NOV 27, 12 .. THE PARTY'S OVER IN NEW ORLEANS ..

The party’s over (here in New Orleans) and as the song says .. now it’s time to call it a day ..

Patti and I have pulled-this-trip-off .. with all of the planning and all of the anticipation and all of the attention to the many details a trip such as this trip requires and finally ..  HAVING THE GUTS-TO-DO this trip ..we actually got to New Orleans in Louisiana and we have experienced  an absolutely wonderful time here .. and in leaving tomorrow (Wednesday the 28^th) .. the two of us will  have enjoyed a full and a busy six days here .. sight-seeing and going to the football game last Sunday ..

Today we will wrap-it-up ..we need to do some shopping at Sam’s Club and back to Wal-Mart (yes even on vacation life-goes-on and we need things) .. then we will drive over the bridge to New Orleans proper and spend some more time in the French Quarter ..  we hope and plan to attend one more ‘meeting’ here in the city .. and then pack up to get an early start tomorrow morning and ..

Tomorrow we plan to HEAD FOR DALLAS – FORT WORTH TEXAS .. to see the Dallas Cowboys play the Philadelphia Eagles at Cowboy Stadium next Sunday .. December 2^nd (will  one of you reading along here PLEASE tell us) .. “Where does the time go ?” ..

Our weather has changed .. rain has come to New Orleans .. and the skies are dark .. but we enjoyed absolutely perfect weather through Sunday and .. for the football game with all of the tail-gating and pre-game partying .. the weather was absolutely PERFECT .. and for that we are grateful ..

OK .. short and I hope sweet .. this will do it for today .. Much Joy .. Patti and Cap ..

NOV 26, 12 .. FOOTBALL SUNDAY IN NEW ORLEANS .. PART II ..

E E E  -  YOW  -  E E E  .. 

The game and the day and the event are over .. and history ..

As I write this .. it is Monday the 26th of November 2012 .. and the game has happened ! So here we go ..

Let me begin with this .. Charles R. Swindoll .. wrote a wonderful writing about .. ATTITUDE .. one I have incorporated into my daily life .. ATTITUDE is 90% of life and life’s happening are 10% .. with this in mind .. let’s go forth ..

How does one describe the PERFECT DAY AT A SPORTING EVENT .. well .. a good way to start is to have a very realistic definition and to have very realistic expectations of what a PERFECT DAY AT THE SPORTING EVENT will consist of .. your PERFECT DAY MAY WELL FALL FAR SHORT OF AN UNREALISTIC EXPECTATION OF PERFECTION !

Will there be traffic ? ..  YES .. there will be traffic !  ..  unless it is a NOTHING EVENT with few to no one else in attendance .. you and one other car in a 100-acre parking lot ..

Will there be a LOT of traffic ? ..  OH YES .. there will be a LOT of traffic ! .. especially if the sporting event is on the front page of the national sporting event news .. this game was ‘hyped’ in advance by the national sporting press !

SO EXPECT YOUR PERFECT SPORTING EVENT TO HAVE A TRAFFIC JAM .. ENTERING  AND EXITING ..

THERE IS A SOLUTON TO THIS TRAFFIC .. go early .. GO VERY EARLY .. leave late .. LEAVE VERY LATE .. sit in your seat until the stadium is basically empty .. then sit in your car until there are few to no other cars in the parking area .. BUT EVEN THEN .. sooner or later .. you will encounter the TRAFFIC JAM .. so live with it .. turn on the car radio and listen to the post game analysis and enjoy the fact you are mentally and you are physically able to get up and go to the venue and to the event ..

Will it cost a you a lot of your hard-earned-money to park ? .. is Thirty Five ($35) Buckaroos (cash no credit cards thank you) a lot ? .. NO .. it is NOT a lot WHEN YOU EXPECT IT !

Will ‘snacks’ cost a lot at the ‘snack’ stand ? .. NO .. not when you KNOW a pint (or a 12oz) bottle of drinking water will cost you Four ($4) Buckaroos each .. NO .. not when you KNOW a hot dog will cost you Seven Fifty ($7.50) each BUT you get a free napkin and mustard .. NO .. not when you KNOW the gourmet treat (Shrimp Creole) will cost you Nine ($9) Buckaroos each small bowl ..   

Will there be the one-single- stupid-idiot- son-of-a-gun who will seemingly be unable to sit and to stay seated .. and so he .. and so SHE .. will have to obsessively and compulsively and constantly stand up and then turn away from the playing field and exhort all behind him or HER to join him or HER in standing up .. see when he or SHE stands up .. the person behind him or her MUST also stand up to see the event .. and it is a domino effect .. and YES you will hear some (naughty) off-color language from him and even from HER .. so EXPECT IT .. and incorporate it into your PERFECT day ..

