2/1/03 Where were you when the shuttle exploded?

Hello Heavenly Father,

Thank you for all the changes going on in my life right now and providing the support I need amidst these changes. I offer my life to you; just as our blessed Mother said "Yes," to you, I too am saying "Yes," to you.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

I'm going through some writings I did long ago, and this is one of the gems I found.

Enjoy. :0)

Wednesday

Arrived in New Orleans, hopeful and awaiting good things. Went to the opening ceremonies @ 6:30 and the conference had a slide show of various places in NO with Moby's album "Play," as the music, which fit the photos perfectly.

I then rode the bus to hotel.

There was a guy on the bus, G, and we started talking. When he exited the bus with me, asking where Bourbon street was, I got really bold and asked if I could join him.

We walked Bourbon Street and G wanted to grab a bite to eat, so we ate at Crescent City Brewhouse. He paid for dinner, which was nice and unexpected.

We then went to Cafe Du Mond and parted ways around 11:15.

I looked for G at the exhibits, as he said he was a vendor, but never saw him again.

Thursday

The most boring day, as far as sightseeing.

The conference was okay.

Interesting sessions. New ideas in my head for teaching. Bought a sweatshirt.

Didn't go out Thursday night.

Friday

For some reason, I didn't write anything about what I did Friday.

Saturday night

I met up with A, a psychic (this was obviously before my true conversion to Christ.) I met thru the Haunted History tour website, at a bar for a drink.

I wouldn't be asking for a reading tonight; we were just two gals hanging out in the Big Easy.

A mentioned I looked like E's old gf, B. She went on to say that I was E's "type."

By which I think she meant he likes brunettes with long, dark hair.

(Background info on E. He's this guy I met a year or so ago, around my bday; it was my first time in NO. My bro and I took a Haunted History tour and E was our guide.)

After we finished our drinks, A took me to a great restaurant: Irene's.

On the way to the restaurant I found a $10 bill.

We talked as if old friends, covering all the hot topics: family, lovers, work, career changes, movies, and of course E.

She knew where he would be after his tour.

We debated my feelings about him, the possible outcomes, what did I want to accomplish?

I felt I needed to see E, but I wasn't sure exactly why: would seeing him bring the closure I wanted and needed?

I wish A had given me a reading - or at least tell me that seeing E was only going to befuddle me more, even though that probably wouldn't have quenched my desire to contact him.

I did, however, gather more information about him from our interaction, and what his lifestyle is like, so that was good.

So, yes, we did go to the bar where he appears once tours are finished.

When he arrived, my eye searched for changes since our last visit:

He'd gained weight;

Smartly dressed, as always.

I was most certainly curious about two things:

was I still attracted to E?

if so, what was the attraction?

He was able to join us after a bit of chatting with "leftovers," from his tour.

E and A chit chatted, while I stared at him, waiting for him to address me.

Same handsome, chiseled, facial features.

E was the epitome of romance to me. He is like the guy on the cover of those cheap romance novels some women are known to purchase. Those men are attractive, even if they are on the cover of flirtatious books.

E was saying he made $160 last week on tours. He didn't think he'd be able to make his house payment this month. I gave him the $10 I found.

He responded, "My dad always said, 'if someone gives you money, you take it.'"

"Your dad's a smart man," I grinned at him.

"This deserves a hug," E and I embraced, "and a kiss."

He kissed me on the forehead - a true sign of a friendship.

I looked at A and winked.

She smiled, "An expensive hug."

E said his cell phone was turned off on Thursday, due to lack of payment.

E would not make eye contact with me as I stared at his face, memorizing every movement.

He didn't ask about the conference I was attending - the whole reason I was in NO - he didn't ask me anything. Not a good sign.

"I'm going to Yo Mama's, would you all like to join me?"

A's former bf owned that bar, so he asked A if she'd be comfortable going.

"Sure, no problem."

I mentioned how I was waiting for a call from friends from Dallas, who were joining me in NO, adding, "depends on who you are meeting there."

"My gf is supposed to be there, or here. She's not here, so she must be at Yo Mama's waiting."

"I don't know, E, that might be awkward."

"No, it won't be awkward. It's not like that."

I thought to myself,  'It's not like that'?? What did that mean?

I further expressed my concern, "For you it might not be awkward."

