Today it is 12th Night. The start of Carnival season. Slowly the reveal of monarchs will be made, parade themes, balls will be going on, parades will roll all leading up to that one day of debauchry and good times, Mardi Gras. What it really means to me today? Is that I can eat King Cake!! Ah the King Cake...how I have missed thee. I prefer a non-filled one, but won't say no if it is. I am almost tempted to go and find a King Cake RIGHT NOW, however the closest place to purchase one is probably the Swiss Bakery. (ask and ye shall receive. My boss just walked in with one. Cream Cheese filled. WHOO HOO) Which equals $$. Of course you can probably find them at Walgreens. I don't know why that amuses me, but it does. Always has, and yes we have purchased a one from there before. Usually as we are heading to a parade, and it is a impulse buy. I have had King Cakes from the usual places, Gambino's, Haydels, Randazzo. Where else is a place to try a must have it slice of King Cake from? So if you don't live in the area, order one. They can be shipped to you. Make it a tradition. From 12th Night all the way to Mardi Gras day we eat King Cake.

I am distressed. This having to work the full week is just playing games with my mind. What no day off in the middle? WHAT? Yes we are back into the full time grind.

While I returned home a week ago, it feels like it was perhaps 2 weeks ago. I had a late flight that didn't get me back to New Orleans until 11 PM and by the time I got home and situated it was after 1 AM. I had to work the next day. The surprising fact to that? I was on the early streetcar and made it to work 15 minutes early. A feat that rarely happens. I went through the work day, slightly surprised that everyone was in the office. Around lunchtime one of my bosses came up to me and said "Do you like Better Than Ezra" Um...YEAH. She ended up giving me her tickets for that night as her husband and her were not going to be able to attend. Yes, people both my bosses love BTE. And they have seen Bonerama (and love them). They love music as well, gotta love this job. Anyway, my boss then tells me, come in late on Wednesday. In fact, executive decision, no one come in on Wednesday. OKAY!! So I went to the show. The road manager for Bonerama is also the road manager for BTE so he got me access to sit in the balcony seating at HOB. Front and center. It was a great show. I hadn't seen those boys in quite some time, and they were having fun on stage.

Wednesday found me doing some errands, like a much needed pedicure, grocery shopping (most was booze) and just relaxing. Kristen, Marcus and I headed on over to the Maple Leaf to ring in the New Year with Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes. You know it is going to be a good night when those boys are playing. Plus all our friends from the bar were there. It was a great night. I actually ended up heading home before the music stopped, which we all know is pretty much unheard of. I was however WIPED OUT. Found out later the band didn't stop until sometime after 4. Kinda glad I was in bed 2 hours before that!

Thursday was spent sleeping. The household was pretty darn quiet. I did get caught up on some tivo as well. One day I will have gotten through the back logs of West Wing!! Two airings a day on Bravo make it tough sometimes. That night, we did go down to d.b.a. to see Paul Sanchez, Shamarr Allen and Matt Perrine play. It was CROWDED!! there. Almost like a John Boutte gig. I know Paul was estatic. The sound was off the hook and I was excited to hear new songs by both Paul and Shamarr.

Friday it was back to work for the day. I forgot the Sugar Bowl was that night and decided to walk through the Quarter at lunchtime. What a mistake that was!! People EVERYWHERE. Which made my nightly commute that much more fun as the streetcars were having a hard time getting through the streets. We did venture back to the Quarter that night to see Leroy and Katja play at Preservation Hall. Always a great night to hear some traditional NOLA jazz. Ran into a few people there and enjoyed wonderful conversations. The shocker this night was Kristen going down the Maple Leaf when we got back down to our house, and I went home. Even bigger of a shock? The next night I didn't go down at all. I didn't do ANYTHING. It was kinda of nice. But if you notice? I went out every night I had been home. I needed the rest.

Yesterday I got to babysit the Perrine boys and once again we had so much fun. Those boys are getting to be so big and I really enjoyed the night.

Tonight we are celebrating the wonderful Debbie Davis' birthday and tomorrow night some other friends are having a 12th Night party. That is right people. Mardi Gras season kicks off TOMORROW!! Granted the parades don't start rolling until Feb. But it is that time. I can eat King Cake tomorrow. This is HUGE!! Most of my costume is done for Mardi Gras day, just some fine tuning to do. It is going to be such a fun season. Bonerama playing several times in the month of Jan, as well as PBS, yeah life is good. Welcome to 2009

So...I am not going to make resolutions once again. Actually I made a goal last year at the last minute, and it was fulfilled soon thereafter. I am just going to hope that this next year will me much better than last year. It wasn't so bad of year at the beginning and good things did happen. I have a wonderful job that I love. I love living in the city with the best musicians in the world. My niece is growing and thriving. My soon to be arriving niece is so so active. I got to hear her heartbeat and feel her moving lots over Christmas. I am just hoping that we don't experience things like the last half of the year with so many deaths in and around the family. We did have a call on Monday saying that my Grandma was in the hospital. Luckily she is out, or about to be out. Hopefully she will be doing better soon.

So for the new year? I am looking forward to a lot of Bonerama gigs in the month of January. Porter Batiste Stoltz also has a gig here in January. I am pretty happy about that. Love helping out all the boys. We have Mardi Gras kicking off in just days. We have a new President to be elected. Mardi Gras parades and my niece being born. And that is just in the first 2 months. Before I will know it, it will be festival season. Time will fly by.

I wish everyone a Happy New Year!!

I asked her where her Auntie was (she can also say my name!!)