Post Flu

The family caught the flu while en route to New Orleans. Aesha came down first, but it was mild. We flew in Tuesday night and ordered Mexican food since everything around the area was closed. The next day, it was warm and windy out as we taxi'd to AG's work and walked home. Aesha and I walked the Riverwalk while AG worked. By evening we were ready for a good meal. Since Aesha was sick, we couldn't venture too far. Next door to the Wyndham was a cute restaurant and we ordered a dozen oysters, 2lbs of boiled crawfish and two marinis.

The crawfish were small, it was early in the season, but the oysters were delicious. After dinner we walked around for a bit and headed home. That night, my throat was sore and achy. The next day while AG went to work, Aesha and I hung out at home because I was too tired to take her out. She destroyed our room and by the time AG came home at 5ish, I could barely hand her over before passing out. AG took Aesha to French Quarter for a couple of hours and when they returned, I had enough strength to put on some clothes to go out and grab food with them. The Mardi Gras atmosphere was building. The French Quarter was beginning to get filled with revelers and musicians. We ate at Bubba Gumps - not the best choice, but made do since Aesha was being spicy. After dinner we wound our way to Cafe Du Monde and had the best beignets and steamed coffee. At home, my fever started to climb and by the next morning, I was in the 102's. It was Friday and we were ready to leave the hotel to stay for the weekend at the company flat.

During this transition, we lost some baby shoes and AG's bathroom bag. AG had to run out, rent a car and pack everything while I lay huddled in the corner shivering and achy. He got us all packed and in the car, and within 10 minutes we were on the other side of the French Quarter. Once we got to the beautiful flat, it was much bigger and had much needed amentities, like a microwave to heat up milk and a fridge to keep it cold. We stayed there through the evening. AG went out with Aesha to bring back jambalaya and gumbo. I couldn't eat anything. But by nightfall, my fever was starting to break and by morning, I was feeling well enough to call Lacar, a friend from the old days.

Saturday afternoon we met up with Lacar at the French Market and had lunch together. Then we walked all over the French Quarrter. By 5pm, we were near Olivier's, a great restaurant - had a wonderful romantic Valentine's dinner while Aesha slept. After dinner we headed to Canal street hoping to catch Aesha's first Mardi Gras parade. It was a lot of work to keep a 16 month old in her car seat for over an hour while we waited, but it was worth it. She caught tons of beads and had a wonderful time. We had been out all day and couldn't wait to get home.

The next morning was Sunday and AG was feeling really crummy. Aesha and I went out to the French Market so AG could sleep. We returned around 11am, and got packed for our flight at 5pm. By 2pm, we were ready to find that last wonderful meal. Tons of doggies everywhere dressed up for the Dog Parade. Next to the French Market was an outside cafe displaying the signage that they had the best Gumbo in town. Of course we were skeptical, but when we asked the waitress, she confirmed. So we sat and ordered, and it was the best Gumbo I've had. By this time, Mardi Gras was in full swing and the streets were packed with honking cars and people streaming everywhere. AG flagged down a cab, and we headed back to the flat, picked up our baggage and drove straight to the airport. Both AG and Aesha were beginning to show signs of the flu. And when we landed that night at midnight, it was pouring rain in SF. The next few days were a blur as I tried to take care of both, but mostly Aesha since AG slept feverishly most of the time.

In summary, a wonderful trip, but I wish we weren't always so susceptible to sickness. It was tough being sick at the same time, but thankfully, there was a 2 day lag and I was able to recover enough to take care of my family. My cough has lingered for over a week, but I'm feeling the last of it leaving today....