Ten years ago when I bought the studio and had to accept the vacant lot next door as part of the deal, I envisioned living here. I did not know just how I would do it, but I wanted it. After I put the huge wrought iron gates up on the lot back in 2011, I already had my plan in motion.

It took a lot of planning, scrounging, and ultimately a lot of work with a dash of risk, and I am now moving into my new old home. With the exception of a few vintage but timeless Louis Poulsen/Poul Henningsen light fixtures, everything is brand new and modern. But the building looks 100 years old. In fact, nobody seems to accept that is not. I actually had one elderly lady argue with me for 20 minutes. She remembered this building from her childhood. Indeed the greatest compliment possible is "We love what you've done with this old building."

It was a long journey of determination. The city told me I would never build a home in the Central Business District. Never. I pleaded cajoled, bribed without success. I studied the ordinances as the CBD revitalization took place all around Studio d'Xavier and my vacant lot. "Never going to happen," I was told. What they had not counted on was that I could start any business I wanted on my vacant lot. While horses cattle and chickens are prohibited in the CBD, the statutes said nothing about swine and bees. One pig or a hive and an LLC and they would have to grandfather me in. Finally they were ready to look at plans. Suddenly they realized the city really DID want this to happen.

A lot of people have asked me the style of my new home. Well it's a conglomeration of converted warehouse industrial crossed with old school New Orleans with a dash of Bauhaus modern. I went for durability and extreme low maintenance. Even the landscaping which I am doing now follows that maxim. The highest ceiling is 26 feet. the lowest ceiling outside of a closet is 22 feet. The shower granite goes up 9 feet. The kitchen is efficient. The bedroom is huge. The build is tight, modern, soundproofed and should be incredibly energy efficient.

I thought COVID-19 was going to stop progress. At the same time I lost Ben, my field superintendent, just as the finish work was getting done. But I massaged my schedule at the hospital to allow myself to be on site for the remaining few weeks as the subcontractors finished up the job. In retrospect, that was a blessing in disguise. However, for the last four weeks I have gotten one to two hours of sleep a day and now I am just to damned tired to move in!

So I think I'll get a six pack of diet Coke (I'm on call), a gallon of ice cream, and climb into that big assed double slipper clawfoot tub for a soak. Unless my phone rings........

Louisiana
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1,862 deaths

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Here we have a photograph of Great Uncle Siegfred Von Peg that was discovered in the dilapidated overnight suitcase of Delores MacGaradh. After a month of intense research it was determined that Delores MacGaradh, a woman of means and some inheritance, owned and operated several brothels in Storyville and Tremé, New Orleans.

One can only imagine how Siegfred Von Peg ended up in this photograph with MacGaradh. Whether they were lovers or business partners, we will never know. The inscription "I'll never leave your pizzas burning." on the reverse of the photograph only added to the mystery. Compounded by Von Peg's devout Catholicism, the words only became more clouded in mystique.

In 1976, at the Krewe of Zulu Mardi Gras parade Keith Richards was heard stuporously mumbling the words "I'll never leave your pizza burning. His friend Mick heard the words and misunderstood them as Beast of Burden and completed the song that went on to be covered by Bette Midler. Thus, the overnight case had a direct link to both Keith Richards and Bette Midler and sold on ebay (with a facsimile print) for $273 after a couple of repairs with duct tape and wire. The photograph, however, remains in the collection of Studio d'Xavier.

We're Here! : Misheard Lyrics Imagined

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We're Here! : Salvador Dali and photography

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Strobist: AB1600 with gridded 60X30 softbox camera right. Triggered by Cybersync

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Feliz Día de los Muertos

We're Here! : coffee and tea lexicon

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We're Here! : Darwin Awards

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