With Sonya off to work I got Christie and Annabeth into Christie's car and drove them to the French Quarter. They were going to a cooking class recommended by a relative; I was going to wander and kill time until they were done.

The drinking group that I'm a part of (that occasionally reads books) is getting together on Tuesday; the book for this get together is The Death of Vishnu by Manil Suri. I'd never heard of it, so I went to Bookstar to read the first few chapters. I figured if I liked it I'd buy it.

Wow. I liked it. I bought a copy and took it over to Jackson Square. I proceeded to find a semi-comfortable bench and read half the book. It about the people who live in this apartment building in Bombay; specifically, it's about Vishnu, the bum who lives on the first stairway landing. He's dying and remembering things that have happened to him, both in the building and before, when he was younger and in love with a prostitute. It's really good; the only bad thing about it was that I hadn't had breakfast and they kept talking about all this tasty Indian food that made my mouth water and my stomach growl.

Around one I met Christie and Annabeth outside their cooking class.

"There's three hours I'll never get back," Christie said when I asked her how the class was.

We went for lunch at Margaritaville. You know what's cool? Margaritaville gives you half a gigantic, cucumber-style pickle with your cheeseburger. Tasty.

Oh, and I got carded - for drinks - at Margaritaville! Hoorah! I am young and vital! I do not appear the least bit old!

Then Christie and Annabeth wanted to shop, so we shopped like motherfuckers. The Gargoyles stores, the French Market, Canal Place, the Riverwalk...they both picked up a few things, and the shopping got done about the time Sonya was getting home. We met her at the house to figure out what would happen next.

The vague plan was dinner, followed by a trip to the Rock and Bowl. Sonya proposed Frankie and Johnnie's, which was a good idea. There was an hour wait, though. So off we went to Voodoo BBQ, where they're making a really cool bar in the back room. Between the four of us we ate a whole pig. It was ugly.

Then to Mid City and Rock and Bowl. There was an hour wait, but that was cool. We got drinks and compared notes on college and high school debauchery. Then we bowled as Rockin' Dopsie jammed in the background. Lots of people were dancing. Sonya bowled two very unlikely left-handed strikes. Good for you, Wifey!