SO EXPECT THIS PHENOMENON .. MAKE IT PART OF THE PERFECT SPORTING EVENT .. ADJUST YOUR ATTITUDE TO THINK .. OH GOLLY GEE .. LOOK AT THE EXERCISE I  AM GETTING ..

The down-side is when one is physically unable to constantly stand and sit and stand and sit again .. Patti fits this mold ..

Then there WILL BE NOISE ! .. there was a lot of noise .. in fact .. at age 76 years .. I have never ever heard noise like we heard at this game .. it was positively deafening .. Patti and I could not hear one another when a third down play by the San Franisco 49rs was about to transpire .. 

ALL OF THE ABOVE ARE ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED TO CONSTITUTE A PERFECT SPORTING EVENT !

YOU GO TO YOUR PERFECT SPORTING EVENT KNOWING THE ABOVE WILL EXIST !

THE ABOVE (and more) ARE THE RESONS  WHY MOST OF THE CASUAL SPORTING FANS WILL NEVER GO TO THE VENUE ..

The word ‘fan’ comes from the word ‘fanatic’ and we REAL FANS are indeed fanatic .. and we LOVE ALL OF THE ABOVE ACTION FROM THE TOP OF OUR HEADS TO THE TIPS OF OUR TOES ..

OK .. to begin with .. the weather was absolutely wonderful .. sunny and a mild 60 degrees warm ..  

So Patti and I went early .. the kick-off was scheduled for 3:25PM ..and it WAS PRECISELY AT 3:25PM .. we were at the Super Dome about 10:20AM .. little to no traffic .. we were second into the handi-capped parking lot we entered about 10:40AM .. it took 20 minutes because we parked by the ticket office so I could be positive our tickets (bought on-line) were good-to-go .. and I could verify where we would be parking ..

AND THE PRE-GAME TAILGATING (even in the handi-capped parking lot!) WAS AN ABSOLUTE .. NOISEY .. HOOT AND HOLLER .. SMELL THE COOKING AND SEE THE DRINKING ALCOHOL .. GET IT ON YOU NEW ORLEANS SAINTS FANS .. EVENT .. IT WAS GIDDY AND IT WAS FUN .. and as I just wrote above .. the weather was phenomenal .. sunny and low 60s .. yes .. PERFECT ..

SO THE PRE-GAME TAILGATING PARTY WAS .. PERFECT !

And our car parking was about 200 feet from our Entry Gate B .. PERFECT ..

And our seating .. Section Number 610 was right where we entered .. after our elevator ride up to the top of the Super Dome .. our seats numbered 14 and 15 were in the center so no one had to wedge between us getting to their seats ..

And each .. and every single person .. paid attendant or volunteer attendant .. was oh-so-courteous to Patti and to myself .. they escorted us around like .. well like we were ‘someone special’ ..

And our seat-mates .. in front of us .. beside us .. behind us .. were the best .. the stand-up-idiot was about ten rows down below and to our left so we were minimally affected by the standing and sitting and standing and sitting phenomenon .. affected yes but minimally .. PERFECT ..

Patti and I were dressed .. from shoulder down to footwear .. in .. New Orleans Saints BLACK .. so we fit right in .. we were welcomed as ‘New Orleans Saints Rooters’ ..

After the game was over ..  we sat in our seats until the Super Dome was basically empty .. our car was one of two or three still in the parking lot .. and .. YES .. we did catch up to the POST GAME TRAFFIC JAM .. and YES WE LISTENED ON THE RADIO TO ESPN AND LOCAL SPORTS TALK RADIO ..

AND WHAT ELSE .. OH YES .. I NEARLY FORGOT .. WHAT ABOUT THE GAME ITSELF ?

THE GAME WAS GREAT ..

‘OUR’ San Francisco 49ers won BUT the New Orleans Saints were in-the-game almost all the way ..’Our’ Niners scored first on their second possession .. Niners 7 – 0 Saints .. then the Saints scored .. Niners 7 – 7 Saints .. end of the 1^st Quarter .. then the Saints scored again .. Niners 7 - 14 Saints .. then the Niners tied it up .. Niners 14 – 14 Saints at half-time ..

Half-time was just wonderful .. bands and high school children and all kinds of activities .. FUN !

In the second half the Niners took-control .. a long passing play .. Niners 21 – 14 Saints .. a Niner ‘Pick-Six’ and it was Niners 28 – 14 Saints .. the Saints came back .. Niners 28 -21 Saints at the end of the 3^rd Quarter .. a Niner Field Goal made it  Niners 31 – 21 Saints .. and that was the final score ..

San Francisco 49ers  31 – 21  New Orleans Saints ..

We got home safe and sound and watched some (guess what?) football on television here at Motel 6  .. Green Bay Packers at the New York (Football) Giants .. the Giants blew the Packers OUT at 38 – 10 ! ..

