Pre-script- I couldn't help it! While writing this post, I use several movie lines from Steel Magnolias. It's my favorite movie of all time and was filmed in Louisiana =). If you don't get my asides, you haven't seen that movie enough hahah.
~Houston Temple
I flew to Houston (they have old rocking chairs outside for the smokers that was actually pretty Southern awesome to me) and visited the temple there (technically in Klein, Texas). I got lost (several times on this trip sadly), and I kinda felt rushed to get to Kara's so I just did some initatories and did not see the Celestial Room. My 6 names were all sisters and their mom so that was cool. I like that this temple is very unique. Interesting thing is that on the inside, it's color motif is mainly done in different pinks (my two shades of blush and bashful) but surprisingly they didn't look 70's to me.
~Welcome to Louisiana
After getting lost a little bit more while driving from the temple to Kara's (thank you- 3 separate people, including one non-English speaker for helping me), and being fascinated by all the foreign language radio stations (French, Spanish, and English with a twang), I finally arrived. Kara had made a shrimp stew almost gumbo kinda thing for dinner- delicious. She also started teaching me how to crochet, since she just learned herself. She bought me a "I taught myself crochet" kit (thanks!) and then started me on the basics. I keep feeling like I should be doing something with my other hand...this comes from my knitting days, and is throwing off my groove. I don't feel comfortable enough yet to say "I can crotchet" so I haven't checked it off my list, but I will soon.
The next morning we headed out for a day of awesomeness. We got "real donuts" at the Donut King shop for breakfast ( lighter and fluffier than what you get, at say, Albertson's). Their Bavarian creme made me think of heaven, which is perfect right before visiting the Baton Rouge temple. This is my 25th temple so I'm half way through my life goal of 50- woohoo! It's currently the only temple in Louisiana and is a "mini" temple so- no surprise- it's almost exactly the same as the Monticello Temple. The Celestial Room even has the same chandeliers and sconces different stained glass though. This temple was more plain though with no pictures in the endowment rooms. Its color scheme wasn't green but a dark cream/brown.Now, Kara is not LDS, but she has been with me to temples before (Orlando and Seattle). She kinda knows the drill to sit inside the waiting room, hang out, whisper etc. Well this time she inadvertently attended a semi "Welcome to the temple first time young men and young women"/ testimony meeting (I didn't even think that mini temples may not have meeting rooms or chapels in the baptistry and so they'd use the waiting room but they do). Now I wasn't there to hear or see any of it, so I'm just going off what Kara says (and she's not up on all the LDS lingo) but apparently the youth were there with their own temple names and some of them had never been to one before (she can't be mor' than 18 she hasn't had time to have a past...if you can achieve puberty you can achieve a past). They had two people bare their testimonies of temple work and then they prayed. She said she didn't know if she should step out or not, but I told her I'm sure it was fine since it is technically a waiting room. She just felt a little awkward-sorry! She also apparently had an interesting conversation with a nearly toothless man (if ya can't say anything nice about anyone, come sit by me!) about her crocheting- at least she wasn't too bored.
~Swamp Safari
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| Kara and me waiting in a duck blind for the rain to pass |
From the temple, we went to Breaux Bridge for lunch and then to do a "swamp safari" as we like to call it. I've gotta say- I love any sort of safari! For lunch we split an alligator burger and a crab burger. Alligator, in my opinion, tastes like beef with a gamy spicier aftertaste kick- not bad- but I'm also sure it's how you season and cook it.
We were on safari with a family of 4 from France. Our tour guide, being the Cajun that he is, also spoke French so it worked out perfectly. The weather decided to get kinda crazy, and it poured down on us a few times, but we hid in a "duck blind" (hidden in the ca'port) and waited for it to pass. The rain there was warm so I honestly didn't mind it. What's funny is that this is only the second time Kara's ever worn her poncho- the first time was when she and I toured Seattle...maybe it's me? Maybe I just bring bad weather when I want to do fun things? I don't know.
We saw some beautiful birds (Egrets are white and Herons are blue or grey apparently) and some birds that make sounds like oinking pigs. I tried several times to get them on video, but to no avail. We never saw turtles, but.. eh...I've seen more than one turtle in the wild so no biggie.
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| real decoys |
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| poor man decoy- (aka painted 2 liter soda bottles) |
~Alligators
I recommend you take a moment to watch the following video clip with the lights on and someone else home with you. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnPfO13XONM Pay special attention to parts around minute markers- 2:35, 5:29, 6:18-6:30. This is an old, LDS, seminary video about "spiritual crocodiles". Now imagine watching this movie at 5am when you're 14 and tell me that you're not gonna carry around a life long fear for #1 crocodiles (and their creepy cousins the alligators) and #2 of sin. It honestly has always stayed with me... great lesson!
