Living and learning...

As we enter our fourth month in Louisiana, Ryan and I are adapting to our new surroundings. We are living and learning the ways of Louisiana. In case you are planning a visit,

Buggy. If you are in a store and someone offers you a buggy, it is not for a baby, it is what others refer to as shopping carts. Buggy=shopping cart. Cart=motorized machine, go-cart.

Ma'am, Sweetie, Honey, Miss. All terms I am called on any given day. I think I may have even had a Sugar Pie one day.

Drive thru Daiquiris. They really do exist. When I asked how drive thru alcoholic beverages are allowed, I was told that they don't put the straw in the drink (they hand it to you), so it keeps you from drinking it while you drive. Now, I don't frequent fast food restaurants often, but I am pretty sure McDonald's does not put your straw in your drink, but they know you are going to pop open that paper wrapper before you even pull out of the drive thru lane. Another note, the daiquiris are super strong. It took me a weekend of sipping to finish it.

Nothing beats the heat while mowing the lawn like drinking your drive thru daiquiri. 

Yield Signs and Merging. I learned that yield does not mean stop, but here a yield sign means slam on the brakes and make sure no car is coming. I learned merging onto a highway from an on ramp should be at approximately the speed the other cars are traveling on the highway. The on ramp is long enough for you to gain speed, and successfully merge into the traffic flow. Here on ramps are for driving as slow as you possibly can, waiting for someone on the highway to slow down and wave you on before you merge. One day, I even watched a vehicle run off the road when they ran out of the merging on ramp lane because they had yet to merge. This results in back up and traffic jams at every on ramp. Vehicles travel on the highways at below the posted speed limit a majority of the time.

Hurricane season. A good friend gave me some advice on what to stock up on, and how to prepare myself for any possible hurricanes. Fingers crossed, it looks like this year is going to be a good year. We still have another month or so of hurricane season, but we have passed the peak time. But, one thing I learned, preparing for a hurricane is similar to preparing for a snowstorm up North. Stock up on non perishable foods, have some extra bottled water on hand, and keep your gas tank full. Major difference, the precipitation comes in a different form.

Fall. Does not exist here. I see pictures posted on Facebook, people are wearing jeans, long shirts, maybe even a sweatshirt. Not here. Sundresses and flip flops. We are still reaching mid to upper 80s each day. Throw all rules of fall clothing out the window. It's still hot, it's still appropriate to wear summer clothing. Do not get me wrong, I am not complaining at all. I love the warm weather!

Fried food. It is not just Louisiana that loves fried food, pretty much every state has a plethora of fried food. I would say, if the people of Louisiana could alter the government food pyramid (I believe it may be a plate now) they would add fried food as an additional food group, and most likely largest food group on the pyramid.

This guy was hanging out near the restaurant. 

Where I ordered fried pickles. Absolutely delicious! May even compete with french fries. 

I offered one to the restaurant's mascot, but he was not interested. 

Saints. If the Saints are playing, don't even bother hosting a party, asking friends if they want to get together, or suggest any activity other than watching the game. Prior to football season we received multiple flyers, refrigerator magnets, and cards listing the football schedule. Same can be said for LSU. If the Saints are playing everyone is dressed in black and gold, if LSU is playing, everyone is dressed in purple and gold. Know the teams, know their schedule, know the final score.

Another race. This time it was only a 5K, and began at 7:30 a.m. much earlier than the last.
The Saints 5K in New Orleans, the race ends on the field in the Superdome. 

North Shore vs South Shore. People quickly know, or assume they know a lot about you when you say you either live on the North Shore or the South Shore, separated by Lake Pontchartrain. I am very thankful Chevron's office is on the North Shore. I love living on the North Shore, and visiting the South Shore. Good thing I am not afraid of bridges.

Our friends Patrick and Kaity came to visit over Labor Day weekend.
Of course we had to head to New Orleans. 

When you forget the heat, humidity, and smells of New Orleans, it really is a great city.
The buildings are beautiful. 

