the blur of week 13

This week was the blur of wrapping up work for 2022 and impending friend arrival.
Over the weekend I had coffee with a new friend, sharing our stories of mother-loss (hers 30 years ago and still fresh) and trading tornado scares (her Winn-Dixie had its roof blown off).
On Sunday I was walking in the neighborhood when a woman ran by with a stroller. I need to catch up to the second line, she yelled, so I followed her to a small, festive parade featuring 2 Christmas-themed floats and 2 brass bands, with folks dancing and other folks dragging coolers full of drinks. What a joyous moment.
On Wednesday my pals arrived to hugs and laughs and merriment, and we met up at Bratz Y'all for beers and pretzels and a divine black forest cake. They'd been up since 1am so we said goodnight.
Thursday we had pizza on a heated patio then enjoyed Kitten N Lou's living nativity, with silent-disco headphones, rum hot toddies and so much glittery drag cheer. It rained during the angel's solo but no one moved. Then a drink at Vaughn's, and a stroll by a few bars closer to home.
Friday we were up early for a very chilly breakfast at Elizabeth's, fried green tomatoes and good coffee and some shit-flipping from a sarcastic waiter, then a road trip to Avery Island to tour the Tabasco plant.
I enjoyed seeing the countryside, endless miles of bayou and swamp, and the chitter chatter in the car about life and I-tell-yew-what down-hominess. We were awed by the bottling line, the enormous vats and well-work work stools, then the bountiful gift shop. Back in town before dark and we all called it a night.
Saturday was Xmas eve so we strolled in the cold, sunny French Quarter, dined on pralines and beignets and coffee at Lorettas, oohed over the amazing art at Antieau Gallery, had Irish coffees and banjo jazz at Fritzels, a so-so slice of za, then disco naps and late-night partying at the Phoenix with lots of laughs about the FQ tiny cop cars.
Sunday, Christmas, wobbly and hungover, we nommed breakfast at St. Coffee, mercifully open and serving up toasty bagels with pumpkin seed pesto, delicious burritos and hot coffee. Our friends arrived that evening so we fed them Nola Po-boy fried treats, Bywater Bakery Xmas cookies, and vino verde.
More to come next week as friendcation continues.