great challenge of molding and shaping them into the leaders of tomorrow.

I know I had a great day with my kids today (despite the fact we'd all had way too much sugar the past few days).  There were irritations and aggravations, but there was learning, laughing, and life lessons being taught in the process.  I cannot imagine being in another profession!

Fascinated

I decided (wisely) to let my students have some "Talk Time" on Tuesday.  I knew they'd have a bazillion stories about their Fall Breaks, so I gave each student a two-minute turn at the podium to tell about their vacations.  I even gave myself a two-minute talk time and told them a few highlights of my trip to New Orleans.  Of course, they had many questions.  And I ran over my two minutes.  :)  They were most curious about the ghost and cemetery tours.  Several of my students are reading books about ghosts, mysteries, etc. and they were fascinated by what I had to say.  I told them about my "ghostly" dream (where Madame Lalaurie was pulling on my arms).  Man, they were hooked!  I told them a little about the cemeteries and about burial in New Orleans.  I was sure I'd have some parent phone calls over that one, but I didn't.  In fact, I spoke with one parent after school and she said her daughter was thrilled with learning about the ghosts and cemeteries. 

I can honestly say that speaking about my experience in New Orleans was the first time in my teaching career that I actually felt like I was teaching them something.  I was incorporating history, world events, and geography all while keeping their interests.  I wasn't using a textbook or technology--I was using my experience and my ability to communicate that experience to my students.  Wow! This is exactly why I went into this profession!

New Orleans, Day 4

I was up early today.  Not because I wanted to be, but because I didn’t sleep well again.  I even took a Tylenol PM around 10:00.  Oh well—maybe I’ll sleep on the plane.  Or all day tomorrow.

Check-out time was 12:00, so I headed to the lobby around 10:00 to get myself checked out and to stash my luggage at the Bell Station until the game was over.  I began to walk toward the stadium.  At this point, I got onto myself for making the walk yesterday.  Seriously, how could I get lost in a sea of Saints’ jerseys??  The closer I got, the more people there were.  I saw a Saints Party Bus, a band playing in a parking lot, and a LOT of tailgating.  Outside the stadium is an area called Champions Square.  There was a big screen tv with all kinds of action going on, food & beverage booths, and lots of Saints and Browns fans.  My favorite part of Champions Square was the drumline.  They played for a little bit, and when they were done I headed into the stadium.

The stadium itself was a little disappointing (uh oh, my first disappointing event for the day).  I think I was expecting it to be like the Lucas Oil Stadium.  It wasn’t as new or updated.  I found my seat and settled in to enjoy the sights.  The game started at 12:00 local time and I was really really excited for it to begin.  This was the whole reason I went to New Orleans, remember?  As each quarter went by, I became more disappointed.  The Saints weren’t playing like they usually did, and the Browns were playing much BETTER than they usually did.  It was a tense game for the Saints fans.  Several of them left early.  I would’ve loved to get an earlier start to the airport, but I stayed until the very end.  Browns: 30, Saints 17.  Definitely not the best football game I’d ever watched!

As I started to walk back to the hotel, I noticed the clouds had rolled in.  There was a 50% chance of rain in the afternoon.  I was hoping it wouldn’t interfere with my flight.  I got a couple of blocks away from the stadium and it began to rain.  It was around this time I noticed I had a blister on my right foot.  Great.  This day kept getting better and better!  I made it to the hotel just as it stopped raining.  I collected my luggage and headed for the bathroom to change out of my Saints jersey (I was a little ashamed to be a Saints fan at that moment, plus I didn’t want any Browns fans to harass me between there and home.  I just wanted to get out of Dodge!) and got into a cab.

