JUotA 2008: New Orleans May 23-26

Backslapping time. Well done us. We are fantastic.
User avatar
Minnie the Minx
funky thigh collector
Posts: 33546
Joined: 29 Dec 2006, 16:00
Location: In the naughty North and in the sexy South

Re: JUotA 2008: New Orleans May 23-26

Postby Minnie the Minx » 26 May 2008, 20:22

You lot are crap.

We have JU photos up within thirty minutes of them finishing here, you know.
You come at the Queen, you best not miss.

Dr Markus wrote:
Someone in your line of work usually as their own man cave aka the shed we're they can potter around fixing stuff or something don't they?


Flower wrote:I just did a google search.

User avatar
Sambient
Posts: 16613
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 14:56
Location: Nerdvana

Re: JUotA 2008: New Orleans May 23-26

Postby Sambient » 26 May 2008, 20:33

Minnie the Minx wrote:You lot are crap.

We have JU photos up within thirty minutes of them finishing here, you know.



Sure, when people get to their homes.
Will have mine up sometime today or tomorrow. It will have to do.

User avatar
BARON CORNY DOG
Diamond Geezer
Posts: 45153
Joined: 18 Jul 2003, 05:38
Location: Impregnable Citadel of Technicality

Re: JUotA 2008: New Orleans May 23-26

Postby BARON CORNY DOG » 26 May 2008, 20:49

Minnie the Minx wrote:You lot are crap.

We have JU photos up within thirty minutes of them finishing here, you know.


Sorry. No cameras.
take5_d_shorterer wrote:If John Bonham simply didn't listen to enough Tommy Johnson or Blind Willie Mctell, that's his doing.

User avatar
BARON CORNY DOG
Diamond Geezer
Posts: 45153
Joined: 18 Jul 2003, 05:38
Location: Impregnable Citadel of Technicality

Re: JUotA 2008: New Orleans May 23-26

Postby BARON CORNY DOG » 26 May 2008, 21:34

FRIDAY
My driver scooped me up from the airport and we went into New Orleans around noon. I left my stuff at T-Berry's room in the Monteleone since I couldn't check in at my place until later -- I stayed quite a few blocks down Royal, but that became a principal thoroughfare. T-Berry wins the hotel lottery, by the way. Hotwire takes it again.

Good lord. What did we do? I'm pretty sure we listened to the Bob Dylan radio show (fantastic, by the way -- I'm quite taken with it). Maybe we had some very nice tequila while listening, or maybe that was later. We walked down to scope out my hotel and then cut over to Bourbon and copped some burgers at the Clover Grill, which is a trip. Though I realized that it was in the "gay" section of Bourbon Street, I had forgotten Nolamike's admonitions about drag queens, Judy Garland on the hi-fi, and the like. The hamburgers were cooked under a hub-cap and were mighty nice. I think the waiter was into T-Berry. I guess we went back towards the Monteleone and had some (very good) margaritas in the swanky Carousel bar down in the lobby. This was a strange event. The seats at the bar rotate around the bar at a slow, but noticeable speed. It sounds like a stupid gimmick and maybe it is, but it's really pretty charming. We had both travelled all morning and it felt kind of nice to continue moving while sitting still. Unwittingly, we were able to avoid the afternoon rain. At some point, the Swamp Tour returned but by then we were up in the Garden District walking around -- I walked past a few places that bore witness to some of the more sordid episodes of my otherwise blameless youth. We had some oyster po-boys in the midst of raucous midwesterners back at the Acme place -- a place I managed to completely mis-remember. It was overcast, but decidedly humid. Towards the onset of evening, we found Pete the Pick and Lady Veronica dining outside and then embarked on a wild goose chase to find the Swampers (and Take_5) happily settled in a very large cajun place. Martin ate mudbugs, I had my first Dixie in over a decade and it was much better than I remembered (which isn't saying much). A band played Cajun music and some of the clientele danced. I must admit that I went with some trepidation, as the restaurant was in a rather ghastly section of town that was centered around the Convention Center/Casino tag-team. And yet, the band seemed fairly legit and people danced. I had forgotten that Louisiana people hold each-other in this weird, promenade grip while basically two-stepping.

