H2 Round 2

OK prayer warriors, we need more prayers. Starting Christmas night H2 started going downhill. The pain in his back began to worsen until he could no longer get out of bed and couldn’t even roll over without help. He is back in the hospital as of yesterday. He’ll be there for 3 or 4 days, at least. The doctor said his wound has an infection which they are treating with antibiotic IVs. He’s getting Demerol for pain management, and what an effect that has on him. When he first gets it, he become quite the “Chatty Kathy”, although what he says has little, if anything, to do with what’s going on around him. That Demerol must be some pretty good stuff!

H1/DIL1 were going back to Houston December 26th, but have extended their stay to be with H2. They are like Los Tres Amigos, truly. DIL1 spent the night at the hospital, and H1 is on his way to take over and send her home for some rest.

As for H2, the doctors don’t think the infection is so deep that they’ll have to go back in surgically to treat it. We’re praying that they are right, and that the antibiotics will do the trick. He has been so miserable since the operation, I really feel bad. I bounced back so quickly after my surgery that I encouraged him and filled him with expectations that didn’t materialize.

So, please pray for a speedy recovery for H2, and also for several of my friends who are also recovering from surgery or receiving treatments for other illnesses. Please pray that 2007 will be a year of peace, good health, and happiness for all.

VISIONS OF SUGAR PLUMS

H2 suffered a setback. I think he overexerted on Christmas day in order to be with the family. Please pray for him, and for all of us as our nerves are frazzled with worry.

H1 and I banded together and were able to mount the under-the-cabinet iHome radio/iPod player. It was really pretty easy, but I attribute that to H1's skills, not mine for sure!!!

Because of H2's condition, H1/DIL1 have extended their stay for a few days, which we are decidedly happy about. It was either that, or we laid H2 on the floor with BB next to him and together they could holler "STAY!!!!!, STAY!!!!" at the top of their lungs.

H1 bought DIL1 a laptop PC a few months back. They found it so convenient that he decided he wanted one, too. Well, he thought that if he bought himself a laptop before Christmas it would prevent them from participating in the giving spirit as much as they would have liked, so he opted to wait a few more months before he got his own laptop. The look on his face... he was brought almost to tears... when he opened his present from DIL1... a new laptop!!! PRICELESS!!

Of course, he had his revenge with the look on her face when she saw the custom headlights and taillights he got her for her Scion xB. Again, PRICELESS!!

It was certainly a Christmas of surprises. Apparently Linda has been commenting to the kids that she really wanted a rocker for the back deck. Something like what P&J have at their house. She never mentioned it to me. Anyway, H1/DIL1 surprised her with a new white wooden rocker. H1 and FL1 assembled it for her. Linda was really surprised and excited.

Just to bring everyone up to speed, here's what my kids have gotten me in the last few months since my purchse of an iPod.The last one, shown in white, is actually black like the others, as is my iPod. To (mis)quote a famous actress, "They like me! They really like me!"
Those were just a few of the wonderful gifts that were exchanged. It was marvelous to "feel the love" in such abundance. With that in mind, I'd like to ask for prayers for all those people whose Christmas experiences were not as warm or pleasant as ours. I'd like to also ask for prayers for families who are separated this Christmas season, for God's children, our brothers and sisters in Christ, who find themselves without family or friends, or for whom circumstances have left them out on the streets trying to survive as best they can. May our hearts remain open and may we be generous in our love and support through the coming year. Commitments of donations of time, talent, treasure to a local food bank or shelter are suggestions for a New Year's Resolution.

A sad "Goodbye" to former President Gerald Ford, and to the Godfather of Soul, James Brown.

'Twas The Day After CHRISTmas and...

CHRISTmas was absolutely wonderful!! Friday was what they call my "RDO" (regular day off), so it was a 4-day holiday. It was my privilege to deliver the homily at the three regular weekend masses, then Linda attended 5PM Christmas Vigil with Patti and the kids, and KenEllie. We both attended Christmas Midnight Mass, which was well attended. The church was beautifully decorated.

