Growing up in NOLA

In honor of the Saints' Superbowl victory, today's post will be a list of some of my favorite memories of growing up in N'awlins:

-chasing "mosquito hawks" and drinking from the "hosepipe" in Paw-Paw's Gentilly back yard
-standing on the "neutral ground" yelling "Throw Me Something, Mister" at masked men with beads
-throwing change to the flambeaux carriers who lighted the night parades
-riding the "flying horses" on the carousel at City Park, and visiting the Storyland nursery rhyme figures
-giggling with Julie and Carolyn over beignets until we were all covered in powdered sugar
-watching Aunt Ev in her "Metrie" kitchen fry up "erster po-boys", then "dress" them
-calling Maw-Maw for a weather report for an outing to Pontchartrain Beach
-hearing the guy in the shop on Royal say, "Hang on, dawlin', ah almos' fuhgot ya lagnaippe"
-smiling at the old women on Magazine Street who ask, "How's ya mama?" of total strangers
-getting hot doughnuts from the Verbena Street garage bakery late at night
-free "red drinks" (Barq's creme soda) from the "ice box" at Uncle Charles' Canal Villere grocery store
-getting a peek in the open doors of the strip clubs from the back of Uncle Norman's station wagon
-gathering with other families to watch the Mardi Gras fountain turn colors on a hot summer night
- dressing up for plays at the Little Theater in the French Quarter
-going to birthday parties on moving streetcars
-riding the ferry ovah da rivah for the view at night
-Old Fashioned Nectar Creme sno-balls with condensed milk

I could go on and on, f'sure, hawt, but it's time to get ta woik, so y'all have a good day, ah'right?