Last Minute Bore

This will only be interesting to my mom and my sister. All others have been warned.

Painting the fireplace dark charcoal

Cabrini Dog Park Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

New Mirror in the bedroom, also painting this fireplace dark charcoal

New kitchen table and chair, more chairs as I find them

And last but most importantly, the new bar, cookbook, and chopping block stand

THe Perfect Ending to the Year

I almost died Monday morning. . . . maybe I exaggerate. On Sunday evening I drank some yummy Uncle Carrie Hot Toddy's, made with freshly grown oranges, Meyers Rum, lemon, and local honey topped with a nice cinnamon stick because I was feeling a cold approaching. But that did nothing for me when I woke at 430 to go duck hunting, sorry CH. I didn't make it out to the blind in Kaplan since I woke feeling dead. I had a terrible fever and spent most of the day unconscious with Geogia snuggling up next to me on my grandmothers couch. I tried to work which resulted in writing I want no part of. My mom said I came in and out of sleep on the couch talkin out my head during the Saints game. I did however wake with 3 minutes left to the game. Clearheadedly (is that a word? and am I ever?) watching Brees break Marino's record. So at least I didn't miss that.

Tuesday was a little better, but I forced myself to drive 2.5 hours sneezing and trying to make the feeling in my left ear come back. I drove home from New Iberia and then gargled salt water. Disgusting. But my ear is finally kind of starting to feel like its normal size. Today was much better. I could actually sit up for more than a couple hours at a time.

This morning when Georgia was barking at something outside while I had her tied to the front porch, I spoke with my neighbor from across the street who asked, "you went and ate wit ya people out dere, yeah?" Yes, I ate with my people this weekend.

It's almost perfect that I'm ending the year scrambling to finish a report while feeling terribly sick and missing out on some potential vacation time. My biggest motivation to getting this all finished is that when I do I can start the costume making.

BTW, I just learned about the Death Clock. It says the day I will die is May 3, 2079. That's fucking old. But if I smoke it will only shorten my life by two years, August 7, 2077. It's totally worth it to smoke. I really don't want to live that long. I'm hoping for mid-50's, tops. But if I become a pessimist, I can shorten my life by 50 years! This is all good to know.

Quite a strange year, in fact the past two years have been quite an adventure. Not exactly what I had in mind when I first quite my job in 2009, bought a one way ticket to Europe and realized I may need some money to stuff my face and pollute my liver once I arrived. I didn't really have a plan and I'm not sure I do now two years later. But after ten years of almost constant travel, I do feel a little more settled. I even bought a kitchen table and have my eye on a couch. I may even paint a wall in this place.

Maybe I don't know any of the big answers to my life any more clearly but I know that I'm going to keep my christmas tree up until February and make it a Mardi Gras tree. I know that I'm going to finish building a Krewe de Lune costume in the next month. I know I'm going to Chicago to celebrate my birthday with a good friend on January 19. And I know that I will not be moving anytime soon. That's good enough for me right now. Besides since when do I ever take the easy path, the bumpier the better I say!

True Love

I think I can have true love with a city. . . .

Bon fires on Christmas eve

Drive by artist helps eradicate neighborhood blight

Where Should I live in 2050?

I'm doing some research into oil industry subsidies and I just found the most depressing interview I've ever read about the state of Louisiana. Seriously, you need a bottle of wine sitting very close by if you choose to read this. Why did I move back home again? It's that terrible.

Oh and here is an article in the Washington Post about how the American Petroleum Institute(API) is lying about jobs claims. They are stating there will be 1 million new jobs created by 2018 if the federal government keeps oil subsidies in place and expands new oil drilling lease areas. No mention of the lost of family fishermen, fisheries, and tourism that will come with all those oil spills. (most updated tally: 4,000 in the Gulf of Mexico since the BP oil disaster)

And here is a blog in response to Senator Markey's questions sent to API about their jobs claims. I really love it when folks dismiss those that ask the oil industry to explain their actions, you know like what's up with the records profits while shipping jobs overseas and then telling the world that those that don't support subsidies are un-American. 

And here are some pictures of cute kittens to shake off the sadness when you think about the fact that New Orleans will be permanently underwater in 2050.

ciao,
Renee Claire

100% Success Rate

Why don't I run everyday anymore? Because seriously I am happy everytime I do. What else in life has a 100% success rate?

A couple good things today:

Facebook announced that it will invest more thoroughly in renewable energy. Meaning that one day your Facebook posts won't be powered by coal and high childhood asthma rates.

Former First Lady Laura Bush wrote a great Op-ed about the importance of Gulf coast conservation.  Because seriously folks protecting the environment has nothing to do with political ideology and you look like you might want your children to have only rivers that can be set on fire and trouble breathing when you say "I'm a Republican so I'm not an environmentalist" Of course you could just be an asshole and that too has nothing to do with political ideology.

