The Fabulous Life of Stefanie

Tomorrow morning Matt and I are getting on a plane and flying to New Orleans! Not a strange thing to read on this blog because we are always adventuring off somewhere. The next day I am running the Louisiana Marathon. Again, not out of the ordinary, we like to sign up for marathons in other states. But here is the kicker: it is just us. As in, just the two of us (go ahead, sing it right out loud). For the first time EVER. Well, since we became three, and then four. Yup, the last time Matt and I slept in the same room together without a child in the house was six years, one month, and three weeks ago. Also known as the night before Madeleine was born. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? Let me tell you - I am going to go to bed at a ridiculously early hour stark raving sober tomorrow night, get up and attend a 26.2 minute mass presided over by a marathon running priest and then I am going to (hopefully) run the fastest 26.2 miles I have ever run. And then. We party! The marathon is in Baton ...

If I could live anywhere else in the world it would not be Paris, Hawaii or some other wonderful, warm city other than Boston it would, honest to God, be the great city of New Orleans. Full disclosure: I had never been to New Orleans before I went there as a volunteer a year after Hurricane Katrina got her ugly paws all over the city, but I fell in love despite (or maybe because of) the way that the city was getting itself back together. That first trip came at a very difficult time in my own life and it literally changed everything for me; I have since been back for two service trips and am awaiting the next time I can get down there. Whenever anyone tells me they are going for a visit I literally burst at the seams with all of the things I want them to see, eat and drink. It has been a few years since I have been, but this is my own little guide to the Big Easy. Note: I have not  yet traveled there with a kiddo, so this does not take that into consideration; I promise to upd...

Last night Matty and I went to Darryl's Corner Bar and Kitchen to partake in the Mardi Gras party, which consisted of their delicious menu and an awesome band led by a man straight outta N'awlins. We started off with a sidecar (for me) and the crawdad (for Matty) and an appetizer of shrimp etouffe, which had a delicious sauce and was cooked to juicy perfection. For dinner I had the catfish sandwich, that was gushing with the best remoulade I've had in the North and a side of sweet potato fries. Matty had the ribs with collards, which were delicious and had a fantastic sauce smothered all over the ribs. For dessert we had the red velvet cake (of which we did not find the baby and win a free entree) and Makers Mark (neat for Matty, on the rocks for me). The band was just what I needed to lift my spirits and bring me back to that summer afternoon, less than a year after Katrina hit, when I was walking around the French Market during the Satchmo Festival and a band was set up u...