Firsts ... in NO

I have made many, many trips to NO (over 20 in the past 7 years), but on my last trip I still did some "firsts."

On Wednesday, I gave my first disaster tour. This consists of riding in a van with people who are volunteering in the city in some capacity (this was a group from Alabama that was volunteering at Carver Center that week), and showing them the destruction caused by Katrina. I have ridden along on so many of the disaster tours in the past that I was able to conduct the tour in one of the two vans that went along.

I learned where Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's house in the Quarter is. It is only a block from the Market. They were not there (I guess Angelina is having twins in Italy or somewhere), and you can tell because when they are there, a guard is posted out front. Now I know where the Manning house, the Real World house, and the Jolie/Pitt house are located since those are probably some of the ones people ask about most.

I learned where the restaurant that President Bush goes to when he is in town is located. I had always wondered, and we actually found it by accident as I was looking for a place to u-turn.

I had my first Pralines and Cream snowball. I love snowballs, but had not tried the Pralines and Cream flavor.

I had my first Gold Peak Sweet Tea on tap at Popeyes!!!! Gold Peak is perhaps my favorite sweet tea in the world and I was beyond excited to find it on tap. Weird things make me happy.

I sat through my first NO criminal trial. Interesting. In addition, I visited the probation office for the first (and hopefully last) time. Also interesting (and boring).

I drove on 610. I don't think I have ever driven on it before. I have now. Twice.

I was in my first NO fender bender (although it did not bend my fender or even scratch it). Pretty entertaining. My second NO fender bender (also without any damage to my car) happened the next day while I was not in the car, but standing by watching.

I met Thaddeus Gervais for the first time. I have already written a post about that though.

I met Coy's grandparents for the first time. I have talked to his grandmother on the phone before and have heard about them for years, but finally met them. I fell in love with their house. I want their hardwood floors. Mine are horrible compared to their floors.

My other firsts also pretty much include meeting people. Oh, one last first. I heard the Lil Wayne new release song on the radio for the first time. And second. And third. And fourth. And fifth. And sixth. And seventh. And eighth. And ninth. And tenth. And eleventh. I think I was about as thrilled as you, the reader is reading all of that. :)