New Beginings

I made it here safely and without too much confusion, with a great deal of thanks to my superb navigator/friend. What an adventure that was! We stopped in DC, Knoxville, and Memphis (and many little stops between- you know, lunch in Nashville, no big deal). The weather held out and I even got to play host to my friend for a couple more days in New Orleans, revisiting all the places I love to go to as a tourist- for the last time in such a context.

Jackson, Mississippi

I just moved into a little studio in the heart of the French Quarter. My apartment is the median point between a Catholic Church and a large concentration Gay bars- welcome to New Orleans! But I get to live alone, and I’m at the back of a large, peaceful courtyard. There is a little spot for gardening and I have a feeling my windows will always be open and all my meals taken on the patio.

The view from my kitchen

The weather has been lovely. The Tulip Trees are blooming and the temperature is heavenly. It has rained a few days, but in large part I am walking into New Orleans at its climatic perfection.

Spanish Moss in Audubon Park

I should be job hunting, but in the name of “investigation” I’ve been ending up in cocktail lounges- only to find I become “distracted” and lose sight of why it is that I’m there in the first place. I have met a couple of excellent people in the field- Chris and Laura MacMillian. Chris brings his own silver Julep Cups to use at the bar and I cannot speak highly enough of his Ramos Gin Fizz.

The friends I’ve made here are almost exclusively Lindy Hoppers. I’ve been feebly trying to learn and have yet to fall flat on my face. The good news is that even if I never learn, the music is reason enough to go out and keep on trying.

The next blog I write will have tell of my new employment- here’s to that happening soon!

Door handles at my apartment

Countdown is On!

I'm only two weeks away from moving to a place rife with festivities! Between the Saints winning the Superbowl, and Mardi Gras- I'm bound to arrive just as hangovers start to seize the city. My timing may be poor... but hurricanes aside, is there ever really a bad time to go to New Orleans?

While trapped in my apartment, packing like crazy and avoiding the cold- I'm considering my options for procrastination. Tonight I believe I'll try my hand at concocting a Planter's Punch to submit to Tales of The Cocktail. My inspiration: Maine meets Louisiana, details to follow.

Yes, indeed. Turning up the heat and drinking Tiki cocktails. A mighty fine idea.

Image from hawaiiandays.com

Dr. Seuss's Portland, Maine

Pop guns! And bicycles! Roller skates! Drums!

Checkerboards! Tricycles! Popcorn! And plums!

I realize I'm a bit late to be sporting holiday spirit, but for some time now I've been meaning to share my feelings about Maine in the winter- Portland to be more precise. This goes well beyond the holiday season, so bear with me here.

In most parts of the country, the thought of a Maine winter brings cringes to faces. Many mornings my face does just that too. But when evening descends, we Portland residents find ourselves graced with a special treat- it might well be one of the few things that carries us through these miserable winters (snow on the beach and snowshoeing *ahem*). I'm speaking so highly of our holiday lights.

To stroll down Congress Street on a chilly January night- perhaps not yet warmed by a whiskey drink- maybe on your way to see some bluegrass or some other such thing- hands in your pockets, ears snuggled tight in your hat- cursing that darn hole in your boot- only to look up and find you've walked into a Dr. Seuss fantasy land... that is the best part about Portland's winter.

Truthfully, I look forward to the lights going up as soon as they've been taken down. I wish they were a year-round affair.

I'll apologize for my pictures not doing justice, I'll have to leave you with the assurance of more and better images to come.

AThe lights of Longfellow Square; consequently my view from work.

Congress Square.

Party Hats!

A recent project/ possible new favorite thing to make, ever:

Thank you Jenne, you truly are lovely.

The Big Easy

And don't you forget it!

To those of you who have been around me these last two weeks, please stop reading. Now. You've heard it too many times already. I would really like to maintain our relationship, and if you hear nothing but the same from me you will grow bored and leave me. I simply cannot have that.

I LOVE NEW ORLEANS.

The favored vacation spot of my dear family, I was not exactly a stranger to the city when I returned on holiday. With the exceptions that I hadn't been since Katrina, and this was my first visit in which I could appreciate the cocktails.

Not only are the cocktails prolific, the cocktail culture is thriving. One can even find a bottle of Chartreuse or Pimms in dive bars with ease! There is a cocktail convention every year that brings multitudes of the world's best bartenders called Tales of the Cocktail... guess where it happens... yep.

New Orleans: the birthplace of the cocktail. The birthplace of Jazz. America's Paris. The most haunted city in America. The city that care forgot. As I have come to learn, the city of fast friendship. The most perfect place for a lady such as myself. Hence, a move at the end of February.

Work for someone in my trade should be relatively simple to come by, it is New Orleans after all. And booze is most certainly recession-proof.

The Sazerac Bar at The Roosevelt Hotel

So clever!

Quintessential New Orleans outlook.

Drunk undertakers laugh in the face of death.
-OR-
Wish you were here?

Pretty great graffiti in Marigny.

Multiple viewings of the sunrise over the Mississippi, followed by a Cafe Au Lait or two.

A long time coming!

Hello Friends and Neighbors!

I'm making my grand comeback after what seems like years of non blogging. Did you miss me? I missed you.

I feel that my place of employment has not taken a center stage (you'll get the pun in a moment) in my writings and that really needs to change.

I work at a local arts and entertainment venue called One Longfellow Square. I've been here for nearly two years, which is nearly as long as the place has been open; working as a bartender and more recently as an all around office chameleon. The fact of the matter is, One Longfellow Square has changed the way I listen to music. The quality of the music that comes to our venue is consistently high caliber; be it Blue Grass or Blues Guitar, your ears will go home smiling. There are people that claim to listen to everything then follow up with a list of exceptions. I am legitimately a person with the ability to enjoy most everything with a beat or melody (...except reggae... HA!) and have developed an acute appreciation for really great tunes.

In my time here I've seen Burlesque Dancers, John Hammond (amongst other blues legends and up-and-comers), and ummm... RICHIE HAVENS. I'm extra grateful for the ones I wouldn't have known otherwise: Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, Holy Ghost Tent Revival, Brave Combo, The Wiyos, The Low Anthem, Stephane Wrembel, there are just too many to rattle off. The experience of seeing an artist you love (or grow to love) in an intimate setting (with a beautiful cocktail in hand) is certainly not one to miss.

The point that I've been working my way up to making involves a tune you've all heard on the radio. Every time it has come on lately my insides start swelling with pride. And then I start singing along...



That's right folks, right here in Portland, Maine: Pure Prairie League. In what is soon to be your favorite venue, with 199 of your new closest friends, with a cocktail in hand, coming up this Thursday 9/10/09.

Tickets are $45, but if you call in and mention "Lucy's Blog" you can save $5 per ticket (up to 4 tickets, only by phone). You really don't want to miss this, and as an added bonus you'll be visiting me at the bar!

So Amie, whatchu wanna do? (207) 761-1757

Birthday: the Best Holiday

Those of you who know me might recall that I absolutely love birthdays. Mine in particular. Birthdays are the one day out of the year that everything actually revolves around one single person, who is in turn permitted to embrace their inner narcissist- outwardly.

The proximity of the Fouth of July to my birthday traditionally pairs festivities with fireworks, perfect summer days, splishin' and splashin', and all the other lovely things that go on in early July. Festivities this year include a pot-luck barbecue and cocktail party- followed by a field trip to Boston to visit the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and embark on a cocktail tour. I'm knocking on wood, but let us hope the rain will come to an end this weekend.

Those of you who might have interest in hopping aboard the party boat ought be in touch with me, and, just in case you were wondering...

Vintage bar tools... and other accessories

A dome bubble umbrella with white trim

Dremel Cordless Rotary Tool

Some wholesome reading material and materials...

Thriller

I'm certain that Michael Jackson has been on the mind of every devoted fan out there the last few days, and I am grateful that he is being remembered and honored for his contributions to entertainment above all else. My turntable has been blaring Off the Wall and Thriller since I got the news, and while this video may be old news to the rest of you, it put a big ol' smile on my face.

Certainly my fondest memory of MJ's music was when my friend Pamela and I tried to learn his moves from a DVD- It was a night of stumbling and laughter and the next day I was sore as could be. I never mastered the moves, but the man moves me just the same.

Cocktails!!

You might read down below, in my previous post about my recent vacation, that I made some visits to some lovely nighttime beverage establishments. Some of my drinks proved to be inspirational- literally. Hence, a new love of beautiful drinks was born. I have always believed that a perfect beverage, be it tea or tonic, can cure any variety of mean reds, bygone blues, or sneezy flues.

So break out the shakers, citrus, and all manor of spirits and send me your favorite cocktail recipes! I want to build a book- ultimately- but mostly develop a portfolio and practice the art of the cocktail. Naturally, you will be included in the process- and if we're lucky, my lovely little shop will evolve into a lovely little cocktail lounge.



Should you find yourself lacking inspiration, might I suggest a trip to your local used book store to find an antique collection of cocktail recipes, the one pictured above never lets me down! Some other suggested reads include either of Dale Degroff's books, and this website.

The Big Apple

Recently I took my first vacation in nearly two years. Moving to the city was something that has been in and out of my head for quite sometime, and I thought it silly to consider having not spent serious time becoming acquainted with it.

The flight from Portland was the easiest thing to do, if I had plenty of disposable income I would do it with regularity. Forty-five minutes is all it took to escape the banality of everyday life and arrive in what can only be described as a magical metropolitan area. Not to bore you with details, I will make a list of highlights!

• Joe's Coffee Shop (West Village)

• Magnolia Bakery (West Village)

• Little Branch beautiful cocktails (West Village) shh, don't tell!!

• Hell's Kitchen Flea Market (Chelsea)

• Topshop (Soho)

• Breakfast at Tiffany's (Upper East Side)

• Central Park (Upper East Side)

• The Rabbit Club (West Village)

• The Cangelosi Cards at Banjo Jim's (East Village)
  

• The Met

• Exit the King on Broadway (starring Geoffrey Rush, Susan Sarandon, and Lauren Ambrose)

• Billy's Bakery (Chelsea)

Little did we know, our vacation would become something of a cupcake tour. We went to Joe's on Waverley Place nearly everyday in hopes of getting an Amy Sedaris cupcake (to no avail). Thankfully, the lattes there were always worth the trip.

Magnolia Bakery skyrocketed to fame when it was featured in Sex in the City, and really is all that it is hyped up to be. Pictured way up there on the right is a caramel cupcake with caramel meringue frosting and caramel drizzle- it was the best thing I have ever tasted.

Billy's Bakery (above) was lovely, but no match for Magnolia.

The trip might be summarized as follows: great shopping, great eating, amazing cocktails, delightful company, thrilling entertainment, and a whole lot of walking. Needless to say, a move is still a pipe dream and a possibility.