A Night in the Big Easy: Nothing Stays the Same!

I was on Bourbon Street last night. I haven't been in a very long time.

I lived in New Orleans for a year or so in the early 1980s. We didn't go to the French Quarter much in those days, but we did go occasionally.

It's still a craphole, but it's not the same Bourbon Street I remember. Here's what's different at a glance:

• In those days, you couldn't walk half a block without encountering a Hurricane vending cart. No kidding, they were everywhere. You could just saunter up, order a drink, pay for it and continue on down the street. I didn't spot one last night.
• Found in every block in those days was a Takee Outee. These were carry-out Chinese-food joints. You probably wouldn't want to eat whatever they offered -- I don't think I ever did -- but they were prolific in the French Quarter. They are gone.
• Nearly every joint on Bourbon Street had live music and more often than not it was either Dixieland Jazz or Zydeco. Last night the few places featuring live music had a rock-and-roll band. What's the point? You can go anywhere in the U.S. and listen to rock and roll.

We didn't hit any joints last night; we just walked up and down the street. I was OK with that.

The last time I was in the French Quarter was for St. Paddy's Day probably 9 or 10 years ago. I hooked up with a galpal from Dallas. Despite the fact she decided at the last minute to have some cosmetic surgery two days before the trip, and was still suffering from its effects, we had a very good time. I almost couldn't hear her groans of pain over the dueling pianos and clinking glasses.

Ah, New Orleans…

I'm good for another decade.