Nix Bits

So we’ve had a couple of the wife’s relatives in for visits the past few weeks and had a good time all around. We took brother-in-law #1 to Jacques Imo’s for dinner where he had a stuffed pork chop roughly the size of his head. Per his own request, we took him on the devastation tour.

One comment he made was that he had really expected to see more construction going on. He said this as we were navigating Mini Cooper sized potholes in Lakeview. It was a valid question and I went on to explain very briefly about the nature of the insurance battles people have been fighting, the Road Home, and how the speed of progress is pretty much proportional to the height of the water.

A week and a half later, brother-in-law #2 paid us a visit during French Quarter Fest weekend. He was lucky enough to tag along with his wife on a work-related trip. While we were watching the Soul Rebels, I commented that this was how we did funerals around here as well — Ashley’s recent funeral was on my brain. My sister-in-law was unfamiliar with the concept and a little shocked. A lot of discussion ensued about that and about where local brass band music comes from with a coworker of hers.

Of course they got to experience much food. It was hard to get them out of the Quarter so we ate at both Redfish Grill and Palace Cafe. We did get brother in law to Napoleon House for a Pimm’s Cup. In addition to that, we had a truly only in New Orleans experience on a Monday night, catching the To Be Continued Brass Band jamming out at Canal and Bourbon.

While we didn’t get to do a devastation tour with this crew, they did at lots of questions that we were quite happy to answer. One of sister in laws co-workers was surprised to find that the bulk of the city was not, in fact, below sea level. And of course the raging Mississippi provided an object lesson of its own on the subjects of sea level, flood risk, and the importance of man-made protection for any community near a body of water.

It’s always good to see the city through other’s eyes and with them to get those constant reminders of all the things we get to experience only at home in New Orleans