Street cactus..

So... what do I find ambling around town but a Cacti enthusiast that has decided this sub-tropical climate would be perfect for a Tricocereus pachanoi.  

And hes put a little sign in the yard to ID it for passers-by, telling me it was planted in 1999.  

An just to prove we're in NOLA... that's a pothus beginning to climb it...  it will be interesting to see how both fare over the next year or so...  cacti arent usually  given to Tolerating tropical vines ambling over them, and pothus usually want more shade than cacti provide .

More movie extra drama

So locally, they're now filming Joe Dirt 2 with David Spade.  Unfortunately, it's filming in Covington, on the other side of the lake, and they're having a very hard time finding enough extras over there.  I've had 3 different calls from the same Damn casting agent, and I keep saying... I would love to work on that project, (although actually I'm pretty indifferent, but you don't say that)  but I still haven't got a ride out to Covington.

I know they've had to delay at least one scene...
You'd think they'd get the idea And charter a bus. 
Other than that. .. I did just get cast as a drinker in a dive bar.  There's only 3 extras in the scene, so I might get good face time on the shot... and if there's less than a dozen extras we get to eat with the real cast... usually... we'll see...

Still, I'm thinking if I really want to nail the subtle nuances of "dive bar drinker" it might require some intense research... (I can see me now... yes officer, I did drink an entire bottle of tequila... but it was for art...)

Well... at least it's not a movie post...

So... I spent the day working day labor on this building....

The really interesting thing about this building is that it was origionally slave quarters.   

Here in New Orleans, many houses have these smaller buildings across the courtyards that were originally used as housing for slaves.  Of course, after the end of slavery, they were either used as servants quarters, or converted to carriage hpuses or garages.   Now days, since live in servants are rare, the ones not converted to vehicles are being converted to apartments for family or rental.

This one, as far as we can tell, was never converted to much past servants quarters.  About 50 years ago, it appears a cement floor was laid down and tje interior walls that separated it into 4 spaces(2 up, 2 down) were removed, And seems to have been used for storage and not much else since.  The exterior has siding covering the 14 inch wide knotty pine boards So  that it matches the main house.

BTW...a far we can tell, this building is much older than the main house which was replaced aproximately 100 years ago, and updated with an American Craftsman look in the 40s.  

They taught me how to run a jackhammer.  I then proceeded to take out the concrete floor.  Not the most fun I've ever had.

We then spent a while discovering the original fireplace site... some old animal bones, a couple of buried bottles... all that sort of thing.  We then cleaned up some more.  There was some minor drama around another temp that came in with me... but he was gone by noon and the less said the better, and I have to go back tomorrow.  

And that's my day...

I really need another movie job.  One where I sit around doing nothing all day.

Another pic of my wonderful career

Ok... I know this blog started out about gardening, and lately, my total lack of a garden is interfering with that... hard to grow anything when you're living in a guest house, and now we're kind of going off track with the movie thing

This is me on the set again.  I'm supposed to be a spectator at a congressional hearing.  Actually, i think I look like one of those pillars of the community who get caught running a prostitution ring on the side but there we are.

Just submitted for a bigger role as a White House Aid in a Movie that starts filming in January.  Good wishes, prayers, finger crossings all gratefully accepted... I need the higher pay grade...

Another post about nothing at all...

So... Tuesday and Wednesday I spent on a movie set... playing an International Space Station worker up in space.  Which sounds cool enough, but it basically boils down to 1 of 50 guys in a jumpsuit.  We looked like a convention of janitors. 

That's me in my jumpsuit.  And yes, since we're all international, we have different flags on our arms, and yep...thats the United Arabian Emirate on mine. I was like... Really?  Have you even looked at me?  Arabian?  Im not the swarthy type...but There we are...

The first day was easy enough.  14 hours of sitting in a holding room doing absolutely nothing.  Except occasionally sneaking down to raid the craft services table.  Got there too late for breakfast, but lunch was salmon, chicken in lemon sauce, green pees,  carrots, mashed potatoes , salad bar and chocolate cake. I could live with that.

Dinner was Chinese food.   I had rice and. Pork broccoli something or other. 