My cab adventure to the airport was less than fun.  Luckily, the cabs charge a standard rate to/from the airport to anywhere in New Orleans.  A 20-minute ride turned into an hour very quickly.  I had time to gather my flight info for the airport and take a few last minute pictures as we inched our way toward Louis Armstrong International Airport.  The cab dropped me off and I got checked in.  When I printed my tickets, I had no seat assignment to Atlanta and no ticket for my flight to Evansville.  Great.  The lady who checked my suitcase said they’d give me a seat assignment and a ticket at the gate.  Ok.  I get through security and head to the gate.  I get a seat assignment, but no ticket for Evansville.  Fantastic.  All I could do was check in at the counter in Atlanta.  I ate an Uno Chicago’s pizza for supper (I was starved) and drank a LARGE Pepsi.  I don’t drink soft drinks, but after my stressful afternoon, I figured, “Why not?”  Big mistake.  The flight to Atlanta was one of the most turbulent I’ve been on.  During takeoff (my favorite part of the flight), I almost got sick.  I felt sick most of the way and I kept my eyes closed.  That gave me a LOT of time to pray.  J  When the flight finally landed, we were all ready to race off that plane.  I had 49 minutes to catch my connecting flight.  In Atlanta.  I had horrible visions of me running through the airport and getting sick all over the place.  Thankfully, I found my gate with time to spare.  The flight to Evansville was one of the most pleasant flights I’ve ever had.  It was the only flight on this trip that I sat by a window seat.  My stomach had settled by this point, so I passed the time by looking at all the lights on the ground.

My flight landed in Evansville ahead of schedule.  I collected my suitcase, found my car (and took a picture of it—I was THAT glad to be home), paid for my parking (much cheaper than I expected), and headed home.  My cats were VERY glad to see me (and I was VERY glad to see them).  I was thankful for my comfy bed and my satellite channels (all I watched in the hotel were HLN and HGTV).  I slept well & late.  A pile of laundry and dishes waited for me when I got up, so why not??

Final Thoughts

I am very glad I took this trip.  I proved to myself that I can do it.  I wasn’t scared once, although some situations made me more nervous than others.  I know I don’t do nights that well (either being out at night or sleeping at night) on vacation.  Although it would’ve been great to share this trip with someone, it was so nice to get in everything I wanted at my own pace.  I spent more time in some places than I did in others.  I took tons of pictures.  I journaled my experience so I can look back on it and remember.  Would I do it again?  In a heartbeat.  Next trip:  somewhere with a beach….possibly Florida and Disney World (I’ve been there tons of times & would love to go back!).

Drumline in Champion's Square

At the game with my $6 souvenir cup.  I was drinking Sprite!

A little Drew Brees action.

One disappointed and wet girl.

Max was sure glad I was home!

New Orleans, Day 3

I didn’t sleep well last night.  For one, I walked way too much and my legs were too tired to let me sleep.  For another, a ghost tried to pull my arms off.  That makes for a long, not-so-restful night.  Yes, I said a ghost tried to pull my arms off!  I had a dream that I was struggling with this woman and she wouldn’t let go of my arms.  I woke up, and my elbows were killing me!!  My arms weren’t asleep like they sometimes are if I lay on them.  My elbows just hurt!  And as quick as I woke up and realized my elbows hurt, they quit hurting.  I wonder if it was Madame LaLaurie tugging at me last night???  To add to my “rough” night and early morning, when I was getting ready, I heard a key being swiped in my hotel door and someone tugging at the handle.  At first, I thought it was housekeeping (they didn’t clean my room yesterday for some reason, so I was really hoping to be gone before they came by today.), so I checked it out through the peep hole.  I saw a middle-aged man trying desperately to get his key to work in my door!  I was debating on whether to shout through the door that he had the wrong room, when he decided to give up and headed toward the elevator.  Good thing I had the deadbolt on the door fastened.  Creepy!