We all got up and started walking, ending up in the Quarter. My game plan, such as it was, was to find some bars that might be relatively close to the JU Hotel where everyone was staying on Magazine, but it's a good thing we didn't go after that because later explorations revealed that none existed. We tried to go to the Napoleon House, which would've worked well, but they were closed, so we wound up on Bourbon St., mouths agape. Have you been to Bourbon Street? It's ridiculous. I think that Six Street in Austin may occasionally be more crowded, but Bourbon Street is much more narrow so it feels much more intense. I actually think Beale Street might have featured a greater mass of humanity too, in retrospect, but Bourbon Street is way more Full On. Take_5 had words about the shop named "Jazz Funeral," Velvis was hell-bent on securing a "Hand Grenade," and the voice of Yomptepi lamented "Larry Flynt's Barely Legal" club. After hemming and hawing and no small amount of bitching (nobody really wanted to be on Bourbon Street, I don't think), we accepted our fate and did what we could to enjoy it, by scoring some Big Ass Beers (a southern franchise, it seems) and watching the crowd go by. At some point, a cucaracha was spotted on the wall I was holding up and I don't remember much else other than a sorta sad walk down Bourbon back to my hotel. After all the neon went away and the street basically goes residential, there's the Clover Grill and then Lafittes on the left. It looked awesome. Lafitte's is supposedly famous for not having any lights in the bar and being the oldest building in the Quarter. Eureka! The joint was jumping, but in a low key way. I turned onto St. Philip for the last block of the way to my hotel wondering if I should head over there for another drink or two. I almost did, but figured I should leave well enough alone and went back to my weird little hotel room and crashed. Long day, but it was good to hear everyone's voice again and start getting re-connected.
take5_d_shorterer wrote:If John Bonham simply didn't listen to enough Tommy Johnson or Blind Willie Mctell, that's his doing.

User avatar
BARON CORNY DOG
Diamond Geezer
Posts: 45153
Joined: 18 Jul 2003, 05:38
Location: Impregnable Citadel of Technicality

Re: JUotA 2008: New Orleans May 23-26

Postby BARON CORNY DOG » 27 May 2008, 05:27

SATURDAY

WHat the hell happened on Saturday?
I got up feeling pretty good since we didn't exactly shut down the bars on Friday, partially by design. I met up with T-Berry in front of the St. Louis Cathedral, where we loitered in Jackson Square, checking things out. I had never spent much time around there, but it really was quite pleasant. I don't remember what happened after that, but we wound up taking the streetcar up to Lee Circle and checked out the WWII/D-Day Museum, where we ran in to none other than Pete the Pick and Lady Veronica. I enjoyed the hell out of the D-Day Museum. I'm no military historian and had only passing knowledge of D-Day, so it seemed appropriate to check that out on this Memorial Day weekend. I have a few great-uncles who served (one of whom was a pilot who flew B-24s out of China and god knows where else) so it was particularly effective to tell so many small stories about the Soldiers. I miss my uncles. That was a different world. The museum was focused on D-Day and got me to think about the logistics behind such an undertaking in a way I hadn't before. It was good to go through it with T-Berry, who knows a thing or two I don't about these matters.

