#2,056 New Orleans After Midnight.

I really surprised myself last night by reluctantly, then enthusiastically giving in to Jim and Ben’s crazy plan to go to New Orleans at 10 pm last night since Lucy was spending the night with Mallorie’s parents and we had nothing else to do and it’s on the 30th birthday list, so I had no choice, really. A life well-lived needs a dash of spontaneity, so they’ve told me. We listened to music that we loved in college for the two hour drive before finding ourselves checking in to the Roosevelt Hotel around 12:15 am.

And then our night began! We set out on foot in exactly what we’d been wearing since that morning—Ben’s woodworking clothes, my cotton sundress, Jim’s business clothes, and Mallorie’s onesie jumper thing, which made us a motley crew I reckon, but we obviously weren’t worried about it. First stop: the atrocious Bourbon Street which honestly brings out my meekest personality, but was necessary in light of the circumstances. Fortunately, we wandered past the debauchery to the quiet end and our favorite little, old tavern, Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop.

Around 2:00 am Ben and Jim decided the whole trip was pointless if they didn’t get on stage at the Cats Meow and do karaoke, where stone cold sober Ben once sang Wild Thing with a group of girls on a bachelorette party in college before we met.

And so, two Mississippi boys sang a Mississippi man’s song:

Around 3:00 am we landed at Cafe Du Monde for beignets along with a group of 30 people of all ages dressed in 1980s aerobics gear (crimped hair was well represented):

By 4:30 am we were back at the hotel and finally in bed, then up at 8:30 and at brunch on Jackson Square by 11 am.

And now, I’m home. And I am sleepy, friends. Goodnight!