“You want a bag? ” The cashier asked.

“Yes please, I have a long walk ahead.” I replied, anxious to get on my way.

….

Mom and I woke up late again. I dunno what it is, but we keep doing that here. I’ll find myself continuing to do so after she leaves too. It was about quarter to 9, and I was still laying in bed. I don’t do that kind of thing at home, but then again I didn’t fall asleep until 4am again, which is 2 am at home, so quarter to 9 here is quarter to 7 at home. Suppose it makes sense – unless you couldn’t follow that train of thought in which I’d say that you need to re-read it.

(Side note, AHHH my back hurts so much – shoulders to neck, I think it’s from carrying my bag around. Hurts to sit up straight or hunch. Hopefully I can get through this write up anyway.)

Where was I? Oh right, Sunday Morning. Well, Karen texts me to text her taxi guy , So I did. He was going to pick mom up at 11 to take her to the airport. We still had a couple hours, and I decided one more experience for mom would be good. I suggested we go the cafe that Karen had pointed out. We left about 9:15, and got there around 9:30.

I had to follow the map on my phone to get to the place. First day wandering the neighborhood streets around where we were staying. The houses all looked old, and most were still in bright colors, but even more looked like they hadn’t been painted in years. I think there was still a lot of damage that hadn’t been fixed from Katrina. The sidewalks were either overgrown with older grass or broken to the point where Dad would have fallen every other step if he’d been here. His balance sucks and he doesn’t watch where he’s going. Sorry, Dad, but it’s true.

We crossed a busy street, and saw the restaurant about another block or so away. It was small little place, hole-in-the-wall-style, in the middle of the street on a divider section. Colorful, of course, as I’ve found most of the buildings in New Orleans to be. There were just a few people sitting around the deck area in the multi-colored chairs and tables. The tall black man with the crazy hair and even more intense blue eyes offered to help us: A coffee, tea, one breakfast taco, two tofu tacos. He handed me a random mug from behind the counter, as I noticed the coffee pot behind me.

Mom paid. I think she’d been paying the whole time she was here. I guess I’m just used to her doing that. With my friends I always try to pay for them if I can trick them – and even when I can’t trick them. I know they get mad but if they only knew or really understood why maybe they’d give me a break. Most of the time I win. They know better than to argue with my stare (something that I’m not quite sure even runs in my family, I think I made that up all on my own).

We found a seat outside and waited for our food. We saw the line behind us grow longer after we got our drinks and sat down. We just made the morning rush it seemed. Food came not too long after. We’re a quiet family, don’t talk much when we have nothing to say, or maybe we’ve just gotten used to my Grandma talking so much we just don’t talk. It’s a thing in our family – Grandma always holds up the conversation so the rest of us just say nothing and listen.

(As I write, another carriage goes buy, the horses look like donkeys, as I’ve said, but maybe that’s because it seems like their manes have been cut??)

We hear the servers yelling names, but we haven’t heard ours yet. They start to get quieter, and we keep trying to listen for Mom’s name. Finally a guy comes over and looks around for people without anything, he seems lost, but mom gets up to ask what he has, and it’s our food. If you didn’t think New Orleans could have good vegetarian food, you’re wrong. The tofu tacos were pretty awesome, and I only ate one, saving the other for later.

There was a family of four behind mom, at one of the larger tables with a red umbrella. The back of the outside area was surrounded by an old fence with ivy growing all around and in between it. The kids seemed restless, of course, as they were young and anxious. A young couple next to us sat across from each other reading quietly, and eating. The guy kept looking at us for some reason, I was noticing from the corner of my eye.

(Real-time comment: So sitting in a coffee shop, I was up front by the door, now I’ve moved to the back corner and within thirty seconds two other guys came to sit in the same spot. I couldn’t figure out why until I realized it was where the power outlets were…well..okay then. Quiet and alone just went to crowded and awkward. Okay well, one looks a big geeky with his giant Dell laptop, black and white plaid shirt and longer hair. They also look much younger than I am. UGH I’m thirty, how is that possible??)

We finished our food and headed back out to walk down the streets to the house we were staying at. The walk back seemed faster than the walk there. Maybe it was because we knew where we were going. First time really seeing the house in the daylight, I could see the crazy purple between the white trim. It’s a house that definitely stands out. It’s like one that would be pointed out in a movie.

(Geek-boy just put headphones and his hood up from his jacket. He should be living in LA, don’t you think?)

I opened the side-gate – well after many attempts to get the key to turn. It was a difficult lock to unlock. It was only 10:20, so we decided to throw on West Wing, and wait for mom’s taxi guy – Scott.

I had brought my new Amazon FireTV Stick (seriously, who uses the term ‘stick’ in a name??? I expect clever Amazon, and you failed that one). It’s a nifty tech item, and since the cable wasn’t completely working, it came in handy this trip. I think it’s a good travel piece, and I’m glad I got two, one for me and one for my parents’ – since their cable sucks. I’ve been trying to convince them to get better internet and forget cable since they can get all the games and shows they want between hulu, amazon and netflix. They love their news shows though so that’s a problem. We’ll figure it out.

We started with the pilot episode – most people can’t watch the same tv show as their parents, or so it seems, but I can. Except when mom watches her fashion reality shows, I just get mad at those, and some of those cooking ones too… seriously…why do those exist? I can stand SOME of the home improvement shows, but not all.

Well now I’m just rambling in this post. Returning to our regularly scheduled blog post, at about 10:50 Mom grabbed her neatly packed backpack, thanks to me, and we went outside to wait for Scott. He showed up right away, and I asked him about taking me to the airport the following Sunday. He agreed, and I said I’d text him on Saturday to confirm. I said bye to Mom, and told her to make sure to let me know when she was there, and leaving, and home.

She texted later she got a bit delayed thanks to the rain at home (RAIN?!!!!) but she made it safely home.

I was tired, and didn’t think there was much I could do the rest of the day, so I’d just gone back inside and rested. I read a little and crocheted some. Later in the afternoon I decided to try walking to Whole Foods. It didn’t seem like a big deal, but the walk was a bit… strange.

From the various men yelling at me from bikes as they rode by to the various other people just following me or yelling from across the street, I had decided to rush a bit in the store and on the way back. I had nothing to eat and I wasn’t going to eat out every night, so this trip to the store was necessary.

Whole foods was quiet, nearly empty. Obviously, I know the store well from back home because they’re everywhere in LA.

I made it there and back again (hehehe). When I got back I decided to rent a car and look into a plantation tour since mom hadn’t gotten to go to one. The rest of my evening would be spent eating grilled cheese, drinking tea, and watching various shows on Netflix. I know, I know… not the most exciting but I had 6 more days, and was getting a car the next morning. I’d be more adventurous during the week.