The next day, i did get there for breakfast.  We had a buffet with grits, sausage patties, biscuits, hash browns, scrambled eggs, gravy, and some mixed fruit salad.  (We were a little miffed because the crew and the stars got yogurt and had an omelette chef.  Snots)

The PA's (production assistamts) told us to load up, because we were gonna work today, and we did... i ran down stairs, across the loading dock and up the ships ramp at least 35 times.  My poor knees.  

Lunch was beef briskit, tilapia, broccoli, yellow squash, salad bar and pecan pie.   Since they had too much for the cat and crew they told us to help ourselves in the other room if we wanted chicken kabob. And ice cream with our pie.

Then we ran some.more.  Then I came home.

Thursday, i recovered. 

Today, I'm at the day labor service.

And thats it.

Life as we know it...

Life at St Vincent's is definitely interesting. 
Currently, we have a transgender person living among us.  In and of itself that isn't really a big deal (we've come a long way) but this particular transgender person is suffering from some mental issues... here's the deal...

Occasionally some of the cast of American Horror Story shows up at a coffee shop in the neighborhood.  Not too surprising, as they film less than 3 blocks away, and New Orleans is a pretty laid back place.  Celebrities actually walk around without getting too annoyed... But at some point a couple of weeks ago, Mat Fraser,  who plays seal boy on the show, and Erika Ervin, who plays Amazon Eve, were at the coffee shop when our girl, lets call her K, was there.  

Now, Ms Ervin is a 6 foot 8inch transgender model, and, upon seeing K, an obviously transgender person, Ms Ervin apparently went out of her way to try to be friendly, or at least say hello. 

Big mistake. 

Now K, who already has issues, namely believing that she is the leader of some sort of vampire coven who is being followed by the CIA, FBI, and a few other agencies that no ones ever heard of, not to mention that President Obama is personally watching her Facebook account, has now become convinced that Ms Ervin is stalking her on behalf of some Satanic Lesbian Cult.

Now, I've never met Ms Ervin, but I'm pretty sure that she's in town to earn about 10,000 dollars an episode on television, and I'm not sure that she has any connection with satanic lesbians, if they even exist.  

But I'm willing to give Ms Ervin the benefit of the doubt until the paparazzi catch her sacrificing a goat or something.

Personally, I blame Ronald Reagan for this crap.  He closed down the asylums. 

Hey, if K can blame satanic lesbians, I can blame Ronald Reagan.  So...

DAMN YOU REAGAN. 

Street flora

Brugmansia blooming on the street.  Big and obnoxious and one of my faves...

My wonderful career...

Back on 11/7, I posted that I was supposed to be filming American Horror Story on the 10th.  Well, here's the deal...

Tney have continuously delayed the shoot.  Today I get an email that they're filming on the 2nd. 

Unfortunately, I'm booked into Geostorm on the second.  And the third.  And the 15th of January.   I tell them that.  She's arranged that I can be pulled off Geostorm. 
Unfortunately, as much as I want to be in AHS , the concept of giving up 3 days work for a chance to film something that has already cancelled on me 4+ times isn't feasable. 

So.  There we are.  Dammit. 

Really... I don't know how the hell they get the Damn show on the air with this kind of scheduling.  

Regardless. .. here's hoping everybody is having a great day, and getting ready for thanksgiving.   Go Turkey's!

This acting thing is just soooooo Damn glamorous, ain't it?

Street art

NOLA is big on its street art... I like th ii s one a lot.  

Just for the record, my yarn bomb, a much.more  modest attempt at street art, is still there.... looking a bit worse for wear, but it's still doing its thing...

Well dang...

It would appear that I will not be filming American Horror Story on Monday.  Just got an email from the casting director and there have been delays on the set. 

So it will happen sometime this week, just NOT Monday and probably not Tuesday. 

Dang Dang Dang.  

You know..this makes it difficult to plan my life.  Just saying.

Bananas...

These are growing outside Saint Vincent's, specifically beside the grotto... 

As ypu can see, some of them were ripening.  Not knowing the specific species/variety,  I asked if they were edible (some bananas aren't) and nobody knew.  Well, i decided I world find out.  

Not as sweet as the dole nanas to get at the store, but being tree ripened they're probably better for you.  Its been an hour now, still alive so im declaring them an occasional breakfast!

Keeping NOLA Wierd...

Well, not that weird, but there we are....