Afterwards, we went a block over to Magazine to go in search of bars within close proximity of the main hotel where most folks were staying. That turned into an epic undertaking. I never found the bars I was looking for, but I think I screwed something up. We coulda used a bar because it was hot and humid. Big time. Anyways, we walked a long way up Magazine and then cut over to St. Charles and came back downtown. I'm a big fan of the Garden District, it has always been the part of New Orleans that knocks me out, not having grown up in a particularly verdant place, so it's always a thrill just to walk around. There's a good stretch of Magazine with retail and food that would seem to be the more ritzy face of bohemian New Orleans, which I can dig on. We had a nicely timed drink at the Circle Bar before heading out in search of food. The Circle Bar was strange, I must say. As the sight of the first Ponderosa Stomp, it has always been something I wondered about. I don't know how to talk about it right now. I have no idea where we ate, but we had to get up to the hotel parties by some time. 6:30? 7:30? We made it, with Red Stripes in tow, and hilarity ensued. Thanks again to Livet and Hatz for busting out the fancy booze and the even fancier tasting notes, as referenced earlier on this thread. It was here that we heard dueling Nixons, the disembodied voice of Yomp, and got a foretaste of Pete The Pick's bacon lust. It was also at this juncture that I tell Pete The Pick how he's my idol and all that stuff. I'm thinking maybe we ate on the way down to the bar. Pete The Pick's bacon problem was extrapolated upon at length, and it was discovered that he would be in favor of bacon on pizza. Though T-Berry protested that bacon on pizza was no better or analogous to scarred bits of meat, it was pointed out that if the museum trip was a pizza, T-Berry would have been the scarred bits of meat. You had to be there, I suppose. I only remember it because I wrote it down. Toomanyhatz was accused of many things and I insisted upon revisiting the failure of love for "Stranglehold" and "Slow Ride." I shan't belabor those points as they weren't particularly eloquently argued to begin with. Though T-Berry indicted him for living as an Enchanted Forest Pixie. I fear that Ms. Pillowz was put off by the whole shenanigans, but she seemed to stand by her Hatz, as she was perhaps even more bewildered than he was at our loud support of Ted Nugent and equally loud denunciations of the Ochs Brigade. Tiresome for all but the shouters, no doubt.

Somehow we made it way down Bourbon to Lafittes, through a throng of drunkards and homosexuals with miniature horses loitering outside the Clover Grill. The "Cowboys" weren't interested in heeding Fish's exhortations, loudly discouraging alcoholism in miniature horses. Lafittes is probably the most sane place on Bourbon. Not to damn it with faint praise. It all began with, as I recall, some eighties hits, most of which I embraced, but not so lustily as Velvis. And yet, it's hard to judge the lusty sweepstakes when one considers that Fish aptly pointed out that Take5 "looked ready for Erasure." Indeed, he did. Jolliness ensued and I got sick of damn Abita and made a switch to Makers and Soda. Luckily, that came fairly late. I'm sure we took yet another trip to Clarksdale and Cosmic American Girl saved us from Jukebox hell, for which we all owe her deeply. And though she suffered greatly in the service of cute shoes, I daresay that the Cheap Trick (:idea:) thoroughly erased any thoughts of hurting feet. In the end, it was a few of the usual drunkards left and we stumbled off down St. Philip (or maybe I did). Well, I was a mere block away from my hotel, while the others probably had a little further to go.

Saturday was a hell of a day. What I remember I remember only because I wrote it down.
I had fun.
take5_d_shorterer wrote:If John Bonham simply didn't listen to enough Tommy Johnson or Blind Willie Mctell, that's his doing.

User avatar
Corporate whore
Genuine and Authorised Pope
Posts: 16267
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 16:36
Location: ,Location, Location

Re: JUotA 2008: New Orleans May 23-26

Postby Corporate whore » 27 May 2008, 09:59

Just got home, jet lag not so bad until I saw the 8,000,000 eMails waiting for me.

Highpoints:
1) The Swamp tour - awsome
2) The 'voice of yomp' commenting on the standard of the river boat tour.
3) The Pre-Jolly, especially the 'tasteing notes'

Lowpoints:
1) Heat and Humidity
2) Only getting to say about three words to Nolamike
3) No Kath.

Great to meet everyone again (and Pillowz for the first time), an International Lakes Jolly was punted for next year, be there or be cuboid.