"C'mon, let's go. I bought a motorcycle. I could give you a ride on it."

I look at A. She gives me an "it's okay," nod.

So we walk to Yo Mama's and E shows us the motorcycle parked out front.

Upon arrival at the bar E grabs his things and prepares the bike for our ride.

Off to the side, I tell A, "He can't make his house payment, but he bought a bike?"

"What do you think of that?"

"Messed up."

"He's a guy. He likes his toys."

A continued, "Do you think you could live this lifestyle? Be in the French Quarter every night...put up with his attitude?"

I answered inside myself, "No."

E voiced concern for my miniskirt - might be an issue on the bike.

"It's fine, let's go."

He asked me to lean in with him when he made turns.

My arms wrapped around him tightly as he picked up speed in New Orleans, in the French Quarter.

The realization of where I was and what I was doing, relaxed me and I enjoyed the ride.

I was a teensy bit afraid - I wished I could remember how much he'd had to drink - and we weren't wearing helmets...LA has a "don't need a helmet" law - crazy.

When he sped up, I pleaded, "E, please don't go so fast." He'd slow down, only to accelerate again. It was a gorgeous night, a bit on the chilly side, but comfortable.

I wanted to say something to him during the ride, but where to begin?

Instead I remained quiet.

I did manage to ask him how he could afford a bike, but not pay his house payment.

"It's only a $120/mth," was the avoiding-the-question answer.

I asked him if AA had his truck, or if he had sold it. He still had it. No, she wasn't driving it.

It was at this moment I noted E could make this ride as long or as short as he liked; he was in total control.

Suddenly we were back at Yo Mama's.

The youth who were on E's tour, were also Yo Mama's bar, and one of the girls requested a bike ride.

E took her for a quick spin.

F, my friend from Big D, called and said she was in Baton Rouge. This was at 10:30 p.m. A and I guessed they'd probably be in the city in another hour.

We proceeded inside Yo Mama's and sat at a booth.

Again, A's thoughtfulness showed in her behavior: she quickly sat on one side, at the edge of the seat.

E stood standing, waiting, I guess, for me to sit next to him.

I was waiting for A to move over...

When she didn't, I remarked, "I thought you'd move over."

"No, I like being on the end."

So I scooted into the booth opposite A. E sat next to me.

He bought us a round of drinks, probably using the ten dollars I'd given him. I had a local beer (don't remember the name now), A had a coke, and E had a beer.

AA, E's gf, came in a little after our drinks were served.

I saw her and asked A if that was her.

"Yes, I think so."

AA went straight to E. I thought E would want to sit next to her and I almost got up, but A slid over, "Hey baby," she addressed AA, "sit down."

She's got dark hair (it didn't look natural), short, slightly chubby, and light complected.

She said she was of Russian descent. I didn't find her particularly attractive. She reminded me of my friend G, only uglier. (Again, pre-Christ value judgments.)

E introduced us.

E talked a lot about the evenings tour, and how much money he'd made.

Someone gave him $20. AA wanted to know if it was a girl; E said he didn't look at the person who gave it to him.

A also remarked on E's bike, and how maybe he should sell it to make his house payment. He gave her the same "schpeel" he gave me about the monthly payment being only a $120.

AA seemed relieved we were giving her bf a hard time about  the bike.

E, probably uncomfortable with where the conversation was heading, left us to gamble. Yet another poor money choice, but before leaving our table he told AA, "I have been faithful to you our whole relationship. I do flirt, however, that's part of the job, to get tips."

AA showed A her stained glass portfolio and gave her a business card. I noticed AA didn't make an attempt to show me her work. A was impressed with what she saw. AA then proceeded to tell us how unhappy she was: her hubby cheated on her and how he'd gotten the woman he'd cheated with pregnant.

I asked how she came to NO.

AA's face showed relief in sharing her story: she met her hubby in CT - she revealed she's Jewish - and he got a job in NO at Harrah's. Well, he had since gotten fired and now his new gf had a baby on the way. I asked if she ran in to him much. She said on occasion and usually for alimony checks, but how that too would soon end, since next month was the last payment.

She seemed very angry and unsure how to express it. "I feel bad that happened (I guess she was referring here to the fact her former hubby was now a papa?), but it's nothing like he did to me. It's just not fair. He wasn't really grown up and I took care of him. I kind of feel that way with E's cell phone getting cut off; he's not doing well financially. We have a dog, Xena. E loves German Shepherds and wants to breed them.. She's bleeding all over the place right now; I'm more of a cat person."