Life has been a bit of a rush lately.  Just finished the first couple of days on GeoStorm,  where i ended up playing an ISS evac worker... filmed walking off the space ship, or space shuttle, or space thingamabob,  dont really know as it was a maze of blue screens and orange cones in the middle of tar mac out at the NASA base, at night in the wind and cold and my sinus cavities are still in revolt. then today... i went in for a costume fitting for.... { drum roll please } American Horror Story.  

Now, I think I've already explained that they don't want you to say anything that gives anything away on these sets.  AHS is serious about it.  Theres a rather serious Confidentiality agreement that was signed.  I will be filming Monday, and i am playing a stagehand in a flashback to a 1937 carnival performance.   Thats all i can say... i will be able to tell yall what episode number it is when i find out... if yall are interested, check back.  If not... well dont bother...

When it rains it pours

And sometimes that's a good thing.   Just got cast for several days on a new movie.  Will have to go in for costume fittings Monday... shooting Wednesday and Thursday.   So I won't be working day labor ( with the immediate pay) next week... I'll have to wait two weeks for the check... that's 210 + 15 costume bump and 15 haircut bump, -taxes.  I got it covered tho.  This day job I have now has already given me 40 hours,  and Saturday will pay me 9 hours overtime.  And the check from astronaut wives club just came in. 

All I have to cover is my rent and some food... so I'm good.  And since St Vincent's finally fixed their community kitchen, I can cook my own stuff for cheap, and of course, on the set you are fed.  Very Very well fed. 

Of course after next week it's back to the temp grind.  There will be more filming days coming up on this project over the next 2 month's.  I'm not supposed to give out many details, and they keep us from doing that by not giving us many. 

Its called Geostorm, as far as I can tell it's a sci-fi disaster kind of thing,  and I'll be NASA mission control. .. other than that, can't tell you much...cause I don't know anything else. 

And life goes on

All right folks... disaster averted... not homeless.  Too close for my taste... but there we are... lots of things are happening in my life tho...,

I am of course watching American Horror Story this year.  Turns out its being filmed down the street, about 3 blocks away, and one of the stars, Mat Fraser, whip plays seal boy is living in the neighbourhood.   I've seen him twice now, and yesterday he was set the coffee house where I get my cafe au lait when I have the funds for a $4 cup of coffee (not lately) but I didn't see him because I was at work. 

You read right... work... day Labour people FINALLY came through... at the last minute on my last day. 

Grunt work for grunt pay, but it's a three week job.

They're turning a 1920's bank building into condos, and I do things like scrape the walls for the plaster crew, move materials up 18 flights, sweep floors... you know... grunt work.  And I thankfully get underpaid every day.

So.  There we are. 

This is the fire escape stairwell.  As access stairs they're actually impressive.  Marble floors, and under that bad 1940s green enamel paint, those stair banisters are solid copper. 

In modern stairs, you're lucky if you get unpainted drywall, these are being replastered, and yes, ive scraped all 18 floors of it.  Not fun.

You see,  after Katrina and Gustav,  so many people had left NOLA that businesses didn't have workers... so the businesses relocated.  This left downtown a wasteland if empty buildings, and many of them are now being repurposed into condos or apartments. 

And of course, tbey have major cool architectural details.... and solid bronze elevator doors.

And stuff.

About this PayPal thing...

Well... yesterdays post was not about me begging for money.  It was just me venting frustration. 

Yeah, things are a little bad at the moment, And yeah I may end up spending a few days in a shelter... but worse things have happened. 

It's very heartwarming to know that there are people out there who want me to.set up a donation button so they can send me money.  Well,  I'm confined to an android at the moment And copying code into html files is kind of beyond this phones capabilities... 

All I can say is that if you really want to send me something,  for which I will be eternally grateful, you can send it via PayPal to blueukeduke@yahoo.com

This is not good...

In the interest of being totally honest... I'm going to admit publicly, on my blog, something I'm not proud of...

Basically, I'm out of funds. 

A little over 4 dollars is all the cash that is gracing me with its presence at the moment. 

Well, I have funds coming in... in a little over a week, but I don't have money now. 

Just in case you think I'm exaggerating and being a drama queen... I spent the morning looking into homeless shelters on line. 
If I don't get a day labor job on Monday, I may be forced to avail myself off their facilities. 

So crap.

But hell, I'm tough,  I'll survive it. 

