NEW ORLEANS REVISITED, ETC.

The next time we went to New Orleans we had a different arrangement for getting there. BJ and Jerry had liked the luxury van so much that they bought one for themselves, so that became our mode of transportation for several trips. The summer we were going back to the Crescent City, however, BJ and Jerry combined the New Orleans visit with a train trip around the country. The plan was this: MA, Chun, the genius and I would drive the van to the Dauphine Hotel and BJ and Jerry would ride the Amtrak and meet us there. So once again we set out for the Big Easy.

We got to the Dauphine about 5:00 and settled in. The hotel had the neatest little bar that was somewhat set off by itself and opened onto the street. And they always offered the guests a round of free drinks. We decided to wait there for BJ and Jerry’s call when they arrived about 7:00 at the train station five blocks away. The plan was for one of the men to drive the five blocks so they wouldn’t have to drag the luggage that far.

Right on time, the call came through - - - they had arrived and were ready to be picked up. By that time, there was no way ANY of us was going to leave the bar, much less drive anywhere. So we laughingly told them to get a cab. At first they thought we were teasing, but they soon realized we were serious. And they were not too happy when they arrived and we were making merry in the bar. They had given us the loan of THEIR van, and we wouldn’t even drive it five blocks to collect them. A free glass of wine soon calmed them down, though.

If any of us had thought about it ahead of time, we would have realized that happy hour was not to be denied, especially when it began with free drinks.

We were all a little wild in those days. We had behaved ourselves all through our children’s growing up days, and we were at the stage in our lives when we were ready to kick up our heels a little. On one trip to Vicksburg, MS, we made reservations at an old plantation home for dinner. They seated us in the original dining room of the house and closed the doors. So we had a very private location, and we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. Too much, in fact --- the manager had to come in twice and tell us we were making too much noise. After dinner, while the men were settling the bill, MA and BJ disappeared. I started looking around that old house for them and finally spotted them coming out of one of the rooms upstairs. The fact that there was a rope across the bottom of the stairs hadn’t deterred them a bit. They had taken their own tour of the house.

We have settled down now. No more trips together and not much wine drinking. But we surely have a lot of good memories.