Lips & The Trips

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New Orleans, LA
lipsandthetrips@hotmail.com

THE CONTINUING ADVENTURES OF LIPS, PT. XI (2/17/2015-PRESENT)

February 17, 2015

The day began cold -- 37 degrees! Again?! But not raining so it seems nice! Tough to get going early, but headed out to Sportsman Lounge to see the Wild Magnolias Mardi Gras Indians emerge. Had to wait an hour and a half with blaring music and cold wind, but it was worth it.

Bo Dollis, Jr. and his four Queens came out to give the day the blessing with the prayer "Indian Red."

Got some good shots as they were standing still.

Big Queen Aerica (No. 2 Queen)

Tried to hook up with Vera & Sam, but they were at The Sandpiper Lounge, counting on Big Chief Juan Pardo to come out, which he apparently never did!

Also attempted to hit Johnny Bee's famous M.G. a.m. party and got stuck on the flip side of the Zulu Parade. Was glad to be with My Honey:

Did get to see, howsome-ever, one of my favorite Mardi Gras, The Day, Spectacles, the original members of the Societe de St. Anne in all their glorious splendor!

By chance, caught Rick F. with his heart staff whcih I saw, and then i.d.ed with him weeks later!

Rick in yellow!

Needed sustenance and stopped in at Stanley's on Jackson Square. Had a fun time there last year with the barkeep when we got out of the cold rain, but this year there was a loud table next to us...the food was good however... Love to hang at one of my fave spots in town, spying some good costumes, marching clubs and people out picnicking from their wagons.

Went home early-ish due to the cold temps, but stayed warm on All That Love!

February 23, 2015

Trip to Jacksonville Beach, Florida with Vera Mills

My former (c. 2010) downstairs neighbor, Vera Mills, finished working on another movie here, "GeoStorm," and I volunteered to help her lug her treasures back home! Was able to give her back the furniture that she "loaned" to us her first move a few years back, greatly reducing our future load when we eventually move! Plan ahead!!!!

Left early in the a.m.--1st stop, Hi-Volt Cafe where Vera has been having her a.m. coffee and had several punched cards to enable us to have some free cafe!

Just over the Florida line on the I-10, Vera spied "Bagdad Historical Center" so we stopped to get steeped in some timber-time history:

The Door to Adventure (& the Museum)

The town had a heyday back in the mid-1800s when it was the most industrialized spot in the U.S. at the time. The Museum was not open, but a nice lady gave us brochures concerning the historic homes (now not so fixed-up):

and the Bagdad Cemetery, where we enjoyed a restful picnic lunch and some photo ops:

And then we forged ahead to our destination, Vera's home, Jacksonville Beach! Not before a quickie at, where else?

sign in the bathroom

Arrived that night in Jacksonville and I got to see the James River all lit up and I really wanted to be. Fortunately, I packed some of that yummy Mayo vino and we hit it after giving her husband Sam some hello hugs. Also to her doggie, Lola and kitty buddy, who was too scared to visit with me.

Lola

We played some poker and Vera and Sam were the lucky ones at the table (see photos to the right), but I was the lucky one to stay in the Love Palace of the Millses that they designed, built, decorated themselves:

Adorning the wall in Vera's office--

--a poster she bought in Paris in the 80s and carried around in her back pack for six weeks.

Adorning the walls in Vera's bathroom--

--her beautiful collection of hand mirrors.

Not to mention the National Park-size pine trees! (see backyard photos to the right)

Across the street is Vera's "Little House" that she now rents out to visiting surfers, lesbian Marines and assorted strangers who are strange no more after they get a whiff of Sam's garden next door!

Vera's Little House

Sam's Garden

Loved, loved loved their compound! Made me want to move here! All that Love!

The next day Vera & I ate at a place I had seen on the 'net right down the street from their house and they'd never been in--it was great! A La Carte on 1st Avenue-- the proprietor served us and the owner/chef came out to inform us that they were the official Moxie servers in the South. “I couldn’t wait for my family from Maine to bring me some Moxie,” Gray said, (when he was a kid).

Moxie, created circa 1876 by Maine’s own Augustin Thompson, was one of the first mass-produced soft drinks in the United States--predates Coca-Cola, created in 1886 in Atlanta.

Also had a room selling needlepoint items plus free stray-kitties-to-a-good-home on display outside the window!!!! The food was good, too! (see pix to the right and below:)

Free Kitty with Lunch

Afterwards, we went to the Beach Museum which has displays in a new building and five historic buildings which were moved there, open for touring. Includes a train depot and Engine No. 7!

I talked with a descendant of the Osterreicher's (see display photo to the right) who was very proud and happy that their old hoemestead would be preserved and enjoyed.

Got an insiders' tour with Vera's ex-mailman, Baker, who remembered how nice Vera was about 10 years earlier, loaning him some gloves at Christmas when his hands were freezing...what a nice gal!

Baker with Engine No. 7

Loved this tour of the old-timey houses, learned some stuff about trains and enjoyed all the info about life Back in the Day here in J-Ville, including the boardwalk which had some games of chance:

and a once-beautiful building:

I am really into souvenirs and memorabilia:

I enjoy visiting old homes and seeing objects as "they would have been"--

The weather turned cold and rainy so Sam came to the rescue after his hard day of teaching! Thanks, Sam!

That night, they treated me to a mighty-fine dinner at one of their fave spots just north of Jacksonville Beach, Sliders Seafood Grille, in Neptune Beach (between Lemon and Orange Street!) for some fresh local seafood and fresh local beer (The Green Room's High Head IPA)--Fab!!!

The SamSter!

Across the street is Vera's shop, "Violet Ray" featuring vintage clothing, jewelry and memorabilia items--we got to take a sneak peek inside after dinner. A must-see if you are in the Jacksonville area!!!!!

Violet Ray was her partner's mother's wrestling moniker!!!! You can't go wrong with that kind of a name!

Spent a night listening to the surf roar at the Best Western on the Beach--

--so what that the temperature was in the 40s!!!! Love that salt air! Took several walks on the beach and really felt revitalized!!

Hadn't been to the Atlantic Ocean since I moved from the D.C. area in 1978. The 40s/50s temp did not deter me, the surfers or shorebirds. The 2nd largest Ocean (Pacific is larger) with larger gulls than our Gulf of Mexico variety.

The sound of the waves soothing, the air refreshing, loooved it!!!

Vera pointed out this "Grand Lady," the Casa Marina Hotel and I got the inside scoop inside after taking some photos.

Opened on June 6, 1925, the same day that Jacksonville Beach became Jacksonville Beach--it was Pablo Beach 'til then. First fireproof building composed of stucco, concrete, rile & an automatic sprinkler system.

Fortunately, my flight out the next day was delayed so on the way to the airport got to hit some of Vera's thrift stores she frequents on her rounds & found a great linen jacket for next to nothing. Her stepdaughter was having a baby shower in a few weeks and she scored a nice tea set and a cake plate. Beauty!

Also was glad to spend more time at Meredith & Ann's place Community Bakery and ate the very best sandwiches:

(sorry I could not stop eating this delicious morsel of goodness--)

drank in the very best atmosphere and drank the very best coffee anywhere in America! I mean this, People! Community Bakery is the BEST EVER!!! It's a total Lips Recommendation!

Had a stop-over in Houston, but nobody came to the airport to say hello. That is OK as My Sweetie picked me up at the airport and as much fun I had, it was still a real joy to sleep in my own bed with my own Big Sweetie!

THANK YOU SAM AND VERA! LOVE YOU GUYSES A BIG HUGE BUNCHES!!!!