Mardi Gras w/ Michalopoulos

Spent a good amount of time this Mardi Gras with the renowned artist James Michalopoulos. he let us use his warehouse to assemble and park The Gypsy Wagon and he & his girlfriend, Reese were ABSURDLY generous with their hospitality. I've always been a fan, but having met him through Bethany & Gano last Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest and now - I have an even higher opinion.

As we left him for the last time, he even gave Gano & I a bottle of his New Orleans Rum - an excellent parting gift. Overwhelming generosity to a ridiculous degree... Happy Mardi Gras indeed, James & Reese - we are very grateful.

Lee-vil The Great

Lee-vil The Great
Originally uploaded by Guzilla.

Part of my Mardi Gras Costume, courtesy of Bethany, the costume mistress...

Our Mardi Gras float

Our Mardi Gras float
Originally uploaded by Guzilla.

Gano & I just finished assembling our Mardi Gras "float" in Michalopoulos' warehouse. It is unbelievable. Can't wait for tomorrow!!! Bethany is at home working costume magic...

Me & Gano

Me & Gano
Originally uploaded by Guzilla.

Chevalier de la Louisiane

Chevalier de la Louisiane
Originally uploaded by Guzilla.

Gano & Chloe - Mardi Gras

Gano & Chloe - Mardi Gras
Originally uploaded by Guzilla.

In Uptown Costume on Magazine Street. Making an impulse purchase...

Mardi Gras time!

Mardi Gras time!
Originally uploaded by Guzilla.

At the Thoth parade.

Mardi Gras Time!

Out of the mouths of babes... I think Chloe says it best... Mardi Gras Time! I have to go to New Orleans on business with Gano, so we have scheduled our trip to include Mardi Gras despite the recent flood of bad news & murders coming out of New Orleans, with 9 people shot yesterday alone.

Don't know what to do about all of the heartbreak coming out of New Orleans, but that's a subject for a later post. Right now, I am extremely giddy to be heading back down there. It's been a very demanding start to the New Year - work is extremely demanding and there have been some hits to some of the people in our inner circle of late. So looking forward to New Orleans to give the boost it always does. After all... Chloe? What time is it?

Valentine's Day Cancelled

Valentine's Day was cancelled due to inclement weather. The storm that hit the Northeast also nailed our plans to attend a dinner dance at the U. Club. However, we made due when The Wife came home (shown above in her Tom Landry hat), sat on the couch, had ham sandwiches for dinner and watched her two favorite TV shows: "Lost" & "Law & Order: SVU." Then I worked very late, into the wee hours... Who says romance is dead?

Anna Nicole, Joan Rivers & Me

I make an appearance on Joan Rivers' blog after sending her lyrics for Elton John's "Candle in the Wind" that I reworked for Anna Nicole Smith. Apparently she enjoyed them...

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9th, 2007
Lines From a Poem for Anna Nicole Smith

My friend Lee has just sent me a poem that he composed in honor of Anna Nicole Smith’s death and I’d like to share my two favorite lines:

“And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a hot, then fat, then hot again candle in the wind”

POSTED BY JOAN AT 8:20 AM

The picture above was from the Summer, when she sent a limo up from Atlantic City to our shore house in Mantoloking, NJ to pick us up, take us to her show at the Tropicana, and then bring us back. A fun night, and this was backstage in her dressing room. God bless her...

NOBB Victorious!

A much-needed victory for the NOBB! We beat Team Meatball in our bocce league on Saturday. They took the first game, we won the second, and then we DOMINATED them in the final game, winning in unheard of decisive fashion 9-0. And they didn't take it very well either - they were extremely angry about it. Charity was the MVP as she made several well-placed shots to win the second and final games. And Bailey was an All-Star delivering us these team shirts. The NOBB is on the move! A force to be reckoned with in the bocce world...

Veni, Vedi, Vici... Bocce.

The Polish Cannon Plays Bocce

Friday night, went to see Galactic by myself at Irving Plaza but bumped into friends. Incredible show. They did a version of Zeppelin's "Kashmir" that was off the charts. You could hear the lyrics in the saxophone. Then met Magoo & Mark out at a few Irish bars.

On Saturday Matt & I trekked out to Union Hall in Brooklyn to play in our competitive bocce league on our team NOBB ("The Nellie Olsen Bocce Bang") that Bailey & Mercedes organized. Played pretty well but not enough to win overall. We lost the first game by a narrow margin, won the second and just barely got edged out in the third and final game. I must say I was most impressed with Mercedes bocce-ing with baby Cole in a sling wrapped around her. Well done. Photos here.