Alright back to carefully reading 10 different corporate sustainability reports. Yeaaa!!! 

ciao,
Renee Claire

The Year of the Protestor

Great photo essay on the protesting that is happening around the globe. 

Particularly love this quote:
Greek protester Marianna Roumelioti. "They say you can have freedom of speech and expression on the condition that it doesn't insult or deal with religion. Who determines that? Freedom doesn't mean these limits. It either is, or it isn't," Largueche said.

 

Favorite Things Gumbo

My new favorite New Orleans sight . . . the Mobile Musical Instrument Repair unit sitting in front of the newly opened co-op. A line ten deep of brass band members waiting to get their horns repaired. love it.

Liam playing the drums and harmonica to me.











My christmas tree! I'm making all my ornaments because I'm awesome . .  and I like glitter. I still have tons to do.

My desk on Monday mornings.

Georgia's skull winter sweater.








Mint Julep snowballs on a Sunday afternoon.

Louis Armstrong

I think Jay Z might be our generation's Louis Armstrong. Louis Armstrong didn't just rise above black America New Orleans in the 1920's, he played in theaters and clubs that didn't allow blacks. He broke barriers. He was called a traitor. He was called a lot of things by whites and blacks alike. But in the end he changed our country's music. forever. He was only allowed to walk in the back doors of the hottest clubs, but he founded jazz as we know it. Out of this came hip hop.

But maybe The Roots did it first, I don't know. But I don't feel like The Roots have the mainstream following that Jay Z does and that Louis Armstrong did during his time. I mean my mom thinks Jay Z is super hot. Does my mom know the Roots? I have no idea because she has never just blurted out how hot QuestLove is. 

I gave Jay Z's book Decoded to my friend Amanda's (who never fucking reads this blog!) brother for christmas last year. Her brother is super religious but mostly likes to argue. I like to give him liberal leaning books that would make him look like an asshole if he just dismissed them outright with his religious far right views without first reading into them. It's great.

Anyways, I don't think there are many artists whose books I could hand over and say read this, it may just change your closed minded view of hip hop. And then point them to a NPR Fresh Air episode then rush them to listen to The Blueprint. I feel that Louis Armstrong did the same thing.

As much as I think Jay Z is changing the way folks view hip hop these days, I think if Tupac had lived longer he would actually would have been the real deal. He would have calmed down, stopped the bullshit, grown up a bit, and changed more then just the people who go on to change the world. But he didn't. So he isn't our generation's Louis Armstrong, but Jay Z just might be.

Ciao
Renee

It's SoOOoo CoLD!

Oh my goodness. The great thing about an old New Orleans house is not its installation. It's as if the weeds growing through the old floorboards were forshadowing for wintertime. It's been in the 30's and 40's for the past week, not letting up until next week sometime. I can see my breath inside. The new heater is only good for getting dressed directly in front of it.

Taking photos of food? Of course you are! Learn how not to suck.

Finally the folks in Kennedy's old district may be able to get back to their rich liberal ways and celebrate a Democratic win next year. Looks like Elizabeth Warren is up in the polls.

Some possible items for my Mardi Gras costume:
large tulle vest
Silver wig
Non-violent machine gun earrings

He's So Charming!

“Paul Watson is entitled to his opinions,” he said, “but it’s such a last-century view. I’m not into militancy for militancy’s sake.”

Executive Director of Greenpeace explains why poverty and climate change are connected. 

It's Good to be Home

My neighbor Emanuel came over to say hi tonight. He asked me if I heard what happened to him the other day. Since he wasn't currently in jail I couldn't really think of what it was. He went on to tell me that my hat was going to be on an episode of Cops real soon. Turns out a woman that walks the block stole a hat of mine not too long ago (I think I know which one but I have no idea when or where she got a hold of it) then proceeded to set him up with an undercover cop only his brother got involved in the mix and was the one that ended up arrested. Nine patrol cars blocked the street and Cops was filming the whole the time. His brother is out on bail, my hat is still missing, but hopefully all the cop action will shut down the escalating drug dealing and prostituting that has been happening on the corner. And my house (and hat) are going to be on Cops!

Huey Long was kind of awesome.

If you haven't already seen the new Muppets movie, you MUST GO SEE IT! Listen to Fresh Air's interview with Jason Seigel. My favorite part of the movie by far is when the Chef's chicken's sing Ceelo Green's Fuck You . . .  all in chicken clucks. It's similar to my own meow rendition of the very same song but with less theaterics.

I have passive aggressive tomato plants. I abandoned them when the weather turned colder, then they fucking bloom. bitches.

Off to bring Georgia to the levee.

Ciao,
Renee

In case you are interested in visualizing the fantastic Republican primary race by line graph.