I’ve got to favorite football teams. I’ve been an avid and loyal Philadelphia Eagles fan all my life, but over the last 4-5 years I’ve come to love the New Orleans Saints too. That all started after Katrina – to see them come back like this city has come back – how can you not like them? Drew Brees is a stand up guy too, and an amazing quarterback to boot.
This year my birdz stunk up the entire season. I’ve been saying Andy Reid needs to go for a few years now, but Jeffrey Lurie has other ideas. Oh well, at least the New Orleans Saints have got it together. 
Next year though the Eagles play the Saints here in New Orleans …. this gal is getting tickets for that game!
Attempting to Ride the Street Car Again
New Orleans Street Car
The plan was to catch the street car at 8th and St. Charles and take it into the French Quarter and then head into Tropical Isle and Finnegan’s Easy for the evening. However as I’ve been learning, my plans don’t really go accordingly especially when it comes to the street car because everyone else has the same idea. We got to the street car stop and got in line behind a bunch of other folks waiting on the street car to arrive …. some of those people were Alabama Tide fans (boooo!).
Each street car that arrived was packed to the gills. With my aversion to tightly “people packed” spaces, we patiently (as patiently as I can) waited for another street car to arrive, but each one was just as packed as the previous. Soon enough we abandoned our efforts to once again ride the street car for the first time and hailed a cab we took us to as close to the French Quarter any cab was going to get.
The French Quarter this weekend is packed, literally! Its a “Who Dat 2 Dat!” Weekend! Forget about parking, all the TV crews have taken over the paid parking lots with their broadcasting equipment vans and special parties. Why? Well not only is it a playoff weekend for the Saints at the Superdome, its also BCS weekend …. the LSU Tigers verses Alabama Tide game is on Monday. While there was very little blue and white attire in the quarter, there was definitely a lot of Red & White (Alabama), Purple and Gold (LSU) and Black & Gold (Saints) adorning the quarter.
A Tribute to Del
$50 for Rhythm & RainTrio to play Sweet Home Alabama
Once we finally got into the French Quarter we stopped by Tropical Isle to here “they guys” – Rhythm & Rain Trio. I knew they’d be able to pick up my spirits a bit, being down about loosing such a good friend as Del, earlier in the day, didn’t have me in the greatest of moods. We got into Tropical Isle and immediately got a chuckle. With all the Alabama fans in town, Rain strategically placed a sign by the tip jar that said “$50 for us to sing Sweet Home Alabama”. Too Funny!
Rain, Erick & Donn of Rhythm & Rain Trio
Before the guys took their break I asked them if they could play “Peaceful Easy Feeling” because in a way it reminded me of Del. Now if you know the type of music the guys play, they do a bunch of parity songs…. then if you also had the privledge of knowing Del and his sense of humor, when Rain responds … well “We know Cheap & Easy, Sleazy Feeling” …. it just made the night. I know without a doubt that was Del’s little way of saying …. cheer up buddy, it’s all going to be alright.
Thanks Rain, Erick & Donn for putting a smile on my face.
Watching the Game in the French Quarter is Like Nowhere Else
My pal "Irish' and Me at Finnegan's
After Tropical Isle I headed over to Finnegan’s Easy. I really like watching the game here, it sort of makes me feel like I’m back at Gravel Pike Inn, minus the Karaoke (yes, I’m still looking for a good karaoke bar). There is something rather wild and unique about the French Quarter and watching the Saints here…. its like no where else I’ve ever been to watch the game. EVERYONE gets into it. I think if you were suspended somehow above the French Quarter you could probably tell when touchdowns, great catches and when the opponent scores all by the cheers and jeers from everyone there.
In the beginning of the game it was a bit of a nail biter, but after halftime adjustments, the Saints just owned that field. Two interceptions in the second half just really took the Detroit Lions out of contention in the game. Drew Brees had 466 yards …. who does that and not get the league’s MVP??!! Sorry Aaron Rodgers, but Drew Brees should really be this year’s MVP, especially after he surpassed Dan Marino’s single season passing record.
Finally….My First Street Car Ride
Look! We finally got on a street car in New Orleans!
So after hanging out with friends after the game at the Bourbon O, it was time to head back uptown to home. Yes, this Nubee was going to attempt to ride the street car …. AGAIN. We walked out to Canal street via Dauphine to avoid the big crowds on Bourbon, and believe it or not, Mikey and I actually were able to get on a street car, that wasn’t packed, and even manage to get a seat and not have to stand. Talk about being shocked. LOL
This would be my housemate Mikey expressing his feelings 
So since this was my first trek on the street car I was really trying to pay attention to the different things the locals did when they wanted to get off at a certain place. I knew about the having to pull down the cord to indicate you want to stop at the next stop, but I didn’t realize little nuances about the back door of the street car. The driver needs to release it so you can push it open – that became apparent when a bunch of people couldn’t get out of the back door and the street car started to pull away and they hadn’t gotten off.
Not too long on the street car and we were at 8th & St. Charles where we picked up Dexter (my PT Cruiser) and headed home. Mixed emotions though… happy for the Saints and the great fun we had, but sad that I lost a good friend earlier in the day.
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