More Random Musings

Now, *there's* a creative title!

I’m better today. I’m not good, I’m still stopped up and my breathing is wheezy, but it’s better. I’m thinking sinus infection now.

I’m not planning on posting any more New Orleans pictures today, but here’s an interesting picture here. If you have never been to the French Quarter, you might think that that’s a picture of a woman standing in the French Quarter. You’d be wrong.

First off, I strongly she was Photoshopped into the picture to begin with. And second, as you can see if you read the article, that’s not the French Quarter. And now just cause of the tourists (DH and I were recently tourists), nor even the presence of a Disneyland trashcan – though that’s definitely a dead give-away. But the paving of the street is wrong, the cleanliness of the street and buildings is wrong (the French Quarter looks grimy, I guess because all the bricks are so old), and the street *curves*. French Quarter streets don’t curve – there are 15 streets in the French Quarter and they’re all straight. After New Orleans grew a bit, the streets began to curve around geographic features (like the Mississippi River), but the first 15 streets were laid out in a grid.

And that woman is running for mayor of New Orleans. I think perhaps she’s a few beads short of a Mardi Gras, myself.

Here's a real picture of a street in the French Quarter. This is looking up Bourbon Street from Conti Street. I trust you can see the difference.

I got to watch one of my favorite TV shows this week, which I normally don't get to watch "live", because it's on during choir practice. Bones, which stars David Boreanaz (Angel), and which is based on a series of books I quite like. Loosely based, absolutely, but some names and other details are the same. Anyway, this week's show took place in New Orleans. And at least some of even the principle photography was based actually in New Orleans. The French Quarter, obviously, has unique architecture. A car was shown driving up what looked like Conti Street to me and again shown driving past what looked like it might be the Ninth Ward. A lot of devastation, anyway. What I liked best, though, was that the actors were shown in what were clearly French Quarter shops and streets. They obviously went down to New Orleans and actually stayed there and filmed. *That's* how to help New Orleans rebuild, if actually digging out drowned homes isn't one of your skills. Go there and spend money, helping bring back the tourists. Good for them!

And I have a recommendation. I have a couple of friends who make and sell beautiful jewelry. One of them is selling some of her things on eBay. Since an awful lot of my beaded jewelry comes from this friend, I absolutely have no hesitation in suggesting that you bop on over here to shop for Mother’s Day and graduation gifts, or even just if you’re thinking a nice necklace might be in order for yourself. Her stuff is not terribly expensive, for handmade jewelry, and I’ve seen the beads she uses. They’re gorgeous. Don’t bother thanking me yet. Later will do. (And if the knitters among us want to recommend to her making beaded stitch markers and giving some to me, I would consider that thanks enough.)

Hmmm. The Kittens of Chaos are squealing and making other noises that I translate as, “Grandmommy, we can tell you’re awake and available and we’re still stuck here in the Little Kitten’s Room. This is unfair! Let us out!” I guess I’d better go do something about that, before they break a hole in a wall or the door or something.