the travelling (pink) pants

The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (Jazzfest) isn't a fashion event like Coachella, it's all about the music.You would think putting a few pairs of shorts, some tanks, a plastic poncho, sunhat, sunscreen, and just in case a sweatshirt into a carry-on would be simple.

This is because you have never travelled with Disaster Girl - me. First off, and in fairness, I do have a revolting variety of skin conditions and allergies. And malicious sinuses, which delight in spoiling the fun. The mere assembly of the bandaids, spray antiseptic, Germolene, decongestants and blister paks, plus the skin treatments, the necessary prescription products in case of a flare-up, etc etc, could be a practicum for a pharmacology course.

Thank goodness I can eat anything, if I also had to pack for a delicate tummy I'd never be allowed on a plane.

And after a dim weekend in sunny Kennebunkport, where we had to drive 15 miles to find a hardware store to replace the 25-watt lightbulbs the motel owner had thoughtfully installed, I pack 2 little flashlights and some extra batteries in the little case with the phone charger and the extra phone charger. A third teeny flashlight travels in my pocket because all too often airplane maintenance doesn't include passenger overhead lights. Would you find it heart-warming to be told by the flight attendant that the light switch wasn't working because they couldn't find which wire was loose?

And who wants to meet people for the first time with pants hem trailing, or skirt hem dangling?

As for shampoo, conditioner and the like - I find that the little bottles in hotel bathrooms are generally unreliable at best. On the road, my hair is washed with very gentle toxin-free shampoo, conditioned likewise (thanks, Louise!), and air-dried. Then I flatiron the hell out of it. Sunscreen - of course.

Oh, right, about those lightbulbs - Himself thought we might replace the dim ones before checking out and bring the 2 new ones home with us. I voted that we leave them in the lamps, so that the stingy owner's year-end P&L would be off by11 cents and make him crazy. I won.

So having addressed first aid, medical care, emergency tailoring and blindness prevention, I move  to the subject of Staying Awake During Daylight Hours. After years of being told to get used to it, Himself acknowledges that the coffee I make in the room with freshly boiled water, Zabar's Special Blend, and Melitta filters is far faster and far better than anything we can get from Room Service. Not to mention far cheaper: pot of "coffee" for two: $10. Room service charge: $5. Delivery surcharge (I'm not kidding, people): $7. Tax: $3. Yeah, priceless. So he no longer complains about my bringing the necessary equipment. If I left it home, he'd have to listen to me complain, and trust me, it's just not worth it.

And now for clothing. There the packing list would be mercifully short. Except that every day at Jazzfest, and, I assume, other music festivals, is complete sensory overload. There are more than 70 food vendors, 11 music stages and tents X 6 events per day per stage = 462, plus crafts, demonstrations, exhibitions - 4 days! Bliss! a cochon de lait sandwich while listening to The Boss! We find that to survive, the day needs to close with a seated meal at a nice restaurant where people bring you things. To enjoy this, there needs to be a shower and a change into clean respectable clothes. Because of New Orleans' killer air conditioning, this means pants and sweater. I prefer not to eat and shiver at the same time.

the silk pants - they have pockets!

Hence the pink pants. I had decided that the latest addition to the Missoni sweater collection (more than 2 is a collection, right?) needed pink pants, preferably silk. Then I realized that that sweater would probably go to London and Paris with us in a few months, where it and I would benefit from lightweight pink cotton pants. Since manufacturers change sizes rapidly (and so does my bottom), I wound up with

• deep pink silk pants from Go Silk - X one
• on sale at Neiman's (yes!)
• keeping.
• pink cotton (yes!) pants from Gap, 3 sizes to try, X 2 = 6



the Gap pants -
but not my butt

• (the Gap order didn't go through the first time, so in desperation I did the order again. Then the website recovered and I got a confirmation. Then I got another confirmation. Then I realized that since the pink pants idea had been a last-minute inspiration, I was paying express shipping twice. Customer service was lovely about the shipping, but yes, I'm spending tomorrow at the Gap returning 5 pairs of pants. And one really peculiar bra).
• faded red chinos from J.Crew - X one.
•     more pink-ish than pink, but seemed like a good idea at the time.
•     keeping.

While waiting out the suspense of last minute deliveries, I observed that pink pants are in the air. If we truly lived in a global village, I'd be able to stand on my roof (yup, roof rights) and see pink pants flying from clotheslines from Guelph, Ontario, to the San Francisco Bay, and in the other direction, decorating the Atlantic Coast from north to south. I think this is a positive development. I dread the inevitable day when some genius decides that distressed/destroyed pink jeans are what every girl needs.

I wore the pink silk pants with this top and the coordinating tank:

The pink in the sweater is darker than it reads on the monitor. Worked perfectly.

You do not want to see a picture of me in my baggy shorts and waist bag. Trust me on this.

