I am planning my trip to New Orleans and getting more and more excited by the day. I just realized it's not as near as expensive as I assumed it would be. My boss has a time share and can give us insider information on where to go and where to stay cheap. He knows of a bar in the French Quarter where the Bloody Marys are 1.00 at happy hour. And they put fried green beans in your Bloody Marys. :D

Anyway, I will be visiting three plantations
1. Oak Alley Plantation
2. Destrehan Plantation (the Plantation that was in Interview With A Vampire...AWESOME!)
3. THE MYRTLES PLANTATION! YES!

I will visit numerous voodoo shops and yes, like every tourists I have to take a swamp boat tour. However, the rest of the things I will do will be on my own. I will only do one touristy thing and that is the swamp boat. I can't wait to visit the Cemeteries either! ...okay okay, so a ghost tour might be fun too.

I just keep thinking of myself 'what would Bourdain do?' Well, Bourdain sure as hell wouldn't go on any tours. He'd call up one of his many "friends" who would show him around. Well, I don't know of any so I will have to go on a few tours. But those are mostly over priced and a rip off. So I will try to avoid scammers.

I am taking 71 South out of Fort Smith to Texarkana South to Shreveport and down to Alexandria where I will cut over to Baton Rouge and then to New Orleans. The faster way would be to go over to Little Rock and down the edge of Mississippi but if I go that way, I miss the Cajun homeland of my ancestors! ; )

I am *SO* excited!

A German Shepherd Dog puppy and can not find one that is not between 700-1200 bucks. That is ridiculous! I don't care about bloodlines. I just like the dogs and want one.


Grrrrrrrr.

I randomly ran across these old festival/academy pics and thought everyone would like to see or resee them. Behind the cut is picture heavy...but they are ( great! )