On the drive all the way down to the Sugar Bowl, I checked my Worldometer App for the most recent Covid stats.
Amazingly, on the at some point we’re headed all the way down to an enormous public occasion within the French Quarter, the Louisiana Covid stats rocket as much as a brand new one-day all-time excessive. Isn’t that identical to Covid? As they are saying within the vernacular, “this stuff is getting old.”
I do know I’m not the one one that is simply shrugging off the most recent wave and marching on. Two years is lengthy sufficient.
Mississippians have been uncovered to a heap of conspiracy theories recently, together with a bunch about Covid. Most of us deal with a idea for precisely what it’s — a idea. Then we take our real-world observations to coronary heart. We all have dozens of associates who’ve gotten the Omicron variant and seen the identical reply time and again. “Really, about as bad as a cold.”
Which is to not say there received’t be some deaths. But after two years, Covid has now change into only one extra illness reminding us of our personal mortality and dependency on God. It can get in step with coronary heart illness, most cancers, strokes, automobile accidents, ladder falls and the remainder of the plagues.
So far, we’re all again and wholesome. Maybe I heard just a few sniffles and coughs all through the week, however then once more, we have been all packed into stadiums, sports activities bars and dance halls. The meals, drink, music and revelry have been, as at all times in Nawlins, simply improbable.
Personally, I really feel my immune system is doing nice, having simply recovered from the worst sickness I can recall in my life — a six-week bout of bronchitis, bronchial asthma, wheezing, coughing, and so forth. Never examined optimistic for Covid, however no matter I had wasn’t regular. I’m satisfied it’s in some way associated to the current unpleasantness.
Our journey was with family and friends, which was actually cool. It’s so wonderful that my youngsters are grown sufficient to trip with Ginny and me and our associates as co-adults. We had a blast. All bought alongside. The technology gaps appeared non-existent.
Through our youngsters, we linked with an even wider group of associates and their dad and mom. It was only a nice cross-generational enjoyable time.
Part of this journey was to rejoice the birthdays of my spouse Ginny and pricey good friend Kemal Sanli, each of whom have Christmastime birthdays. They at all times get brief shifted because of this. This journey was to make amends, significantly since Ginny had a giant birthday this yr, her 39th.
We rented a three-bedroom condominium within the Marigny space, adjoining and northeast of the French Quarter. It’s an up-and-coming, gentrifying space with an actual bohemian, inventive really feel. We cherished it. It was like being within the Quarter however quieter and extra mellow. Great eating places and avenue cafes throughout.
From Marigny, it may be a 20-minute hike into the Quarter, however this was made simple by the brand new Blue Bike stands all through the world.
Unlike many cities comparable to Austin and Atlanta, New Orleans banned electrical scooter leases. I can perceive why, given how a lot pedestrian site visitors there’s within the Quarter. People have been being run down by novice scooter riders.
But Blue Bikes are “power assist” electrical bikes that journey on the streets with the vehicles. Pedaling them is way simpler than a conventional bike. Once you obtain the app and enter a bank card, you simply goal your digicam on the QR code mounted on the handlebars. The bike unlocks and off you go.
When you get to the place you’re going, you lock the bike up at a close-by Blue Bike station and off you go. It actually made getting across the French Quarter a lot simpler and sooner.
Ginny and I additionally used our Blue Bikes to experience over the complete Marigny space. This would have been not possible on foot and it gave us an actual perception into this up-and-coming a part of New Orleans.
I used to be a bit shocked that no one on Blue Bikes wore helmets, nor was this required. I ponder how lengthy that can final. It’s only a matter of time earlier than somebody cracks their head.
The Blue Bike app was only one instance of how smartphone expertise made our journey a snap. We used apps to hire our condominium, to test in, to search out eating places, to name Ubers, to experience bikes, to purchase tickets, to trace down associates, to navigate and a dozen extra issues. We speak lots in regards to the negatives of smartphones, however there are much more positives.
With daughter Ruth a freshman at Ole Miss, Ginny and I’ve gotten again into school soccer and made 5 journeys to the Grove this yr. So, going to the Sugar Bowl made sense.
I believed I purchased eight good tickets. I imply, my bank card was debited, solely to get an e mail two weeks later from the Ole Miss athletics division that as a result of I didn’t donate sufficient, I could solely get two much-worse tickets and they’d refund my cash. Man was I sizzling! This is a really unhealthy follow.
As it seems, there was an equal quantity of enthusiasm for going to a cool sports activities bar within the Quarter and watching the sport on TV. Now armed with a backup plan, we deliberate to look at the ticket costs drop and make a last-minute resolution.
As it turned out, the costs did certainly drop and we could have purchased all of the tickets we needed for $70 apiece. Albeit, it was within the nosebleed part, however the Superdome is so vertical, there’s actually not a foul seat in the home.
Try as I could, my crowd wouldn’t budge. They needed to eat, drink and be merry at a cool sports activities bar. So after a cocktail occasion of about 20 folks at our condominium, our merry, multi-generational band marched down the beautiful Marigny Street to the American Sports Saloon at Decator and Governor Nicholls Street one block from the river.
We weren’t disenchanted. The pub meals was scrumptious. The screens have been huge and quite a few, together with on the balcony the place you could sit on a comfortable couch and watch the sport with an important view of the French Quarter crowd and New Orleans skyline.
The disappointment quickly got here when Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral bought harm. What a group chief. What a hero. What a category act. No doubt this younger man was the guts and soul of the group. When he fell, the group collapsed. Yet one other chapter within the e book of Ole Miss Tragedy Football.
After the sport, we partook within the infinite fountain of nice music and crowd power that makes New Orleans the third hottest vacationer vacation spot within the United States.
For Mississippians, New Orleans is sort of a second dwelling, a part of our lives. Although I reside in Jackson, I’ve been to New Orleans so many instances, it’s simply a part of who I’m. As I believed again over numerous recollections and numerous nice instances, I actually felt a love for this Big Easy.
My favourite story of all was once I was in my early twenties. My girlfriend was engaged on the Mississippi Queen riverboat and residing in a giant rambling Garden District with a bunch of associates.
We began our Mardi Gras night time early, monitoring down the Wild Tchoupitoulas — a convention of African Americans who costume up as Indians and go from honky tonk to honky tonk singing and chanting.
We adopted the Wild Tchoupitoulas all night time lengthy and emerged with them from a honky tonk into the brilliant gentle of morning. The avenue was roped off and a whole bunch of vacationers lined up behind the ropes to take images of this distinctive American cultural phenomenon. And there we have been. Right in the course of it.
That’s only one reminiscence. There are dozens.
On Sunday, we had a improbable brunch with the entire crew at Paladar 511 in Marigny. It was improbable. Then we headed to the Superdome to look at the Saints hold their playoff hopes alive. There have been over 20 of us all sitting collectively hooting and hollering “who dat says dey gonna beat them Saints.”
Anyway, what an important weekend. It appeared to final without end. Friends, household, good instances. Most importantly, Ginny mentioned it was one of the best 39th birthday celebration she could have imagined, and I’ve 200 images to show it.
So, take that, Covid.