I'll admit that my first week here I didnt exactly hit the ground running.  I thought I had time... is not like there aren't jobs... there are lots of jobs... It's just that the hiring guys have a maddening quality of being too Damn mellow about hiring... (I actually had one guy cancel an interview because he'd gotten too drunk the night before And just couldn't deal with it)  It's not something I'm used to dealing with.   In Texas... they need to fill a position in a week... here,  they give it qa couple of months and see what happens. 

Maddening.

But I do have food.   One of the local charities hand s out food and Friday I went by.  I was drsperate... there we are.  There were these cardboard cups of soup in the bag.   More upscale than Ramen noodles, and marked organic vegan.  I tried one.  Tasted OK. 

I shoulda known better.  I don't eat things markets vegan for a reason. .. soy makes me violently ill.

So today was spent in the bathroom with occasional dizzy spells.  

Obviously I didn't go in for day labor... I was having a hard time standing upright... all I could do is wait it out, and this afternoon,  after assuring people that no, I don't have Ebola, I'm doing better.   Still getting chills, but better. 

And that's the state of things at the moment. 

And there we are. 

Well, I was in this movie...

For 16 bloody hours I was in this movie... actually, 15 3/4 hours,  and its not a movie, it's a new series that premiers either in December or early next year... Its called Astronaut Wives Club, it's based on a best-selling novel of the same name, set in 1962, and I spent most of my cameta time walking back and forth down one block of New Orleans which is now New York in the winter, past some truly georgous vintage cars. There's a large green screen... and I understand that they're gonna put in the Chrysler building... there was another shot in a dive bar, where I was buying cigarettes from a machine while chatting up a lady... but I doubt seriously that I'm visible.

So...there we are.  Will get paid rate + overtime + costume fitting + hair.  I let them cut  my hair so I got 16 bucks extra.  Woo hoo.  But that money is still a couple weeks off... And I want cash now...

So back to that temp labor place... this morning I filled out paperwork, she saw my resume and she has a definite job next week that actually looks pretty good, and I'm waiting to see if I can get something along the lines of dishwasher or clean up tonight,  and I'm definitely gonna do something tomorrow and Friday... maybe see about over the weekend.  I've always been like that... you pay me, I'll do it... don't care what is...

That's the way seems to go for me.  1 good little positive thing happens and everything snowballs. 

Fallen Blossoms

As many of you may have realized, I keep a daily journal.  Occasionally I post a page from it... if I think it's interesting of relevant for some reason. 

Today, I am sitting with my morning coffee, at the patio table in front of St. V's .  

It's a nice enough spot, between the street and myself is a 3 tiered cast iron fountain that's just off balance enough to make all the water drip down one side and its shaded by an ancient clump of banana plants that tower 15 feet in the air.  Of course the gardener in me wants to get a sharp knife and clean out dead leaves and maybe hack out a spent trunk or two, but it's perfectly healthy and producing several bunches of bananas.

One of 

these bunches hangs directly over the table, and having already produced fruit, it continues to produce non-fruiting male flowers, daily peeling back a brick red petal from its growing tip to expose a dozen or so 3 inch long, nectar oozing flowers which detach and scatter over the table below.  These florets may have fallen, but they are still full of sugary liquid, a fact hardly lost on the local honey bees who crawl and buzz around the mass like conventioneers around a complimentary buffet.

I wonder if, like these bees, we on New Orleans, are feeding on past glories.

While it's true that this is one of the most important docks in the United States, its also true that large parts of this town are already, technically,  below sea level.  

As global warming progresses, as sea levels rise, and hurricanes become stronger and more frequent, there may come a time that it no longer becomes practical or possible to keep the waters at bay. 

We may be, like my morning honeybees, squeezing sustenance from a still productive, but no longer living, blossom.  

And the saga continues...

So... just to share the continuing job hunting drama...  as I mentioned yesterday, I was told to call in this morning.  So I did. 

And I was basically told to not bother them untill next Tuesday. 

