Friday, August 31, 2018
New Orleans Southern Decadence 2018 vacation begins, day 1 of 8. This is my third year in a row and Patrick's second year in a row going to Southern Decadence. Sam took Patrick and me to SFO for a 10:35 am Alaska Airlines flight to New Orleans. We breakfasted at Napa Farms Market on a shared hot ham, egg, and cheese sandwich, Pop Chai Spice Almond Milk for Patrick, Hint cucumber for me. We met Chris G and Andy T at the gate. The Alaska Airlines flight turned out to be a Virgin America plane since Alaska recently completed a buyout of Virgin. On the flight we met and chatted at length with the woman in the window seat. Her name is Alissa and we were charmed and humored by her dry wit, honesty, and interesting personality. We talked about television, cooking, food, Chopped, children, little homes, cohabitating with others, speaking accents, neighbors and noise, Millennials, and more. We gave her our email addresses and hope that she contacts us. For a meal we ordered for Patrick a protein pack with hummus and pita and for me a turkey artichoke baguette with avocado aioli. We realized how funny it is that free alcoholic beverages are provided to the people who sit in the exit row and must assist during an emergency. For part of the flight I watched and enjoyed again the end of Blade Runner: 2049 and the start of Gravity. Andy offered to get the Lyft XL ride into town because Lyft offered him $10 off his next 10 rides. We are staying at a Sonder located in Faubourg Marigny. Chris had told us that Sonder is like Airbnb but curated. Remi and Jesse had arrived earlier and we met them at the Sonder location. Walked to dinner at Effervescence (1036 N. Rampart Street) with Patrick, Chris, and Andy. We shared West Indies crab salad, snapper aji amarillo ceviche, fried softshell crab, avocado lettuce cups, and grilled levain toast. Drinks: You Put The Wine In The Coconut for Frank, Laissez Day for Andy, Provencal Bubble Bath each for Patrick and Chris. Late at night I happened to wake around 3:00 am and enjoyed hearing a passing rainstorm begin and end.