I got a little earlier start this morning and wandered down to Le Croissant Express, one of the restaurants in the hotel.  I had a craving for scrambled eggs, bacon, and a pot of hot tea.  Long story short, it was going to be cheaper just to get the buffet rather than those three things separately.  After eating and getting my cup o’tea to-go, I headed to the Riverwalk Mall.  The Riverwalk Mall is attached to my hotel, only it’s laid out in the opposite direction that I headed yesterday.  I walked the length of the mall and halfway down the Convention Center, which is on the other side of the mall.  There was a sculpture in honor of Hurricane Katrina victims that I saw on my bus tour yesterday but didn’t get to take a picture.  I took several sculpture pictures before walking back to the mall.  I did a little shopping and bought my Saints flannel pajama pants. J  After dropping my purchase off in my room, I headed to the Superdome.  No, today wasn’t game day; I just wanted to see how long it would take me to get to the stadium so I’d know what time I need to check out in the morning.  I want to get there early to take everything in.  It took around 30 minutes.  From there, I walked to the French Quarter to find Remoulade—the restaurant my brother recommended.  I wasn’t the least bit hungry, but I knew I needed to eat so I wouldn’t get hungry on my three-hour walking cemetery tour.  I ordered the Louisiana sampler—turtle soup (yum), Shrimp etouffe (tasty, but spicy) and meat pie (I’m not a meat person, but it wasn’t bad).  I wandered around the French Quarter before steering myself back toward Reverend Zombie’s Voodoo Shop for my tour.

Haunted History’s Cemetery Tour

I really didn’t know what to expect on my tour.  I knew we’d go to one of the cemeteries in New Orleans.  I’d seen two so far and they were both way too far away to walk.  I overheard a girl talking to her husband/boyfriend that St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 was “that way” (she pointed north).  Hmm.  I just came from that way on my Superdome adventure and didn’t see a cemetery.  Our tour guide, Charles, began the tour by highlighting a few famous (or infamous) buildings in the French Quarter before taking us north to the cemetery.  Rampart Street is the dividing line for the French Quarter and the section of New Orleans called Treme (there’s a show on HBO called Treme, but I don’t get HBO so I have no clue what it’s about).  St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is in the Treme section of the city, about 2 blocks north of the French Quarter (which explained why I hadn’t seen it; I was too far west at the time).

My first thought inside the cemetery was “Wow.”  My second thought was “Boy, it’s crowded in here.”  The tombs were really close together.  Often we had to walk single-file to get through.  Crowded was actually an understatement.  A big understatement.  I had no idea how people were buried in a vault.  I assumed that each casket had its own space in each vault.  Not so.  (This part’s a little graphic.)  A person who has just passed away is placed in a plain pine casket.  They’re put into the vault, or tomb as Charles called them, and the tomb is sealed up.  One year and one day later (according to custom and tradition—not law), a sexton comes, unseals the tomb, flips the pine box over to the side, and what’s left of a person (about 1 to 2 pounds of goo and bones) gets dumped on the floor.  Why one year and one day?  The body will go through a New Orleans summer in that length of time.  The tombs can get up to 500 degrees or hotter in that kind of weather.  It’s a natural cremation chamber.  After your remains are dumped on the floor, they’re scooted/swept/pushed to the back of the tomb and the tomb is resealed so it’s ready for the next person in your family who meets their demise.  What happens if you have more than one family member pass away before the year is up?  No problem—they rent tombs.  After the one-year-one-day interval is up, the goo is transported to the family tomb, scooted to the back, and you’re ready to start the process with the next deceased person in your family.  St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 has been estimated to have more than 50,000 bodies in it.  Area-wise, it’s tiny compared to Walnut Hills at home.  Why do the people of New Orleans bury their dead in tombs?  Two reasons.  1) Above-ground burial is a Spanish tradition (not because New Orleans is below sea-level like most of us think.  I mean it’s below sea-level but that’s not why they bury their dead above-ground), and 2) to actually bury each deceased person in a below-ground grave would be a very wasteful way to use up valuable land in the city.  The entire city and the surrounding area would be one big graveyard.  They simply don’t have the room for below-ground burials.  I’m not saying every single person in the city has a family tomb, but I really think most of them have some form of above-ground burial that their families use.

