Gentilly Girl- a part of the 99%

January 9, 2008

Owls’ Tuesday

Filed under: Gentilly,Green Living,New Orleans,Our House,Rebuilding — Tags: , , , , — Morwen Madrigal @ 4:10 pm

Yesterday brought some much needed tension release for the Owls (our community’s name for Betty and myself).

I woke up to hear that the framing inspector approved the work on the house with flying colors. He stated that the work was perfect, and that we have done overkill on the strengthening and stabilitization of the entire structure. (We haven’t had the railroad iron added to the corners yet.) It’s safe to say that the man was impressed. Our garage doors were also installed to our delight.
Later in the evening we sat down and talked out the insulation and attic poop with our contractor. Seems we can’t close the attic completely because the house might suffer due to moisture concerns. I had done some research on this matter in my studies about Greening the place, but ours is not adaptable to this concept. Oh well, the new approach being taken costs less, and at this point we need to scale back on the money being laid out.

Tomorrow the guys can put the Tyvek over the sheathing, and then in goes the insulation. Next week the walls are to be closed in. Flooring should start right afterwards and then it’s paint time. Our cabinets are to be installed and the appliances moved in. After that I’ll be putting in the Game Room’s sconces and Bath vanity lighting whilst Brent builds our office desks (48 running foot of them, and one of mine must be able to handle 50 gallon aquariums.)

Then I guess we just move in as soon as the last City Inspection is done. The outside will be unfinished, but the inside will be cozy and livable.

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Later in the night we went to the Pool tourney at the Phoenix. All three of us lost early, so we retired to the Starlight for more pool and drinks. Thank the Goddess that the tourists are gone… there’s parking on Rampart! YAY!

Anyway, that’s how Tuesday went and I am so much de-stressed. This flooded house nightmare is finally coming to a close and we can get out of this dump we’ve spent almost two years in. (And I keep telling outsiders that we are the lucky ones in that we can move forward on getting back into our home. My heart is heavy for those who can’t even start on rebuilding yet.)

Pics as soon as I get my tush up there in the daylight.

January 5, 2008

Conundrum

Filed under: Food and Drink,New Orleans — Tags: , — Morwen Madrigal @ 11:56 pm

I know New Orleans and Her businesses need the money, but I haven’t been able to go to the Starlight since 12/27. There is NO parking right now, and I’ll be damned if we walk from St. Roch to the Quarter late at night. (I may want to see friends and have a drink, but I’m not into getting blown away going to or from doing it. Where is NOPD around here?)

So during the madness of the Holidays we’ve been eating out (I have a roasted ham, a pork roast, and two corned beefs in the fridge as leftovers. *rolls eyes*) The fav this season is Little Tokyo on N. Claiborne… the sushi melts in your mouth. Such a wonderful collection of rolls… Y’all have no idea how much damage we did sitting at the Sushi bar. $$$
Christmas Eve saw us at Le Cote Brasserie on Tchoup.. Roasted potato soup, escargot that was green, spinach and romaine salad with an herb vinigrette along with walnuts and Maytag Blue (yes, I now like Blue cheese, but only this one.) The signature seafood platter saw us stuffed by the end of the meal. Our waiter from our annual visits over the last three of four years (couldn’t make it whilst in exile) was Max… great guy. $$$

I had a Jones for liver last week and found my fix at Nawlin’s Flava on Rampart next to the Starlight. Hard to chose between Joy and Sharon’s chicken livers or calf’s liver. I went for the latter and was not displeased. They also make their own meat pies (not the Sweeny Todd stuff), and they’ll deliver all dishes to the Starlight. Check ‘em out… great menu. $

We are looking forward to going to our beloved Cafe Degas on Esplanade once we get back into the house. I also want to give Peristyle on Dumaine and Rampart a spin. I’m also planning to search out good places on Magazine and explore the Uptown’s eateries. (You live without a stove in a severely electrical-challenged dump for 28 months… You’ll understand.) The little places are on my growing list.

So there you have some good places to eat since I couldn’t drink because of all the tourists. I decided to indulge in food porn. *Burp* You’ll will love these places.

January 3, 2008

Fifty Years ago…

Filed under: Aside,LGBT — Tags: , — Morwen Madrigal @ 5:02 pm

They made decisions and carved me apart. I was 6 to 9 months old. I laid on an operating table… I was scared to death. I was just a baby.

Then they flipped a freakin’ coin. I, who was born with all the girl and boys parts was to be a male. My vagina was sewn up. They took skin off my thigh in order to create an urethra. All my life I have hurt… been confused, and I wanted to be tortured. I spent 13 years with nightmares every night. (Mom and Dad would come when I woke up screaming.)

Thank the Goddess that the Interesexed Socieiy has convinced  the doctors to give us years in which to identify as to which gender we belong. Then we can be treated properly, as befits our choices. We finally have our voice.
I never had that. I thought I was a Transsexual. I made my decision to Transition, but after the Flood, I learned the truth from my Aunt. It has been one of the fucking god-damned realities in my life. Someone else made a decision for me… I was “assigned”. It wasn’t how I saw myself.
I’m writing this, telling you this because I’m one out of a thousand children. The fuck-up of our current culture makes folks like me more common. We have contaminated this world with chemicals. None of you have any idea how many of our kind are coming in the Future. And you know what? We didn’t ask for this shit.  Our lives are affected, and we suffer.

I’m not making a pity party here, I’m just stating the reality of some people’s lives. It took me 45 years to look at the truth. It took a shotgun in front of my face to get me to see the reality. The Goddess and my girlfriends saved me. They saved me and I made a promise: Battle or war, I will be there. I will fucking fight. I am the phouka’s own welp.

All of this is coming about because I’m going through it. I’m feeling the surgeries. I’m feeling embarressed. It’s taking everything I have to get through this crap.

I’m smart, and I am better than this.

January 1, 2008

The New Year

Filed under: Aside,LGBT,New Orleans,Trans-Feminist — Tags: , , , — Morwen Madrigal @ 2:43 pm

The New Year, 2008… The pork loin is cooking, the black-eyed peas are done, the cabbage will be done later.

Our return to the house is three weeks away. I’m trying to figure out how we move back into our home.

I’m tired. Just got over a cold. I have no energy. Cooking New Year’s dinner right now. Have friends coming over.

I’m tired.

And I have a battle to fight for my community… this year will see our fight for our rights as Trans folk. It is time for us to get our protections and our rights. I have my rights, my life, but my sisters need their safe places too.

Now this is the battle for 2008. And I’m tired, but I can’t stand away from the fray. I have New Orleans to fight for and I have my brothers and sisters to protect.This may mean going to D.C. I’m not up for this. I need back-up.

So this is my New Year…  and I’m tired.

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