Making Groceries

     You don’t “go get, or pick up” groceries.  I gotta go make groceries, this old bear is hungry!

How’s yer mom and dem?

     It’s more than “how’s your mom and them?”.  Unlike most cities, when someone says that in New Orleans, they mean it!  They want to know.  The first time I walked just a mile to go make groceries it took me an hour to get there.  About every other block, some kind stranger on their porch, or working in their yard would say, “How’s yer mom and dem?”  Next thing you knew, it was 10 or 15 minutes later and I knew all about their niece that just got accepted to Tulane, or Loyola.

What high school did you go to?

     In New Orleans, locals don’t ask “where you from?” or “where’d you grow up?”.  They’ll ask, “What high school did you go to?”  Your high school seems to be a widely accepted dossier that quickly tells folks all they need to know.

You want dat dressed?

     If you are getting a po-boy sandwich (which is amazing), the only real way to get the full enjoyment is to get it dressed – lettuce, tomato, pickle, mayo.  You can of course add anything, but dat’s a damn good start!  Also, nothing will start a debate faster than “who has the best po-boy?”.

Neutral Ground

    Whilst most cities call it a median, that raised grassy area between streets is called Neutral Ground.  If you’re in New Orleans with your car, you pay close attention to the weather.  Common alerts will say, “Neutral Ground Restrictions Lifted Till…”.  That means rain is a coming and the streets do tend to flash flood quickly.  So, people park their cars up on the Neutral Ground to avoid a flooded car.  But ya better hurry to get the best spot.

In da box!

    During Mardi Gras they close off streets for raucous parades.  During Mardi Gras Week (the week leading up to Mardi Gras Day – aka Fat Tuesday) there are parades every day, and usually night.  For people in the Lower Garden District, Uptown and others, you will be “in da box” for about a week.  It’s almost impossible to get a vehicle in or out of the box.  Ya best stock up when ya make your groceries and don’t count on anything being delivered!