Jazzfest Chronicles - an Epilogue
FINALLY!!! We got to leave. Don't get me wrong, this trip earned New Orleans a place high on my list of favored destinations. For that matter, should I ever win the lottery, I'll buy a second home in the Garden District... and perhaps even set myself up with an ice cream suit and a bow-tie, which I'll wear while drinking mint julips and smoking cigars. But that didn't change the fact that it was definitely time to go.
I woke Sunday morning to a worn voice in my head pleading with me; no more walking, no more drinking, and for god's sake no more eating. I couldn't take anymore. Had our trip lasted another day, I would have never stuck the dismount.... there would have been no heroic Kerri Strug ending for me. I would have landed on that bad ankle and collapsed in a heap, except that my version would have found both me and my gelatinous midriff curled up in a drooling ball, waiting for the beignets to move a little further down the line.
As we made our way through the airport, it seemed that the universe was taunting me all the way to the gate. Did I want to stop at Cafe du Monde's coffee stand? Not a chance... I wasn't about to risk finally dropping a deuce on the plane. Oh, did I want one last po'boy? Uggghh, were they fucking kidding me? Having food stands in the New Orleans airport is crueler than the slot machines in the Vegas airport.
In any case, we made the plane, made the drive, and by noon had made it home.
An observation was made the last night we were there, and it's one I'm still chewing on. It was suggested that New Orleans is all the things that Austin claims to be, but is a little more real about it all. There's a lot to that with which I can't disagree, though being a fan of Austin, I resist embracing the idea. It's certainly a more mature city. It seems to have a more developed sense of itself. The friendliness of the people is more ubiquitous than what is found in Austin, and it lacks that "we're the cool kids" egotism. The drinks are just as plenty, and apparently the pot is free. I even suspect that New Orleans could go toe-to-toe with Austin's claim of being the 'Live Music Capital of the World'.
On the other side of that scale, though: The women in Austin are much better looking (I suspect the ladies might make the same statement about the men); Austin has that strong contingent of the young, fit, and educated; While we were blessed with pleasant spring days, I'll take the heat of Austin over the humidity of the gulf in heartbeat; and finally, while I loved getting my creole grub on, a bowl of gumbo and a Hurricane will never stand up against a good enchilada and a Mexican Martini.
~ZMF
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