The street bands provide entertainment. 

I am in love with all the balconies. 

With all this said, the people of Louisiana are probably the nicest people I have ever met. Our neighbors are beyond the sweetest people. People are always smiling, and enjoying life. You can strike up a conversation with nearly anyone, and leave feeling like you have known them your entire life. We are learning why people love living in Louisiana.

And because what is a post without a picture of Macy?

Such a good girl, she waited until Ryan said it was ok to eat them. 

Blood, Sweat, and Tears...

With the long weekend approaching, many will be traveling, but we will not, our good friends will be traveling to us! We are very excited to welcome more people to our home! Visitors in our home means Ryan and I will be taking the weekend off from our home projects. We have been planning and building almost every weekend since we arrived in Louisiana. And with any home projects, we have endured blood (a little), sweat (a lot, thank you, Louisiana), and tears (not positive on this one, but I am sure I shed a few during all the projects).

I mentioned in a previous post, if you want to test a marriage, tell the wife to plan a project, give the husband the tools and materials he needs, and tell them to build the project together. At this time, I would like to share the Top 5 things I learned along this process:

ACE really is the helpful place. An ACE Hardware store is located approximately 1 mile from our home. Not a weekend has passed in which we have not visited them at least once or twice. They have provided endless bits of advice, refrained from laughing when we asked naive questions, and celebrated when we brought pictures of completed projects. 

When planning projects, take into consideration how you plan to finish the project. Paint is my friend, spray paint is not. Stain is definitely not my friend. Polyurethane is an acquaintance. Also, small nooks and endless corners means more time and effort in the painting process. 

Sometimes it is best for the wife to go in the house. I say this on Ryan's behalf, but also as a bit of knowledge I learned. We started these projects with very little experience. It is never a good combination when the husband is using new tools, and trying new plans while having his wife constantly asking him questions. Sometimes it is best to go in the house.  

Once construction is complete, it is best for the wife to finish the project while the husband is at work. Going back to the previous comments about finishing the project, it was best I did the painting. We found our perfect balance, for the most part, Ryan built, I painted. 

Never underestimate what you are capable of. We are very proud of our accomplishments. If anyone comes to our home and judges our work in a negative manner, you will be asked to leave. If you ask us to build it for your house, we will consider, but it will cost you a million dollars. 

The proof is in the pictures:

Materials for our biggest project are visible in this photo. Cajun was not able to park in the garage for quite some time after this materials delivery. 

First completed project, headboard, side tables, and bench for guest bedroom. 

Second completed project, frame above couch.

Third completed project, side table in library. 

Fourth completed project, corner table in living room.

Second and fourth projects together.

And the granddaddy of all projects…the pergola. 

 The posts were put in by Ryan and a friend from work. No pictures during the process, because I went shopping with the friend's wife while construction was taking place. See number 3 of the Top 5 things I learned. 

Weekend two. Ryan needed documentation, (see number 5 in the Top 5 things I learned) I helped carry the 12 foot boards.  I would like to add another thing I learned. You never realize how sore you are from home projects until you attend your weight lifting class at the gym the next day. 

Celebrating our accomplishments. Support boards up. 

Adding the roof.

Success! We must wait until the wood is ready for paint. Eventually something will be hanging inside the pergola. 

The pergola has received Macy's approval. She currently believes we built this for her. 

White Linen Night...

It seems the majority of our time thus far in Louisiana has been spent enjoying our house. Building various items, decorating, hosting people, and did I mention building items? I never realized I married such a talented carpenter, I have my own personal furniture maker. The point I am trying to make is that with all the things we have been doing around the house, we are also enjoying exploring the area, and experiencing what it is like to live in America again. We recently (when I say recently, I mean over two weeks ago, I really need to get better with blogging) attended White Linen Night in New Orleans. We were also planning to attend White Linen Nights in Covington last Saturday, but there was quite a bit of rain that evening, mixing Southern rainstorms and white clothing did not seem like an ideal combination.

