Me Oh My Oh



My siblings, their partners and I are fixin' to take a nice little road trip to New Orleans for a long weekend.
Let's pause now for a little Louisiana flavor:

Goodbye Joe, me gotta go, me oh my oh
Me gotta go pole the pirogue down the bayou
My Yvonne, the sweetest one, me oh my oh
Son of a gun, we'll have good fun on the bayou

Jambalaya, crawfish pie and a file gumbo
'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher a mio
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-oh
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou.

Thibodeaux, Fontainbleau, the place is buzzin'
Kinfolk come to see Yvonne by the dozen
Dress in style, go hog wild, me oh my oh
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou.

Jambalaya, crawfish pie and a file gumbo
'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-oh
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou.
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou.
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou.

Yep, we're getting our ridiculous economic stimulus checks pretty soon, so why not do the right thing and go stimulate an economy that Bush's neglect has left in such disarray?
NOLA is like a sweet old grandma in a wheelchair, with a gun under her lap blanket.
She's got stories to tell, amazing recipes to share and she stays young by overindulging in all that life has to offer.

Mmm.
Cafe DuMonde with beignets.
A Central Grocery muffalata.
Shrimp everywhere.
Hurricanes at Pat O'Brien's.
And of course, Harrah's Casino, with an ice bar in the middle of the 110,000 square foot casino. Rum and diet Coke have no carbs. Set me up, bartender!

I wish all of you had siblings as cool as mine.
My big brother is making a mix-tape for the trip. We all get to play our own CD's when it's our turn to drive. I'm going with either Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" or a funk compilation.
Big Bro and I already have discussed our gambling strategies. I've never visited a casino with him, but it's a love we both share. I am so looking forward to sitting next to him at the slots.
He's a retired environmentalist with a specialty in water. He's drooling at the prospect of visiting the amazing aquarium in NOLA. He actually knows what each fish is and what they do for a living.
My big sister and I have been to Vegas together and I like to think I taught her the rudiments of fearless slot play. But this time she's going to try the tables. Unlike me, she has a quick mind for math and I suspect she'll find a way to make some serious blackjack dough.
She's also given the green light to dining anywhere we want--damn the cost!
She found us a lovely hotel in the French Quarter, with big rooms and rustic brick walls behind the king sized beds.
I'm meeting a friend there on Saturday, a genuine Cajun girl who was reared in NOLA and used to live in San Antonio. She'll be the perfect tour guide.

It's only a long weekend, but my family has the ability to cram a month full of fun into one lil' weekend.

See you when I get back, y'all. :)