So... just to make myself clear... this is a day labor service.   This is grunt work... sweeping warehouses, cleaning construction sites, ripping out old carpet in hotels.  The advantage to this work is that it pays the same day you do it.  But nobody is mistaking this for a career or even a real job.  This is cash, slightly over minimum wage.  To be blunt... when I worked in warehouses before, this kind of work was usually handed to any vagrant that came by, but big companies hire this labor through services like this.  I should also point out that men working in factories part-time, use services like this for a little extra cash on their days off.   And drunks and addicts on the street use these services to get extra cash, which just shows you how stupid the "are you a meth head?" questionnaire is.

Well, despite the fact that I was instructed to call and then treated like I was a nuisance, I suddenly developed an intense stubborn streak... and I decided there are more than one way to skin a cat and looked over the papers that I was given.

This company, national company actually, has three offices locally, and one of them does intake on Thursday.  So I schlep my tookas to a bus stop, get to the office, and there's a sign on the door saying "no applications"

I'm pissed.  I am perfectly willing to go through hoops to get a job.  But I tend to reserve such efforts for jobs that are worth having. 

Since it is a national company, I'm tempted to get on the website and lodge a complaint.  And I probably will... after next week.  I'm stretching my 3 strike rule... complaints can achieve good things, but they're just as likely to whack you upside the head. 

So... will I go in there on Tuesday?  No, I will go in on Wednesday.  

Why not Tuesday you ask?

Because on Tuesday, I will be on a film set. 

Yep... snuck that in on you at the end, didn't I? 

You see, after all that rigamorole,  and I'm in a rather deadly mood, I get a call telling me to come in for costume and hair tomorrow so that I can be on the set Tuesday. 

I'm not allowed to say too much... it's a new tv series that hasn't premiered yet called Astronaut Wives Club.  Set in the early 60s, so I'm gonna get buzz cut tomorrow, (my poor curls) I'll be in two scenes. 
But yeah, I'll still look into day labor.  Like I said, it pays the same day, and that kind of manual labor keeps you fit, and I can pick and choose what days I work... so it would be convenient. 

All before noon

So... yesterday I went to apply at a temp agency.  Was told I couldn't apply because lightning had struck the building and their computers were fried, could I please come back today?  Well there had been a storm Monday night, so ok...

So, I went this morning.  Was told that I needed to fill out an online questionnaire.  No,  They don't provide internet access to do that, But there is a public library 1 mile away.  (I'm sorry, but 1.  If you require applicants to do online questionnaires you should have internet to do that, 2. You could have told me this yesterday so I could have done this last night, and do you really expect the unemployed to walk a mile to do your questionaire?)y

Anyway... I walked about 3 blocks and found a little coffee house ran by the Catholic church and walked in, because many of the coffee houses have internet access for a small fee.  This one didn't,  but when I asked if there was anyplace around that did because I needed to use it for a job application,  a nun grabbed me, and escorted me to the office and sat me down in front of a computer with a cup of coffee.

I then proceeded to answer a gazillion idiotic questions,  maybe 10% of which had something to do with an actual job The rest of them various permutations of 'Are you a crack head?'

Seriously... no matter how many times you ask, and no matter how you ask, the answer is goin to be... no I don't do crack.  Or meth.  Or heroin or anything else you need be concerned about.  And quite frankly, after you've asked me 12 times, you're starting to piss me off, and I'm wondering if you're on crack. 

Finally got thru,  checked the clock, and I had time to get back because they stopped doing intake at 10 am.  Got there at 9:55.  Receptionist looked at me all surprised and said, "you've finished it?" 

"Yes Ma'am"

"Well... she left to do a job fair... can you come back tomorrow?"

I pointed out the sign that said they only do intake on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

"Oh... I'll tell her about you, it'll be fine..."

So, I've now spent big chunks of 2 days on this damn temp service, and we're looking at more tomorrow.  Fun. 

Then I started walking back and I was waylaid on the sidewalk by a woman who may or may not have been drunk at 10 am, but she was definitely feeling just FINE! And she had felt compelled to chase me down to tell me that I looked just like that girl in the TV show... I don't know which girl, but she evidently is 6 foot tall and has a 5 o'clock shadow.

And then... a couple more blocks of walking and a blank eyed man with a beard dyed the most astonishing shade of fuchsia felt called upon to tell me that I looked like a swan.  He seemed happy about it... so I'll assume it was a compliment. 

And I may have to change the route I walk tho...

Did take some pics in my meanderings tho...  another hand painted vehicle...

And pool noodles + frisbee makes a lovely pop art flower. 

