I am trying to keep my certification to be a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist. So, when I was looking at how many hours I had already for re-licensure, and how many I still had left to get, I kind of panicked! I told Frank I really needed to focus on getting those hours completed by going to a conference of some-sort, possibly the national convention for speech-language pathologists--in New Orleans! So, in early October, I registered, got my plane ticket, and booked a hotel. My mom was so worried about me going by myself (which is funny because she let me go to London with 2 other cheerleaders by ourselves and a national cheer group when I was a senior in high school!) Frank couldn't come with me, because we didn't have anyone who could watch our kids for us, so I put it on my facebook post to see if I would get any responses. I did! One from my first cousin Amber, and one from my dear friend and college roommate Katy Mitarai. When letting them know what my schedule would be like, Amber thought it would be best for us to get together at a later time, because her schedule would only allow her to come on the weekend, and I was going to be headed back to Utah on Sunday morning. So, Katy flew in the morning after I did, and it was 3 days full of great catching-up!
However, before I get to that fun, let me tell you how adventurous the getting there part was! My flight left on Wed., Nov 18th, at 10:00 a.m. So, Frank drove me up with Kennedy and Maleah, and I go to the airport around 8:35. I did Sky Cap check-in, as I was making sure I didn't leave anyghitn in the front seat, I noticed a cell phone on the console between the seats, and thought, "Oh, my cell phone fell out of my purse." So, I picked it up and popped in it my purse. Going through security was a breeze because they had both check stations and 4 x-ray lines running. I was through within 5 minutes. I stopped and grabbed me a bagel and juice, and a magazine, and walked to my gate and found a seat. As I was sitting there, I noticed my phone in my purse was vibrating, so I opened my purse, and realized something...it wasn't my cell phone, it was Frank's! Oh no!!! We didn't have a home phone line set up yet at our new house, we were using our cell phones as our only means of calling. Plus, Frank was going to be home with the kids while I was gone, and his secretary wouldn't have a way of getting in touch with him, except for email, plus, it was his secretary calling him on his phone already with questions!
Frank's brother Mike was living with us, but I hadn't put his number into my new cell phone yet. So, I called info to get Frank's parents' phone number, but no one answered. I called info again to get Frank's sister's number in North Carolina, and she gave me Mike's number. I then called Mike to let him know what had happened, and that I'd try to get my brother Brighton to pick it up at the airport from me and take it to Frank (Brighton lives about 15 minutes from the airport.) So I called Brighton, he hadn't left for class yet, and he said to see if there was a lost and found I could place it in, or take it to security or something so I wouldn't have to go back through security. I went to the gate check-in desk, and told the woman there about the situation. She started laughing and said it was my choice of whether to leave the gate and give the phone to Brighton, but that they wouldn't hold the plane. So I ran back up to security and asked if there was some way I could put it in an envelope and give it to someone there. They said my brother could park and come in to the airport and I could pass it to him in front of the security guards. However, when I called Brighton back, he didn't want to park and come in the airport. So, I exited the airport and waited for Brighton by Sky Cap.
When he arrived, it was 9:40. I thanked him and gave him a big hug! And then went back inside, and found the longest line for security! They had narrowed it down to 2 scanners, and 1 ticket/i.d. check booth! Oh great! Plus, there were three elderly people in front of me in wheel chairs, waiting with their families. I finally got through security check, and it was 9:55. Right as I was running up the escalators, I heard my name being paged to head to my gate for final boarding. Well, I ran as fast as I could, I was all the way down in B38!! When I turned the corner in my gate area, the flight attendant was kicking up the door stop, I yelled, "I made it! Wait! I'm coming!" She turned around with a smile on her face and said, "We've been waiting for you, glad you made it!" I have never been happier in my life to hear those words!!!
I then flew to Denver, switched planes and had a lay-over, and then was delayed. I flew from Denver to Dallas. I didn't have to switch planes, I was on a continuing leg into New Orleans. However, because our flight had been delayed, the flight attendants would not let those who were on continuing on, leave the plane, as to board the oncoming passengers as quickly as possible! When I arrived in New Orleans, it was 6:30. I waited in line to purchase a shuttle ticket to my hotel, and then upon exiting the airport to go catch the shuttle, I saw a line of about 400 people doing the same thing (it was the largest attended conference with over 18,000!) So I got in one line, and then a worker came through and asked to see every one's ticket. Upon seeing my hotel, she moved me to a different line, and I waited there for about 30 min., and then was switched again to another line, and waited for another 30 minutes, and then again! After the 3rd switch, I asked a fellow SLP in front of me how long she had been waiting, and she said 3 hours! I asked if she wanted to split a cab instead, she wanted too, and found one of her friends in another line. We hailed a cab, and set off on our way to our hotels.
I was going to be staying at the Parc St. Charles, which was listed on the Fine Hotels Registry of New Orleans. I picked this hotel because it looked fabulous online, and had a restaurant, which I needed since I would be eating dinner alone for two of the nights during my stay, and didn't really feel like venturing out on my own at night to find places to eat. However, upon check-in, there was an open sports bar just to the left of the check-in desk, which made the lobby wreak with smoke! I also noticed the restaurant was not open, and upon asking about it, I was told by Carlotta (the front desk manager--and I only remember her name because it was tattooed across her cleavage!) that it was open, just not during the off season for dinner, and I happened to be visiting during the off season.