White Linen Nights usually revolves around closing a street, particularly a street with art galleries, museums, or local shops. The galleries, etc. open for the evening, food and drinks are sold. Bands may play. People fill the street. White clothing is worn. I learned that White Linen Nights was established in the South because it was very common to wear white, linen clothing to stay cool in the heat of summer.

Considering the heat, we decided to purchase tickets for a private event at the Children's Museum in New Orleans. Ryan and I enjoyed dinner in the area, and then met up with a few friends at the event. I enjoyed everyone wearing white around the city. One thing that I really enjoy about New Orleans, and the surrounding area, is that people really like to have fun. Events are always taking place, and people are always participating.

We travelled from the Northshore (another thing I am learning about the area, people have a lot of pride in where they live) for an evening in New Orleans at the children's museum, letting the child in us have some fun for the night (while enjoying adult beverages).

I entertained myself during the 25 mile bridge crossing by taking pictures. 

But first, let me take a selfie. 

The views during the drive are spectacular (sarcasm), bridge, and water, that's all there is. 

Before dinner. 

Since I mentioned this at the beginning of the post, I promise to post pictures of all the items Ryan has been building. Our house is really coming together. We did receive our sea shipment last week, and of course, my OCD means everything was unpacked within 24 hours. Actually, it took about 36 hours, we had so many broken things, I had to keep pausing to take pictures of the damage, and make note of each broken item. I was pretty upset about the amount of damaged items.

Louisiana Cooking Advice….true story

Ryan and I have to share a recent event. Some may find it entertaining, others may find it unusual. You never know, someone may actually use this advice (I will not). Regardless of what you may think, this blog is acting as an electronic journal, and because I do not want to forget this event, I am blogging. A day will come, when I look back on this post, and it will bring back this experience.

Some friendly Louisiana Cooking Advice….

Ryan and I went to Fresh Market, a nice grocery store, to buy ribs. Since this was his first time grilling ribs, Ryan asked the butcher for some advice.

The butcher begins to explain about simmering the ribs prior to grilling. As the butcher is talking, I notice a woman, and I must state, this woman looks normal, your average woman. This woman is nodding along in agreement to everything the butcher is saying. It's obvious (at least I thought) she has experience grilling ribs. No, no, no, not ribs….SQUIRREL! Her addition to the butcher's advice, and I kid you not. "My husband cooks squirrel like that all the time. If you boil it before you grill it, it really tenderizes the meat, and then it just falls right off the bone. But a simmer won't work, you have to BOIL that squirrel for a good long time." Ryan, the butcher, and I were speechless.

There you go friends, authentic Louisiana Cooking Advice. In case you've ever seen Duck Dynasty and wondered if people in Louisiana really eat squirrel, we can officially confirm the show is not staged. Squirrel is a commonly accepted meal down yonder. Where it is commonly accepted is still unestablished, it is definitely not accepted in our home.

Cooking like a big kid...

The past few years, I became quite the chef. I frequently posted my culinary creations on the blog. It was in a very small kitchen, with limited food resources that I successfully became this self-proclaimed chef. One would think, now that I am back in America, with a large kitchen, and ample food resources, my culinary creations would be multiplying, but surprisingly they are not. Ryan has become the grill master, and between his grilling skills and our desire to try out the new restaurants in the area, my cooking has been set aside. Last week, I decided I needed to get back in the kitchen, and actually make something. I took inspiration from our local Fresh Market, and their monthly inspirational meal. With my new kitchen, I couldn't help thinking to myself, "I'm cooking like a big kid."

Nothing says, "Welcome home, love, like a batch of chocolate chip cookies." And nothing makes you feel more like a big kid than using a KitchenAid mixer (thanks, Mom and Dad). 

No more tiny, Russian oven. I can actually use full size baking pans again!

Macy's a pretty big deal with her bed. She can monitor all activity in the kitchen, anxiously waiting for any floor clean up duties. 

Working on the salad for dinner.