After learning all about what was inside the tombs we were seeing, we learned what all they were made out of.  Many are brick, some are a cheap-looking stucco/plaster, and some are made out of the most magnificent marble you’ve ever seen.  I took several pictures and tried very hard not to step on or lean up against any graves while Charles was talking (I was getting hot and tired at this point).  We saw several important historical figures’ tombs: Homer Plessy from the landmark Plessy v. Ferguson case about segregation, Ernest Morial, who was the first black mayor of New Orleans, Benjamin and Henry Latrobe, who were the first American architects, Nicolas Cage’s monstrosity of a tomb, compared to the others—it’s a pyramid (no he didn’t die, it’s just the tomb he had built)!!  And perhaps the most famous tomb in New Orleans—Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau.  It was at this point Charles told us he practices voodoo and showed us how believers of voodoo come to Marie Laveau’s tomb to ask for her guidance.  It was all very interesting!  I also got to see some of the “individual” tombs (the ones I think of that are all along a wall and they put your body on a slab) and how the bottom row has almost completely sunk into the ground.  So I guess in a way those people on bottom are technically buried below ground now.  Lol

Our tour ended at where nearly every tour by Haunted History does: in a bar.  I skipped that part in search of A/C, ice cream, and a bathroom.  I found all three and headed to the riverfront to sit, eat, and rest my aching legs (my feet were still raring to go, thanks to my Tone-Ups sandals).  I rested for about 20 minutes before making some purchases in the shops along Decatur Street.  I made my way through the “ritzy” Canal Street shops before heading back to the Riverwalk Mall to get my Drew Brees jersey.  I’ll be all decked out for the game tomorrow!  I made a stop at my hotel room to wash off my feet and prop up my legs in the comfy chair for awhile before heading downstairs to Drago’s Seafood restaurant.  Drago’s is one of those ritzy-but-not restaurants that is always packed.  I didn’t make a reservation, but I figured a table-for-one wouldn’t be too hard to come up with.  I had a 20 minute wait before I was seated.  I decided to try the Shrimp New Orleans.  It was shrimp marinated in one of the spiciest marinades that I’ve ever smelled or tasted.  My upper-G.I. is fine (so far), but I drank and entire carafe of iced tea during my meal!! 

After a nice, long soak in the tub, I am about ready for bed (no tea tonight—I had my fill at supper).  As I type, I’m looking out at the Mississippi again.  A cruise steamboat just went by, and I hope the people on it are enjoying the view as much as I am.  I’ll really miss that when I go home tomorrow!

Scrap House sculpture honoring those who lost their lives to Hurricane Katrina.

My Cemetery Tour guide, Charles, in front of Nicolas Cage's tomb (no, he's not dead yet)

The tomb of Marie Leveau, the Voodoo Queen

Sitting with my feet propped up at the end of a loooong walking day!

New Orleans, Day 2

I slept in.  Yes, by golly, it’s my Fall Break/vacation and I wanted to sleep in.  By the time I got up, showered, got ready, typed my Day 1 thoughts, packed my purse with everything imaginable that I could need, it was around eleven o’clock.  Lunchtime!!  My big plan was to walk along the Mississippi River until I got to where my Hurricane Katrina tour would depart.  Next, I’d walk to where my ghost tour would depart.  With the time left over, I’d wander around, taking in the sights. (I should add here that I have a really good sense of direction.  I can count on one hand the times I’ve gotten turned around in my lifetime.  I wasn’t too worried about getting lost.)

I'm ready to take on the city!

I headed out from my hotel and began to walk northeast.  I found a really neat riverwalk park (with an aquarium!) and took some pictures of the Mississippi and of the riverboats.  At the end of the riverwalk, I found the place my Hurricane Katrina tour would leave from.  Check!  I started wandering around in the French Quarter, where my ghost tour today and my walking historical cemetery tour would leave from tomorrow.  I found that pretty easily.  I looked at my cell phone and saw that I had nearly two hours to kill.  Hmm.  Wandering around in the French Quarter was nice (I took lots of neat pics!), but I was starting to get hungry.  I saw one or two of the restaurants the Loud Lady recommended on the plane, but they weren’t open.  I bought some water from a street vendor, and he recommended a place just around the corner, the Gumbo Shop.  I went, tried the Jambalaya, and loved it!  Unfortunately, ever since my bout with Upper-G.I. problems two years ago, spicy foods are not my cup of tea.  I ate about half my lunch and ate about half the bread (I didn’t have breakfast—by the time I left the hotel it was too late, in my mind, for breakfast).  After lunch I wandered through a small park and headed to my tour bus site.  I got there about 45 minutes early, so what did I do?  READ!!!  I brought my book with me in my purse.  Told you I was prepared. J