More later (with pics).
Image

User avatar
Nolamike
Posts: 13988
Joined: 05 Dec 2005, 21:31
Location: Heaven, Hell, or Houston
Contact:

Re: JUotA 2008: New Orleans May 23-26

Postby Nolamike » 27 May 2008, 13:15

corporate whore wrote:Lowpoints:

2) Only getting to say about three words to Nolamike



Ah, you didn't miss much.
Sir John Coan wrote:Nolamike is speaking nothing but sense here.


Loki wrote:Mike is Hookfinger's shill.

User avatar
souphound
World Class Ignoramus
Posts: 27811
Joined: 27 Oct 2003, 19:49
Location: Tralfamadore, with Montana Wildhack

Re: JUotA 2008: New Orleans May 23-26

Postby souphound » 27 May 2008, 16:44

Sambient wrote:This is a fantastic JUotA.


This just struck me funny. Perhaps attendance will improve next year if you refer to it as the JU of the T&A?
Footy wrote:Last week, I discovered that the cordless drill I bought about 5 years ago is, in fact, a cordless screwdiver.

User avatar
Velvis
Mellowed down easy
Posts: 15806
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 23:21
Location: on Grand Street, where the neon madmen climb

Re: JUotA 2008: New Orleans May 23-26

Postby Velvis » 27 May 2008, 20:38

Some interesting highlights:

...the guy I talked to after the cemetery, who rebuilt his bicycle into a moped.

...those alkie miniature horses

...Louisiana Music Factory (one of the all-time great record stores on this planet). Great listening section, well-stocked with local releases, picked with discriminating discernment by the knowledgeable hipster staff. I wish others aside from Sambient and myself had explored it.

...drinking the Hand Grenade. Next time I'll get shitfaced on those.

...the alligator call. I'm sure I could summon one now, if I wished.

...no sauna at the hotel, but a trip through Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 on a hot sunny day had the same effect.

...the prospect of playing Magic the Gathering with Martin. Didn't happen this J-U, but next time I'll bring some cards and life-counters.

...pointing out the guy in the bad toupee to Fish. "Dodgy Syrup", he intoned in his basso rumble. You know? Wigs? Syrup of Figs? Rhyming slang? (Yeah, but whafuh is syrup of figs?)

...realizing that the whole French Quarter is an accreted levee. Thus walking to the river's edge walkway is not far uphill.

...the beignets at the courtyard deli/cafe on Bourbon were much better than the ones served at the highly touted Cafe du Monde.

...Mother's. A reliable place for good and plentiful eats. Great po'boys, bread pudding, and a cheap early bird breakfast special.

...this spooky canvas by the late New Orleans artist Noel Rockmore, on display at Upperline Restaurant. Too bad I can't show it to you full color and big as life:

Image

Like a picture of a Nick Cave song.

...meeting Martin, Denise, and Debi. Now I have the right manic, absurdist-riffing voice to give to Martin's posts.

...the always absorbing discussions with Ken...wish there had been more time to bullshit.
a gibbon running freely

User avatar
yomptepi
BCB thumbscrew of Justice
Posts: 36415
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 17:57
Location: well

Re: JUotA 2008: New Orleans May 23-26

Postby yomptepi » 27 May 2008, 20:43

I had a Grenade whilst I was in New Orleans. Unfortunately, I had it for breakfast, with the result that I was completely drunk by 11 am. It is great seeing all the pics, and seeing all you guys having fun out there, going to all those places bought back good memories. I really hope I am going to be able to do the next one. Especially if it means stopping T berry from doing that piss poor imitation of my fine english baritone...
You don't like me...do you?

User avatar
Velvis
Mellowed down easy
Posts: 15806
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 23:21
Location: on Grand Street, where the neon madmen climb

Re: JUotA 2008: New Orleans May 23-26

Postby Velvis » 27 May 2008, 21:03

yomptepi wrote:I had a Grenade whilst I was in New Orleans. Unfortunately, I had it for breakfast, with the result that I was completely drunk by 11 am. It is great seeing all the pics, and seeing all you guys having fun out there, going to all those places bought back good memories. I really hope I am going to be able to do the next one. Especially if it means stopping T berry from doing that piss poor imitation of my fine english baritone...


