HBD Bops!

Real Southern Football in Sewanee, Tennessee

Welcome to Sewanee's Stadium.

 

Tiger Land has no stadium dogs and no dome foam, school colors are limited, but school pride is strong.  Kids frolick at the fence for Katie Kodak to snap photos to place on display at the SPO.

Students seldom know the final score of the game because they tend to retreat across the street to the Theta Kappa Phi House to enjoy adult libations while chanting softly, "Down with the heathens, up with the church, Yea Sewanee's Right!"

This is Southern football at its finest.

In a game marked as a thriller, the final score: Sewanee Tigers 16, Rhodes Lynx 20.  See article here. 

Good Friendships, Great Health

I consider myself blessed to have many friends from different parts of my life.  Sacred Heart, Alleghany, Sewanee, DC, work, friends of friends, parent's friends children, family, neighbors, roommates, volunteer projects, you get my point.  Clearly, there are friends that I keep better in touch with than others, but almost every one of my friends is constantly on my mind.  I always think to call them, but I seem to find a way to put it off or send a text or write on their facebook wall to make a quick connection.

Recently, I was able to catch up with a dear college friend who had been living in Spain since we graduated from college.  It was crazy to sit down over a lunch of Tex Mex and dish out the scoop of the last five years.  It was so invigorating and so needed.  But, I also had a bit of regret that it had been almost five years since we communicated directly with one another.  The good news is: we picked up right where we left off even though our experiences over the last five years have been drastically differnt.  She was living the life of an expat in Europe, and I was working hard to promote this great country in our nation's capital. 

Last night, I went to dinner at Il Posto with another friend who I consider to be very close to me from Sacred Heart.  I hadn't talked to her in six months since we went on a walk around Audubon Park together.  Six months isn't a really long time, but it is when you live in the same city and work relatively close to one another.  Schedules and other demands on life prevent us from connecting, even when she is a quick gchat, phone call, text or drop by away. 

I write this article today because when I got home last night, I realized that a dear friend from my time at the White House passed away.  He was much older than me, tall, slender, Aruban man, who lived with a plethora of nuns in the District and spent his evenings at the Willard Hotel drinking champagne before he darted off to the South of France for a little hob nobbing twice a year.  He loved the Pope, his faith, his President, his country, and his Hermes ties that he so daintly threw over his shoulder while at work to ensure each child who wrote to the President received a response from the leader of the free world.  He was the most peculiar man in the best kind of way.  He had a zest for life, and a grand party.  Linus has been on my mind, but I never reached out to check on him, even after he listened and coached me through all of my growing pains during my time in Washington.

May this entry teach me and you a lesson to pick up the phone or seize the moment to get together with a friend when the opportunity presents itself.  Dr. Marjorie Jenkins, Executive Director of the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women's Health and a mentor of mine, says it best in this article; reach out to a friend for no reason other than its good for your health.

Foreshadowing

The above picture was taken at Emily Newlin's wedding.  Who knew they would be the next ones?!  Congratulations to Erika Vogel and Charles Smith and Jennifer Lane and George Gilly.  I had a fun weekend celebrating three engagements of great friends because congrats are due to Jennifer Scanlon and John Marshall too.  This year will be lots of fun and here's to living happily ever after.  Love y'all!!

Sistas Night Out in Angel

Ashley was so excited to get to London to see her two besties, Parker and Phil (a.k.a. Blood or Youngberg). They were in contact over facebook, email and phone to pick a meeting spot for Monday night. The destination was Angelic Pub at the Angel tube stop. While the pub was absolutely precious and the company superb, we later found out Angel isn't necessarily the most desirable area of London, especially for your first night in town. It did not matter when you are surrounded by good friends. Ashley had a little incident, and she and Parker went on an hour detour to find what she needed -- and this wonderful place too.

That left me and Blood to discuss life for an hour or so. Parker and Blood are going to be rich and famous one day. I can't wait to say, "Remember when..."

The Rebuild Center

Yesterday morning, I went with Jennifer Lane to the Rebuild Center. The Rebuild Center is located behind St. Joseph's Church on Tulane Avenue and it ministers to the homeless. Jennifer and her mother, Ann Lane, are regular volunteers here, and I have been wanting for them to take me there for quite some time.

Some may know the Rebuild Center because it is home to the Harry Tompson Center. But, the Harry Tompson Center is one of three agencies housed within the Rebuild Center. The others include Lantern Light (administered by the Presentation Sisters) and Catholic Charities Hispanic Apostolate. Together, they all support the homeless in New Orleans.

The actual location is really an oasis. It is architecturally beautiful. It provides calm and comfort in an unpredictable world. There are variety of services offered to many in need including showers and laundry, legal aid, medical services, restrooms, birth certificate assistance, lunch, mail, mortgage readiness classes for 1st time home buyers, and emergency financial assistance and groceries for area residents. Guests must be sober, and they are asked to maintain a sense of peace while in the Center.

I write this post because Lantern Light needs support. In the fall, Jennifer and I intend to organize a fish fry or bingo night, and we hope you will consider attending. The event will be at the Rebuild Center, so you can experience it first hand. In the meantime, you can help in the following ways:

• Have a food drive
• Have a cereal drive
• Have a dried food drive
• Collect canned meat items
• Prepare hot lunch for 150 people once a month or make sandwiches for 150 once a month
• Provide drinks for guests (iced tea or lemonade)
• Supply clam shells to serve the lunch (200 for one meal)
• Supply 12 oz - cold cups for lunch drinks (200 per meal)
• Supply forks/spoons for the lunch program
• Donate Cleaning items
• Donate small paper plates, small bowls
• Help financially by donating money for the Identification Program (a birth certificate costs $9 here in Louisiana, whereas in other states it costs up to $23. An Identification card costs $18 or a replacement id card costs $13
• Help with prescriptions
• Have a used cell phone drive

Donations can be mailed to:

Lantern Light Inc.

1802 Tulane Avenue

New Orleans, LA 70112

Additionally, I have volunteered to assemble a brochure, but I do not know how to use publisher, nor have it. If you are a graphic designer out there and you would like to help me coordinate, please let me know. They are also in need of someone to develop a website. I do not know how to do that, but perhaps I could introduce them to a blog.

I admire Jennifer and her mother for volunteering at the Rebuild Center. While many of us our active volunteers in our community, ministering to the homeless is probably one of the hardest jobs out there. It can be scary and it can be intimidating, but they too need our help and support.

Services offered by each agency:

The Harry Tompson Center
Showers
Laundry
Phone Room
Legal Aid
Notary Services
Medical Services
Mental Health
Hygiene Kits
Restroom Facilities

Lantern Light
Birth Certificate Assistance
ID Assistance
Lunch
Prescription Assistance
Mail
Mortgage Readiness classes for 1st time home buyers
Emergency financial assistance & groceries for area residents

Catholic Charities Hispanic Apostolate
Interpretive services, case management and workers' rights for Hispanics

Services not provided by any of the agencies at the Rebuild Center
Clothing
Job placement/employment assistance
Housing assistance/placement

The Rebuild Center
Hours: Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 2:30 PM
Location: 1803 Gravier Street, NOLA 70112
(behind St. Joesph's Church on Tulane Avenue)
Phone: 504-273-5577

20007 to 70130

This weekend I had a sweet little surprise guest in town, Courtney Sanders. Courtney and I use to kick it in Glover Park together, and this weekend it was the NOLA.

I met her for drinks after work at the swanky W. The concierge gave us four free tickets to Jamie Cullem at the House of Blues. Motter and Megan were the lucky recipients of the other two tickets, and we met them there after a quick appetizer at Galatoire's. After the House of Blues, we headed to Whiskey Blue for a late night of untz untz. Clubbing in New Orleans. Brian Isern joined us @ Whiskey Blue, another 20007 pal.

I woke up Saturday and headed out to New Orleans East to build a Habitat house with some friends. The nailing and building and lifting was a little intense on a scorching summer day, so I excelled in painting the house boards with primer. I admire every single person who stayed how there from 8 AM until 4 PM because it was a hot New Orleans day.

After a nap, I thought I'd head to Fat Harry's for the after party for Habitat, but Courtney convinced me to go back downtown. We headed to Red Eye for a cocktail, with the one and only Red Eye rat Palmer, and then met Megan and crew, again, at Lafite's. I heart Lafite's. If you can't tell.

After Lafite's, we went to the Gold Mine, where I think for once I scared Courto out of a bar. She did not like that place. Sad, because everyone likes the Gold Mine, but yes, it was crowded as all hell and hot as all hell. Plus, I saw this stellar girl pictured below in line at the bathroom and a guy with a two colored Mohawk outside of the bathroom. No, thanks.

Kickball

Kickball is a really fun game, if organized by your two besties - Kim and Jennifer - for a birthday party on a Saturady afternoon with a big group of friends. WAKA Kickball is another story. Sacred Heart girls, other than Celeste Laborde, don't really know what intense sports are like. Or at least my Sacred Heart girls. We like to go out, shoot a few hoops, hit a few balls, and then take a break for a beer. In fact, maybe we don't because I can't really remember the last time we went out to shoot a few hoops or hit a few balls.

WAKA is intense. There are so many rules, a lot of mud, and so many people who take this game so seriously. In some ways, I feel like I let Jessica Ibert, Captain of Breesus Disciples, down for failing to show up for the majority of this seasons games, but on the other hand, I don't know how much help I would have been if I did in fact show up. Since I haven't really experienced what it is truly like to be a WAKA kickball, other than the fact that I think its a little bizarre that we play against a group of bartenders from Larry Flynt's Hustler club, please stand by for a guest post from the Duchess of Gentilly.

After kickball, you challenge the team to a game of flip cup. Now that's one thing that my Sacred Heart girls can do is play flip cup. In this game, we are competitive. However, we, meaning Eliza, really, got our butts kicked the other night by a Carey Prejean look alike who wanted to challenge a team of five because it was his birthday. Eliza, even though she -- and Alex Clark -- single handed organized one of the most impressive flip cup tournaments complete with t-shirts and the national anthem, failed to beat this kid. I guess we operate better when we are on our own turf.

I will say that for those who did get out and play - mainly Eugene and Jessica and Jennifer Scanlon and Anne and some kids we recruited when we played next to them on a more relaxed game of kickball one Saturday, April 17 - you represented us well. For a while, Breesus Disciples was in the running for a trip to Nationals in Las Vegas, but sadly, I think we might end up there for a bachelorette party before we do for a game of competitive kickball.

Buncolicious Babes in the Lion's Den

It has officially been one rotation of our bunco group. We started the year at Olivia Guider's house and ended at my house for a patriotic celebration on July 1. We've progressed from home to home enjoying Thomas's famous BBQ, Mrs. Fabacher's chicken salad (our only chaperoned bunco affair), Shelby's Naked Pizza and Courtney's Pinkberry. We've had a few subs along the way including Katie Gilly, Julie Terrell, Rachel Africk, and my sweet sister Ashley. Shelby, although we never see you, we promise we won't vote you off the island and replace you with a sub. Instead, you'll just have to take us with you on your next private plane ride to North Carolina.

To name a few of our accomplishments:

Lauren Wakeman mastered the art of playing by herself, and Taylor Houser finally won the last game. Only because Jeanne was her partner.

We had an incredible Christmas exchange where the two most beloved prizes were a Saints t-shirt in way too small of a size for Lawton's boobies and a scale. OK, the scale might not have been beloved, just random, especially because this wasn't Dirty Santa we were playing. What was the mysterious gifter trying to subtly hint? That we or one or all needed to loose weight in the New Year?

Jeanne, Simone, Kristi and Olivia have or are soon to pop little ones out of their tummies.

So far, 2 of them are boys, and my guess is the other two will be too. So much for the next generation of bunco players, but maybe it was mama coming home with the jackpot that got the baby here!

In July, we head to the Halfway House in Pass Christian to test our bunco skills across America. If Jeanne doesn't win the pot, perhaps we'll all feel a bit lucky and head down to the Casina. Lawton, don't forget your permission slip.

Simone, Thomas's baby mama

The patriotic app - goat cheese, rasberry jam, blueberries and walnuts

Elaine, Courtney, Ashley and Olivia

The Lion's Den (Margaret and Julie, if you are out there, how did Lawton know about the Lion's Den??!)

