Evangeline Getaway

I'm back from the bayou. This weekend I was at the wedding of two friends (which is always fun because you know the friends and family on both sides) in New Iberia, Louisiana. That's right... New Iberia. Of course, it also served as sort of a goodwill tour for me as the Funniest Jew in the Deep South. I got to see some of my constituents*. Heck of a trip to New Iberia, though. Heck of a trip.

I drove almost exactly 1,000 miles in a matter of 58 hours. Now, if you divide that by the hour, it's less than 20 miles an hour - not so impressive. If, however, you multiply that out over a year's time, it's just over 151,000 miles a year. That's kind of a big deal. It was yet another adventure shared with my "raisin pearl" colored Honda, which is nearing 100,000 miles. You'll hear more about me and my purple car as that milestone approaches. For now, I will tell you this: the car is 8 years old and I got 31 miles/gallon on this trip. I'm impressed.**

The road off I-10 that runs through Lafayette, LA and, eventually, through New Iberia is US Hwy 90, known there as the Evangeline Thruway. On one three mile stretch of the thruway, between Lafayette and my destination, I saw Ziggy's Grill AND Michael's Gentlemen's Club and Cafe***. What a fine stretch! I felt some serious name/nickname pride there for a few minutes. Had I not been unable to find my new camera when packing for the weekend, I'd have taken pictures of both. You'll just have to create a mental picture like our forebears did when regaled with such thrilling tales.

* Not only did I see a number of deeply Southern Jews at the wedding events, but when I stopped on the drive home to stretch my legs and get some snacks, I bumped into a couple I know at Wal-Mart in Brookhaven, MS! They used to volunteer at my summer camp and their children were campers when I worked there. They live in a small town nearby and were just doing their Sunday shopping. What a pleasure to bump into old friends at such a random stop!

** My wallet and bank account are also impressed.

*** Evidently, Michael's Gentlemen's Club and Cafe offers free lunch on Fridays between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Unfortunately, I was passing through on Friday afternoon at about 4:30. Free lunch. That could have been nice. If you are in the area, I'd definitely check it out. But only if you're a real gentleman.