treme

its been a great season for the HBO series treme. I've had the luxury of continuing my raffle for a free painting each week. we added reserved seating and drinks, and now we have a full on raffle going that has customers screaming for a win. This past sunday was no different.

The hi ho lounge has been featured now on two episodes. Davis Macalary's band performs for us, and we watch him on the big screen on the same stage. More art and film fused... This week was different, as the real davis rogan was in the house, and performed for us all.

I also brought Dear New Orleans to the lounge, so we could raise some money for evacuteer, and bring some great images to the forefront, including david simon himself.

However, the evening was a bit hard to swallow with Harley being murdered. It brought so many memories of that horrific time after katrina, when the thugs came back, and murder with it. Robberies, murders, beatings, rapes, and NOPD could give a damn. The place I worked at even was a victim. It was scary times, and seeing them turn that corner, after playing on frenchman, and then robbed, and then shot, just held an entire room in shock.

I held my hands to my mouth, and just couldn't believe that such a wonderful moment would turn sad. So sad, and in the second to the last episode, which now I realize, is the episode that they kill off a character. You know he's gone, You saw that bullet in the head, you saw the blood, you heard the screams.

sad indeed. Do you know what it means? To miss new orleans?
as the revelers pass Sonny, he looks at antoine, and says, thats so new orleans... antoine stands to hail a cab, and police go screaming by, to the murder scene we just saw... antoine replies, "thats new orleans too."

piratical adventures in the big easy

the krewe of pirates and wenches of new orleans are going to grant a childs wish for make a wish foundation this weekend. a giant childrens parade will weave through the quarter, as we celebrate this opportunity. Party like a Pyrate / shore leave 2011 is not to be confused with pyratecon or pyrateweek. both of these entities are folks who aren't from new orleans.

the problem with pyrateweek is its timing. As most of us in new orleans knows, when mardigras ends, and lent begins, we can all take a deep sigh, and break from all the chaos. exceptions? st pats, st josephs, and super sunday. all long standing traditions. to add another "event" after these huge events, is pretty exhausting, and thats why the new orleans krewes prefer to do their fest in between french qtr, and jazz fest. this is when the city starts to come alive again, the temps outside are nice and breezy, and we're ready to roll again.

last nights kick off was at the bourbon orleans, with a rum contest. The winner was one vanessa sternick, who created a champagne mojito with blackbeards rum. the meet and greet went really well, and the pirates were off this am for a scavenger hunt, and dinner party. a pub crawl rounds out the evening, with a show at one eyed jacks, with Debauche and the Valpariaso mens chorus.

tomorrows festivities begin at eleven am in pirates alley, with nola rising paint party, face painting, and then parade at three. 504 dancing man will lead the parade with kids in tow, and the US Navy band. this is going to be a great day of fun, and hopefully our child will be feeling well by tomorrow to roll with us.

sunday is a bloody mary party at finnegans, and then I'm off to the healing center for a bbq, and then work at the hiho.

come september, look for the wenches to do another parade, with make a wish. Its nice to have a good bond with such a wonderful organization.

happy ash thursday, friday, sat, and sunday

wow... talk about ash wed... didn't happen for me, instead I was up early, painted, dressed up in costume, and out the door with friends, kim, lisa, and myself, and wendy too, for a shoot for society of st anne, for the HBO series treme. LOL upon arrival? tom harvey, lani, her son, and more. it just keeps gettin better. although, its sacred to done a costume on ash wednesday for some, I just keep remembering going to surrey's one year, and one will smith jr, was dressed as the pope, seating the long line of hungover folks with ashes on their foreheads...
well, this day would turn out to be a long one. Melissa Leo, brought some of David Mills ashes to the shoot, and before we shot anything? she put him in the big muddy, and that set the somber tone for the next shot. Took several takes, and I got to be done front, it was a bit chilly, and the rain was slowing down. I don't want to give away too much, so I'll keep it simple.
we did the river shot a few times, after breakfast, after lunch, then we did a scene of revelers on bourbon street. David Morse was there, he's much taller than I expected. lots of beads flying, lots of people milling about and hugging, kissing, dancing, and more. a fun shot.
then, when it was all over, went home, and woke up with mardigras/ashwed flu. horrific. ached all over, feverish beyond belief. two days of sweats, and aches, and finally broke on the third day. then the aches of coughin so much. it was a long three days.
but back to work now. life begins again.