I would say I was very successful with my Fresh Market meal.
Looks just as good as the picture.

I have been asked to post pictures of the house on the blog, but I am waiting for our sea shipment to arrive. I want to have more things on the walls before I start posting pictures. Plus, Ryan and I have been super busy building various pieces for the house. Everything is coming together very nicely, and our house is quickly becoming our home. Our sea shipment is scheduled to arrive in the port of New Orleans tomorrow (the 31st), hopefully customs does not take too long. If all goes well, we should have our sea shipment delivered next week!

Cutting it close...

I said I would continue the blog after moving to Louisiana, and I promise I will, but it seems I am slacking. I thought about the blog today, decided to check it out, and realized it has been almost a month since my last post! It seems like just a week ago I was typing a post, but I am wrong, I haven't blogged at all during the month of July, and I am cutting it close, but we can't let July feel left out.

Ryan and I have kept ourselves very busy. Since the last post, we have said goodbye to our good friends Tim and Kate, welcomed Ryan's family to our home, celebrated the Fourth of July with an amazing display of fireworks. We definitely tested the HOA regulations with our fireworks display, but no complaints were heard.

During the week Ryan's family was with us, we did a few home projects. The biggest involved assembling our patio furniture. We also experienced some of Louisiana's finest alligators during a swamp tour.

Hot dogs and marshmallows, they couldn't get enough.
We were told marshmallows look like turtle eggs, and alligators like turtle eggs.
 

Ryan loves working around the house. We decided not to hire a lawn service, and I said I would not mind mowing the lawn, but Ryan is having too much fun. Our lawn is a huge upgrade from the tiny, weed patch in Russia. Ryan has also become quite the carpenter, and I have become quite the designer. We are currently working on furniture for our guest bedroom. I am saving all pictures until the project is complete. I really enjoying designing the pieces, and I love Ryan's excitement each time I explain the new project. He accepts each new project as another reason to buy more tools (we may need to add on to our garage, or include a shed in our project line up).

My last post included my vehicle, Nola, but at the time I did not have any pictures of Ryan's Jeep. I would like to introduce Cajun. He is a super fun vehicle, and the perfect choice for Louisiana. It seems every weekend we take the top off, and it makes for a good transport vehicle for all our project materials.

Good thing the top comes off, otherwise we would not have been able to get our fire pit home.
Identify the problem, find the solution. 

Cajun also proved himself very useful when we decided to visit our local seafood market. We decided to purchase super fresh shrimp (already dead), and super fresh crab (still alive).

How can you identify a Midwesterner living in Louisiana?
Look for the girl holding a bag of shrimp out the window so the nasty juice doesn't drip inside the vehicle. 

Dinner, not friends for Macy.
Ryan handled the cooking, I stayed clear. 

If my lack of posts have not been proof enough, Ryan and I really are making the most of being back in the States. We are enjoying all our projects around the house. I have decided the best test for a marriage is telling the wife to design a project, handing the husband an assortment of power tools, and telling them to build the project together.

We love the opportunity to see family and friends more often. I mentioned earlier Ryan's family came to visit, and my parents are planning a trip in October. Ryan and I also hopped back on a plane last week, I know, I said I was done with flying after all the plane trips during our time in Russia, but my good friend Jessica was getting married. Ryan and I flew to Chicago, spent a couple days with family and friends, visited my family, and then Indianapolis for Jessica and Brian's wedding! I must admit, O'Hare is a much happier place when you are not trying to juggle 4 pieces of luggage by yourself. I could really get use to short, domestic flights, and not packing your life into pieces of luggage. I guess it's a good thing, because Ryan and I have sat down and planned a couple trips for the remainder of this year.

I was going to actually have a post without a picture of Macy, but I think she could sense it. She decided to do as much as she possibly could to bring attention to herself. Apparently she had an itch on her back, and since I was typing away, she decided to handle it. 

I failed to capture the picture when she paused, looked up at me with her "What?" look.