Saturday, May 11, 2013.
The Courtyard. Reunion 45, Part Two.
The house was quiet this morning, bereft of much of its lately energy. The Boy is gone for the summer, back up in his Baltimore home for Mother's Day, then to ROTC maneuvers and other summer projects. Mary Leigh will have to get along without him for awhile. Or so we thought.
Mary Ann offered to have breakfast with me as long as it wasn't a really great place that would tempt her to eat. Good! I wanted to go to the Marriott Courtyard Café in Covington for weeks. I like the way they do their scrambled eggs, among other things. And there's the nostalgia matter. Even when I don't think about the hundreds of times the kids and I came here for breakfast, it feels good to be here.
But that may come to an end. The waitress told us that there were plans to convert the Courtyard Café into a new concept called The Bistro. We experienced one of those at a Courtyard Hotel in Mobile, when MA and I were out that way a few months ago. The advantage of The Bistro is that they cook all the breakfasts to order. The disadvantage is that you order at the counter and pick up, like in a fast-food place. So, no waitresses to joke around with and lend a homey feeling, which is what I want at breakfast.
But you can't argue with corporate.
It rained pretty hard the last couple of days, washing out a Saints training camp that would have pre-empted my radio show. So I had to do one, and so missed the Mass at Jesuit for the class of 1968, of which I am almost one. It was celebrated by Edwin Gros, S.J., who not only was in the same classroom with me at Jesuit but also in sixth through eighth grades at St. Rita's. He hosted the first boy-girl party I ever went to. A mellow guy for a priest, Father Eddie spent his last few years making a big impact on a Hispanic community in El Paso. He has done missionary work throughout South America. He's one of the great lights in our class.
I got off the air in time to drive to the second of that class's two reunions. Last night it was just us guys. Today, we brought our wives. On the way there, I considered that I might be with the most beautiful woman at the party. In fact, I believe that was indeed the case. The other women would probably think of that reflection not as an insult to their own looks but a sweet thing for a husband to think of his wife. But just in case, I didn't bring the matter up in conversation.
The host of this party was Mike McGlone, a marine attorney I often encounter on the sidewalks around the radio station. His office must also be around there. Mike was named the most recent Alumnus of the Year by Jesuit. His Metairie house was quite handsome. It came out that the architect was not only a Blue Jay (a few years ahead of us), but Mary Ann's brother Lee Connell. Further proof of my theory that only 500 people live in New Orleans.
The food came from LaBella's, a long-running caterer from Kenner. Among other good bites, they had a fettuccine with an excellent light cream sauce and andouille.
Bryce Puissegur was one of three or four guys to whom I gave a ride home every afternoon in junior year. I hadn't seen him since. He was (and remains) a very entertaining guy. He dreamed up an odd route to his house that he called the Balkan Shortcut. I used to take the Balkan Shortcut (four blocks longer than the obvious route) when I brought Jude to Jesuit in the mornings--until he begged me to cut it out. I was very surprised to learn that Bryce has no memory of the Balkan Shortcut whatsoever.
The excellent party was even fun for Mary Ann. who found a lot of people to talk with. It ended with our getting a pair of sleek, modern Old Fashioned cocktail glasses, with the familiar Fighting Blue Jay and a non-generic note that they were made especially for the Class of 1968's 45-year reunion. Now on to the real milestone in five years, at which time I will become eligible for an honorary diploma, if I can keep my nose clean and do something nice for Jesuit.
To browse through all of the Dining Diaries since 2008, go here.