By the way, we need to scold you, Yomp. You warned us that the swamp would reek and be full of mosquitoes in the daytime. Actually, the reverse was true. The dragonflies completely control the mosquito population in the daytime, to the point where you don't ever see one. Also, the swamp smells beautiful, like a spring garden. Clean. The life there is abundant and diverse enough to clean up any anything dead before it has a chance to rot.
a gibbon running freely

User avatar
yomptepi
BCB thumbscrew of Justice
Posts: 36415
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 17:57
Location: well

Re: JUotA 2008: New Orleans May 23-26

Postby yomptepi » 27 May 2008, 23:23

Velvis wrote:
yomptepi wrote:I had a Grenade whilst I was in New Orleans. Unfortunately, I had it for breakfast, with the result that I was completely drunk by 11 am. It is great seeing all the pics, and seeing all you guys having fun out there, going to all those places bought back good memories. I really hope I am going to be able to do the next one. Especially if it means stopping T berry from doing that piss poor imitation of my fine english baritone...


By the way, we need to scold you, Yomp. You warned us that the swamp would reek and be full of mosquitoes in the daytime. Actually, the reverse was true. The dragonflies completely control the mosquito population in the daytime, to the point where you don't ever see one. Also, the swamp smells beautiful, like a spring garden. Clean. The life there is abundant and diverse enough to clean up any anything dead before it has a chance to rot.


I was only repeating what the english man I met there told me. He was covered in bites, and in some discomfort, and told me he had been eaten alive on the swamp tour. I wouldn't deliberately mislead you.
You don't like me...do you?

User avatar
Velvis
Mellowed down easy
Posts: 15806
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 23:21
Location: on Grand Street, where the neon madmen climb

Re: JUotA 2008: New Orleans May 23-26

Postby Velvis » 27 May 2008, 23:28

He must have gone at night. And our guide said that at night, yes, they're horrible.
a gibbon running freely

User avatar
toomanyhatz
Power-mad king of the WCC
Posts: 29992
Joined: 07 Apr 2005, 00:01
Location: Just east of where Charlie Parker went to do some relaxin'

Re: JUotA 2008: New Orleans May 23-26

Postby toomanyhatz » 28 May 2008, 07:03

It's late, I'm just home, the cat (----->) is meowing for his dinner, so I won't say much right now, but...

Great time all, lovely to see you all, even those that referred to me as either a rabbit-food eating cocksucker and/or pixie-whatever-the-hell-it-was. Lovely meeting Witchypoo and Nolamike for the first time, and seeing you all again. I'll post more when I have some spare time- should be about July or so.

The part of "Guy Falling on His Ass/Arse" usually played by the Fish was handled by yours truly this time. Next time if I don't hear what Witchypoo said, I'll ask. :oops:

(It was "be careful sitting down, I've moved the chair")
Footy wrote:
The Who / Jimi Hendrix Experience Saville Theatre, London Jan '67
. Got Jimi's autograph after the show and went on to see him several times that year


1959 1963 1965 1966 1974 1977 1978 1981 1988 2017* 2018 2020!! 2023?

User avatar
toomanypillowz
Posts: 4001
Joined: 20 May 2008, 00:53
Location: The Historic Wilshire Vista District in Los Angeles

Re: JUotA 2008: New Orleans May 23-26

Postby toomanypillowz » 28 May 2008, 07:59

Hello - we got back tonight after an endless wait for our luggage to appear on the baggage carousel. Just wanted to say what a fabulous time I had, and that it was very nice to meet the folks I hadn't already met in NY (and great to see Sam & Rita again). As soon as I can, I'll upload my photos to the NOLA photos thread - lots of great photos, especially of the steamboat ride.

