A Big Easy Birthday

We made it back to the Lone Star State from the Dirty-Dirty relatively unscathed. There were a few scratches and bruises (and maybe a couple embarrasing moments some of us might like to take back) but I would say that the trip in honor of my birth was a definite success!

After a brief, yet lucrative display of ghetto fabulousness with the rude hotel desk associate (they tried to cram all four of us in a room with one bed--I'm

sorry, have you met me? I'm Ebony, and I usually get what I want) we moved into our second hotel room and we headed out for the night.

The hurricanes at Pat O'Brians almost did us in by about eight o'clock on Friday night...which might explain my extreme case of the giggles! Never fear, being the party girls that we are, and after a brief intermission, we got ourselves together and went back out for more fun. We did it up right until about midnight, when our tired and old bodies were done in from the partying and we had to hit the sack. Some of you might thank that lame, me, I like to look at it this way, when the drinking starts at four in the afternoon, hitting the bed before midnight in your hotel is better than hitting floor somewhere else.

We managed to pull ourselves together on Saturday in time for some shopping and a delicious lunch at NOLA, one of Emerill Lagasee's restaurants. The meal was divine and had we read the fine print and realized that they charged per coke, it would have been even cooler. (Live and learn I guees!) We took a trolly ride to the Garden District and visited one of the above ground cemeteries. And despite the fact that it was already closed (thanks for not telling us that tour guide lady!) I was able to get some great pics. The locals let us in on a New Orleans birthday tradition that involved pinning money to my shirt and letting the locals add to the stash. I only collected a few bucks but some of that was from a homeless guy who also got one of the jazz bands in Jackson Square to play me Happy Birthday. (Homeless people in New Orleans are the nicest people, I blame it on the absinthe!)

Saturday night was great. We seeked cover from a giant thunderstorm under a bus stop awning and then stopped in a bar for a drink and a bull ride. Yup, that's right, I rode a mechanical bull--and my thighs still hurt!

By Sunday we were definitely ready to come home. There are way too many stories to tell on this here blog but rest assured, the trip lived up to the hype. Babs, Sarah, and Steph are some of the greatest people and I am super glad that they were willing to take part in my weekend-long birthday celebration.

I do believe that turning 25 isn't going to be so bad. Yeehaw!!!!