I crashed at 10PM .. Patti read until 1AM ..

THIS WAS A PERFECT DAY .. THIS WAS A DAY THAT WAS AS-GOOD-AS-IT-CAN-POSSIBLY-GET ..

And we are so blessed .. Much Joy and Much Love from Patti and Cap in New Orleans ..

NOV 25, 12 .. FOOTBALL SUNDAY IN NEW ORLEANS .. PART I ..

Today it is Sunday .. the 25th of November 2012 .. and Patti and I are going to attend the National Football League game at the New Orleans Super Dome .. the local team .. the New Orleans Saints .. are going to play the San Francisco 49ers .. and we can hardly wait ..

We have spent parts of the past several days here in New Orleans figuring out how to do this .. how to get to the Super Dome .. and where and how to park .. so we will leave EXTREMELY  EARLY allowing ourselves about six hours to get to the Super Dome .. get parked and into our seats ..

So .. more later .. when this day has become history and I will update this post at that time ..

Much Joy from Patti and I ..

NOV 24, 12 .. FRIDAY IN NEW ORLEANS ..

WOW .. we (Patti and I) are rocking in New Orleans ..

On Friday .. we ate our first meal in the famous section of New Orleans called the French Quarter .. it was phenomenal .. The Old Coffee Pot Restaurant at 714 St Peter Street that dates back to the late 1800s .. a late lunch from about 1:30PM to 3PM ..

Then we went street walking and music listening .. WHEW  .. live and alive and in person .. THE HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN .. and a large crowd around the band right out on Royal Street at St Peter Street ..

Patti took a ride in a bicycle rickshaw while I went to cancel a reservation we had made earlier at K-Paul’s Lousiana Kitchen ..

Then an in-person visit to the Will Call Office at the Super Dome and we ARE SET .. our tickets are good-to-go and we know how and where to park ..

FOR ?

TOMORROW ?

Live and alive at the World Famous New Orleans SUPER  DOME .. the New Orleans Saints host the San Francisco 49ers ..

That settled .. we slowly motored quite a distance out St. Charles Avenue to the 6200 block and attended a great .. 5:30PM .. meeting ..

THEN ?

 BACK TO THE FRENCH QUARTER for Friday Night in the Quarter .. whatta scene ..

THEN ?

Home to our Motel 6 in Harvey across the Mississippi River from New Orleans proper ..

TODAY .. more of the above .. with Notre Dame at Southern Cal on TV this evening ..

TOMORROW ? .. allow me .. humor me .. to repeat myself ..

Sunday the 25^th of November 2012 .. Patti and I will sit .. live and alive in person .. at the World Famous New Orleans SUPER  DOME .. and Patti and I will see the New Orleans Saints host the San Francisco 49ers ..

Thanks so much for your interest in ‘our doings’  .. with love .. Patti and Cap .. and all of the Traveling-Bobbseys (of course) ..

NOV 23, 12 .. SIGNS IN THE FRENCH QUARTER ..

THANKSGIVING DAY in New Orleans found Patti and I resting from the 23-hour day of driving here from Cincinnati .. doing a little shopping (gasoline at the local Wal-Mart is $2.99 per gallon !) .. going into New Orleans proper .. and then watching all or parts of three NFL Football Games ..

New Orleans is pretty much defined by the part of the city known as The French Quarter .. so yesterday Patti and I spent several hours in the afternoon  exploring .. slowly driving NOT walking .. the French Quarter .. driving East to West and North to South .. very methodically  criss-crossing the French Quarter ..the streets are all one-way .. just enjoying the ambiance of this most unique section of New Orleans ..

We are staying South of New Orleans across the Mississippi River in the city of Harvey .. the drive into New Orleans from Harvey takes about fifteen minutes on an expressway .. and we exit onto Camp Street very close to both the French Quarter and the Super Dome where we will see the New Orleans Saints play the San Francisco 49ers this coming Sunday the 25^th of November ..

In addition to our time in the French Quarter .. we carefully explored the Super Dome to find where we will park on Sunday .. and to just get familiar with the area around the Super Dome .. most of the parking .. it appears to me .. is under the Super Dome ..

Now (taa-daa !) to the most interesting thing that struck me as the two of us were exploring the French Quarter ..

Next February 3^rd .. the NFL Super Bowl will be played here in New Orleans at the Super Dome ..

AND ..

As we were slowly driving in the French Quarter .. we saw the following signs prominently posted along the streets . .

ARE YOU READY ..

RENT YOUR HOME FOR THE SUPER BOWL FOR UP TO $10,000 PER DAY ..

I mean I know New Orleans IS PRICEY .. but ten thousand dollars a day to rent your home .. c’mon ..