Now that I have prepared you, I will say- I saw alligators up close with NO BARRIERS between me and them! They (along with crocodiles) are my most feared animal! They are just evil, and I think made by satan. I was not even half as scared being right next to lions and hippos in Kenya as I was to these guys- seriously! Posting this photos and video almost made me freak out! They hiss at you (see below movie).
I missed seeing the first alligator spotted on the tour- it saw us coming and went under. Our tour guide attempted to "stir it up" (anger it?! you've gotta be kidding me?!) but it never resurfaced. No worries- we saw two more. Oh my holy pee my pants! Alligators are apparently as many feet long as they have inches from their nose to eyes (so six inches between their flaring, scary nostrils to eyes would mean they are six feet long approximately). They also do run faster than most humans~ myth busted~ hello!
~Good food and good music
After the safari we went back to Jennings and discovered that the alligator petting zoo was closed (another failure at trying to touch one), but was stopped at Boudain King (pronounced- BOO-dan but leave the /n/ off but say /da/ like you would the name Dan) and picked up some boudain and some red beans and rice (I wanna take somethin' that freezes beautifully) for me to try. Boudain is made of meat, rice and seasoning, packed into a casing similar to a sausage, but you don't eat the casing. Red beans and rice is that but with sausage, onions and peppers mixed in- not just your red beans and plain rice like I'd expected. We also picked up some Blue Bell ice cream- delicious Louisiana treat as well.
We did some more crocheting and movie watching with the kiddos (raining outside) and then went to DI's. It's an awesomely cute restaurant that has live music a few days a week. They also have incredible food. I got a mixed platter- stuffed crab, stuffed shrimp, catfish, regular shrimp, and a side of hush puppies. They also served us salad and crackers with butter (not rolls and butter- crackers and butter- Kara said that's normal with seafood? I don't eat it much to know). I have to say that I do like seafood occasionally and when it's prepared fresh by someone with skills. I enjoyed the music (though it was really loud and we were close. The kids were plugging their ears, and I asked Kara if she wanted to move but she said, "They'll be fine and get over it." I laughed and said, "Yeah, but we're audiologists! We can't promote this" hahha. I did wear earplugs most of the time- at least in my ear toward the band.) and dancing. I loved seeing this elderly couple dancing almost every dance. I hope when I'm old I will have a husband who will dance with me- gotta find a man who can and will dance. If he played the spoons (above movie) I wouldn't mind that either haah.
It was super fast, but I got to see a lot of Louisiana and gained more of what P90X has taken off of me with all the food I ate, but it was delicious. I was so great to see Kara again and her family- she's super cute and a good mom and good audiologist. Her husband is super cute with her and the kids as well (he said "Good morning beautiful" to her when she came out for breakfast- love it!) and was great to let us have a girl's day. Thanks Headington's! You know I love you more than my luggage =p
After the safari we went back to Jennings and discovered that the alligator petting zoo was closed (another failure at trying to touch one), but was stopped at Boudain King (pronounced- BOO-dan but leave the /n/ off but say /da/ like you would the name Dan) and picked up some boudain and some red beans and rice (I wanna take somethin' that freezes beautifully) for me to try. Boudain is made of meat, rice and seasoning, packed into a casing similar to a sausage, but you don't eat the casing. Red beans and rice is that but with sausage, onions and peppers mixed in- not just your red beans and plain rice like I'd expected. We also picked up some Blue Bell ice cream- delicious Louisiana treat as well.We did some more crocheting and movie watching with the kiddos (raining outside) and then went to DI's. It's an awesomely cute restaurant that has live music a few days a week. They also have incredible food. I got a mixed platter- stuffed crab, stuffed shrimp, catfish, regular shrimp, and a side of hush puppies. They also served us salad and crackers with butter (not rolls and butter- crackers and butter- Kara said that's normal with seafood? I don't eat it much to know). I have to say that I do like seafood occasionally and when it's prepared fresh by someone with skills. I enjoyed the music (though it was really loud and we were close. The kids were plugging their ears, and I asked Kara if she wanted to move but she said, "They'll be fine and get over it." I laughed and said, "Yeah, but we're audiologists! We can't promote this" hahha. I did wear earplugs most of the time- at least in my ear toward the band.) and dancing. I loved seeing this elderly couple dancing almost every dance. I hope when I'm old I will have a husband who will dance with me- gotta find a man who can and will dance. If he played the spoons (above movie) I wouldn't mind that either haah.
It was super fast, but I got to see a lot of Louisiana and gained more of what P90X has taken off of me with all the food I ate, but it was delicious. I was so great to see Kara again and her family- she's super cute and a good mom and good audiologist. Her husband is super cute with her and the kids as well (he said "Good morning beautiful" to her when she came out for breakfast- love it!) and was great to let us have a girl's day. Thanks Headington's! You know I love you more than my luggage =p
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