Saturday, May 7, 2016.
Green Acre. Chimes. Café Du Monde.
Mary Ann becomes a whirlwind of clean-up energy when either of our children comes home for a visit. Mary Leigh will show up at the Cool Water Ranch--or, more likely, one of the Marys' favorite restaurants--tomorrow.
I am not permitted to help with this project. MA doesn't trust me to resist the temptation to throw away large amounts of what to me look like trash. But I have my own program. The Great Lawn in front of the Cool Water Ranchhouse is growing like weeds (come to think about it, it's all weeds this time of year). It will take about an hour and a half to trim the Lawn. That must be done in the morning, because MA has plans for most of the evening. I'm in the sun almost the entire time. But then again, I am The Man Wears Only Long-Sleeve Shirts And Long Pants, No Matter What The Weather.
I have a radio show to host, for a change. We are in the short season (until August) when my Saturday program gets on the air reliably.
[caption id="attachment_51444" align="alignnone" width="480"]
Mint julep for watching the KY Derby at The Chimes. [/caption]
Mary Ann has moved into Mother's Day Mode, in which she has the right (we negotiated this a long time ago) to do anything she feels like doing for the duration of the holiday. I meet her at around five at The Chimes. She wanted to watch the Kentucky Derby as well as eat the Chimes' food. (The usual salad). I have a mint julep. And then, because "mint julep" is somwhat similar to "jalapeno-bacon burger," I order that as a main, hold the bacon.
[caption id="attachment_24060" align="alignnone" width="400"]
Bacon and jalapeno burger at Chimes.[/caption]
I don't think hamburgers and bacon go well together. Those who will now point to the immense popularity of bacon cheeseburgers will probably pooh-pooh my thesis that if a restaurant adds bacon to anything, it will sell more of that item at a higher margin. The restaurant business likes the effect even more than its customers do.
At some point, I ask MA when the horserace will take place. "It just did, about five minutes ago," she says. I forgo asking who won. I don't even have an imaginary horse in this game. I am, however, a card-carrying Kentucky Colonel.
The hamburgers at Chimes are among the few things I like there. I manage to eat only half of this one, so thick is the meat stratum. Besides, Mary Ann is now itching to get a move on to the LPO concert in Bogue Falaya Park. The main phalanx of the Louisiana Philharmonic is giving a free reading of the kind of tunes you'd hear at a Fourth Of July event, plus an assortment of other things. It entertains us until sundown, at which time we commence looking for MA's car, whose parking location slips our minds.
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Sunday, May 8, 2016. Mother's Day.
Back Into Routines.
Mary Leigh's flight from Washington, D.C. is due around noon. MA goes to pick her up without me because 1) she wants to maximize girl talk with our daughter and b) I am singing at St. Jane's. I am also working on yet another computer glitch, one which before the day is out will have me on the phone with a tech for three hours. Next time I get a new computer, I'm going to hire somebody to move the data over. I don't have the touch.
Our Mother's Day lunch is at La Carreta. Of course it is. The Mexican place in Mandeville is a favorite of the Marys. The weather is so beautifully cool that the outdoor tables are especially inviting. On the other hand, we are not the only people who are celebrating Mother's Day in a restaurant. We are also not the only ones who are in very casual restaurants instead of Commander's Palace and Galatoire's. It is, however, enough of an oddity that a crank poster emerges from the shadows of my web board every time the Marys and I go to Carreta, the Chimes, the Acme, Zea, New Orleans Food And Spirits, or the other restaurants we visit too often (sez he) because that's what the Marys want.
[caption id="attachment_37764" align="alignnone" width="480"]
Choriqueso would be good in an omelette.[/caption]
In between the bean soup, the choriqueso, the tacos and avocado salad with cilantro vinaigrette, we talk about ML's upcoming wedding. The menu, the band, and a few other details seem to be resistent to gelling. For the fifth or seventh time, ML tells me who the bridesmaids are (her cousins). I pretend great interest, which I do have--but it's mostlly focused on the bottom line abuilding. As if it will do any good, the first computing I do after the tech finishes is to log in and pay the American Express bill before the wedding stuff kicks in big time.
I don't need to eat anything more, but ML has a supper rendezvous with two of her three cousin-bridesmaids. They go to The Chimes.
La Carreta. Mandeville: 1200 W Causeway Approach. 985-624-2990.
Mint julep for watching the KY Derby at The Chimes. [/caption]
Mary Ann has moved into Mother's Day Mode, in which she has the right (we negotiated this a long time ago) to do anything she feels like doing for the duration of the holiday. I meet her at around five at The Chimes. She wanted to watch the Kentucky Derby as well as eat the Chimes' food. (The usual salad). I have a mint julep. And then, because "mint julep" is somwhat similar to "jalapeno-bacon burger," I order that as a main, hold the bacon.
[caption id="attachment_24060" align="alignnone" width="400"]
Bacon and jalapeno burger at Chimes.[/caption]
I don't think hamburgers and bacon go well together. Those who will now point to the immense popularity of bacon cheeseburgers will probably pooh-pooh my thesis that if a restaurant adds bacon to anything, it will sell more of that item at a higher margin. The restaurant business likes the effect even more than its customers do.
At some point, I ask MA when the horserace will take place. "It just did, about five minutes ago," she says. I forgo asking who won. I don't even have an imaginary horse in this game. I am, however, a card-carrying Kentucky Colonel.
The hamburgers at Chimes are among the few things I like there. I manage to eat only half of this one, so thick is the meat stratum. Besides, Mary Ann is now itching to get a move on to the LPO concert in Bogue Falaya Park. The main phalanx of the Louisiana Philharmonic is giving a free reading of the kind of tunes you'd hear at a Fourth Of July event, plus an assortment of other things. It entertains us until sundown, at which time we commence looking for MA's car, whose parking location slips our minds.
[divider type=""]
Choriqueso would be good in an omelette.[/caption]
In between the bean soup, the choriqueso, the tacos and avocado salad with cilantro vinaigrette, we talk about ML's upcoming wedding. The menu, the band, and a few other details seem to be resistent to gelling. For the fifth or seventh time, ML tells me who the bridesmaids are (her cousins). I pretend great interest, which I do have--but it's mostlly focused on the bottom line abuilding. As if it will do any good, the first computing I do after the tech finishes is to log in and pay the American Express bill before the wedding stuff kicks in big time.
I don't need to eat anything more, but ML has a supper rendezvous with two of her three cousin-bridesmaids. They go to The Chimes.