Jazzfest closes and we partake of a light supper

Some of the same characters show up year after year at Jazzfest -- I mean among the music lovers, not the musicians. That many of the musicians will return, and that new talent will surface, are givens. But among the fans, there's the barechested god Mercury in sandals, tight shorts, graying pigtail, earring, amulet.  I think in his real life he's a dentist from New Jersey. Sliding and grinding behind a feathered Mardi Gras Indian are two genteel ladies in their Garden Club best. Every year they show off moves that would make a pole dancer blush.The slim blonde in bra top and cutoffs who so memorably tore up the dance floor at the Cajun stage a couple of years ago is feeding ice cream to little blond twins in a stroller.

The television series Tremé has generated a lot of jobs for locals, hence a lot of good feeling, and a number of bands included its theme in their acts. The theme adapts wonderfully well to different musical genres, too.


And the food. Always the food. Booth after booth of local
 and regional specialities. Two kinds of jambalaya, 3 kinds of gumbo this year but the hands-down best is the pheasant, quail and andouille gumbo, po'boys: cocoon de lait, softshell crab, fried oyster, duck, crawfish. Crawfish beignets, fried oysyter salad, crawfish remoulade, fried chicken. Cajun music, modern jazz, Willie Nelson, Dixieland jazz, blues, Jimmy Buffett (local boy makes good and moves to Long Island), zydeco, Dr.John (local boy makes good and moves to Long Island), non-stop.

Here is the capsule description of Jazzfest : it's kinda like a state fair, only with MUCH MUCH better music and MUCH MUCH better food and no animals.

And so, weary and still wearing a baked-on enameled coating of 100 SPF Neutrogena, we had this visit's last dinner at Mother's on Poydras Street. Not fancy, but good food, authentic and generously dished up with kindness and good feelings.



Jambalaya, fried oysters, red beans and rice. How nice. Then back to to room to "pack"-- 3 pair shorts, 3 tanks, slacks and silk sweater for restaurants with tablecloths, shoes, spare shoes, extra shoes, other extra shoes, and a truly frightening collection of the products and implements that keep me presentable. Hard to maintain the delusion of being low-maintenance when I have to confront all that stuff at once. Oh, well, at least I didn't have to worry about electric adapters and converters.
While packing we watched the latest episode of Tremé. Life imitating Art imitating Life imitating Art?

Dinner at Brigtsens, New Orleans Saturday night

Can't come to NO without dinner at Brigtsens. Frank and Marie are so happy to see you, you just feel like the most welcome company they've ever had. We almost always try new places, but this is one dear favorite we'll never miss. The restaurant is in several dining rooms in an old house that somehow keeps getting nicer without changing and without being cutesy,

We came for the food! Lots of good choices! We started with:



Oops, no, we didn't, that was his Louisiana strawberry shortcake. We are just a tad self-indulgent, but that was not the starter. I will try again.





Left: crabmeat salad with heirloom tomatoes; right: crawfish & corn soup. Joy.




His main- Mr. Brigtsens' seafood platter




His main - Mr. Brigtsen's seafood platter, on the left, and mine - veal with andouille gravy and cheese grits.




OK, now you can go back and look at those strawberries !

Jazzfest bulletin, New Orleans

We arrived yesterday, too late for the first day's music (flying on mileage, couldn't get a nonstop), not too late for dinner. sign of the times: each year it gets more and more difficult to tell the JazzFesties from the other travelers. Example from LAG to Charlotte leg of trip:

Me to older gentleman in straw hat, plaid shorts, sandals-- ooh, are you going to Jazzfest too?

Him (offended) no, my partners and I have a business meeting.

Oh, well. Arrived, cleaned up, dinner at Cochon. Boucherie plate starter-- a not bad plat de charcuterie, maybe a little skimpy. But then I loooved my woodfire roasted oysters so much that I cancelled my next dish and had some more ersters. The Diner had a fried oyster sandwich (not a po'boy, rather a creation on white toast)


followed by ham hocks with red beans n rice. Very meaty hocks, some of the meat scraped off and crisped, more still clinging to the wreckage. The bread basket looked like the usual white tasteless fluff rolls, so I was surprised and delighted to bite into old-fashioned lard bread! Mmm, mmm, mmm. And because I had had such a dainty little meal (only a few oysters, after all), treated self to a giant slice of deep dark chocolate cake. Worth it.

Today, Friday, spending the day at Jazzfest.

Some random snaps that you might enjoy:

Front side of Mardi Gras Indian suit, on exhibit as folk craft, along with truly awesome beadwork appliqué. This is where embellishment belongs!

This one is a ball gown for a Mardi Gras queen on a float, not a street Indian. Nice that the two very different groups were sharing the same exhibition tent!







 


some random crowd scenes. As you can tell this is not a fashion event but I'm lovin it. Dinner out tonight, more music tomorrow.