Wow...Post #100 already!

Since the arrival of my Super Fly Monkey, life has gotten progressively better.

My favorite pastime is rediscovering all the cool music I have on my portable Iomega HDD. I presently own 2,886 songs in a multitude of genres, including Country, Japanese Techno and Folk Music.

I totally rock. Literally.

When I haven't been chair dancing at my desk, I've been plotting and planning a trip to N'awlins, which is my favorite North American city. I actually own a time share down there, but the building is being renovated, thanks to Katrina, so I will be staying in a hotel. But I'm much too cosmopolitan to stay at an Econolodge or something, so I'm hanging out at the Omni Royal Orleans.

And I've decided to dine at Emeril's NOLA restaurant, which is reputed to be the local favorite of the three Emeril restaurants in N'awlins.

I should also mention that (unbeknownst to him), the Kitten is coming along.

"Dude! How do you take someone out of town without them knowing about it?!" you may well ask yourself. And that is a TOTALLY legitimate question. The key is to have a guest who is the kind of person who is willing to turn all responsibility for their entertainment over to the planner. That involves a level of trust I don't know if I personally have, but that the Kitten has in abundance. And I know how to keep a secret, so it works out well.

The other way it works is if you just show up at someone's door at a pre-appointed time and whisk them off to the airport. That's what you'd have to do with me, because if I had to sit in the same room with you 8+ hours a day, 5 days a week for a month, I would bug the sh*t out of you to find out what was going on. I love surprises, but not surprises I have to wait that long for. A week...maybe two...I could tolerate, but no more.

I have, for obvious reasons, been unable to ask him if he has ever been to the Crescent City, but I don’t think he has. This is good. This means I get to take him to all MY favorite spots because he doesn’t have any yet. But we are so much alike on the social personality scale, I don’t doubt for a moment that he will have a blast.

At the top of the list is…Pat O’Brien’s for one (or two) of their famous Hurricanes!

I’m figuring on two trips there…once during the time we have to kill between landing and checking into the hotel, and again after dinner when we will get to fully appreciate the flaming fountain.

There is also the Cat's Meow karaoke bar on Bourbon Street (assuming it’s still there) where I met my friend, Steve. That was a very funny first encounter. I was on the top balcony of the bar watching the throngs of people being swept along by a tide of alcohol-fueled Mardi Gras-inspired enthusiasm when out of the corner of my eye I notice some guy leaning back and staring at me.

Okay, whatever.

He then stands up straight, and out of my sight. Then he leans back again. He does this about three times, and then decides to stroll over.

“Hi!” he says. “Hey, what’s up?” I reply. “Where’s your boyfriend?” he asks. I turn and look him full in the face and respond (in typical SMC fashion), “My BOYFREIND is in Chicago…my HUSBAND is over there.”

How can you not become fast friends with a woman like that??? You can’t. So Steve and I became fast friends.

But back to the matter at hand…if Riverwalk is open again, I will take the Kitten there to get some freshly made pralines, some of the hottest hot sauce in the country and various and sundry items of souvenir value. You never know what kind of wacky thing you will find that will turn out to be indispensable. I have the coolest alligator puppet from one of my previous trips. Who knew I needed an alligator puppet? I certainly didn’t until I saw it. I hope he and Super Fly Monkey will be able to cohabitate happily.

I was bummed to learn that since Katrina, the St. Charles streetcar has been replaced by a bus, but since we will only be in town for such a short time, we won’t have time for a trip through the Garden District or to the Zoo anyway, so I’m not absolutely heartbroken. I will be, however, if they decide to make the change permanent.

The travel date for this excursion is December 2nd, which is coming up fast (meaning I still have another 10 pounds I’d like to lose). Now that the date is creeping closer, I’m starting to get really excited.

Now, if I can just stay away from the Jelly Belly sours and keep any common friends of mine and the Kitten’s who update themselves on my life through this blog to keep their mouths shut, the whole thing should go off without a hitch and be a killer surprise!