NOLA

Everytime I go to New Orleans I feel like I have stepped into another country or world.

You mean you can get a beer TO GO?!? WHAT?!?

AND I can walk into the next bar and they aren't going to make me pour it out?!?

WHAT?!?

This can't be right, oh wait, it's just New Orleans!

I arrived in NOLA last Thursday. I stayed with my brother's best friend, Greg, whom lived with my family while my father was sick with ALS. I was in high school at the time and he was like a brother to me, all except for the fact that we never fought like siblings.

Greg and his wife, Selene, had to work on Friday. But that worked great for me because the first thing I wanted to do was catch up on some sleep. Greg did pick me up for lunch and we went to Cochon Butcher and I had the amazing Muffuletta. It was sooooooo good!

And I may be craving it now... and possibly forever.

The rest of the day was spent going to the convention center (located across the street) to pick up my race packet. Going for a jog through a neighborhood in New Orleans and hitting up some bars with Greg on Magazine Street.

We spent a good portion of the evening sitting next to a couple of guys who's only goal was to get anyone whom walked through the door to shut the door (it was cold outside), providing great entertainment when someone wouldn't. And I learned one of the lessons Greg was trying to impress upon me about the culture and people of New Orleans. The one lesson I couldn't get from visiting during Mardi Gras or Bachelorette Parties and such. It's that the people of New Orleans are laid back and easy going. They don't have and/or want enemies. They want to be friendly and nice to anyone and everyone.

I went to the restroom while we were at this particular bar, and when I came back there was a very drunk man sitting in the seat directly behind mine (Greg and I were in the corner and these chairs were kind-of just shoved there to be out of the way). So I just ignored him and proceeded to sit directly in front of him. When another person got up at the bar he immediately snatched their seat, not realizing the man was just going to the restroom. So the friend still sitting there instead of getting mad just said, "my friend's sitting there still, but here, let us scoot down and you can move that other chair in here." And when the other man came back they were all the best of friends (and he even joined in on being the door natzi with them). Like Greg pointed out, in most other cities that would have ended up with people getting in a fight, but not in New Orleans, everyone's friendly and laid back!

And that's why a famous artist, Simon, in New Orleans paints these (I love it!):

On Saturday I got the enjoyment of watching Mardi Gras World rolling out their parade floats. Including, but not limited to, the 2010 Super Bowl Championship float. Which I was curious why they would still use this year, since they won last year and I was told, "here in New Oreleans, we believe once the champions, always the champions!"

So I guess that float will be in circulation for, like... forever?

The rest of the day we spent walking around New Orleans. Which is great, except I wore the wrong shoes, apparently, for that. I have had my fair share of shoe troubles in New Orleans in the past, so I THOUGHT I would stomp that problem out when I bought these, Dr. Scholls shoes that literally say, "feel crazy good."

And though the souls feel good (definitely not great however), the plastic "casing" rubbed my feet raw. And before I got a block away from their apartment my heel was bleeding (which I bandaged). By the end of the day, I had another cut on my foot and two blisters on my toes.

Which wouldn't be a big deal for me, because this always happens to me (especially in New Orleans), but I had a half marathon to run the next day! CRAP!!!

But we went to their favorite restaurant/bar Felipe's, where they all know each other by name. We had a blast talking with the bartender and sometimes we even got him to give us what we ordered (he gets sidetracked talking and sometimes forgets, but all the more reason to love him)!

Speaking of the next day, when we went to bed that night I was warned to wear ear plugs because we were SOOOOO close to the start line that I would be woken at four AM with the sound check. So I wore ear plugs and I was fine the next morning with not hearing noise. In fact, I almost didn't even hear my alarm.

But when I took my ear plugs out, man, they were already blaring music and it was only 5:45 in the morning! Here's a picture of the start line from my window:

And here's the crowds we didn't have to stand in (in case you can't tell, the line wraps around down that other street and the picture actually cuts off the actual ending of the line):

The elite runners taking off:

In case you are unfamiliar with the way these larger marathons and half marathons go, they have this thing called wave starts. It's LITERALLY like hurding cattle. When you sign up you have to say how long you think it will take you to finish the race, then they place you in the appropriate "corral" with the faster runners up front and slower runners in the back. There's usually 20-something corrals and about a minute and a half between the start of each one. So the first time I did a "wave start" race I was the idiot that was there 45 minutes early and then waiting like 30 more minutes for MY start. Then I had to pee once I started because I hadn't anticipated standing around for that extra 30 minutes and not immediately sweating out the water.

But not this time, this time we got to wait in the comfort of heat with restrooms and no lines! GLORIOUS.

The actual race went great! It was my best race yet as far as how much fun I had! It was the worst for time, but that expected since I barely had time to train. But the lack of training took so much pressure off of the race that I think that is why it was so much fun. Plus, it didn't hurt that this is the flattest race I've ever done! But the best part was at mile 9 my friend Melissa met up with me and ran the last 4.1 miles in with me! It was so nice to have something to look forward to and then someone to keep your mind off of the race. I really can't thank her enough. But she was lucky, I think that four miles she ran with me was the most entertaining four miles I've ever run in my life. I will spare ALL the details, but I will say that we spent about five minutes running next to former Biggest Loser contestant Dan Evans and his mom!

But I met my goal for this race, my poor sad pathetic goal of finishing under 3 hours (at one point I thought I wasn't going to be able to make it under 4 hours, so this was much better)! Both of the other half marathons I've run were in less time, but it still feels great to finish!

After the race, I went with Melissa and her family to a place that had the most wonderful Poboys! After that, Pat O'Brians for a couple of hurricanes! Sorry for the scary pictures, no make-up makes for a scary looking me!

This is much better, still no make-up, but Hurricanes!!!

And just because I hadn't ever been, Cafe Du Monde for some beignets. YUM!

By 6pm I was exhausted, and by 9:30 I had passed out on Greg and Selene's couch right in the middle of a movie, opps!

On Monday, Greg and I took the trolley car into the city (not that the city was far, but I think he remembered too well two days earlier when I wore the most comfortable shoes ever and ended up bleeding and blistered). But we walked around the French Quarter and he gave me a great tour pointing out lots of history and art. We shopped, we ate, and we drank all the while (man I love New Orleans)!

And that evening I left. So sad, I definitely want to return soon. And in the words of Simon (the artist):