She asked if A and I lived alone. We both do. She wanted to know if the space stayed cleaner with just us living there. LOL

I asked her if she thought she'd get married again and she said no. Better off living together, get to know someone real well first. E sat at the bar at one point and watched us talk. Most of the time it seemed he was watching me, as I think it would be difficult to see AA's face from where he was seated.

Around 11:30 my Dallas friends still had not called. It was getting late for A.

The brief break in conversation made it easy for A and I to say we needed to go.

E and AA said they were leaving as well.

We told E we were leaving as he was heading to the restroom. A suggested waiting until he returned to say good-bye.

When E returned, we gave our farewells. I don't think E even looked at me. What a strange ending!

I didn't say anything to AA.

A and I talked, of course, about E and AA's relationship, which appeared to us as one of convenience. AA just seemed very unhappy and grumpy. Almost to the point of, once she had a bit more money, she'd be gone. They seemed like friends, roommates, really, that slept together.

E won't leave NO, A says.

I won't leave Dallas.

My last thoughts as we walked away from the bar were: E, say good-bye.

So here's what happened with my friends from Big D, who were supposed to meet me in the French Quarter.They called just as A and I were leaving Yo Mama's and said they were half an hour away - go figure - and that they'd call when they were at the hotel. I asked R not to call, as I was really tired, having been up early and out and about all day, but that didn't seem to matter to her, who called about five times.

I thought to myself, "Next thing you know, they'll call the hotel room."

And they did.

I laughed and fell asleep.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

10 a.m.

New Orleans

Cafe Du Mond

The shuttle Columbia exploded over North Central Texas this morning around 8 a.m. It was 200,000 ft in the air. It's mission was to perform some space experiments. Communication was lost, then the shuttle exploded. 6 Americans and 1 Israeli on board. I pray their souls went straight to God and for blessings on the families. Truly sad and quite shocking.

I dressed, packed, heard the broadcast about the explosion, and then saw the footage. I called Carlton. He had also just seen the shuttle coverage. He was on his way to meet a friend to go biking.

Sunday, around 1:30 or so in the afternoon, in the lobby of the hotel room:

A couple of professors from Spain were sitting next to me, waiting to go on a swamp tour - they were expecting their guide to pick them up soon. (I noticed they had bags from the conference I attended, so I asked what they did.and they said they gave Summer classes in Madrid for exchange student/teacher classes.) They asked me to speak for them to the hotel about their swamp tour, since they didn't speak English very well.

I noticed the concierge wasn't at her desk. When the concierge returned, the professors wanted to know if the guide was still going to take them on the tour, and, if so, where were they? The concierge called the company and confirmed that the tour had already done a pick-up at the hotel. The tour company didn't see anyone, so they left, and wouldn't be picking up anymore today.

The Madrid couple was furious! Was their money (a $30 deposit) going to be refunded? The concierge couldn't refund the money, she patiently explained, she just booked the tours, and didn't have anything to do with the company themselves.

The Madrid couple was even angrier at this information.

The concierge called the tour company and they sent someone to talk to the couple, via me. The person they sent apologized profusely, but couldn't refund the deposit. In order to bolster their argument, the Madrid couple pointed to the brochure where it said the pick up was from 1:15-1:45. (The 1:45 had an asterisk on it.) The couple continued explaining: they'd arrived at the hotel from a previous swamp tour at 1:25. They saw no one to pick them up, etc, so they thought they still had time. The tour guide told me to tell them that the asterisk meant between that time, not the exact time.

The person from the swamp tour reiterated how sorry he was about the confusion. They had 25 people going on the tour, so they didn't have time to ask/tell the front desk person anything. This just made the Madridians even more livid, especially when told they weren't going to be compensated (in the tour company's defense, the brochure states NO REFUNDS)

The couple was flying out later, so they couldn't enjoy any other tours.

As I gathered my things to depart for the airport, the Madrid Couple thanked me for helping them, and asked for my address in order to send me an application for their Summer classes. They excitedly promised to treat me well, if I ever vacationed in Madrid.

I hope you enjoyed this memory as much as I did writing and remembering it.

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa