Friday, August 28, 2009

Five Question Friday



Courtesy of Mama M

copy the questions to participate & head over to her blog to link up!

1. What is your favorite Holiday and why? Its a tie between Halloween and Christmas. Halloween cause its the day after my birthday and free candy is AWESOME. And now I can dress my kid up and that's just fun. Christmas cause i like the whole holiday season. The music, decorations, cookies, and of course the joy on my child's face when he comes down stairs to see what Santa left.



2. Who has been the most influential person in your life? Hmm.. I know a lot of great people. All good parents. Being a parent is HARD.Really hard.



3.If you could give up one household chore forever, what would it be? Folding and putting away the laundry. How the heck to 3 people create so much laundry!?



4. What is the BEST practical joke you have ever been a part of, on the giving OR receiving end? Nothing good really. Just silly stuff one my brother when he was little.



5. Where (or how) did you meet your spouse? Originally when I was about 15, when a mutual friend asked us to meet him at Doug's house. Then about 2 years later we sporadically saw each other when he became roommates with a friend of mine. But we didn't become "official" til August of 2002 ♥

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Jumping on the bed..







Thursday's Thirteen "S'

Bought to me by Kimber courtesy of Izzy 'N Emmy



1.SUNDAY:: My favorite day of the week. My husband is usually off from work. Church in the morning, followed by fellowship and coffee, library with my boys, and a good dinner. Sunday ♥

2.SOUTH:: I grew up in South Jersey, yes, its different from North Jersey, even if it is the same state, and now I live in the Deep South. Definitely different 'souths'.

3.SODA:: That's what I call it. Most people in my area now call it either a 'soft drink' or 'a coke' no matter the actual type. I've heard 'pop' as well. What do you call it??

4.SOUP:: I love soup. Especially good ol' Campbells, which was right next to the hospital I gave birth in. Literally, next door. I like tomato and split pea best, my husband likes vegetarian vegetable, and Mason is not a fan of soup at all, he is the pickiest eater. I like good homemade soups too.

5.SALT:: My husband prefers his food unsalted. I like salt.

6.SCOOBY DOO:: Mason is a fan.

7.SECRETS:: I don't have many about me, I'm pretty much an open book, like it or leave it. But everyone tells me their secrets, and I'll never tell.

8.SUMMER:: Use to be my favorite season, now its too dang hot living in the deep south. I prefer March. Best weather month in Louisiana.

9.SCALLOPS:: Delicious! Hell's Kitchen tonight has them on my mind.

10.SHOES:: I am not a shoe fanatic. I have probably 10 pairs of shoes and half are cheap old navy flip flops that I wear every single day.

11.SAMPLES:: I love free sample websites.

12.SCUBA DIVING:: NEVER.

13.SLEEP:: I don't think I've felt genuinely well rested since my second trimester of my pregnancy, and my child is 3 1/2 now.. an I', not sure if I will ever really sleep well again. Remember those afternoon you stayed in bed til 1pm.. Mmmmm.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Family

I've been thinking about family a lot in the past week or so. Not only because I miss my family members who do not live close to us in Louisiana, but because Mason asked me just a few days ago "What's family?" Not exactly the easies question a 3 year old wants an answer to, especially when you have a family like my husband an I do.

My immediate family is made up of my Dad, my Mom and my brother, who is 5 years younger then me. We were your typical suburban upper middle class family. It was perfect.

We were never close to my Dad's family when I was growing up. My Dad is adopted and his adopted father, my Grandpa, was not a very easy man to get along with, and because of that, we kind of missed out on relationships with my Grandma and my Dad's two brother and their families. My Grandfather passed away in 2007 and my family is closer with my Grandma then ever, too bad I've been 1300 miles away.

My Mom's family is AMAZING! Most of them live in Massachusetts, where I was born. I have my Grammy and Grampy. My 3 uncles, Dave, Jeff, and Paul and my aunties, Sharon, Joanne, Sue, Tracey, and Colleen. I use to go to Massachusetts and spend weeks in the summers with them. They are my rocks. I miss them ALL every single day.

Now my husband's family is a little more complicated then mine. My husband was adopted when he was 9 months old, by two amazing people, his mom and dad, Sally and Geroge. They loved him and raised him as their own. They also had another adopted daughter, Amanda, Doug's older sister, who was adopted from El Salvador. Unfortunetly my husband Dad passed away in 1996, before I had the chance to meet him, but I have heard wonderful stories about what a great husband and father he was. Besides his paternal grandma, Doug didn't know any other members of that side of his family. His mom has 3 sisters, who all have families that we love and miss as well. Some are in PA, some are in NJ, some are in GA, and most recently some moved to the west coast! We do not see them as often as we'd like, but they are ALWAYS in our hearts. Unbfortunately, Doug's Mom passed away in 2005. We miss her every single day. I wish she could have met Mason. They would have been the best of friends.

Doug (my husband) also has a lot of family, that I also consider my family that isn't blood related. Honestly, with a father and a husband who have been adopted, we are big "blood doesnt determibe family" people. His godfather's family, who were also his next door neighbors, are closer to us then we are to some actual blood relatives, a lot closer.

After Doug's Mom passed away in 2005 an I found out I was pregnant, we decided it might be a good idea to find out what we could about Doug's birth parents, because at the time we only knew medical history from my Mom's side. We met his birth mother, who directed us to meeting his birth father and his family, who live here in the same town we live in, hence one of the reason we moved here! His father has a wife and 3 children that our the kindest, mot giving people on this planet. They have bailed us out of messes MORE then once. We currently do not have a relationship with his birth mother.

But at the end of the day, the family I go home to, is just Doug, Mason and myself. When Mason asked me "What's family" I was unsure how to answer that question in a way that a 3 year old would understand. I told him " A Family is a bunch of people who love each other, and help each other. It could be a family like ours with a daddy, mommy, and a Mason. It might be two mommies, or two daddies, or one mommy or one daddy. It could be friends that you love so much that they are your family." I don't know if he truly understood what I meant, but I want him to know that families come in all shapes and sizes and just because someone is technically a family member, that doesn't mean they are family.

Family, to me, is what you make it to be, with the people you want to be with.

oOo Wordless Wednesday oOo *Mason and Uncle Buddy*

I cannot believe my baby brother will be 21 tomorrow, so this is for you Uncle Buddy!

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Thursday's Thirteen on Sunday.

Bought to me by Kimber courtesy of Izzy 'N Emmy



1.TATTOOS:: My husband has 7 tattoos. My parents each have tattoos and my younger brother also has them. Me, not so much. Needles terrify me.

2.TRIPS:: Day trips, weekend trips, long trips, SIGN ME UP!

3.TRENTON:: Capital of my home state. Not a very nice city.

4.TANTRUMS:: It should be the terrible 3's. not 2's.

5.TUBING:: I went ONCE. There were mating dragonflies everywhere and stagnant water. And my shoes got wet. Blah.

6.TODDLERS:: Pretty much my life.

7.TROPHY:: I wont a HUGE trophy when I was 11 for the national championship. I got 2nd place in my division. I never went back after that.

8.TIC TACS:; Orange, please. My husband eats one box at a time!

9.TCHOUPITOULAS:: Bet'cha can't say style="font-weight:bold;">that word unless you've been to New Orleans.

10.THUNDER:: My dog is terrified.

11.TRAINS:: Mason's FAVORITE! Especially Thomas and Friends.

12.TRUCKS:: Mason's second favorite.

13.TICKLE:: I HATE to be tickled. If you tickle me, I will punch you.


I know I am WAY late doing these, but better late then never right?? RIGHT???

Friday, August 21, 2009

The many names of ME

Cause I'm a blog idea stealer. So thanks Kimber.. ♥ you!



My birth certificate might read 'Jessica'(thanks for being so creative mom and dad, kidding!!!) but I am known by many names.


-Jessica
-Jess (what most people call me)
-Jessie (please don't call me this..)
-Jane (what my parents call me)
-Janie(parents use this one too)
-Yani (my dad is crazy)
-Sissy (not anymore, my baby brother is about to be 21!)
-Daughter
-Wife
-Mom/Mama/Mommy(only took Mason 2+ years to say it, now I hear it so often, I'm thinking of not going by this one anymore. ha!)
-Baby (what my husband calls me)
-Miss Jess (the little boy I watch calls me this)
-Crazy (who me?? nah...)
-Friend (My son's godmother and I call each other this)
-Roni
-Binkey (My grandma called me this til I was probably 16)
-J (or sometimes JJ)
-Jebaliss/Olive Loaf (haha don't ask)
-Jen (I guess some people think if your name is Jessica, it might as well me Jennifer)
-Aunt Jess (though it was Uncle Jess for a bit when one of my nieces was 3.. haha)

What about you??????????????

Five Question Friday

Five Question Friday


Courtsey of The Daily Drama

Five Queston Friday is, well, exactly that! Five random questions on Friday. Wanna try? Copy and paste the following questions to your blog, and answer them.

1. What is your biggest Pet Peeve? Parents who don't deserve to be parents and are constantly dropping their kid(s) off somwhere with a sitter while they go out to the bar or whatever. GO HOME AND READ TO YOUR CHILDREN! Do you know how many people out in the world would KILL to have that chance?

2. With no worries about finances, childcare, or travel time...where would you most want to vacation? Italy. Good food. Romance. Sounds fun.

3. If your house was in the path of a tornado and you had time to grab 3 things before the house was totally destroyed {children, husband, pets are already out} what 3 items would you grab? My scrapbooks, my camera, our lockbox.

4. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? I wish I knew... I like Louisiana. I miss New Jersey. Probably in a little town called Bird-In-Hand in Lancaster County, PA.

5. What is your family's favorite homecooked meal? Chicken Parm is a favorite, so is spaghetti and meatballs, and lasagna. See Italy is a good place for my family to visit. We eat like Italians. Growing up in Jersey will do that to ya!

Now it's your turn...and head over to The Daily Drama to link up

SO funny (and true!) I had to share...

My friend Lauren, from high school posted this on facebook today. I'm pretty sure she didnt write it, and if that's the case, I do not know who to give credit to, but it was so funny, Dr. Pepper came out of my nose while reading some.. ENJOY! * I'm bolding my favorite ones. And yes, I just made up the world bolding.

-I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

-More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think
about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own
story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.


-Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize
you're wrong.


-I don't understand the purpose of the line, "I don't need to drink
to have fun." Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint
and sticks when they've invented the lighter?

-Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going
in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going?
But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from
which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or
phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that
no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching
directions on the sidewalk.


-That's enough, Nickelback.


-I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

-Is it just me, or are 80% of the people in the "people you may know"
feature on Facebook people that I do know, but I deliberately choose not
to be friends with?

-Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't
work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix
the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how
to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We
just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.

-There is a great need for sarcasm font.

-Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly
realize I had no idea what the f was going on when I first saw it.

-I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes
stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes
shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's laughing at the right
parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond
earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really, really gets it.

-How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

-I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than
take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.


- I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your
computer history if you die.

-The only time I look forward to a red light is when I’m trying to finish
a text.


- A recent study has shown that playing beer pong contributes to the spread
of mono and the flu. Yeah, if you suck at it.


- Was learning cursive really necessary?

- Lol has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have
nothing else to say".

- I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.


- My brother's Municipal League baseball team is named the Stepdads. Seeing
as none of the guys on the team are actual stepdads, I inquired about the
name. He explained, "Cuz we beat you, and you hate us." Classy,
bro.

- Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart",
all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".

- How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you
just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?

- I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up
to prevent a dick from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!

- Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples,
I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today
I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's
G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"

-What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each
other?

- While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively
swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.

- MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I
know how to get out of my neighborhood.


- Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person
died.


- I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower
first and THEN turn on the water.


-Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty,
and you can wear them forever.

- I would like to officially coin the phrase 'catching the swine flu' to
be used as a way to make fun of a friend for hooking up with an overweight
woman. Example: "Dave caught the swine flu last night."

-I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

- Bad decisions make good stories

-Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile
is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder
BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!


- Is it just me or do high school girls get sluttier & sluttier every
year?


-If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would
probably just be completely invisible.


-Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around
and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous?
Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem....


-You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when
you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive
for the rest of the day.

-Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want
to have to restart my collection
.

-There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going
to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

-I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if
I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I
did not make any changes to.

- "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash
this ever.


-I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching
TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me
if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching this. It's
only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we
still be friends after this?'

-I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Dammit!),
but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail.
What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

- I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing
anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.



-I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then
I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

-Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed
for pedophiles...


- As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but
no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

-Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not
know what time it is.

-It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.

-I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer
when they call.


-Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to
with it.

-Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys
in a pocket, hitting the G-spot, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but
I’d bet my ass everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet
away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...


-My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day "Dad what would
happen if you ran over a ninja?" How the hell do I respond to that?

-It really pisses me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the
link takes me to a video instead of text.


-I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive
behind obeys the speed limit.

-I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

-I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday
night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.

-The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw they
had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone at
the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then
estimated that there must be at least four people eating to require such
a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating by myself. There's nothing
like being made to feel like a fat bastard before dinner.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Playing Ball...

with Grammy...


and Grampy...


is super fun, and makes one tired boy on a New Orleans summer day.

As seen in my kitchen.

Not an original idea,it was Kimber's, but maybe I'll do a whole series of post showcasing every room in my house.











*I guess the boys are technically in the dining room, but you can see it from the kitchen.*

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Thursday's Thirteen 'U'

Bought to me by Kimber courtesy of Izzy 'N Emmy



1.UMBRELLA:: It has rained A LOT lately. Mason has begun wanting to hold the umbrella. Which is nice, but unfortunately he is much shorter then I am, which leave me , well, out in the rain.



2.UNIVERSITY:: I attended Monmouth University for a year. I wish I would have stuck with it. So trust me kids, STAY IN SCHOOL! And don't waste $26,000 of your parents hard earned money.


3.UNITED STATES:: I am proud to be an American.


4.UNCLES:: I have the best uncles ever who live in Massachusetts and Minnesota. I do not see them nearly enough. I miss them an I wish they were able to be more involved in Mason's life, so he could know what great men they are. (I also have amazing aunts, but that's an 'A)

5.UNICORN:: What Mason calls a pinata.

6.UNDERWEAR:: No diapers in this house currently. Mason has been potty trained 100% since December!

7.UGGS:: No, thank you. Even if I did like them, it is far to warm all year in Louisiana for that.

8.UNDER:: Louisiana is 'under' all the other states. :o)

9.UNIVERSAL:: Somewhere I'd like to visit. I've never been to any of those Disney type parks. I'm a Great Adventure, Dorney Park, Hershey Park, and Sesame Place kinda girl. I miss Tri-State Area parks.

10.UPS:: They brought a package to my house today. Nothing exciting, just a reflective shirt for my husband for work.

11.URBAN DICTIONARY:: A silly website.

12.UTAH:: Makes me think polygamist.

13.UPPER DECK:: I love baseball. I love The Philadelphia Phillies. I love upper deck homeruns by The Phillies.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Trains.

Mason loves trains. LOVES them. Especially Thomas the Tank Engine and all his Friends. Mason got a new train set this past weekend. He loves it. I mean can a boy have too many trains??




An award? For me?

A big thank you to my bloggin' buddy Kimber, for send this award my way ♥ .



Here's the rules:
List 5 obsessions that I have and then tag 5 other people.

5 of my obsessions


1. Being a mom: Can I call that an obsession? It is my favorite thing in the world. I love being a parent. I want (almost) nothing more then to be a stay at home mom. I don't go out without Mason, because I really don't want to. He may drive me crazy, but I wouldn't want anyone else to do it.

2. Facebook: Yes, I admit it I am obsessed. (It was definitely not me who updated my Facebook status via cell phone in line at the bank) It is a really convenient way for me to stay in touch with my family and friends who are 1300 or more miles away. And honestly, I'm a bit nosy and like knowing what is going on in peoples lives. I like Myspace a bit too, but Facebook more.

3. Texting: I text a lot. A LOT. It goes back to the faraway friends thing :o)

4. Reading: I enjoy reading. I will read pretty much anything. And I refuse to read the back of books or the inside cover flaps cause I think it gives away too much of the book, just let me read it!

5. Ikea: How I miss Ikea! We had one right over the bridge in Philadelphia when we live in South Jersey. Cheap, cool, furniture. AWESOME kitchen stuff. I got my favorite stock pot EVER there for $30! Great thigs to hang on your walls, and most of them have an area for your kids to play in while you shop, if you aren't completely paranoid like me. AND cheap and yummy food! It's an awesome place.

Now to pass it on:

1. Alyson:: Where have you been my friend???

2.Tanya:: Cause she is my girl.. and she gets me.

3. Michelle:: My Metairie friend. Who has the cutest daughter.

4. Tiffany:: Come back to bloggin'!

5. Emily:: My new bloggin' buddy, and possibly future Louisiana resident.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Not Me! Monday



Head on over to Mckmama's blog and read everyone's too!


This past week I certainly did not skip church on Sunday because I was sick and tired of getting up and having to get not only myself ready every day but my husband and son ready too. I would never do something that lazy.

I also did not curse my bank for something that really had no control over because it inconvenienced me.

I also did not feed Mason and the little boy I take care of boy I watch Taco Bell and Burger King this week. I only feed them the healthiest foods.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Thursday's Thirteen 'V'

Again, thank you Kimber for finding the blog of Izzy 'N Emmy



1.VALENTINE:: My son was born on Valentine's Day 2006. At 9:23pm to be exact.

2.VAMPIRES:: Not my usual thing, but I loved the Twilight Series.

3.VACATION:: My favorite word ever. Okay, maybe its a tie with the word .free.

4.VOODOO:; Well I do live in New Orleans. Here are some pictures of one of the touristy voodoo shops in the French Quarter.



5.VICARIOUS:: One of my favorite TOOL songs.

6.VALLEY:; I grew up in a neighborhood called Cherry Valley (on Cherry Tree Lane, in Cherry Hill.. lost of cherry named things, NO cherries.)

7.VRBO:: A cool website.

8.VEAL:; Something I will never eat. I saw a 20/20 special when I was a kid about the poor baby cows they get veal from. Horrible things they do to the cows. F*ck veal.

9.VENUS:: A planet and a razor for women.

10.VAN:: Not for me :o)

11.VOLUME:: The volume it reaches at work somedays is mind blowing. Two 3 year olds can sure make a whole lot of noise. Especially when there is a recorder involved.

12.VIOLENCE:: Never the answer...

13.VICTORY:: Who doesn't like to win? I LOVED then the Philadelphia Phillies got a victory and won the World Series!

Monday, August 3, 2009

Things this Jersey Girl has learned about LOUISIANA

I'm still learning a lot about my new home. Here are some of the silly things I've already learned.



- May/June-October is ridiculously hot. You think it gets hot and humid in Jersey.. YOU ARE MISTAKEN.

- "Fall" might as well be summer.. it is still 80 degrees most days.

-They eat beignets not donuts or bagels.

-They definitely don't know how to make a cheese steak or pizza correctly (no offense to any New Orleans establishments. They make a mean muffuletta!)

- They eat Po'Boys .. nothing like a hoagie... except the kind of resemble each other and are both sandwiches.

- There is NO last call at bar, and no open container laws.

- They have Drive-Thru Daiquiri places... you literally drive up to the speaker box (like at any Wendy's ect.) order your drink and drive up to pay and pick it up... then drive away with it. You know how it's legal? You aren't allowed to put your straw in the top while driving... CRAZY!

- EVERYWHERE SELLS ALCOHOL. (now I'm not a drinker, so this doesn't really benefit me) You can get it at grocery stores, gas stations, even Rite Aid sells it.

-Parishes are what you live in not Counties.

- At night they drive around in these pick-up truck and spray everywhere for mosquitoes (though they say the mosquitoes are bad here, Doug and I think NJ was worse, but I'm sure its because they DO spray here.)

- At night they also drive around in the back of a pick up truck and shoot Nutria in the canals on the highways.. and they will even pay you something like 3 dollars a tail.

- You can't make a left anywhere like in NJ, but instead of jug handles, they make you go through the light and make a u-turn.. There are more u-turns here then anywhere ever.

- The pronounce things very French.. like Hebert and Richard are pronounced "a-bear" and "re-shard".

-When you go to the store to buy groceries.. people here say their "makin' groceries". I've also heard when its someone's birthday instead of saying "so-and-so turned 25. They say so-and-so made 25.

- They call a canoe a pirogue.

- At restaurants instead of ketchup on the table its Tabasco.

- NO ONE works on Mardi Gras Day. And Mardi Gras is really 2 weeks of parades and concerts, leading up to the full day of parades all over the area.

-Even though the Gulf of Mexico is right below us.. there is no beach. You gotta go to Mississippi, Alabama, or Florida for that.

- In the summer almost every day it is super hot and it rains.

-It's a soft drink, not a soda.

- I live RIGHT near the longest bridge in the WORLD over water. The Lake Ponchartrain Causeway is almost 24 miles long and there is no shoulder.. how crazy is that?!

-Bourbon Street is very touristy.

- I say Metairie like met-ar-ie, some locals say it met-tree.