DAY 8: In the words of Fats Domino, "This time I'm walking, just a walkin' to New Orleans."

Tonight, we address you on a special night from a special place. We write this from our balcony on Bourbon Street, where we sip on hurricanes, and listening to dueling house bands. One a Bon Jovi Cover, the other definitely Monster Rock Ballads of the 1980’s. No matter who wins this duel, JJDH and NJO both lose!

As we wrote yesterday, today is a very special day…it is Elfie’s 50th birthday. Though he may seem a youthful sprite, in fact he has lived through war, hard times, the Clinton administration, and gentrification, and has come out just as cheery a lad as ever before. And so, we celebrate the Elfster’s big 5-oh from our patio on Bourbon street. We may not be demanding seeing a bit of flesh in exchange for beads, but we certainly are in favor of having a good time.

We began the day in Northern Alabama, with our darling innkeep and a super-creepy 49 year old perspective MBA student who repeatedly expressed that he was going to business school so that people would “stop taking advantage” of him. Special. JJDH had a really hard time relating as a fellow pre-MBA.

Upon leaving our B&B, we put the pedal to the metal for a seriously long drive from Florence, AL to Nawlins. The time passed relatively quickly, since we were very involved in the case of the estate of Patience Stanhope vs. Dr. Craig Bowman (our medical thriller book on tape…11 hours down – 1 to go!!).

During a chicken sandwich/bathroom break somewhere in Alabama, we were privy to the most surreal conversation in the history of time, where some 45 year old-ish woman informed a “friend” at McD that she was asked to leave the church choir because she didn’t sing that “newfangled” music. Further, she informed her friend/EVERYONE within a one mile radius that she was worried that her son’s “illegal immigrant” girlfriend from Honduras would give her a “biracial” grandbaby. Also, FYI, according to her, the gays and lesbians are taking over the gulf coast. Watch out!

After approximately 7 hours in the car, we arrived at our destination--New Orleans, Nawlins, The Big Easy, the Crescent City, Sin City, & Katrinaville. A lifelong dream of NJO came to fruition when we checked in at the Inn on Bourbon. This hotel sits at the corner of Bourbon and Toulouse and overlooks Funky 544 Rhythm and Blues and Tropical Isle (home of the world famous Hand Grenade). It is these two locations that currently house the dueling bands!

Our first stop in this incredible city, which has recovered beautifully from the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina two years ago this month, was at Felix’s for oysters on the half shell and cold Abita beer. Like true New Orleans natives, or seasoned visitors, we stood at the bar while Louis, the oyster shucker, prepared the oysters one at a time for us, so they were never more than a minute old!

We journeyed on to Pat O’ Briens (yes, okay…we went there!) and enjoyed a hurricane at the Piano Bar and joined in on sing-a-longs made easier as the Hurricanes got lesser. Though Elfie was the birthday boy, he was too shy to ask the crowd to sing along to a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday. WE did, however, have a fantastic time singing along, bopping our heads, and generally being grateful for the opportunity to act like a moron at such a world famous place! Our moms would be proud! Although we were each encouraged by our friends to go uptown, leaving Bourbon St. to the amateur Big Easiers, someone has to teach these kids the ropes!

Our next stop along the way was Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo, where we put away the cameras for fear of having a hex put on us. We learned from Amy, the South Texas shopkeep, however, that Madame Laveau was/is a big proponent of positive blessings and charms. So we loaded up on charms to keep boyfriends faithful, ones to acquire boyfriends, others to get good grades, and general health, wealth and good living accoutrement for the Voodoo Queens in all of us! Seriously, though, it is always a trip to visit this spot…good times and good laughs. And, if you are good, you may find yourself the recipient of the South African snaggletooth shark pelt coin covered pouch for mental clarity and vitality…or the Voodoo doll we’re sworn to use for good and not for evil! No problem with that!

After another stop along the way for some picture taking opportunities and a little R&R for the Elfster, who took “party hardy” a bit too far, we retired to our room, where neither of us are anticipating much sleep. Of course, Bon Jovi just busted out with “You Give Love a Bad Name”, so on that note, we leave you, our faithful readers, with thoughts of Hurricane wishes and Hand Grenade dreams!

CLIFF NOTES VERSION: Brunching, driving, Big Easy-ing, celebrating, Hurricane-ing, jamming, Bon Jovi-ing, sleeping...well, okay, not really!

PICTORIAL DIARY:
Elfie kicks off the festivities with a birthday portrait on the table of his balcony overlooking Bourbon.Louis shucks oysters with new friend and ever-willing assistant, Elfie, by his side.Elfie poses with the first of many birthday concoctions, the world-famous Pat O's Hurricane.Elfie poses with yet another Bourbon Street mainstay, the Grenade Man from Tropical Isle. The man in red is a much-requested elf at bachelorette parties, not excluding this special gathering of brides-to-be. Elfie, not a believe in hexes, poses outside the Voodoo Shop front windowWas it a hex that landed Elfie in this most precarious Bourbon Street spot? No...it is most likely the Hurricanes and Hand Grenades! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELFIE!