Birthday Fun

So for the big 3-0 birthday, Arnold and I decided to travel a long way, a whole 2 miles, all the way to downtown New Orleans.  We just wanted to be tourists in our own city.  We booked a cool hotel that I found at the last minute on hotwire (thanks Atlanta Falcons fans for taking all of the hotel rooms in the city and for beating the Saints)....








I love the brick wall!  So cool!

We were only two blocks from the Quarter, so after relaxing for a bit, we went for a nice walk and ended up eating at a wonderful, hole in the wall steak house....Star!!


We were serenaded.

I will tell you that I like meat.  And that me and Arnold both ended up ordering a 16 oz. New York Strip.  We both ate every single bit of that pricey steak.  I had a pound of steak in my belly.  Yes a pound.  So we walked around some more and visited some shops.



But before all of this, the most amazing incredible thing happened.......this famous guy got out of his SUV and started walking really fast down the street in his blue velour track suit.  We followed him for a block then asked him to take a picture with me.  He was very obliging, very nice, and very....uh....flamboyant.  But super nice..... RICHARD SIMMONS!


And he's SUPER skinny.  And he wears make-up and lip gloss.  I found out that he is actually from New Orleans, and he grew up in the Quarter.  That explains quite a lot.  But he really is super nice and personable.  He had a crowd around him about 30 seconds after he walked off from us. 


Saturday morning, Arnold had a board of directors meeting.  Nah, just kidding.  We were exploring the huge, skyscraper hotel Sheraton, and found this sign outside one of their conference rooms.  We found it funny and ironic that a certain religious organization had booked a conference room for the board of directors on "Fiscal Responsibility" in one of the priciest hotels in the city.

A work of art.  Not me silly, the painting of the streetcar.  I'm totally j/k.

It was a FABULOUS birthday!  Thanks Arnold!