Last week at this time, we were waking up in our immaculate stateroom, reveling from the Elton John concert we were treated to the night before on the upper deck, planning an exciting day around New Orleans, where we'd spend the morning at the luxurious estate, Oak Alley.
We strolled the magnificent grounds and had our eyes open to the horrific conditions under which those who built and worked the plantation actually lived.
That afternoon, we complained of congestion that I had through most of the week, and Jim suffered from few days later, but we blamed it on "Louisiana Allergies" and/or southern pollen, while trying to suppress the urge to constantly cough.
We joked about it at the time, blaming "probably contagious" Californians, Box-Cutter and his wife, Bran Muffin, who hacked constantly, but we just shrugged it off, not letting paranoia and hypochondria interfere with our afternoon excursion in a Louisiana swamp. where Louie, the baby alligator befriended everyone on board, but thrashed it's tail violently against my arm when it was my turn to pose for a photo op, so aggressively that the captain had to contain him for the rest of the trip.
We boarded the coach bus early the next morning en route to the beautiful Louis Armstrong Airport in NOLA, and it was tough to blog between coughing spasms, yet I did want to mention that the city is beautiful, and I recognized many sights along St. Charles Avenue and Bourbon Street from our 2004 visit.
At that time, I remember riding through impoverished neighborhoods that eventually morphed into beautiful mansions and universities, but there was no private tour guide then to tell us about the NOLA origins of words like "cocktail" and "Bananas Foster" and "Oysters Rockefeller."
We didn't see "ghost bicycles" in 2004, literal bikes erected in spots where the cyclist who rode them were killed by careless drivers. This is a must-do monument in every major city, I think.
We did get to sample the world renowned chicory coffee and powdery beignets at Cafe DuMonde on this trip, but both of us were anxious to leave the polluted Dixie air...only to return to worse problems in NJ.
Turns out it had nothing to do with LouWHEEZYana....we both were diagnosed with bronchial infections and we're on a course of antibiotics and steroids. Jim smartly sought medical attention a few days before I did, but it hasn't exactly been a basket full of chocolate eggs for us this morning.
We've both lost the weight we gained on the trip and then some, but there's another silver lining:
Since we both sound like we've been visited by Typhoid Mary, (my brain almost told me to type that as Thai Food Mary--now THAT sounds like a place I wouldn't want to patronize--or maybe I would)
we have not gone out, which has allowed us to lighten the load on that overfed DVR.
We wanted to go out to a theater and see the acclaimed movie, "Air", but that would be like seeing "Waterworld" after being lost and dehydrated in the desert for a week.
There's plenty of time for "Air"..it'll play for weeks, and we'll see it at a time when we're not disturbing fellow moviegoers who share our row, but we did get to see some must see TV.
"Ted Lasso" is going to new places this season--there's more engaging dramedy and a lot less "aw shucks" moments from Jason Sudeikis.
We're halfway through "Bad Sisters" and if you're looking forward to something addictive to stream, this is it. It's a cross between "Big Little Lies" and "Derry Girls" and it stars Sharon Horgan, the creator, who brought her magic to one of our favorite series, "Catastrophe."
This is a good one, trust me.
Finally, we are totally eating up the second season of "Schmigadoon!" called "Schmicago"
There are only two episodes available, and they're terrific. Clever lyrics and an enthusiastic cast.
They explore "darker" musicals..the ones without happy endings--the anti-"Oklahomas!" or other feel good musicals from the forties and fifties.
Too bad I can't sing.
I would have auditioned for Fantine. This cough makes me sound like I actually have TB..I'd be very authentic
with my portrayal of the doomed heroine from "Les Miserables."
(My humor is sicker than I actually am..I'll be fine)
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