A Comedy of Errors - Part 2

So on Monday morning, Lundi Gras local time, we got dropped off at the rental place by one of the parents on the way to work, we're expecting to grab a car, run back to the house and grab our gear, and be on the road to NOLA. Instead, I was expected to have an excellent credit rating by the car rental place (this has never been an issue before, is this a Louisiana thing?). Well, I don't pass that. Neither does the fella. Nor do J & H who were currently approved for a rather large mortgage. We couldn't get a car! We find that there is another rental car business across a four lane highway so we head over there. Same issue. WTH? We then start scouring the local agencies and manage to call a Ford dealership who will rent to us and were also nice enough to not only pick us up from our current location, but they also allowed us to get the birth certificate faxed *whew* We are running a bit late, but get on the road with no other problems and breathing sighs of relief that disaster had been averted. Yes, of course I spoke too soon... how did you guess?

So we grab some to-go food on the way and are happily driving towards NOLA and are nearly to the top of a tall bridge going over one of the bayous when an accident involving a flatbed toting tractor trailer happens literally just a few cars ahead of us. Yes, really. No one is hurt luckily, everyone was able to stop and I'm not sure what happened, but it ended up jackknifed back on itself  and blocking the lanes and add to that, the bridge was narrower than usual due to construction on both sides of it which had the emergency lanes blocked so there was no going around any of it. I explained to the construction workers and police on scene that I was trying to get to my wedding that afternoon in NOLA and I don't know how, but eventually they got that truck moved enough to let us through!

Yes, really.

I was on the phone with the reverend up there, because it became painfully obvious that we probably weren't going to make our initial 1p.m. wedding time. Luckily since it was to be outdoors in a public area, we didn't have to contend with a venue, but we still had to get our marriage license and do it with a faxed copy of Eli's birth certificate which was an added consideration. Using J's smart phone, we had already decided to go by the Algiers courthouse, taking the ferry over once we got to NOLA. We got eventually made our way to a parking area to get on the ferry, but literally could not find a place to park and were stuck in a traffic snarl. In speaking to the reverend again, it turned out that the Algiers Courthouse was closed that day as other clients had tried the same thing and had to go elsewhere when they found it closed. So across the river we went to the Gretna Courthouse we drove! There it was a hurry up and wait situation, the same office that did marriage licenses was also responsible for a slew of other things so we took a number and waited for an hour. Once our number came up, our license was granted and we called the reverend to tell him we were ready. He suggested we just go to City Park since he was already going to be there doing another ceremony and we agreed. So our 1p.m. French Quarter wedding ended up a 4p.m City Park wedding!

So back across the river to City Park we headed, made decent time, even. Found the cafe and we ducked into the restrooms to change into our finery as planned. Met the reverend on a pretty concrete bridge and against the odds stacked against us that week, Eli and I finally tied the knot *whew* The smiles on our faces are smiles of relief that we actually did it!

Laughter, because otherwise tears.

That's what it's about!

So we thought it was all over once the wedding happened. Again, I thought wrong LOL So the cafe closed before we finished up and got all the photos among the live oaks so Heather and I had no place to change. The cleaners refused to let us in, we pleaded with them pitifully, but no dice. Here it is we rolled with it... I found a privacy fenced in area behind the cafe where they put misc. restaurant stuff and the gate wasn't locked so we ducked in there to shuck dresses and get into our jeans and such for parade viewing. During this short but necessary process, one of the cleaners came out and saw us so we just said "well, you wouldn't let us in!" She went back in, but once we left the area, she came back out and locked the gate on us. Good thing we didn't forget anything!

After that, believe it or not, it was smooth sailing, we found a parking spot easily in the FQ a few blocks from the parade route and started our fun trek over there and got a nice spot on the rail for the Krewe of Proteus and Krewe of Orpheus. Seriously, it was a grand time, and even after all the crap that rained down on us, we look back upon it now and laugh and say that we wouldn't have had it any other way :)

St. Louis Cathedral

Krewe of Proteus float

Two of the best partners in crime a gal could ask for- Heather and Jared

A look at Bourbon Street

So maybe now you understand why my contest photo means "Crazy Lucky" to me... it's an embodiment of what it's about- the sheer luck it takes to find someone right for you, and sometimes even to get and keep them. In that, my life is sometimes crazy lucky in the oddest of ways. It is in my husband and kids, in my horses and other pets, in my crazy friends who I sometimes take on adventures and who support me when I need it. You all know who you are, and you're awesome!