Faubourg Marigny

exit 34A

"You know, New Orleans is slightly below sea level and maybe that's why the clouds and sky seem so close."

the drive in

watch in the window

Okay

I finally fell asleep after 1 and slept until nearly 4, so I thought I was starting the drive out late already, until I remembered the time change. If I leave at 4:30, nine hours puts me at 1:30 but the time change takes it back to 12:30 so I'm still there early. Of course, I may hit rush hour around Tally now, but hell, I'll just pull off for breakfast; my three shredded wheat biscuits and cup of milk I'm so carefully consuming right now may well have worn thin by then. Onward!

just when I should be sleeping

here I am, four hours or so from drive time and I'm awake. I started getting things ready at 6pm, but here I am. Audible is still downloading the last James Lee Burke installment and it will take an hour, for some reason. But I'm packed, such as it is, and I just yawned, so maybe I'll get s few hours after all. Laundry whirling around in the dryer, oh there's another yawn. only a few hours now and I'll be outta here...

When the paramedics arrived, many Mardi Gras Indians in the room rose their voices in a slow and steady rendition of Indian Red.

The next slated speaker was Chief Pepe-tan, who called for all the Mardi Gras Indian Chiefs to rise. They stood in the crowd and then made their way forward to surround the podium. They asked for the “Godfather of the Chiefs,” the Chief of Chiefs, Chief Allison ‘Tootie’ Montana was called forth to speak. With 83 years under his belt, this man came to the podium and reviewed interactions with the police over the past 52 years he’s been involved. Tootie astutely blew holes in all of Mayor Nagin’s exhortations by describing the police violence he has seen and experienced over his many years as Chief of the Yellow Pocahontas Tribe. He spoke about police tightening their billy-club straps as the Indians approached and his tribe’s strategy of simply walking through lines of police attempting to block their path. He spoke about a cop repeatedly trying to swing a club at his 10 year-old relative’s head and the young boy just barely missing a brutal skull injury. His last words were “This has got to stop,” and he turned from the podium, slumping towards the floor.

A 'other life

Okay, I've given in, given up, given over. I'm driving to New Orleans on Tuesday morning, be there by noon. I will recreate myself again, rise from old ashes, bask and braise in the fires once more. I'm open to it all; bring it on.