French Quarter

Hurricane Katrina Tour

Seeing the devastation from Hurricane Katrina was one thing on my long list of must-see things in New Orleans.  I found a company, Gray Line Tours, that offered a three-hour bus ride tour of the places Katrina hit hardest and also a tour of some of the levees that were breached.  While I was waiting for the bus, I met a nice, middle-aged couple from Connecticut who shared with me that they had been planning to come to New Orleans at the same time Katrina hit.  I boarded the bus, and was unfortunate enough to get an aisle seat, but fortunate enough to be close enough to the front of the bus to get some good pics.  I sat next to a young woman who was from Southern California.  She and I chatted a few minutes before the tour began.

First of all, I cannot imagine what the people of New Orleans and the surrounding areas went through during the hurricane and in the five years since New Orleans was pretty much destroyed.  We went through several neighborhoods that had 8+ feet of water standing for three weeks or more.  We saw Lake Pontchatrain (in the daylight!  I checked that off my list too).  It literally comes right up to the road, so I can see how that area flooded.  I didn’t realize that Lake P. has lots of canals the excess water drains into.  It was the canals that flooded and caused the pumps to not work, not the actual lake itself.  Which was pretty amazing. We saw levees that had been breached and rebuilt.  We saw pump stations that had had so much water in such a short time, they couldn’t pump it fast enough, and eventually they failed.  We saw vacant homes with the red X’s still spray-painted on them by rescue workers.  We saw homes that reminded me of the ones you see on the White River—several feet in the air, built up so that the floodwaters cannot touch them (we hope).  We saw the Intercoastal Waterway and all the swamplands.  I got to see the Upper and Lower Ninth Wards (cross that off my list) that we heard so much about in tv.  I also got a picture of the neighborhood Brad Pitt is building, all energy-efficient homes.  I saw the neighborhood Harry Connick, Jr. is building with affordable homes (they call it Musician’s Row).  It was amazing!!  The tour guide was very informative.  Many places we saw had just reopened within the past year.  I got a picture of a grassy lot that had once been an elementary school.  Rather than rebuild it, they bulldozed it down.  There are about half the schools in New Orleans now than there were five years ago.  I thought that was kind of sad. L

After my tour, I headed to Café du Monde for their world-famous beignets.  They’re a lot like a funnel cake, only they’re in a biscuit shape.  I sat in the café and filled out a few postcards (my only “major” purchase so far—Saturday is my designated shopping day).  After Café du Monde, I hit one of the shops and went ahead and bought my dad’s Christmas present (I’d love to tell you, but he might read this. J) Next, I decided to take the long way around to my ghost tour, since I still had about an hour to kill.  I’ve been trying to find a restaurant my brother recommended, Remoulade.  I had a sneaking suspicion it was on Bourbon Street, so I decided to walk the length of the street and then double-back to my tour.  Big Mistake!!!  As a non-drinker, non-smoker, non-party girl, Bourbon Street on Friday night at five o’clock is not the place for me!!  The music was loud, the people were drinking, and I finally gave up my search after about 20 minutes.  I arrived for my ghost tour a little early, as did a lot of people.  So I sat outside, enjoying watching the people walk by.  When I do that, I like to imagine where they are from and what they are saying.  It helps pass the time!