Corkie

Famous People I Know

Grace Clayton, a crazy friend from Nashville, is trying to be the next Oprah. She submitted her video online, you can vote here. She also flew to Dallas to try out. The silly production assistants only gave her 10 seconds. Clearly they don't know just how powerful Grace is. So to convince them they need her, we're starting a letter writing campaign. Trust me, I worked in the Correspondence office of both the President and Mrs. Bush, so I know how effective letter writing campaigns can be. If Oprah doesn't notice, surely Gayle will and she'll help make Grace a star. Buy your caardvark card, handmade by Natalie Baxter (Lexington, KY native and fellow TKPer). Send it to Oprah. The deadline is July 13.

SATC in the Big Easy

It had been a month since I had been out in New Orleans. Not really a long time, but it felt like it. In need of a good night out, I grabbed 4 of my girlfriends and hit the town. We started our night out how most people decide to spend a night in. With a movie. But this was not just any movie, and not just at any theatre. The chick flick: Sex and the City 2. The place: the Theatres at Canal Place.

Really and truly I can't think of a better night with my girlfriends. Dressed, of course, in white jeans and frilly summer tops, we met at the bar for drinks. I was running late, naturally. We had reservations for the front row. The front row, while still a bit straining on the eyes, has ottomans. The friend with size 11 feet said this was a must. Indeed it was. Posh seats and waiters to deliver cocktails and delicious Mediterranean fare while watching a movie full of stunning clothes and picturesque scenes with your girlfriends...a girl could not ask for more. Well, she could, a closet full of SATC clothes, and, world peace.

While most people have ixnayed Sex and the City 2, its still a must see. If you don't go see it, its like breaking up with a best friend. How could you? They helped you in good times and in bad. You must return the favor. In true Samantha, Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda style, after the movie, Erin, Kim, Courtney, Megan and I hit the town.

Courtney told us she wanted to introduce us to the cocktail wizard. We were instantly intrigued. She lead us to the sleek new Iris. I did not taste the food, but if the food is as palate pleasing as the decor is visual pleasing than hands down this might be my favorite new restaurant. With a quick look at the menu to see delicacies like foie gras, gnocchi, and duck confit, I instantly knew we could become best friends, especially since my new office is conveniently located ac cross the street. Now to find the boy to take me there...

The cocktail wizard was indeed a cocktail wizard. Have you ever had pine needles crushed into your margarita? Right. Like I said, a wizard, and my frothy tequila concoction magically appeared in a beautiful old glass. Each cocktail comes in a one-of-a-kind glass, and I was slightly envious of the scavenger who rummaged antique stores or garage sales to find glasses circa 1950 to make these beautiful masterpieces. I had to snap a few pictures of this beauty, and that's when I turned into the paparazzi and my friends told me I should start a blog.





Thank you friends, you convinced me to do the one thing I have been wanting to do for so long.



Unique is probably the best word to describe this restaurant. The wallpaper, the cocktail glasses, the jars of goodies on the bar, the colors, the chairs and tables, including the maitre'd. He looked like he hadn't showered in several days, but for some reason, it didn't bother me. He made me feel like I had been whisked off to Paris for a night of fun, and I thanked him profusely when we departed for Felipe's, the budget friendly Mexican restaurant next door owned by friend in tow, Courtney.

Right before we left Iris for Felipe's, Celie and Courtney, the posh owners of the newest Pinkberry store in New Orleans, found out they received a 100% score on their mysterious Pinkberry shopper review. No Pinkberry's get 100%. It just doesn't happen. And, this is their second one in the three short months they had been open. Definitely a cause to celebrate. So, after a complimentary margarita on the house, we decided to step it up a notch and head to the Hermes Bar at Antoine's. Reagan Kostmayer surprised the Stumm girls with a bottle of Veuve, and it was at that point the wheels came off. From there, we headed to Absinthe House and then I left Courtney to meet Erin and Megan at Lafite's since we failed to stay together in the beginning. If you haven't been to Lafitte's, its a must. The purple daqs take like Robitussin, but they are deliciously sick.
Needless to say, the night was a total success. Love my girls and love my hometown.


Someother snapshots of the night:

Erin, the bride-to-be of our group, thought I had lost it when I snapped a picture of her shoes, but it wouldn't be SATC in the Big Easy without a picture of shoes.

Lucky Dogs, a French Quarter staple, will always remind me of Katie and Cameron Gilly.



The history lover that I am had to have a picture in front of the Court House. Beautiful building in the FQ.