H2 is struggling with his recovery from having the disc between L4 and L5 removed. He's in a lot more pain than we expected, based on the experiences of other family members who had undergone similar operations. Still, he's starting to move about the house, and even made it over to P&Js for Christmas dinner.

What a dinner it was!! Ham, turkey and duck, and all the trimmings! H1/DIL1 came in from Houston, and FL1 joined us as well. It was a terrific family gathering. God has truly been good to us this year (and every year)!! I must take a moment to express my thanks for the wonderful family that He has given me. I could not have asked for a better family, better spouses, better friends than I have received, in abundance!

Let me tell you, if you are any kind of a music freak (for me, it's a capital "F" - Freak!!) then iPod is the way to go. Not only can you carry around your favorite tunes, but it opens up seemingly endless gift possibilities. The kids did it again... I got this for Christmas:

It goes under the cabinet in the kitchen. Has a clock, FM and TV band radio and a dock for the iPod. Maybe for Father's Day they'll give me someone to install it?!? Most people who know me know how awesomely handy I am with tools... (NOT!!!!!!!).

Wishing you all a Happy New Year!!! May God continue to bless you, and may you recognize those blessings in every facet of your lives. He is GOOD!!!

JOYEUX NOEL

H2 is home once again! His leg is better, but of course now his back hurts from the surgery. The upside is that we know his back will stop hurting, while his leg would not have.

Hmmmm... I wonder if this was all a clever ruse to get more time away from work so he could practice, practice, practice with his Xbox360 to improve his chances of winning JM Football against his 13yo nephew?!?!?

H1 and DIL1 arrive tomorrow afternoon!! We're all excited. The whole family will be back together again. Better watch out, New Orleans!



In case I don't have an opportunity to blog (or am just too lazy) Linda and I want to wish you all a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

May the Peace and Joy of the CHRISTmas season be yours throughout the coming year!

Stab Me In The Back, Why Don't You???

H2 went through surgery for a herniated disc. The procedure was supposed to take 45 minutes to shave off a piece of the disc that was pressing against nerves. It actually took two hours. The surgeon said there was a little more damage than originally thought, so he removed the entire disc between the L4 and L5 vertebrae. H2 is doing fine. As the anethesia wears off he continues to improve. He should be released tomorrow. Thanks to everyone who offered prayers for him.

WHO DAT???

Redskins, dat's who!! SKINS - 16 SAINTS - 10

Saints Fan Reaction

Err Today, Eragon Tomorrow

We didn't make it to the show yesterday as planned. The service at Outback was SO SLOW!!! We only had to wait 15 minutes for a table for 9 + baby, but after an hour of being seated, all we had were drinks... no famous bread, no appetizers, nada!!! We were seated at 7:40 which should have left plenty of time to eat and make the 10PM show. We left the restaurant at 10! Maybe we can make the show tonight.

Ian owns his uncle (H2) once again! After being humilated by Ian playing John Madden football on Ian's playstation, H2 challenged him to try it out on his (H2's) new xBOX 360, with new, unfamiliar controllers. So, Ian spent the night at our house and took the challenge. Let's just say that it's a poor carpenter who blames his tools, you know what I mean? Two games, two losses for H2!! OWNED!!

57 AND COUNTING

Yep. It's my birthday. Hard to believe another year has come and gone. Although I do enjoy the occasional "senior" cup of coffee at Mickey D's, and the senior discount on movie tickets, I'm not nearly as appreciative of the aches and pains that have cropped up in recent years. But, I have to admit that ticking off another birthday is better than not.

It's been a wild week. Tuesday I finally mustered up enough nerve to go to a new dentist to have a tooth looked at. I lost a large molar filling while in Alabama last month. After the visit Tuesday, I went back Thursday to have the tooth extracted. The dentist was going to do it on Friday, but I told him that Saturday (today) was my birthday and we always went out to dinner as family for my birthday. He was nice enough to move my appt to Thursday to allow some time to heal before Saturday night.