Haunted History Tours—Ghost Tour 

I was a little nervous before we started the tour.  My experience in Bourbon Street, while not harmful, rattled my nerves ever-so-slightly.  Next time I go, it’ll be around lunchtime.  During the week.  Anyways, I walked up to my tour, which left from St. Peter Street (in between Bourbon and Royal).  As soon as I saw it (remember, I’d been there around lunchtime to check it out), I got just a little more nervous.  Who wants to meet for a ghost tour outside a place called Reverend Zombie’s Voodoo Shop?!?!  During the day, it’s not so bad.  With the approaching darkness and my experience in Bourbon Street, I was just hoping for as smooth a tour as possible.  (Please know that if you are a drinker or an occasional drinker, a smoker, or a party person, I do not begrudge you that lifestyle any more than you would begrudge me of mine.  I just want you to know my state of mind as I head into a ghost tour.  Alone. )  After we were all assembled (60ish people or so), they put us in groups of 20ish and we were off.  My tour guide, George, was all decked out in a top hat, devilish glasses, and a really neat spiral cane.  The first stop was in front of a church.  The statue in front of the church was missing a few fingers, broken off during Hurricane Katrina.  The Archbishop said that as soon as the city was whole and normal again, he’d let the fingers be reattached to the statue.  Fat chance of New Orleans ever being “normal,” according to George!  We walked by several haunted sites and George was very informative on haunting and the general history of New Orleans.  Unfortunately, my legs were starting to hurt (not my feet, thanks to my Sketchers Tone-Ups sandals).  That’s a sure sign that grouchiness will follow.  Thank goodness I’m traveling alone!  Double unfortunately, it means I wasn’t listening very closely to George (he spoke very quickly anyways, and I always felt like I was translating what he said into what I could understand and I was always about three words behind).  I took a few pictures.  We stopped in a bar for a break and I waited outside with a few of my group members.  When we continued, we saw Madame LaLaurie’s mansion.  If you don’t know the story on her, I suggest you Google it.  She was a sick, twisted woman.  Everyone who has owned her home since she did has had very bad luck.  Do you know who owns it now?  Nicolas Cage!!  I also got a picture of a tree where a “woman of ill-repute” hung herself after her beloved sailor died from disease.  Very tragic.  I would love to go back to some of the places in daylight so I can get better pictures and hopefully remember more of what George said!!!

We ended the tour at the bar with the hanging tree in the courtyard (M.R.B.’s I think it was).  I was actually a little closer to my hotel from this location.  I was beginning to get hungry, too.  I’d passed a Walgreen’s earlier in the day and I went there to get some trail mix for the room (or in case I decide to sleep in on Saturday and miss breakfast again).  I wanted to eat at a café I’d seen (the name escapes me at the moment), but I had a hankering for seafood and all their seafood was fried (I don’t do fried foods any better than I do spicy things.  I know, I’m getting old.).  As I was walking along Decatur Street, I remembered on the bus tour we’d passed a Bubba Gump Shrimp place very near where I was.  I decided to try it out.  As I got closer, I realized the Hard Rock Café was smack in front of me.  Cha-ching!  I crossed that off my list of places and bought my New Orleans Hard Rock Café pin (I collect them—double bonus was that it was a Bon Jovi New Orleans pin! I <3 Bon Jovi!).  I went to Bubba Gump’s to eat, but as I walked in a bunch of party-people got in line in front of me and I suddenly lost my appetite for Bubba Gump’s.  No problem, there was an excellent (so I have heard) seafood restaurant in my hotel called Drago’s.  I’ll just eat there.  Well, when I got to the hotel, something major was going on.  A wedding, a Prom, a something.  Young people were dressed up in their finest and limos were abundant.  The other two hotel cafés were closed, so I came to my room, slightly hungry (thank goodness I got two bags of trail mix!).  I know--a braver, less tired person would’ve just called a cab and went somewhere to eat.  If you don’t know me, you won’t know that when I am this close to home (or in this case, the hotel room), I am not going to turn around just for food (yes, I don’t miss a meal.  Trail mix is nutritious and is classified as food).  So hear I sit, looking out over the nighttime view of the Mississippi, sipping my decaf tea, eating trail mix, typing my thoughts for the day, and anticipating a hot bath and bed very soon.  Tomorrow’s adventures: shopping (this means purchasing, I technically shopped today), a test-walk to the Superdome to see how long it’ll take me, and my cemetery tour.  I guess I better add eating seafood on tomorrow’s list, too!! J



The rescuers spray painted info on each house.  This home had a cat and 4 people dead.



The houses Brad Pitt is building in the Lower Ninth Ward.  They're energy-efficient homes.

Beignets at Cafe du Monde

My ghost tour tour guide, George