Yay for gmail's new conversation tool! I can't remember what it's called, but I just had my first chat with a fellow logged-in gmail user. It's sneaky, this gmail chat feature, and doesn't allow me to avoid getting sucked into internet conversations like I do by not ever signing onto AIM anymore.

Apple and I (I'm testing out "Apple" for my bike's name; I like the contrast of Apple actually being a toasty blueberry color) went for a 45-or-so mile ride today (woo!) along the levee, from Audobon Park to past the New Orleans airport in Kenner and back. I stopped along the way to do sit ups and chat on the phone (there was much to be discussed post-last night's episodes), so including about 30 or so minutes of stopped time, I was out for 2 hrs, 50 minutes. When I started the ride it was about 35 degrees outside, and by the time I finished it hadn't really warmed up much. Most of me was alright with the intense wind and brisk air since I had bundled up well, with ear coverings, gloves, and four layers of clothing, but my toes were numb -- beyond numb -- by the time I hobbled off my bike to walk the last 10 feet to my car.

After lunch at the 'Bees with the usuals (including TOM who loves to see his name on the internet) we went to the annual Pecan Festival at a local church school. What a rewarding experience that was, to get pelted with silly string, get denied admission to the elphant-go-round ride, to lose to Tom at the roll-the-ball-to-make-your-car-win-the-race game, and to eat 25 cent homemade cupcakes!

To round out an exceptionally full Sunday (especially now that soccer season is over) we went to see Brokeback Mountain. Overall, a cinematically excellent movie. I'm still not sure how I feel about the actual story, though, as in my reaction to it or understanding of the bigger picture message (because it definitely felt like a message-y movie). D said it best, essentially, that the movie seemed to say that you either try to live your life following your heart and be punished / killed for it, or you bury your dreams and live a miserable existence. But we decided it's still worth trying to be happy. Maybe we're all fatally optimistic.

In my anger last night, I forgot to mention why we were out in the Quarter to begin with -- the very first parade of the Mardi Gras season, the Krewe de Vieux's "C'est Levee"! It was a racuous parody of the last 5 months of Katrina-induced craziness, with plenty of free condoms passed out along with the beads for good measure. And yes, I did catch 2 stings of beads, but, no, I didn't have to do anything other than smile for them. :)

I'm so excited for the festival season to finally be underway - this city seems to take on a special twinkle and there's an undercurrent feeling of boisterious cheer. Happy Mardi Gras, everyone!