OUr steakout at New Orleans

And the winner is by a landslide....

THE BASE HOUSE BY FAR!

No only is it a 4 bedroom 3 FULL bath townhome, it has huge closet space, ad fenced yard that opens to the park, no utilities or anything added, and IT IS ON THE BASE (you cant get any safer than that)

This is Steve standing next to the closet!

Steve still has not been commissioned , so everything hasn't worked out with all that yet...hopefully he will be commissioned in time for us move there.  If not, we have backup plans that we aren't thrilled about but  will do if we have to!Steve was sitting in an army chair wearing his army shirt...Can you even see him sitting there?  Yes, we tend to be really silly sometimesThis is a very famous spot in the french quarters that we visited...CAFE DU MONDE.  We were told we had to ccome here and try a beignet. It really just tasted a LOT like a scone with LOTS of powdered sugar on  top (really, people say don't go on a windy day, and we didn' t get it ntil it got windy and powdered sugar was everywhere)!

This really was the only time during our visit that we had any kind of break.  We were just so busy the entire time checking the place out, looking for a place to live that it was nice to breathe for a couple of hoursThese guys were VERY interesting.  We were just walking down the street, and they were across the street from us...I started clapping and getting into it from across the street.  They said "pay us pay us " to which I responded " I am across the street".  So, of course they ran to my side of the street and started dancing.  They were TAPPING with pop cans nailed to their feet.  I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE!  Then, I found something like 70 cents in my wallet, and thinking these two guys were friends, gave it to one guy ( intending it for the other) and he ran across the street with it and wouldn't give it to his friend.  IT WAS SO WEIRD>

OVERALL REVIEW OF OUR TRIP

When we arrived in New Orleans (as we quickly learned, it is pronounce NHAR LINNS--) it was 10 at night, we had to rush to get our rental car.  We had mapquested to our hotel, but soon discovered that if you veer off mapquest, good luck finding your way back.

 EVERY SINGLE STREET is a one way...and When a street says it is going west, somehow it ends up going north more of the time than west.  And of course there is construction, the entire city SHOULD be construction after what happened to it...

After a few hours of back and forth and not daring to stop and ask for directions, going in definetly the WRONG neighborhood more than once---we found our hotel.  We try and check in, and the lady explains to us we have to pay for valet parking everyday since parking is bad ( we get that we have been outside for hours).  She then says  "That will be ahllevan twahnty shevan."

"HUH?"

"Ahllevan twahnty shevan."

HUH

This goes on a few more tries until the woman gets really frustrated with us and looks at us like we are aliens.  US THE ALIENS? You are the one who just made up your own language.  We finally discover she was saying "11.00" SERIOUSLY?  REALLY?  I didn't know moving here meant I had to learn a whole new language.

That was just the beginning of it.  We seriously didn't understand any EBONICS that we heard anywhere we went.  And yes, we were the only WHITE people everywhere we went (sorry there is no other way of putting it).  We finally got speaking to one lady who we completely understood as she was giving us directions. "go up over the bridge, turn to your right, then go under...keep going, then turn LAAAAFT."

I turn to my husband and give the look that says" Did she really just say left that way." I was commpletely with her until she said LAAFT.

The trip was very, ummm, educational to put it lightly.  I really am not use to being the minority (and by minority I mean when we went to the supermarket my husband and I were the ONLY ONLY white people in there).  I have no problems with this, just if it brings attention to myself. We were told by several people that in NARLINNS there aren't dangerous areas, every area is dangerous.  One street could be completely safe, but the other street is completely overtaken by gangs.  You just have to know where to go (that's really comforting).

No one understood why it was so expensive to live their either.  Since they are trying to rebuild the city.  Let me see if I can try and explain-- Because of all the sad things that have happened in the city, insurance for everything has gone up.  Car, rental, house, etc. insurance.  So, to make up for it, prices of EVERYTHING have gone up ( a two bedroom apt is $1200, and milk was over $4).

The base itself seemed like the safest place, but the surrounding area just outside the base was some of the scariest places I have seen ( including Chicago with bulletproof chapels, but that was BEFORE KAtrina..many people have left the city now so you can guess who stayed).

It would  be a different story if I was looking at it from ME eyes.  But I have 2 little girls that I am caring for, that completely changes your perspective one EVERYTHING.  I am still very excited to move and start our new adventure.  I am glad we took a trip out there before so I wouldn't be in shock when we actually move.  It will definetly

I know that it will be very different and a challenge.  I am still confident we have it in us for this incredible move.  PLease keep us in your prayers.  I really hate moving!