And just to put a cherry on the cake of it all....

Its my birthday.

Keeping NOLA Wierd...

Yet another painted vehicle.  I actually like this one better.

Trees...

Don't know these trees, but they're fairly common in the parks.  The blooms should be outstanding... the thing is tho... despite the color and size, you don't notice them at first. 

Dense leaves seem to overwhelm them.  Anyone know an ID?

Update:  i finally wised up and googled the phrase "red flower tree New Orleans" and came up with Erythrina x sykesii, aka the Australian Coral Tree.   If im right this is a popular seedless hybrid in a genus that has over 100 species, so I may have got it wrong but im pretty confident.  

Skull crochet

Just finished a skull vase and decided to show it off before it goes online for sale.  

Not bad if I say so myself.

Pics

Just a few shots of plants i see as im walking the neughborhood...  the first two are an unidentified Aloe... im afraid i don't know one aloe from another... but this one is blooming easier impressively. 

And then a rather impresive night blooming.cereus. 

Keeping NOLA Wierd...

I saw this parked behind the library today... (the downtown library, not the pretty one I showed you in the last post)

Covering vehicles with the written word is relatively common down here.  Sometimes its a political rant, sometimes its poetry.  

I've started checking them out... 

This one is just a long rather confused rant blaming certain individuals, businesses, and the CIA for stealing his paintings.   

There are a few of his paintings in the windows, They're ok in the religious icon, Latino folk art kinda way,  but i don't see anything that would set the CIA off...

Pics and rambling and whatnot

Just some pics from around.

This is saint Vincents, again, from the side.  The building to the right is the origional childrens ward, which is now the hostel ward.  As you can see... there's three big buildings and a 12foot wall surrounding a courtyard.

The next is one of the public libraries.  The building dates back to the time That libraries were privately funded rather than government entities.  This mansion, and theres no other word than mansion, waa donated by a family.  Its surrou.ded by other mansions in the toniest part of the garden district.  Seriously theres not a house down there worth less than 2 million.  You almost feel obligated to dress up to check out a mystery novel.

And theres something about this town that feeds your creativity.  I've always liked yarn bombing.  Where people knit or crochet something, and wrap it around a sign post or tree trunk or what have you. Ive never done it though .

Until i found a bag of yarn someone was discarding... and the colors inspired my inner hippie. 

And tben, i of course, had to make a skull...

And then i decided said skull would make a really cool curtain tassel...

A tiresome week.

I've spent most of the week dealing with Job1 and the Louisianna Workforce Commission. 

And, while they're a tad bit more convenient and user friendly than the Texas incarnations of their offices, the key word in that sentence is, 'tad.'

Anytime the government is involved,  you're in for a big hot mess of 1) self important non-entities and 2) conflicting information. 

By Wednesday,  after spending a soul sucking morning I needed a soul feeding afternoon.

So I bought a book of Emily Dickinson poetry at Goodwill and settled myself at a street cafe with a cup of cafe au lait.  I considered wearing a beret.  But that would just be pretentious.   Not as pretentious as showing up with a poodle who smokes.  But still. 

So, fully recharged, I went off again today... to a completely futile day at aforementioned institutions... (I was told to be there at 2 pm for something that doesn't happen until  9 am tomorrow) And there's only so much that caffeine and Emily Dickinson can be expected to achieve...

I'm thinking booze. 

And a poodle that smokes.

Just updating...

First of all... the possibility of Ebola coming in on that freighter, (named the Marine Phoenix) turned out be Malaria,  but there are stories on the news about Ebola right now, because it kind of made everybody panicky.  

Fortunately, the city had been spraying for mosquitoes all summer anyway, due to West Nile virus, So there shouldn't be any problem. 

And for another update... remember on my first trip down, back in June, I showed a pic of the gargoyle on the clock tower?   The one that looks like a monkey holding a bunch of bananas but on closer inspection turns out to be some demon holding a severed head?

Well, I still haven't figured out exactly who it is or who its supposed to be... but I have found out that you can get a foam version, four foot tall, for Halloween decor.  Cool, huh? 

So, I took an afternoon nap, and when I  woke up, I turned on the news and there was a story all about a freight ship on the river that had six people that were sick. 

