i love the quarter in the morning.

despite running late this morning, i decided to stop at the cc's in the quarter on my way to work. it's at the corner of royal st and st. philip st., in the same block as the cornstalk hotel. i know they are only open 5 hours a day during the week, just long enough to caffinate all the quarter crazies in the morning. i've gone maybe once a week since they have been open, and i'll tell you - they have the HAPPIEST people working there. the first time i went, i got a cafe au lait, and they all started chanting "au laaaait, au lait, au lait, au laaaaait" - i couldn't stop laughing.

well today, my favorite baristas were celebrating carnivale with beads and hats and balloons. cc's was PACKED with people at 9am. every table was filled with chattering people. and upbeat chattering people - which is always wonderful to see. i bumped into a guy wearing this black velour cape and a bone necklace. and there i was with my scrubs and plum st snoball tshirt and green converse. we gave each other this look up and down and wished each other a good day. while waiting for my coffee, i look over to the corner and lo and behold, right there in cc's, a brass band was setting up. no lie. and the band members were diverse - 2 of them looked like the just hopped over from the CBD to play for a little while and the rest of them looked like they should've been part of the second line parade and do this for a living. how cool. i have no idea where they came from or who they were or how long they were going to play. believe you me, if i didn't have an office to take care of, i would've found a piece of wall to lean against in cc's to listen.

i tell ya. only in new orleans would you walk into your favorite coffeeshop on a friday morning and find a brass band. once again, my coffee addiction pays off.

and look at me - i just wrote all of that while on hold with blue cross/blue shield. i love my job.

happy friday!