I can't believe I have to get up and go to work tomorrow, and sit on the 10 Freeway, instead of walking to the French Quarter in the morning for some coffee, past the crazy proselytizing guy with the megaphone and the umbrella hat, past the horse and carriages and street jazz musicians and gumbo places and voodoo shops. I want another beignet.
Lance Matthew wrote:Oh, I've always inspired extreme reactions. I can reduce normal people to screaming harpies in minutes.

toomanyhatz wrote: Fuck you with a Craftsman rotary drill.

User avatar
BARON CORNY DOG
Diamond Geezer
Posts: 45153
Joined: 18 Jul 2003, 05:38
Location: Impregnable Citadel of Technicality

Re: JUotA 2008: New Orleans May 23-26

Postby BARON CORNY DOG » 28 May 2008, 12:39

toomanyfreakinhatzalready! wrote:me as either a rabbit-food eating cocksucker


You eat fish, don't you?
take5_d_shorterer wrote:If John Bonham simply didn't listen to enough Tommy Johnson or Blind Willie Mctell, that's his doing.

User avatar
The Fish
Beer Battered
Posts: 13062
Joined: 24 Oct 2003, 20:04
Location: Sunny?Worthing

Re: JUotA 2008: New Orleans May 23-26

Postby The Fish » 28 May 2008, 17:08

Hey. Where'd everyone go ?

That's it. I'm leaving.
We're way past rhubarb

User avatar
toomanypillowz
Posts: 4001
Joined: 20 May 2008, 00:53
Location: The Historic Wilshire Vista District in Los Angeles

Re: JUotA 2008: New Orleans May 23-26

Postby toomanypillowz » 28 May 2008, 23:50

Il Baron wrote:but she seemed to stand by her Hatz


After we read your post yesterday, while waiting in the lobby for our shuttle, Hatz kept singing "Stand by your hatz," over and over and over . . . just to drive me mad. :roll:
Lance Matthew wrote:Oh, I've always inspired extreme reactions. I can reduce normal people to screaming harpies in minutes.

toomanyhatz wrote: Fuck you with a Craftsman rotary drill.

User avatar
toomanyhatz
Power-mad king of the WCC
Posts: 29992
Joined: 07 Apr 2005, 00:01
Location: Just east of where Charlie Parker went to do some relaxin'

Re: JUotA 2008: New Orleans May 23-26

Postby toomanyhatz » 29 May 2008, 00:23

Toomanypillowz wrote:
Il Baron wrote:but she seemed to stand by her Hatz


After we read your post yesterday, while waiting in the lobby for our shuttle, Hatz kept singing "Stand by your hatz," over and over and over . . . just to drive me mad. :roll:


To the tune of "Stand By Your Man" (obviously):

Stand by your hatz
He knows how good Phil Ochs is
He knows why Ted Nugent suuuucks....
Footy wrote:
The Who / Jimi Hendrix Experience Saville Theatre, London Jan '67
. Got Jimi's autograph after the show and went on to see him several times that year


1959 1963 1965 1966 1974 1977 1978 1981 1988 2017* 2018 2020!! 2023?

User avatar
BARON CORNY DOG
Diamond Geezer
Posts: 45153
Joined: 18 Jul 2003, 05:38
Location: Impregnable Citadel of Technicality

Re: JUotA 2008: New Orleans May 23-26

Postby BARON CORNY DOG » 29 May 2008, 00:30

Toomanypillowz wrote:
Il Baron wrote:but she seemed to stand by her Hatz


After we read your post yesterday, while waiting in the lobby for our shuttle, Hatz kept singing "Stand by your hatz," over and over and over . . . just to drive me mad. :roll:


You're welcome. :mrgreen:
take5_d_shorterer wrote:If John Bonham simply didn't listen to enough Tommy Johnson or Blind Willie Mctell, that's his doing.


Return to “Classic Threads & Treasury of Mirth”