It hailed from West Africa, the Congo to be exact, it was in Belle Chase, (according to my maps app that's about six miles from where I sit) And six men were transported to West Jefferson Hospital.  (Which is confusing the newscasters because they insist it would be more normal to quarantine)

Nobody is saying the word 'Ebola' of course,  which means that they either don't know or they don't want to start a panic. 

I'm not actually that worried.  Cases of Ebola have already shown up in American travelers, particularly in some of the doctors that have come back, and I'm reasonably certain that everything will turn out fine. 

I'm fascinated more from a plotting point of view. 

About a week ago, it occurred to me that there wasn't a zombie story located in New Orleans.  Well, there's voodoo zombies, not the modern people eating incarnation of zombies.  It's kind of fascinating to watch this, as it kind of shows the path a plague would have to take to find entree into the city. 

Pics

So I was on the balcony this morning when I saw something on the handrail... it turned out to be a pair of tiny little mushrooms...

Not really that surprising.  New Orleans is in a constant state of war between civilization and decay... here the swamp wins a minor victory.  

From the moment a structure is built, this town's swampy origins begins to eat at it, slowly but inevitably nibbling around the edges, eventually creeping its way past paint and mortar in an attempt reclaim its territory.  Some homeowners keep themselves in a frenzy of constant maintenance, some give up, ssurrendering to the inevitable victor.  Most are somewhere in between, replacing what needs to be replaced, confining themselves to battles they have some hope of winning.

Pics and seeing if y'all can ID?

Woke up this morning and there was a rainbow over New Orleans... this is from the courtyard at St Vincents.

And i was walking down 

The block admiring the gardens when I saw this... anybody know what this shrubbery is?

Many of the plants i see in yards are familiar to me.  Althoigh i will admit, many of them are more familiar as house plants than landscaping... but that one has me stumped.  Its about four feet tall, covered with those dramatically colored blooms.  And very attractive to the local bees.  Im guessing its in the pea family...

And the next is a totally unfamiliar Tradescantia.   

I like it.

And I've been meaning to tell ya'all... little Goth Bob is enjoying NOLA immensely.  As far as he's concerned, he's returned to the motherland...

Still here.

Not overly thrilled with life at the moment...

When I arrived at this guesthouse, it turns out that the reservations I'd made 2 weeks before had disappeared.  Along with the deposit. 

I finally pulled up my bank statement online and they finally conceded that yeah I'd made a deposit... it was (pardon the language) a shit storm. 

But I got past it.  Shit happens. 

So, the second week,  I requested new sheets.  (This is a guesthouse... you'd think there'd be a schedule for this sort of thing, like every Monday or something, but apparently not)  so the next thing I know, the rather rough little woman who is being housekeeping is banging on my door and she's pissed, because they told her that I'd made some huge complaint, (which I hadn't, I'd just asked for sheets which I'm perfectly willing to change myself,  I don't care) and I've been fussed at by o.e of the staff... and as far as I'm able to determine most of the staff arrived here origionally as guests after being released  from various half way houses (not hating, good for them on getting a job and more power to them... But they're rough looking, And they should seriously consider getting them uniforms to work in because some one in a ripped t shirt, grungy shorts, and flip flops isn't really creating a wonderful impression for the clientele)

Now I generally have a three strikes policy before I hit the roof... and I spent a good hour trying to figure out if the deposit/reservation is one strike or two... because if it's two I have to schlep my tookas down three flights of stairs to raise hell, (and since this is a Victorian building with 11 foot ceilings three flights of stairs is more than you'd think,)and I'm actually feeling kind of lazy right now... So I could use the ancient elevator, (which is a little frightening and has a smell) but if it's just one strike then I can delay raising hell until somebody else screws up... so,  just public notice,  they're on the second strike...

I've also been going  through Craig's list to answer job ads...  someone needs an internet marketing specialist,  which means someone to list crap on eBay,  but it pays good so what the hell,  I used to be a Power Seller, so I can do that...

That's about it...

Drivers.

New Orleans drivers are interesting to say the least.  

Many people in the city have just gave up, and rely on the public transit system.  Which, after you figure it out, is pretty reliable.  

Those who have a vehicle are a little batty. 

As I speak, I'm saying at an outside table drinking my cafe au lait, watching the dog walkers (they do love their dogs here) the children walking to school in their uniforms,  and the joggers. 

