Hey, Timmy, here’s your sign:
Yes, today is the birthday of my writing partner, Timmy. Note: That is NOT the same person as Tim/Timothy, who does not want to be called Timmy. EVER.
Timmy probably actually prefers Timothy, as well, but I’ve been 35 too long to change that habit now.
March 4 is a big day in my life, because it’s also That Old Woman’s birthday and my agent’s birthday. This evening, I’ll be taking That Old Woman some chocolate cupcakes. Anybody want to come with me?
When I was in New Orleans recently, I saw that birthday sign on the side of a non-working streetcar and shot it for the express purpose of wishing Timmy a happy birthday with it. I wish I could be with you, Timmy, celebrating your birthday in your new home, but I’m sure that Paul and your many friends will celebrate in style.
Now, about this streetcar thing… I remember how excited Greg was when the St. Charles streetcar began running again. Although I’ve driven down St. Charles into the Garden District on other trips to New Orleans, I never rode the streetcar. Since Lynne and I had limited time before we needed to leave the city, we decided to jump on, ride it to the end of the line, then catch one coming back.
I can’t recommend this enough. I’ve always loved seeing those rattling old cars; this was my first opportunity to ride one. Riding the entire length of the St. Charles line ($1.25–exact change, please–the machine takes dollar bills and quarters) is a good way to get a glimpse of the beautiful Garden District. You also see Loyola, Tulane, and Audubon Park. You can hop off to explore, or go to the end of the line, where you’ll be asked to exit the car and pay another $1.25 for the return trip.
Instead, Lynne and I exited and headed for a place she’d heard about, the Camellia Grill.
A little backstory here…
In our youth, Lynne managed and cooked at a small restaurant with a grill and food prep stations completely visible to the public. I hung out in the restaurant so much, talking to old friends and making new ones, that even though I had two teaching jobs at the time, I also did a little waitressing there. Lynne and I both have tons of memories from that place, so grills hold a special place in our hearts.
The Camellia Grill wasn’t affected physically by Katrina or the levee failure, but it had apparently been struggling for a while prior to the hurricane. The loss of tourists and New Orleans residents probably wouldn’t have helped matters, so the restaurant didn’t reopen. Some people said it was for the best, since the owners hadn’t been reinvesting to improve the place. Others were sad about its apparent demise; all of this was summed up better on the blog The Third Battle of New Orleans, which posted the following photos of former patrons expressing their disappointment:
Photo permission pending from The Third Battle of New Orleans.
Happily, after being closed for twenty months, the Camellia Grill was bought by a new owner who gutted the grill area and rebuilt it and replaced the countertops, but otherwise pretty much left a good thing alone. Apparently, there is often a line to get in, but Lynne and I stopped in for coffee and chocolate pecan pie between the lunch and dinner crowds. We wished we hadn’t already eaten when we watched the burgers travel from a sizzling grill to the customers next to us, who said that yes, they were as delicious as they looked.
I liked the pie. The coffee was good. And I loved feeling nostalgic about old times with friends while sitting on a stool at the counter and watching the cooks.
If you like looking at beautiful old houses, I’ll put the rest of my St. Charles Avenue photos behind a cut. There are also a couple of pictures of trees still full of Mardi Gras beads. Please note that the white dot you see in the sky in some of the photos isn’t an early moonrise, but the reflection of the streetcar’s interior light on the window I was looking through to shoot photos.
Bead tree.
The light’s reflection looks like a puff of smoke from the chimney.
Blossom on a tulip tree on the Carrollton Avenue neutral ground.
I only know the name of the tree because Lynne told me.
St. Charles streetcar.
I could blame the moving street car, but the truth is some of these photos are blurry because I forgot to return my camera to the correct setting.
Another bead tree.
I don’t know why I took this photo unless it was for the bead tree in front of the bank.
For the food lovers among you.
One Shell Square, in the Central Business District.
Like the building, the sidewalks around it are Italian travertine.
Greg described how when it rains, pedestrians struggle to stay upright and not slide
off the slick travertine sidewalks, which slope slightly toward the street.
Happy birthday to Timmy. : )
(Holy cow… these houses are so beautiful and inspiring!)
These houses are just one more reason why it hurts me, especially as a Southerner, to hear people say NOLA doesn’t deserve to be rebuilt. We lost so much beauty in Mississippi because of Katrina. From the economically depressed areas to the grand old homes of the Garden District, the city of New Orleans is a part of America’s heritage.
You and me, mister…taking that trolly ride in May. (I know how you love to go to see and do things.) 😉
Yay1 Thank you! I hope that I can see NOLA in person this May. Tell That Old Woman I say Happy Birthday.
I can’t believe I’m finally 29…
No, Timmy, you’re twenty-four! An Aries knows everything.
Oh, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Timmy! And Mama Becky! And “my agent” (whom I’ve never met)!
“This evening, I’ll be taking That Old Woman some chocolate cupcakes. Anybody want to come with me?”
I’d love to jump in on that (assuming that I count as “anybody”); but there may be a huge scheduling issue (5:30 dinner plans with our other Becky, in town from Hammond; and Kathy spending the night) — if you go later, I maaay be able to join you. 🙂
Love, love, love the NOLA photos. Our last visit to NOLA, I rode the street car for my very first time also. It is every bit of enjoyable as you describe.
You know Kathy and Becky are welcome to come with you and Rhonda, too. I’d love for it to become a little celebration for her. And you know she adores you.
I’ll give ya a buzz later. 🙂
Good. Stuff just went crazy and is moving fast today. It’ll be so good even to TALK to y’all.
Damn, now I want PIE!
Great photos, Becky, as always. I love the first house pic, the big white one. It reminds me of the Sugarbaker’s house on Designing Women.
Ohhh, that’s why it looks so familiar!
Do you think Becky’s ride down St Charles was as good as ours? After all, she didn’t have Bobby as a tour guide.
Or a Big Gulp margarita, I’m assuming.
Nothing makes me tear up faster than hearing someone else talk about New Orleans, and how beautiful it is here. And damn you again, Becky–I was planning on going out this weekend and taking pictures of the bead trees to post!
And happy birthday to Timmy and That Old Woman. If I were there, I’d be happy to go along.
She would LOVE you when you get started on a rant. She’s so disappointed because she’s just not strong enough to go cast her vote for Hillary today.
P.S. You can get MUCH better shots of the bead trees than I got.
Me? Rant? I don’t know what you mean…
Well, I dunno. Yours look prety magical; a hard act to follow. Grrr.
I heart the St. Charles Streetcar!
Way back when I was attending a conference in NO and
stayed at a convent right on the line. It was the
start of Mardi Gras season and even the nuns were
excited to go out to the parades and very helpful
at letting me know the best places to see them.
I think Mardi Gras in New Orleans would be TOO much fun for me. Especially if even the nuns are partying.
Talking about the nuns makes me think of college. The nuns were always the first in line when there was a keg for a dance or something.
It was a MUCH better trip to NOLA than my last one; which made me NEVER want to go back. I really like this part of the city. One day you will sell movie rights, be rich & buy one of these. THEN I can see the inside of one.
Okay!
Oh! Thank you so much for sharing – a whole travel guide to New Orleans in one post . . . just lovely.
The large houses are just so splendid and everything seems so clean. And I just love the “bead trees”.
Splendid!
Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed it. =)