Wednesday I assembled our Christmas tree. Then P&J and kids came over. While Major Dad helped me move some furniture, Patti and the kids decorated the tree. I made beef stew for dinner and I think everyone enjoyed it.

Thursday noon our team at work went to Pascale's Manale for lunch as a Christmas
outing. I must say, oysters bienville, barbecued shrimp po-boys, and bread pudding make for a great pre-tooth extraction experience. Everything was outstanding and the company was most pleasant and enjoyable.

Linda came home last night!! It is really wonderful to have her back again. This split household cannot end too soon for me, I tell you! KenEllie fetched Chinese take-out for everyone and we had a nice dinner and watched Talladega Nights on DVD.


Today started with a nice quiet cup of coffee for both Linda and I. Then we met Patti and the kids for breakfast at Common Grounds in Gretna. Very nice. Tonight it looks like Outback for dinner, then a movie, probably Eragon, with Ian.

All in all, it's not a bad start to the Christmas season (well, actually Advent). Next comes the arrival of H1/DIL1 next weekend. DIL1 has to work the week between Christmas and New Years. I hope she mentions to her boss that it would really be nice if she could work out of the New Orleans office for a week. We would love to have them stay over until New Years.

Prayers, please, for H2. He goes in for back surgery to fix a herniated disk (L5 of course!!).

We wish you a very Merry Christmas!! May the joy of God's merciful love, made manifest in the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, bring you peace and happiness throughout the coming year.

SAINTS - 42 COWBOYS - 17

'Nuff said!!!

HIPPO, BIRDY, TWO EWES

This one's for Chia (H1) Son!!! Happy Birthday!!!!

Also, to remove any confusion as to my previous post... I received a new addition to my growing family of iPOD accessories!! And, it does, indeed, ROCK!!!

KenEllie and I went to dinner and a movie Friday night. We saw "Stranger Than Fiction". Pretty good movie. I continue to marvel at the talent that Will Ferrell continues to display. I guess he's more than just a pretty faced cheerleader!! Other cast members were Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson, so Mr. Ferrell was in good Company. And Tom Hulce made an almost cameo-like appearance as a loony psychiatrist. Remember Tom Hulce? Animal House (Pinto)? Amadeus (Wolfgang, himself)?

Tonight is chili and football at P&Js. Looking forward to a fun time. Gonna bring H2 with me. I have to get him out of the house now and then to air him out. Don't want him to get stale. He finally gets to see the neurosurgeon this coming Tuesday, so hopefully we will get to the bottom of his ailments soon!!

Love and best Christmas wishes to all.

WE ROCK!!!*

*See title.

BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE!!!

It’s going to be a long 2 weeks with Linda back in Memphis. H1 and DIL1 are back in Houston, probably until Christmas. H2 is waiting for a doctor appointment next week. I’m waiting for Linda to return, next time for 2 ½ weeks!

Kenny called me to invite me out with him and Ellie tomorrow night. To go to church! On a Thursday! WOW! Knock me over with a feather! Of course I said ‘Yes’.

Molly continues to get bigger and cuter every day. Red hair and blue eyes! What a combination. If you look at pictures of her and of BB at the same age, you can’t tell them apart. It’s like they’re twins, born 5 years apart.

Did I mention that Ian is tops in his class? He was the lone straight “A” student during the last marking period. Way to go, Ian!!! Keep up the good work!

Patti returns to work in two weeks. I’m really going to miss the lunches. I hope we can get a couple more in before she starts.

A reminder from your local Knights of Columbus… “Keep Christ In Christmas!” Words to live by. He is the reason for the season. You get to take Christmas off from work, not “Holiday”. “Oh, goody. Monday is “Holiday” and I don’t have to come to work.” Of course, what the liberal left don’t seem to realize is that “holiday” comes from “holy day” so it’s still a religious observance whether they like it or not!

