You know, I had every intention of posting as soon as we got back from the harp conference in New Orleans. In the van on the way home, I began to put ideas and phrases together, excited to share with all of you my adventure. Then we got home...
Life is so amazing. For me, it's a constant whirlwind of what I need to do now and what's coming up. I am one of those hyper-aware planning types- it all gets thought through and I fully intend that everything is going to work out the way I am expecting it to! Unfortunately, not everyone else I deal with is on the same page as I am, so I often get derailed or detoured, and it is a struggle sometimes to feel like I'm back on track and headed in the "right" direction.
We got home late on a Friday night- well, it was really Saturday morning already- and the van had to be returned later that day after we got all of our personal things out, and then delivered some of the harps to Salt Lake. After a few hours' sleep, we got all that taken care of, basically extending our trip that extra day. I was brain dead on Sunday, but hadn't crashed yet. On top of that, John was off to a wedding in Oregon in three days, and while I was looking forward to some quiet time to recoup, that isn't exactly what happened.
So many things to deal with! Garden, animals, family, church, things that had to be planned or arranged, catching up with all I'd missed...it was crazy. While we were gone, the Czar, our Doberman Pinscher, had eaten something and stopped himself up again. Family at home were in a panic, and we thought he would have to be put down, because he had just had surgery the month before when he swallowed a t shirt, and not only could we not afford another surgery, he hadn't even fully healed yet! Every day of our trip was stress over Czar, getting reports, sending him to a Vet who gave him some medicine we hoped would disintegrate whatever he'd swallowed, praying and hoping that he would at least hang on until we could get back home. Well, he did; a few days before we got back, he'd started drinking again. I suggested some raw eggs, and he loved those. We came home to an emaciated but playful dog, and we've nursed him back to health and his normal into-everything-ness.
I also came home to see that my black cocker spaniel, Princess, had deteriorated. I'd known for awhile that she had cancer, and her body had never been normal, but it was clear to me that she was slowing down. Last week she reached the end of her life, very calmly and I think comfortably until the last moments when she had a seizure and died in my arms. I am so grateful for the quiet comfort of her presence and her love.
This post is supposed to be about the trip to New Orleans, so here we go! We had a heavily loaded cargo van to take from here to pick up more harps in Texas, then on into my adventure of places I'd never been before into New Orleans. After Texas, we stayed in Shreveport LA, where I saw the mighty Mississip for the first time. I was absolutely amazed at how green everything was. And it seemed like all the trees except the pines were flowering! I later found out that the crape myrtle is profusely planted, and they are really beautfiul trees in several colors. The highway was lined with pines and flowering trees, and it was very wet. I was amazed at how little farming was being done in the big stretches behind the trees, and then I found out that most of the land was swampy and too wet for planting. We did pass through large areas of swamp with water under the elevated roadways. I took a lot of pictures and "checked in" on Facebook in all the interesting places we stopped. Got to eat at a Waffle House on the way home; all my southern cousins talk about it, and now I have been to one!
We got to New Orleans the night before the conference, then unloaded the van right on Canal Street the next morning at 6 am. The foot and street traffic was incredible. For the loading after, I discovered that there WAS an area for trucks behind the hotel, and we used that instead. We were in the historic Crowne Plaza Hotel, on Canal and Bourbon streets. It is not a single structure, but rather several old buildings fused to make 14 floors of rooms, with a pool on the top. Our room, fortunately, was in a newer part of the building, very comfortable, although we did not spend much time there! The hotel ballrooms were the location for the conference and exhibits; we had a great time renewing old acquaintances, meeting new people, making contacts and sales. We were treated by the Harp Society to a couple of buffets; the last was a local food spread, and we really enjoyed the Jambalya and other seafood treats! The Conference went through Friday, but the exhibits were only Sunday to Tuesday midnight; we packed up Wednesday morning and headed back out the way we came.
Our harp distributor, who was footing the bill for everything, took us out to eat at a famous Bourbon street restaurant named Galatoines. Jackets were required for gentlemen, and they had a ready selection available for the unprepared. I took photos of the food, of us, the building....an absolute tourist in a genteel setting! It was obvious that the place had regulars, who chatted and visited with the staff, and there was a very intimate feel to the service and ambiance. I had a wonderful time! John and I took a couple of hours on Tuesday afternoon to walk down to the river and into the French Market district, where I got to sit in and eat at Cafe' du Monde- one of my big wishes for when I was there! It was great, even in the rain! BTW, it really does rain every day in N.O.; at least when we were there! Did the same thing four years ago in Tacoma WA for the conference we worked, as well!
Every day was full and hectic. I met harp legends, and heard wonderful stories of the legends my late father in law and my mother in law are. Even our "rivals" across the way were gracious and complimentary. I even sold a harp or two! Realized that if I'm going to be effective in the harp world, I really need to be able to tune a harp, and play a little. So I have new goals for when my shoulder heals and "hopefully" my life settles down enough to devote some time and energy to that.
The driving itself was uneventful; just long hauls of 8 to 12 hours every day to get to the next hotel we were booked into, and up again early to go again. We did stop in Albuquerque New Mexico on the way home to meet my FB friend Billy, who is a photographer and owns a studio downtown. We also visited with one of John's old friends from Air Force days and picked up his daughter's harp to bring home for repairs. Later that day, we got to see my son Tim, who lives in Farmington. Then we drove until we reached home.
It really was a great trip, and I so enjoyed going places and seeing new things! New Orleans had been a wish for me for years, so when I was asked to go I jumped at the chance. It was an exhausting 10 days, but worth it- even with the worry at home and how tired I was. John and I really enjoyed our time together in the van; talking and comparing notes and renewing our bond together. It was not a "vacation", but it was really nice to have the time and experiences to share. I am grateful that we were home before that awful shooting on the street just down from where we had stayed in New Orleans, and that everyone and everything here was in relatively good shape when we got back. My next "big adventure" is going to be doTERRA Convention in Salt Lake City this September; have my ticket, and my room booked, and really looking forward to my annual romp with my oily friends!
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