Monday, March 15, 2010

New Orleans: Part 2: More Drinking, More Boys and Disney


Streets are cleaned using powerful machines that leave behind soap everywhere.
From March 6 through March 8, 2010 I had a fabulous trip to New Orleans.

Here is Part 2 of a 3 Part Diary Series of the Weekend:

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Last we left off, I was going to reveal that naughty thing that I did twice, after sending Nigel off in a cab to his unknown hotel!

Well, if you know me at all in real life, I’ve been on South Beach for just under a year (and have been very successful with it). I take it serious, but do cheat every now and then; but after Nigel left, instead of turning back upstairs to my room to get some well deserved sleep, I headed across the street and got in line at the pizza place! I ordered two slices and a diet coke (yeah, because at that point the diet coke was really helpful). I waited in line with several extremely drunk co-eds and their boys, then got my slices and returned to my hotel room.

Now, as 3:30 quickly approached, I snuggled down into my pillow-top, king bed and ate two slices of some of the worst pizza I have ever had. Then quickly fell asleep with the pizza plate still on the bed!

I would love to say that I slept soundly in a drunken/food-induced coma but since my hotel room was right above a bar, loud music drifted into my room all night, and despite all my efforts, I didn’t fall asleep until about 6 am!

At 10, I had a rude wakeup call. Maid service couldn’t get into the room, since my security lock was on, so the maid was knocking loudly. I’m actually glad that she did this, as I had slept through my alarm!

So I quickly hopped in the shower, to wash away the sins from last night and begin my quest to find a place that is not a bar, a place where I can get coffee and food. My I-phone came in handy again, with its “Near Me” app, so I searched for “breakfast” and found the Café Fleur De Lis, a little eatery, where I waited about an hour for my omelet (they had lost my order – at least I had Harry with me to keep me entertained).

Hanging moss at the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA).
The weather was so nice in the early afternoon that I stopped back in my room to drop off my sweatshirt. Then I hopped back on the trolley away from the river towards the New Orleans Museum of Art (my review can be found here Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio

After spending several hours and $70 at NOMA I began my walking tour of New Orleans!

I started by walking past the Saint Louis cemetery, my original plan was to go in and visit some of the older grave stones. (I have a great interest in old cemeteries. I’ve even gone to several lectures about the importance and significance of tombstones). But hunger won the battle over intellect and I stopped at a café, Santa Fe.

I asked to be seated outside and had a great table in the sun. That’s when I met him. He was tall, dark and handsome! He was my waiter. I ordered a glass of wine and a salad, and began talking to him (first just about the weather and such). We continued to chat with each other, as he would check in on my status during the meal. After the meal, I continued to stay and drink (still that same glass of wine), and read Harry while continuing to chat with my waiter. He joined me at the table, and we finally introduced ourselves. His name was Eban (yes, with a “b”).

As I’m about to finish my wine I asked about the end of his shift, which is coming soon! So I hung around a little longer… Then he says “I’d offer to show you around a bit, but I have a boyfriend.” I’m a little disappointed at this point, but he continued to sit with me. He hemmed and hawed as he tried to decide if he should take me around! I tell him there’s no pressure, and he asked me to stay until his last table left so he could show me the park.

Night was fast approaching (as we had been talking on and off for about three hours) and his boss told him that he needed to stay for the next shift. We had a sad moment and I gave him my card. I told him to give me call, but that I wasn’t expecting it, given his boyfriend and all. Then he asked when I was leaving, and when I told him “tomorrow” there seemed a bit disappointment in his voice and body language. I was sad too, but knowing that I was only in town for a few more hours, I got over it.

My entire plan for the rest of the day was essentially ruined, as most museums and such were closed by now. I began a long walk back to my hotel; a little upset that Eban didn’t even give me a last name, but felt good about all the flirting that happened.

Back at the hotel, I did my own hemming and hawing as I decided whether or not I’d go out tonight. I said to myself “screw being lazy, I’m in New Orleans!” So I changed into some “going-out” clothes and headed back down Bourbon Street.

At La Bayou Restaurant, the host sat me at the bar, but the New Orleans Iced Tea and Long Island Iced Tea and eggplant made the bar seat worth it.

Then I begin where I left off last night, on my gay bar crawl. I started with Oz, which was dead tonight. I got one shot and moved on my way, afraid that all the bars would be like this given the fact that this was Sunday night.

Cafe Lafittes in Exile
I spent several hours here making friends, talking up strangers and hotties, and dancing a bit too. Until finally, I get pulled into this picture, by a gentleman that called himself Violet! I wound up spending the rest of the night hanging out and drinking with this group of twenty-somethings from NYC and DC! We danced to the songs on the video screens, as I continued to drink (mostly vodka/crans but some shots thrown in too). Tonight was the first time I made friends with the bar tender. Tonight was also, the first night that I’ve truly lost track of how much I drank.

Nigel called at some point during this night, but I don't remember what we talked about, other than me telling him where Café Lafittes in Exile was, but he never showed up.

Some time around midnight (after about 3 hours at Café Lafittes in Exile) I thought it would be a good idea to head home; but not before I stopped back in Oz and got a drink. (I actually don’t have much recollection of stopping in Oz, but foursquare says I was there for 15 minutes!) Then I stopped across the street at Bourbon Pub and Parade. I ran into someone that I had met in Café Laftittes in Exile, ordered a drink and left the bar with my drink in hand.

As I walked down Bourbon back to my hotel, I thought to myself, that I needed food. Well what is better than bad pizza? (Yes, I was that drunk) So I got in line at the pizza place near my hotel and ordered two slices of pizza again! (No need for the diet coke tonight, I still had my glass of vodka/cran!)

Back in my hotel, I placed the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door, and sleep soundly in my food-induced, drunken come! (Huzzah for sleeping through the night).

Stay tuned for a way less interesting part 3 of my New Orleans adventure.