What a Difference a Day Makes!

About a week and a half ago and over a period of approximately 48 hours, Nellie lost the use of all four of her legs. We went to the vet in Morgan City, LA and Xrays and blood work showed no problem.


The vet recommended that we go to the vets at LSU for CT scans, MRIs, etc. They said the cost would be several thousand dollars. We cringed.


We decided to drive at breakneck speed and go to our hometown vet at the Hopewell Animal Hospital. Were we snobs to think that a NY vet could fix something that a LA couldn't? You New Yorkers know what I'm talkin' about.


She stayed overnight with the NY vet after being given prednisone. The next morning, she had improved, but not much. We were ready to make a decision to have her put to sleep, so Sky was able to take the train the next day and we all went to visit Nellie. The vet, Jerry Scheck, told us about a tensilon test that would show if she had myesthenia gravits, and he advised us that there were no guarantees that the test would be positive, but he recommended that it might be worth a try. So we decided to try the test.


The miracle vial of tensilon arrived the next day, and I drove to the vet's office. I learned that if the results were positive, within 15 seconds of the injection, Nellie would jump up and walk around like a youthful dog for about 45 seconds, then collapse. Does this sound like science fiction? Well guess what! I wish I had taken a video camera with me. She ran around for about 3 minutes, then she collapsed. The doctor and his expertise had given life back to my dog.


Nellie is home now, and she can walk. She's getting better every day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7YX9kuWrxA

I am unable to add pictures to this post. I don't know why, but here's a youtube video of the tensilon test on another dog.

Cafe Du Monde

Everyone who visits New Orleans goes to Cafe Du Monde. On a sunny day, the cafe is open to the street and musicians play for tips. Last year, the weather was beautiful and the jazz was fantastic.

The rain poured today, so no music. It was a totally different experience. But the cafe au lait and the beignets were great. We went there after we shared the muffaletta.

www.cafedumonde.com

Muffaletta Sandwich from the Central Market, New Orleans

According to the Today Show, there are five "must try" sandwiches: pastrami from Katz's Deli on Houston Street, a Philly cheesesteak but I don't remember where to get it, a muffaletta from Central Market, New Orleans..... and I don't remember the other two, but I have it written down somewhere and it's in a safe place.

The pastrami from Katz's is fantastic; be sure to add some french fries and a plate of mixed pickles.

While I haven't had the Today Show recommended cheesesteak, the best one I've had was in College Park, Maryland. A couple of University of Maryland graduates from Philadelphia opened the place and it's very sucessful. The perfect cheesesteak is supposed to be topped with Cheese Wiz, a food I've never warmed up to. So I opt to have mine with real cheese.

And now for the muffuletta! I had one or two last year, so I couldn't wait to have one for lunch today. It was better than I remembered. I'll probably have another one on Monday.

http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=122

Goodbye Tampa..

I picked up Pete at the airport yesterday afternoon and we went to the Columbia Restaurant agaain, as I knew we would.

The next big stop is New Orleans, and we'd like to be there on Saturday so we're not taking the scenic road as we usually do.  We'll find some new treasures along the major highway.

Also, and I think this is goofy:  someone has reported that my blog has objectionable information it.  The only thing I can think of is a comment that someone made on the entry showing the paper mache roosters at the KOA.  I think this person didn't read the entry and he thinks I'm promoting cockfighting.  What's up with Patty? 

The Oldest Restaurant in Florida

The Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City

opened in 1905. It's a Spanish restaurant, so of course the pitcher of sangria was excellent. First I had a wonderful black bean soup, followed by salmon with tomato and asparagus baked in parchment. Wowie, it was good. Pete had paella, also a good choice. We were surprised that the prices were so reasonable, considering the decor and the formal dress of the wait staff.

There were beautiful tiles everywhere, inside and out. The restaurant is a whole block long, and it was crowded. Our waitress told us the kitchen is on the far end of the building from where we were eating, and last week, on a not too busy night, one waitress wore a pedometer and she walked over five miles on her shift.

We will certainly go to this restaurant again. Maybe this week.

Ybor City in Tampa

Ybor City was well-known for its cigar making in the late 1800s.

Immigrants from Cuba and Spain settled there to work for Mr. Ybor in the cigar factories. Often, while a roomful of men were rolling the tobacco into cigars, another person was employed to read to them. Nice touch, don't you think?

The whole area of Ybor City is on the National Historical Registry.

The first picture is Habibi's Hookah Bar. I wish I had stopped to find out exactly what goes on there.

Alligators Everywhere on the Tamiami Trail

The Tamiami Trail was built by digging a canal and filling in the area next to it, so the canal filled with water and the alligators showed up. The alligators live so close to the road that anyone driving west can count them as they drive. It's a little spooky.

We stopped at the National Park in the Everglades to watch the gators, birds, and fish from a walkway that was built about 6 feet above the canal. A park ranger who was giving us answers to all our questions told me they don't feed the gators, but there were quite a few huge ones right in front of their building in the canal. Coincidence?

We stayed in our motorhome over night in the parking lot and we were met the next morning by a different park ranger who told us he could have given us a ticket, but he gave us a written warning instead. No overnight parking at the park even though there's no sign posted.