Shrimp Po-boy or a...

Kicking off Friday on a happy note!

2009-04-24T11:11:00.001-05:00

I just need something perky beyond the usual three cups of coffee. ;)

Jazz Fest starts this weekend!

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh!

2009-03-17T10:01:00.001-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day, y'all!

100 days!

2009-03-12T09:51:00.000-05:00

That's right, people.

Gladoon supremacy will commence in precisely 100 days.

(Erm, that is to say, Dave and I will be husband and wife in short order.)

FSU vs. the NCAA

2009-03-10T16:23:00.000-05:00

I concur:

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/You-too-can-juke-the-NCAA-Just-keep-your-mout?urn=ncaaf,147129&post_comment=1&success=1

FAIL:

http://blog.nola.com/johndeshazier/2009/03/ncaa_should_take_the_wins_from.html

You may be asking yourself...

2009-03-04T16:37:00.003-06:00

...where has Cait been?

(Probably not, though - even I'm not that arrogant.)

That said, a new obsession has taken over - and it's not work, it's not dressing up the collies as local sports figures, it's not the Greater New Orleans Seminole Club preparations and it's not wedding planning. It's not even obsessing over Veronica White's everchanging weave.

Nope, it's Thundersquee!

I'm an editor and contributor to the site, and several of my fellow hags will actually be lobbing out snarky humor during our blessed nuptials this summer.

So take a look around, settle in for a bit, and enjoy our irreverent humor.

(You know you want to.)

Because we all need some humor...

2009-03-04T16:36:00.000-06:00

(And this isn't it.)

But this is!

My one cool story from Mardi Gras

2009-02-25T13:10:00.000-06:00

So Mardi Gras has come and gone, much to my relief. I always love the first weekend of Mardi Gras, because it’s very localized and very family-friendly. Every year, though, fratty types from around the nation descend upon our city the Friday before Fat Tuesday to terrorize our neighborhoods by peeing in our yards, vomiting in our trash cans and leaving broken tequila bottles and crushed beer cans everywhere. Bleargh. The sense of entitlement that radiates in waves off of these boneheads is amazing - on Friday night, Dave and I came home to find frat boys vomiting in our trash can, and we asked them why they didn't close the lid when they were done (the smell was THAT awful).

Idiot Boy #1 replied, "You shouldn't live here if you care."

Me: "The other 51 weeks of the year I don't have to care."

(Yeah, I was just not having it.)

I don't mind people parking in our neighborhood, having a great time, etc. But the second weekend of Mardi Gras has almost turned into an excuse to act like a moron and treat this city like a personal playground (sort of an R-rated Disney World, where the residents of uptown New Orleans are in fact employees of drunken college students, and should tidy up after them).

On Sunday, as we walked the three blocks down to St. Charles to meet up with our neighbors for Bacchus, we saw a girl (commando-style, actually) hike up her dress and squat in the front yard of a house. We might not have noticed her had it not been for her cheerful shrieks of, "HAPPY MARDI GRAS!"

Oy.

I have only one very cool story from Mardi Gras. Last year our neighbor, Jay, was the Big Shot of Zulu. Zulu was the first black krewe in New Orleans (and one of the first to integrate, actually).Zulu is the first parade on Fat Tuesday, and it marked its 100th anniversary this year. They also have one of the most prized Mardi Gras throws - hand-painted coconuts.

We went to Zulu yesterday and managed to end up with two coconuts (yay!) but what we really wanted was a Zulu second line parasol. Alas, it was not to be.

So last night we were grilling out on our front porch with friends when Jay got home from the parade finally. He was still mostly in costume and looked exhausted. We complimented him on the parade (which was awesome, as usual), and he shared with us the good news that he and his wife will be the king and queen of Zulu next year (block party time!). He asked if we got our coconuts, and we replied that we did, but we were disappointed about the parasols, because we wanted to use parasols in our wedding to second line into our reception (a second line is a parade at weddings and funerals in New Orleans – the bride has a white parasol, the groom waves a black one, and the wedding party uses hankerchiefs…and they usually follow a brass band, making the band the first line and the wedding party the – you guessed it – second line).

He said, "Walk with me."

