Happy Fat Tuesday

...or Mardi Gras! I hope everyone is taking advantage of the one day of the year when it's totally acceptable to indulge to your hearts content.

I woke up this morning to Zydeco music playing in the kitchen, courtesy of Pandora (and a hubby who woke up hours before me). It was such a treat to sip my first cup coffee to such cheerful music. We even danced a little in the kitchen. 

It didn't take much convincing to persuade the hubby to go to Okra's, one of the local restaurants here in town. We had a great time and might go back later tonight for the live entertainment.

Our bartender, Antonio, was an absolute hoot during lunch! The hubby and I had fried oysters and 

alligator tails, with a couple of Abita's to wash it all down. 

Every year, I order a King Cake from Haydel's Bakery in New Orleans for my office. This year, being self-employed, I don't have an office to purchase one for, so I just about died and went to heaven when I found out the restaurant had King Cake! I ate one piece there at the restaurant and ordered an other one to-go. 

I don't really know where the urge to celebrate Mardi Gras comes from. Maybe it's because I grew up observing Lent and Mardi Gras marked the day where I could stuff my face before I had to give something up. Now that I'm older, I always "say" I'm going to give up something for Lent (chocolate, alcohol, carbs, etc.), but I never really follow through, although I still give up meat on Fridays.  

I'm thinking I'll try a new approach this year. Instead of giving something up, I might make an effort to DO something everyday during Lent. So starting tomorrow (or maybe today), I'll make a determined effort to write everyday. Now, I've always been a proponent of writing on a daily basis, but lately I've come up with excuses to slack off. But not now. I've got two books I'd like to get out before summer, so maybe this is the push that I need to see this goal through. 

But in the meantime, laissez les bons temps rouler... Let the good times roll!