Met Brian R. & JD for dinner at Old Town Bar, followed by a night of dreadful trendy bars. Fun enough, ending in karaoke.

Sunday watched the Super Bowl at the U. Club with Matt & Sean. Started out as a pretty dramatic game, but inevitably the Colts proved too tough. Who cares.

Fall 1993

Got back to the ship and went to shower and get ready for our dinner to celebrate our last night onboard. Went to the pool bar to wait for The Gang and then down to dinner where we saw Henry, our bartender from Fall 1993 - still with the program. God bless him...

Went to the auction / slide show & bid on (and won) a "SAS Reunion Staff" t-shirt and a Semester at Sea charger plate. Apparently I got a good deal as, after the slide show, they did another lot of those items and they went for $200.

Went up to the Faculty Lounge and saw Captain Jeremy and Janet from Seminar at Sea. The lounge got packed and we sat with Zomchek during karaoke. Charity & Teeny did "Wanted Dead or Alive" and then Charity did "These Boots Are Made For Walking" to great applause. Then I closed it down with "Born to be Wild" and got everyone yelling "Semester at Sea!" in a call and response. Great fun.

Went to our cabin and fell asleep watching the ocean out the window...

A fantastic trip. So great to see everyone and we had a blast. Can't wait for the next one. More photos are here, and I have another set from Atlantis here.

Also, Teeny sent pictures which are here, as did Di located here. So great...

Rats!

On the way back to the port, Teeny wanted to run to buy cigarettes, dragging us all along with her. On the walk, a rat ran in front of Deirdre and she screamed. Loudly. Some taxi drivers saw and laughed. At the end of a weird alley, we found a liquor store that sold cigarettes and Kaliks. Everyone started yelling "Kalik, Kalik, Kalik!"

On the return trip, the taxi drivers offered to take photos of us right where the rats were. As we were taking this photo 2 rats squealed and ran out of a dumpster, prompting us all to shout and laugh.

Flying Fish Fountain

Deirdre & Teeny hopped in the fountain for some photos. Security came over but he just laughed...

Charity & a Kalik

among her many talents, The Wife can balance a Kalik beer can on her head. for some time...

Strong Coconuts

We left Bimini Road as the weather cleared and were going to go to The Ocean Club (featured in the most recent Bond film "Casino Royale") but grew indecisive as the Front Desk at Atlantis said we wouldn't be able to get full access. So we (literally) flipped a coin in the lobby which turned up heads, meaning we would stay at Atlantis and go to the beach as the weather had turned nice.

Went to the beach and ordered coladas in coconuts. He said, "Mild, Medium or Strong?" Unanimously, we ordered the Strong. Yes, yes they were...

Water was slightly too cold to swim, although Teeny did. Then, fueled by coconut courage, we returned to the water slides and got a few more runs in before they closed down. Although Charity & Deirdre walked back via a different route over a rope bridge and bumped into Kieran & Cheryl - 2 friends from New York!

Marina Village

Walked by some great yachts on our way to the Marina Village with Di & Kevin. Sat outside at a restaurant called "Bimini Road" at about 1:30. A torrential downpour moved in so we went inside and sat at the bar. Ordered some very good chicken wings with a spicy jerk sauce and a seafood sampler that included a conch salad, crab wraps, and lobster. Drank mojitos while Charity had her normal vodka & soda until Teeny & Deirdre returned from quite the shopping spree.

The Mayan Water Slides

wow... Rode down the water slides. There are 3 different ones including:

1. The "Serpent Slide" - you get on one or two person inflatable tubes and go careening down a tube which ends up going through a plastic tunnel through a shark-filled lagoon so you float by as sharks cruise right next to you.

2. The "Challenger Slides" - two side by side slides with red / green stop / go lights and a timing clock so you can race another person down. I crushed Teeny. P=MV

and then...

3. The "Leap of Faith" - a 60 foot drop STRAIGHT DOWN (pictured) with another run-out through the shark-filled lagoon that kicks you out into a splash pool. I was moving so quickly that I went nearly all the way across the splash pool - so much speed!

Predator Lagoon

We met everyone by the pool and then Charity & I strolled around and checked out the Predator Lagoon. Very cool... Saw sharks (including a hammerhead), rays,and a sawfish. Wild stuff... Atlantis is SPRAWLING! Took a bunch of photos & then went to meet everyone by the slides...