The things girls can get into!

We are back home after a wonderful and fun filled trip to Holly’s in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, just outside of New Orleans. Becky, my bestest friend, and I went to Holly’s on Friday night after Becky got off work. We drove, laughing and yapping the whole way with no problems, the six hour trip, arriving safely. We stayed up until 2:30 in the morning, talking, laughing, giving Becky the "grand tour" of military apartment living, eating boiled p-nuts, etc….before falling into bed for the rest of the morning. Poor Richard had to get up at 5:30 to leave for work. He is in the Coast Guard based at the station in Venice, Louisiana. Venice is where the earth ends in the southern part of the United States….its at the tip of nowhere! Bless his heart for the lack of sleep he had, but he sure was a good sport about it, I think he slept on the hour bus drive down there from the Navy Base.

Holly, Becky and I started out our adventures with shopping in Slidell, Louisiana. Lots of shopping to be had there, with a wonderful lunch at Olive Garden, one of my faves. Hobby Lobby should really be called Hobby Heaven!...and you all should really try the Ember reed diffusers from Pier One…a fantastic scent…love it! 

After a long day we ended with popcorn and a movie, Bride Wars, a total chick-flick of a movie, which was rather slow running and boring at times, but we were entertained non the less.

On Saturday, we began our day with getting our nails done….mannies and peddies! Such relaxing fun and pampering.

 Becky and  Holly

The Korean women did an excellent job while talking and conversing to each other in their own language. I told Becky “You know they are talking and laughing about us, don’t you?” She said “Yes they are saying ‘Look at the nasty feet on these women!’”

So then we were laughing at them!

Me and Becky!

Holly's toes!

My toes and my lovely new flip flops!

Becky's toes!

While the woman was doing my nails she spoke, looking down at my nails, in her language, so I immediately responded “Huh?”  with what was surely a true southern accent.  She said “I not specking to you” and I said “Oh, well you could talk to me or about me all day long and I would not understand anything you said” and she respond with this: “Why I talk about you all day long…five minutes be enough!”   LOL….Yeah I know I’m a boring subject…only worth five minutes!

 Holly, Becky, and Me!

Hand models, we are not!

 We continued our day with lunch at Texas Roadhouse…..the grilled shrimp are to die for! Then we were on to more shopping….the thrift stores are plentiful in the area. We found lots of bargains to include retro brooches, decorative hammered aluminum bowls, old books and lots of other goodies. While there, some women wanted to know where we were from because of our accent. When I responded “Alabama” in my most southern of southern accents she said “It’s so sweet!”          Hummmm…..sweet?

We ended our day watching the movie
Nights in Rodanthe….with Richard Gere….need I say more? 


    Sunday, the Lord’s beautiful day, landed us with a trip to Venice for a Coast Guard boat trip. My son-n-law, Richard and a CG team took us out in one of the boats for a Mississippi River ride down to the Gulf of Mexico….exciting fun on a hot Louisiana day in the south. We boarded the boat, donning our survival gear which is regulation. Thank heaven the boat was air conditioned!

Speaking of this survival vest…..it includes many pockets and is NOT pre-inflated. Note in the picture above. The “rip cord” is what you pull when you go over board. IF it fails you then go for the manual mouth piece and blow it up yourself….lungs permitting! IF you are rendered unconscious…..…well I give up! But you should always feel at peace knowing you have a knife in one of the pouches…I assume it is to fight off the alligators while you are attempting to inflate the PFD (personal floatation device). More comfort in the other pockets includes flares….Next you should feel even more comfort in knowing that there is a locator device.  IF the knife fails to render results with the alligator….the Coast Guard will be able to locate the alligator that swallowed you whole! So be confident in knowing that they will find you and retrieve you from the waters of the Mississippi!  
Really on a serious note the US Coast Guard are top notch at what they do to monitor our water ways and in their unique rescue efforts during deadly gulf storms. They are wonderful at their job and have saved many people.

After a thrilling ride over waves and big boat wake, with Holly demanding “more, more and go faster, faster”….she’s like a kid, so daring; we arrived safely back to port without having had to experience the use of the PDF.

Thank you Lord!

Holly

Blas, CG team member

Jacki and Ryan

Brown, the boat driverMe and my Bestest!Holly, Richard, and Me (looking rough)

   Becky

Richard and Ryan

My kids, Holly with her sweetheart, Richard. 

Today is their 2nd wedding anniversary.

 

Now you know you are in south Louisiana when you get back

to your car and find it like this……………………

Having spent the day with Richard doing his job was an interesting experience, plus Holly was thrilled to see him and spent time on his turf. We returned back to Belle Chasse after stopping to pick up 13 pounds of fresh jumbo shrimp, straight off the shrimp boats *stinky smell* for only $3.00 a pound! Can’t wait to grill them up!

Now Sunday evening ended with the watching of Drop Dead Diva and of course our favorite…Army Wives! 

Before beginning our journey back to southeast Alabama, Monday morning…we had brunch at IHOP to include Richard again because he had gotten home in time to join us! Holly got the Strawberry Cheesecake pancakes…..yummy, Richard got the steak omelet and Becky and I played it safe with the pancakes, bacon and eggs!

What a wonderful time I had spending it with my favorite daughter and my bestest friend and the bonus of seeing more of my son-n-law than expected.  Who could ask for more?

Not to be making fun of the Coast Guard but for the need to understand English…watch this!

Funny Commercial

So Funny! Laugh a little! Love lots!

Enjoy your family!

PS….I did miss you Jackie!