On June 30, 2008 I was all packed up and moving back to MI from Baton Rouge. The year I lived there, I spent most of my time finishing up school and working. So, I didn't get a chance to make very many close friends. But, I did have the pleasure of getting to know
Johany. Jo worked at the tattoo shop that Mike worked at, and since I was there almost every day playing taxi with our shared car, I got to see Jo. She has a couple wonderful sisters, Georgeanne and Stephanie. I didn't get a chance to meet the rest of her family, but I'm sure I will in the future. Jo is really the only person I've kept in contact with since moving away from Baton Rouge. And now that I live in Panama City Beach, its only a 6 hour drive to go visit her.
So, out of the blue, I found out that
Dax Riggs was doing some live sets in the Baton Rouge/NOLA area. I got a hold of Jo and asked if she wanted to go see
Dax open for Terry Reid at One Eyed Jacks in the French Quarter on the 26
th of April. It was very last minute, but I hopped in the car that morning and headed to the Red Stick. Jo was able to skip outta work a bit early so we could head to New Orleans...
Jo and I in the French Quarter
This is a picture of
Dax Riggs and I outside One Eyed Jacks before the show.
Of course, I have a Pabst Blue Ribbon in hand. ;)
One Eyed Jacks is
sooo cool!
My random rock star
heroes show up there to catch the best live music around the Quarter. :)
Above is a picture of myself with Sean
Yseult.
...you may know her as the bass player from White Zombie!
A visit to New Orleans isn't complete without indulging in some
beignets from Cafe
DuMonde!
...
mmmm...
Jo, me and Georgeanne outside
Boutin's...one of my favorite restaurants in Baton Rouge.
Jo, me, and Stephanie
After the show Saturday night we got our beignets from Cafe DuMonde and headed back to Baton Rouge. I stayed with Jo and her sisters in their beautiful new place. We got to have some Cracker Barrel for breakfast (as we don't have one here in PCB). And I shopped & stocked up on my favorite things from Whole Foods Market, the Body Shop, and Harry & David that I can't get here. I really miss having Whole Foods 5 miles down the road...and the one in Baton Rouge is HUGE!! :)
After laying by the pool, Jo's sisters and I met Jo for dinner at Boutin's. Boutin's is a cajun restaurant, that actually Koleen and I discovered the first night we were there when I initially moved to Baton Rouge...kind of a nostalgic place for me. :) They have the best blackened alligator in town! So, after killing a salad covered with it, I got two orders of the gator to go back home with me! Then, I said my good-byes, stopped at Starbucks for a venti toffee nut latte and a bag of chocolate covered espresso beans and hit the highway! I didn't make it home until 3am! Got a bit of a late start...because it is hard for me to leave once I get there. I'll miss my friends, but hopefully get to see them soon. I'm trying to convince them to come visit the beach!
It was a great little trip...makes me want to buy a place in the French Quarter though. If you've never been...it is a city with an energy that you can't get anywhere else. Its magnetizing! :)