Here’s an outlandish thought. Since the 12 days of Christmas begins on December 25th and ends on January 5th (the day before Epiphany), why not keep those decorations up for the whole Christmas season. I mean, so many people put them up for Advent, and then on December 26th the curbs are lined with discarded trees. I guess once the gifts are opened, Christmas is over… NOT!!
Well, I’ve rambled long enough to maybe make myself sleepy. Wishing you all a spirit filled Advent, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year

WHAT'S THE BUZZ? TELL ME WHAT'S HAPPENING!

A postscript to the last blog entry… Major Dad made a BIG dish of potato salad (which, by the way, is to die for) for the Christening party, but it was never served. What a shame, ‘cause Linda and I had to go back to P&J’s on Sunday for, you guessed it, potato salad. We were forced to enjoy, along with the potato salad, London broil (delicious) and bbq’d chicken (also delicious). Oh, how we do suffer!!!

Please pray for Chris’ continued recovery. She is doing well and we look forward to seeing her again VERY soon.

Good news for me, too! For those of you who know of my recent medical history, my neurosurgeon took a look at my MRIs taken last week and says I’m A-OK and don’t need to see him anymore, and don’t need an annual MRI, either!

H2 has an appointment in two weeks to see the same neurosurgeon, so please include him and his continued health in your prayers, as well.

We’re looking forward to an excellent weekend! First, it’s Linda’s birthday weekend, which means that Friday I go with her to the Covington Craft Fair across the lake in Covington, LA. Second, H1 and DIL1 are coming in again to attend a friend’s wedding, so we’ll get to see them, too. And C: (hehehe, I know it’s supposed to be “Third,” deal with it!) Linda and I are going to dinner with Ellie’s folks, which we’re really looking forward to.

Recent surveys indicate that at least 1/3 of the current population of New Orleans and Jefferson Parish are considering moving out of the area within the next two years. It also reported that 57% of Orleanians and 83% of Jeffersonians are satisfied with life as it is today.

Murders and violent crime are on the rise in New Orleans, as well as on the West Bank of Jefferson Parish. The West Bank population is bursting at the seams since Katrina, as people returning to NOLA settled where the least damage had occurred. As should have been expected, those returning included a less than desirable element of the former population.

Unsolicited plug: Whole Foods Market’s “Berry Chantilly Cake” is, bar none, the BEST!!! ‘Nuff said!!!

I guess I’ve rambled long enough. As we begin Advent this weekend, I wish everyone the best Christmas and New Year ever… Together let’s Keep Christ in CHRISTmas!!!
God bless!!

SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE KING

This weekend marks the end of the liturgical year. Next Sunday is the 1st Sunday of Advent. It is a time to reflect on how we are living our lives as Christians. It's a time for penitence, and a time for looking forward in anticipation to the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

I pray that during the 4 weeks of Advent leading up to Christmas you will find the peace and joy of Christ in your lives. I pray, too, that throughout the hustle and bustle of the "real" world, you will not be distracted from what truly matters in this, or any, season. May love of God and love of neighbor rank first and second on your Christmas wish list.

Molly Grace was Christened today. We welcome our newest little Christian into the family that is the Church of Christ. She was, and is, a precious little bundle of joy.

It was good to see Heath and Emily with their kids, in from Chattanooga, and Heath's parents Chris and Keith. H1 and DIL1 were headed back to Houston right after the Christening so that H1 could go to work tomorrow, but H2 convinced them to stay one more day. We miss them bunches, so we'll take whatever days we can get.

Although K'Leen had to return to Orlando for a UCF football game, it was truly wonderful to see her over the Thanksgiving holiday. The rest of the family stayed for the Christening. It's been a great visit so far. I wish they could stay a little longer.

Patti and Jerrod put on a grand spread for the post-Christening party. Their friends David and Shauna were there, and Dan and Jack made an appearance as well. BB's friend Mya and her Mom and brother were also in attendance.