I followed him into his living room, and he gave me both the 100th anniversary Zulu Coca-Cola bottle (which almost NO one got yesterday) and the white, decorated parasol his wife used at the Zulu ball this year. She said, "It might not be what we hand out at the parade, but you'll know it's a hand-decorated Zulu parasol used by the Queen of Zulu!"

How cool is that? I’m using the Zulu Queen’s parasol at our wedding!

Bleargh. Brake tags. Bleargh.

2009-02-03T13:15:00.002-06:00

Sometimes I really hate stupid people.

And brake tags.

And the bass-ackward traffic court procedures in Orleans Parish.

She's baaaaaaaaaaaaack!

2009-01-28T14:25:00.001-06:00

Sorry, y'all.

I'm alive.

I'm now 30.

I'm getting married in 5 months.

I just got promoted at work.

I'm happy, stressed, overly worked, exhausted and I'm alive.

Grrrrr. Roar. Grrrrr.

2008-12-16T14:31:00.002-06:00

I'm just sayin'.

2008-12-11T10:25:00.001-06:00

In honor of today's snowfall, I present one of the greatest Christmas songs EVER:

So I was on TV last night.

2008-12-08T11:40:00.001-06:00

Gotta say, it was a little weird to see myself in a movie.

(Belatedly) kicking off Friday on a happy note!

2008-12-05T15:03:00.002-06:00

I really can't explain the depths of my crush on Lily Allen.

D. and I met her in south Florida when she was playing at the Culture Room - she was having dinner with her band at a nearby pub, and she was very different from the chav-y public persona. She was sweet, humble and friendly as hell.

LOVE HER.

True story.

Dude. I require this.

2008-12-05T14:19:00.002-06:00

From Woot, and alas, already sold out, I present a marshmallow shooter.

Not only marketed with the clever "Full Mallow Jacket" key messaging, this weaponry is ideal for annoying Auburn boosters, who are currently patting themselves on the back for firing one of the best coaches in Division 1 football.

Bobby Lowder, I'm looking at you.

Sweet baby Jeebus.

2008-12-05T14:17:00.002-06:00

OJ is going away.

can Bill Jefferson be far behind?

Two years, already?

2008-12-05T09:34:00.001-06:00

Tuesday marked two years since my father passed away.

This daddy's girl misses him terribly.

That said, this year December 2nd was slightly easier. The best thing I can do, I figure, is just to keep the memory of him alive in my heart, right?

This is for him.

But the holidays are upon us, so D. and I bought a 9' Frasier Fir last night and put it up in our living room.

Thus far, Charlie has peed on it twice.

Riddle me this...

2008-11-26T11:57:00.002-06:00

How is Myron Rolle, who is an A student in a master's program and a newly minted Rhodes Scholar, a second-team Academic All-American, while Tim Tebow, who has a less impressive GPA in his Family/Life Studies (what IS that, anyway?) degree program, a first-teamer?

As D. put it, "It's troubling."

I suppose that while Myron Rolle is off discovering a cure for Alzheimer's at Oxford, we'll learn that Tebow can, in fact, walk on water and feed the masses.

ESPN, you suck.

RickRoll: A Tutorial

2008-11-25T11:22:00.001-06:00

For Mizz Gandy, that saucy minx.

So there's a rumor circulating that...

2008-11-25T11:16:00.002-06:00

...my family will descend upon me for Christmas.

Yeah, it's time for emergency measures. ::grin::

Overheard...well, read on GChat.

2008-11-25T10:58:00.001-06:00

On the sheer notion of a Bobby Bowden nacho cheese fountain (please see Saturday night's YouTube post about it), my friend Natalie sent me an IM reading, "I want to dip a ritz cracker in it and then my head."

Saints Jesus and other sundry Tuesday issues.

2008-11-25T10:02:00.003-06:00

I am so tired.

Literally, my contacts are all that are keeping my eyes open at this point.

I can't believe it's only 10:00 a.m.

I also can't believe I'm awake.

Yesterday afternoon my neighbor M. asked me if I wanted to go to the Saints-Packers game - his ticket block had a spare ticket available - and of COURSE I jumped on that offer.

So I spent my Monday Night Football as part of the experience, rather than merely observing it in high-definition from the relatively comfortable confines of our couch.

There were cheeseheads and Favre jerseys everywhere in sight, and a particularly heretical Saints fan showed up dressed as Jesus.