I got my key, the elevator was awful, the hallway on my floor was really dark and there were bleach stains throughout the carpet up and down the hallway, like someone was trying to cover up the remnants of a crime scene. I had to kick my door to my room open with my foot because the wooden door wasn't on straight. I looked around the room and noticed holes all through-out the bedspreads, the wall-paper was curling up at all the seams, the paint was chipping off the built-it drawer and shelving unit, and again...bleached spot all over the carpet! I immediately called Katy, and told her of the situation, I gave her my cc# and she found another hotel for us on hotwire.com that was a 5-star for only $87/night. We booked it, I went back downstairs and went to check-out. Carlotta was surprised, but said she understood (like she knew she worked in a crappy place that was wrongfully listed on the Fine Hotels Registry!)
I got a cab and drove just 3 blocks down the street to a famous, early New Orleans Hotel
Le Pavillion! Oh, it was heaven! They had a door-man who bowed and showed me through the door, and inside were towering marble pillars, marble floors, hand woven carpets, plush velvet couches, and a fine dining restaurant with smells of fresh cooked meals! I checked-in, and made my way to my room! Each floor had a hand-painted mural of flowers or cherubs or quaint villages painted on them. The doors of the elevators were gold leafed! Inside the room, was a vaulted ceiling, a turned down bed service with chocolate, and plush robes in the closet. The bathroom vanity and tub were so ornate with carved marble! There were even little glass apothecary jars with cotton balls, q-tips, and bath salts. And, now I know why they call it "The Big Easy"...it's 'easy' to get all sorts of surprises!
I thought it might just be a rolled-up sage packet ot make the botton balls smell good, but when I smelled it, it definitely wasn't sage or lavender!!! I have a picture of it in my hand right before I flushed it down the toilet, but didn't want to have something questionable on my open blog! Anyway, if you know me, I am terrified of spooky things...like ghosts! I knew that New Orleans was one of the most haunted cities in the country, and I specifically hadn't originally reserved a room in a historic hotel for that purpose. SO, needless to say, I didn't sleep well when I was by myself my first and last nights there, but when Katy was there, I slept fine.
"Heaven, I'm in heaven!"
I took a cab the first morning to the Conference center, it wasn't too far, but I was too tired to walk 1.2 miles at 7 in the morning! So I picked up my registration packet, and attended a full day's worth of sessions. I thought I would take the conference sponsored free shuttle to a conference sponsored hotel about 5 blocks from mine. However, upon walking down a street by myself at 6 pm, I only got about 2 blocks and realized I was in a safe area! So, I turned around and went back to the drop-off site, and got a cab back to my hotel. That might I went ot a famous NOLA resturaunt called Bon Ton, and had crawdad Etouffe'. I'm not really a seafood person, but I obliged the waitress when she said if I were never to come again, I'd just have to have the etouffe'. Well, maybe she thought the etouffe was something different, because...it was awful!!! It was so bad that I was dumping about a 1/2 tsp of Tabasco sauce on each forkful of food, and I really, really don't' like Tabasco sauce! However, I must say the bread pudding was absolutely wonderful!!!
On Friday I went to conferences again,(and walked the entire way, but left a little early so I could do some site-seeing with Katy. We went to the Garden District, which I think we were dropped off in the wrong section by our cabby because, although we saw some beautiful homes, there wasn't much shopping, like our little handout said. WE then took a cab over to the French Quarter, and walked around and shopped. I found this little shop that sold parasols and pirate hats, so I bought a parasol for Kennedy and pirate hats for the boys. I also loved the shop Forever New Orleans. Katy and I had a much better dinner at an Italian place...fantastic food! And of course both nights we stayed up late having some very good girl talk!
(A home in the Garden District)
Frech Quarter
Saturday morning, we went to Mama's for breakfast, which again, I wasn't too impressed, but it's quite the spot for famous people to stop in. I had an egg with biscuit, and for some reason I thought it would be like an egg biscuit from McDonald's, but it was a very dry, very crumbly biscuit, with very wet, flavorless eggs on the side. Then Katy needed to leave to catch her plane, and I needed to get to conferences! The conferences the last day weren't that great, so I bailed on the afternoon sessions, and went on a plantation tour. The only one offered in the afternoon was to the Nottaway Plantation 1 1/2 hrs north of New Orleans. So after the drive, we were only at the plantation about 1 hour before driving back to New Orleans. It was worth it though!
My dear friend and college roommate, Katy Mitarai
The beautiful Nottaway Mansion
View from the front of the house
Me on the second floor veranda balcony with the Mighty Mississippi in the background!
I then had dinner by myself, and I mean MYSELF (no one else was in the hotel restaurant!) The waiter was really nice and kept bringing me little 'extras' through out my meal. Maybe they thought I was too skinny, and needed to empty the week's leftovers? Anyway, it was nice, then I went back to my room, packed, and tried to sleep (not very well.. you know..ghosts? Plus it didn't help that as I was flipping through channels, the Ghost Hunters program was doing a special on the plantation I was just at!) Then I got up early Sunday morning, and caught my plane home back to Utah and my dear sweet family! People have asked me how I like NOLA. Well, to be honest, if it weren't for my dear friend who joined me, I wouldn't have liked it at all. As a petite blonde caucasian, I didn't feel safe, it's expensive (9.5% sales tax), it's dirty, and you have to tip for everything!!! However, for the most part the people are very nice! In fact on the night I tried to walk the 5 blocks back to my hotel, my cab driver kept resetting his fare meter since I was lost and had blisters...so nice! But, it's not a place I go vacationing to with my family any time soon! But on the upside, I earned 19 hours toward my re-licensure, and that's what I went there for!