KenEllie and Ian, and Matt and Brian rounded out the family members, and Justin and Britney, friends of H2 and Kenny were there as well. All in all it was a well attended affair, and a great way to bring Molly G into the fold. Seeing the whole family together over the last few days has been awesome! Almost like old times... you know... Pre-K...

Please include H2 and Chris, along with a NY friend, Elaine, in your prayers for good health. Also, please pray for June's sister, Madge, who passed recently into the next world and is now at peace. Thanks for all the prayers!!

Take care and God bless!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

SEMPER FI

Rodney has gone to his final resting place. His funeral mass was AWESOME!! There were about 40 deacons and 20 priests in attendance, as well as the Archbishop! And what a wonderful celebration of new life... Deacon "Boo" (Drea) gave a stirring homily about life as sacrament, about loving, caring and serving others (a perfect description of Rodney). Fr. Steve's reflections on Rodney were both humorous and touching, and Matt's letter to his Dad was perhaps one of the finest gifts a child can give his or her parent, a testimony of love and admiration.

Linda and I met Rodney and Janet at the beginning of our diaconate formation class back in 1995. Over the next four years we came to know and love them dearly. Their tremendous love for one another and for the Church, and their deeply profound faith in our Lord over the years, witnessed especially during the course of Rodney's illness has been truly inspirational. Rodney and Janet lived the Gospel message of love and hope. We love and will miss Rodney greatly. Our thoughts, prayers, and love are with Janet and her family as they try to adjust to a new life with Rodney watching over them from above.

Please hold up the entire Trahan family in your prayers this week. God bless you. We love you.

Happy Turkey Day!!!

Please, pray for the repose of the souls of Rodney and Andrew. Both began their new lives with our Lord yesterday. Also, please pray for comfort and solace for their families and friends.

Congrats to Little Lori (who doesn't read this blog). She, along with her husband Charlie, and two kids Abby and Cody have welcomed little Caleb into the world. And what a cute baby he is!! Of course, anyone who knows them wouldn't be surprised at all.

H2 is STILL in Houston. He needs an MRI now. Of course that was what the doctor told him two weeks ago, but when he went for one they decided to do an x-ray instead. So now, two weeks later he goes for the MRI. Hopefully he, along with H1 and DIL1 will make it home for Thanksgiving. That's the plan, anyway.

SIL and family are coming in from Orlando for Thanksgiving and for Molly's christening on Saturday. Haven't seen them in a while, so it'll be great to see them again. It will be a nice family gathering with everyone here. Hopefully we can get the house back in shape! Today was "day 1 of week 4" of the 5-day renovation of our two back bedrooms. At least they did finish it up (mostly) today, so we can begin moving the furniture back in.

One last prayer request for a dear friend, Chris. Pray for her health and a speedy recovery.
God bless you all, and have a happy Thanksgiving!!

YES, I'M A TRAVELIN' MAN

We're finally home again, Linda from Memphis, and me from Huntsille, AL. Thanks, AGAIN, to FL1. She took so much stress out of having to leave Maynard and Gumbo at home!! We really can't thank her enough! It was a tough week for me, what with going to the Software Acquisition Management course every day, reading and written assignments in the evenings, a storm front passing through mid-week, and being crammed into a tiny little room in the Army's version of the Navy lodge. To show you just how much I suffered, I'm including some pictures of my room(s). Are you suffering with me? No? Well, ok, I admit that the rooms were actually pretty nice. But that's not the whole picture. Not by a long shot!! Not for an email and internet addict like myself!! They advertise internet access, and there was a DSL modem in the room. However, the reason you aren't seeing this post days ago is because the internet access in my room was SLOWER than DIALUP, if you can imagine! I tried for over an hour to upload these photos, with no luck. Admittedly they're big files, but this morning it took all of 2 minutes. Fortunately, unlike the Navy, I was able to check my private email on the computer in class (during breaks, of course). Anyway, the course was good. I passed. YAY!! Then a 7 1/2 hour drive home in near perfect driving conditions. All in all, a pretty darn good week. I thank the Lord and everyone who prays for us that Linda and I were able to travel up and back safely. Now, prayer warriors, it's time to get H2 HOME!!! And, as a special treat for those of you, like myself, who just can't get enough of our latest little bundle of joy (and sleepless nights)...