(Funnier still was the preppy dude dressed as Adrian McPherson, down to the gold tooth.)

All humorous costuming aside, the game was a blowout. And I was thrilled.

But then I had to go home and make dressing for my work potluck today. So at 1:00 this morning I was shredding a loaf of french bread into some sauteed veggies and toasted pecans.

Bleargh. Towards that end, since I am still evidently not all that coherent, here's my recipe for another great dinner for a chilly autumn evening.

Pumpkin Risotto

1 can pumpkin
Olive oil, for cooking and to drizzle
1-2 cups chicken stock (depending on the cooking time of the rice)
1 cup arborio rice
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon sage

Bring the stock to a simmer in a pan and keep it at a gentle simmer over a low heat. Heat a little olive oil in a larger saucepan and add the rice. Cook, stirring frequently, for a minute, then add a ladleful of hot stock and stir until it is almost all absorbed before adding another ladleful.

Repeat until you’ve reached your last few ladlefuls of stock. Taste the rice to see if it is al dente. If not, add more stock. Add the pumpkin, a little at a time, until you reach the desired taste and consistency. Add the sage, and then the grated parmesan. Keep warm.

Ladle the risotto on to warm plates and tap the bottom of each plate gently to spread it out. Drizzle with a little olive oil and scatter over the parmesan, then serve immediately.

I can haz tag?

2008-11-24T14:43:00.003-06:00

I have been tagged by fellow Florida State alumna, NolaCleophatra.

So I guess this is how this works:

1. Link to the person who tagged you. (Check.)

2. Post the rules on your blog. (Check.)

3. Write six random things about yourself. (Aw, hell.)

4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them. (Done.)

5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog. (Sigh. Bleargh. Sigh.)

6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up. (Working on it.)

Here goes:

1. I think NOLACleophatra is insane to not appreciate the manna-like joys of Dr. Pepper. My crack of choice is Diet Dr. Pepper.

2. I am amused that after countless hours of having to endure a litany of UF fans telling me how much academically better their fine Hogtown institution is, that FSU has produced its third Rhodes Scholar in the last four years. ::snicker of amusement::

3. I hate crowds. True story. I get incredibly claustrophobic and cranky when surrounded by a sea of people.

4. I DVR old episodes of "Doctor Who" so that when D. works late, I can indulge my geeky side.

5. I think "Beerfest" may be one of the funniest movies made over the past ten years.

6. I'm actually kind of excited about turning 30.

So, who to tag? What about Mizz Gandy, Krista, April, Kevin, Bedbugs & Ballyhoo and Toker.

On a totally random side note, the Po'Boy Preservation Festival was crowded and hectic and full of Teh Yum.

Please note my astonishment in meeting a barbequed oyster po'boy:

Steven Seagal is a JPSO deputy?!?

2008-11-24T14:20:00.002-06:00

I'd like to think Harry Lee is rolling over in his grave about this, but...

Move over Dog the Bounty Hunter!

There's going to be a new regulator on cable channel A&E.

Martial arts film star Steven Seagal will be starring in a reality show (called Steven Seagal: Lawman) on the net that will chronicle his little-known life in law enforcement.

According to reports, Segal has been working as a fully commissioned deputy with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office in Louisiana for the past 20 years.

In addition to going out on patrol, the karate man is said to be an expert marksman who has worked with the Jefferson Parish SWAT team and has instructed officers in firearms and hand-to-hand combat.

Christ on a crouton, what's next? Nutrias on Ice?

NOLEY NOLEY NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLES!

2008-11-22T21:52:00.003-06:00

It's been a joyous day.

Myron Rolle is a Rhodes Scholar.

FSU kept its ACC hopes alive in a BIG, BIG way, defeating Maryland in a chilly road game.

And then someone told me this would be our wedding gift, and I was most pleased.

Anyone in for a game watch next week against the much-vaunted, Citadel-destroying TeHarvins of UF?

P.S. Prospect 1 has been a BLAST.

Kicking off Friday on a happy note!

2008-11-21T10:42:00.002-06:00

I've been woefully absent from the blogosphere.

This has been a pretty crazy month so far - I've been in design mode for work, and D.'s been in Saints/Hornets craziness mode.

But we've been lucky to get some quality time together lately - and this is for my future husband and best friend in the entire world: