Powerful New Orleans!

What's up my brothers and sisters!
It's Friday, Christmas is this weekend away, and positive holiday vibes are no doubt converging on you from all directions like the bats rocking Johnny Depp's head in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas...
If you don't know what time it is, that's a movie I'm sorry you've never seen.
If you were on board with this post since jump street, RESPECT!
If not, do yourself a favor and thank me later - check out that flick for the first time with your parents on board; you'll have stories of this holiday season that'll stretch decades - you'll see ;D
Ladies and gentlemen, this "Christmas good tidings" post ends in Voodoo.
If you're scared or offended, great.
Live a little from the safety of your screen:

That's the view from my room on the 41st floor of the Sheraton New Orleans. Floor to ceiling window, incredible view.
Here's something new: To get to my room, the elevators were an entirely different situation.
There were no "up" or "down" buttons... there was a numbered key pad on the wall(!)
I'm a smart goat and figured out (all by myself), that you type in your floor. I happily educated at least 3 other guests on how to move vertical in this scenario. Elevator arrives, your floor displayed on the LED, BANG!
You're in there like Moses crossing the Red Sea.
Straight up though; This scene threw me for a loop:

Severe button deficit in my carriage to the stars.
If auto companies want to ease customers into the idea of a driverless car - that's the move.
Ride an elevator like this a few times and you're well sorted with the idea of getting taken places without lifting a finger (literally!).
The lobby was rocking the Christmas vibe in a delicious fashion, check it out:

Full frontal:

According to the Sheraton staff, that whole thing is fully edible and delicious. Powerful Sheraton;
You've earned my Starwoods reward points.
As if that weren't enough, check this out:

Santa on his sleigh, 40 feet off the ground. Dope.
Look a little closer to the right... Yeah, them ain't reindeer yo - Santa's dropping deliveries with the help of FLYING ALLIGATORS.
Tremendous move: 3 alligators wield the power of 9 reindeer.
Instead of Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph...
You're watching Slayer, Savage, and Toonces crushing the same work load. EVERYONE'S going green this millennium.
Or the reindeer union flexed too hard and got served.
Back to Bourbon Street:

Carry on, DEEP down Bourbon and you'll arrive at:

Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo!
There are strict rules against photography in this establishment.
I chose to honor them, because it's the right thing to do.
And, it's a house of crazy F'ng Voodoo Magic man! Seriously, check it out if you're able. Insane statues with offerings of money and entrails , products for sale of questionable origin, and employees who looked soft and kind... Whose auras reeked of 7th degree black belts.
How does that make sense? It DOESN'T!
That's the vibe. Check it out.
Other stores carry Voodoo memorabilia too:


Cute, charismatic, unarguably distinctive.
The magic is lost once you see the "made in China " obligatory manufacturing label.
Shopping for a friend, I dropped coin on an authentic, local artisan-made doll from Marie Laveau's. Bought that second Rasta doll too.
Wishing everyone a Happy Chanukah, Happy Kwanzaa, and a very Merry Christmas 🤗