There are also bicyclists.  

I acknowledge that a bicycle is a great way to get around the city.  I'm not sure that riding a bike down the white line in the middle of the road is a great idea.  Especially if you're going the wrong way on a one way street.  And I personally wouldn't wear a kilt while doing it, But thats just me...

Regardless,  I drove professionally for a few years, and I think I actually honked my horn 6 times.  These people love their horns. 

I swear that some of these people only have a vehicle so they can have a horn.  And they aren't honking for any good reason.  

I just saw a guy honking at an 80 year old man in a crosswalk.  1)  he's going as fast as he can and 2) if he drops dead from a heart attack, you're gonna be even more delayed.  Just rudeness.  I about picked up a brick and went over there to give him something to honk about. 

And what's the use of honking at a garbage truck?  There's two lanes, go around.  Do you really want to annoy men who have ready access to throwable trash?  Think about it. 

I guess I'm just too mellow.

The bridge

This is the view from the balcony of St. Vincent's.  Not bad really.  This is the advantage of being on the third floor in a neighborhood that's almost all two story buildings.  

We're fairly close to the river, and sometimes, over the top of the buildings, I can see about the top third of some of the big freight boats coming up the river.. Which was a little disconcerting the first time i saw it.  I was just minding my own business, enjoying the view when I.noticed what appeared to be a large factory was relocating itself.  Closer observation revealed the huge cranes on the wharves, and I realised what was happening, but it was a rather surreal minute or so...

And then, after iposted, i saw the sun shining through a raincloud.  My phone doesn't really do these shots well... hopeyou can make it out...

Just some pics

Apartment hunting.

So I was running around looking for cheap rent.  This was about 3 blocks off the French Quarter.  It's looking a little rundown,  but it's about as authentic New Orleans as you can get. 

You'll notice the front stoops.  They are important.   Almost all buildings here are above ground level.  This keeps them from flooding.  stoops are also very important for socoalizing.  You sit on the stoop, drink your refreshing beverage,  and pass judgement on the neighbors.  

New Orleans does, at this time off year At least, Have a rather annoying habit of raining with NO WARNING AT ALL.  

So, I'm afraid my apartment hunting ended with me looking Like 

I'd been drug through a mudhole.  I made a mad dash through the French Quarter for the bus line, and while Resting under a balcony, i 

noticed that the Baptists convention was having a lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe.  Which is very conveniently located next door to Larry Flynts HUSTLER sex emporium.  I 

was curious to see if Hustler was going to have an after lunch rush, but I decided to run for the bus instead...

Nawlins

So, I made it.  Im staying at St. Vincents again...

Here's my room.  

The challenge seems to have been getting as many colors in one room without actually matching any of them.  They won.  

 

My first day here involved passing out all day.  I'm too damned old for 13 hour bus rides.  

My second day revolved around getting lost on the bus system.  

I did talk to a couple of stores on Magazine street.  One might be interested in the crocheted skulls,  either as earrings or attached to shoes.  

I wandered into a needlework shop in search of #20 crochet cotton.  They weren't able to help me with that... they only sold specialty yarns, but they immediately did a search through business cards to give a couple of stores that might want see the skulls.  

 Which surprised me .  Considering that there were enough seriously sweet , cute,  and charming projects in that shop i needed testosterone shots on exiting, i  I didn't really think they'd be impressed with the skull at all.

Still, they were helpful, 

And if I'm ever in the market for 20 dollar skeins of yarn I know where to go.  I mean, it was some seriously cool yarn... but a scarf would set me back a hundred bucks...

Saying goodbye to the flea

Sunday was my final day at the flea market... I'm leaving lots of friends behind me.

First of all... cotton candy factory, take note...this is what a farewell cake looks like.  Just sayin'. 

And I had some special visitors to my party. 

2 weeks ago a kitten was found abandoned at the 

Flea market.  It was barely 7 days old.  He was taken in by one of our vendors who had experience rescuing strays, and he's doing well... at three week Old, they brought him back to say farewell to me.  

Everybody met Renfro Rocky.

He has Van 

Coloration, which means he's white with a colored tail. 

And of course, Toby, the spoiled rotten Chiweenie dog will be missed too.

Hoping everyone out there will have a wonderful labor day.  I'll be spending my day getting ready to get on a bus.