TAT-DA!!!

I know, I've been remiss... There's been a lot going on in our lives. The back bedrooms project is not done, Linda is back in Memphis and I'm in Huntsville, Alabama for a week... H2 is STILL in Houston with back/leg/sciatic nerve issues with no return to NOLA any time soon projected.

FL1 is doing us the HUGE favor of housesitting and pet sitting while we're gone. We can't thank her enough!!

Major Dad finished his tat this week. Here's how it turned out.

Potpourri

The bedroom construction continues... no end in sight! The house looks like a war zone, with two rooms of bedroom furniture everywhere. Still hoping for a Tuesday wrap-up, but it's not looking too good at the moment.

H2 is in Houston for the weekend. He, H1 and DIL1 are going to a HUGE bike rally in Galveston this weekend. I wish I could have joined them, but work, as usual, gets in the way. We (KenEllie, Patti and kids, and Linda) all got together for dinner at China Doll and had a very nice time.

Major Dad is almost finished with his AWESOME tattoo!! I will post when I get a good pic of the finished product. It consists of St. Michael and St. Gabriel, with a St. Brigid cross between them, and the bottom is roses (Blessed Virgin Mary). The artist has done a really good job on it, and it looks great.

DIL1's computer took a hit, so H1 bought her a laptop. I hope it arrives soon, so she can update her blog... Looking forward to hearing about the rally.

Linda and I attended the funeral of the wife of a deacon classmate of ours. She has returned home to our Lord and I'm sure is now watching over us. We ask you to join us in praying for the repose of the soul of our friend Hilda.

Work continues to get crazier and crazier. It's the old cliché of "doing more with less" that's almost comical if I wasn't living it. More and more tasks are piled on daily as the government moves to consolidate all it's IT assets, tighten IT security and establish control over the entire Navy's IT environment, yet budgets continue to be cut, and staffing continues to diminish.

More kudos to Big John... He reports that he's still got perfect church attendance. Great work, Janet! Keep him honest!! Prayer warriors, please pray for John's brother who is nearing the end of this part of his life's journey. May the Lord ease his pain and suffering, and bring some measure of peace, comfort and solace to his family.

A quick "HI" to Keith and Chris. Just want you to know that we think of you often, though we don't see each other nearly as often as we should. Hope all is well in Slidell (ooh, ooh, a rhyme...) and let's get together soon, ok?

Well, it's late, so I guess I'd better turn in before Linda comes out looking for me. God's blessings to everyone.

SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA TAKE THE BITTER WITH THE SWEET

Bitter:
Linda is only home for a week, then gone again.
The all the furniture and stored boxes from the two back bedrooms are now scattered throughout the rest of the house while the ceilings and walls are being redone.
It was my preaching weekend, which is always stressful.
It was “Steel Pony” weekend, which is now defunct.
The Saints blew it against the Ravens.
H1 and DIL1 were missed at Major Dad’s birthday dinner.

Sweet:
Linda is home for the whole week!!! Hoooooooo-ray!!! (or should I say Boo- ray in honor of All Hallow’s Eve?)
The back bedrooms should be fixed this week.
It was Major Dad’s birthday weekend and we got him an iPod that he’s been wanting.
The whole family, sans H1/DIL1 but including FL1, got together for MD’s (please do not confuse H1 and MD) birthday dinner.
Ian spent the night Saturday night.

I would ask for special intentions in your prayers for several of my friends as they struggles with major health issues. Also, if you would, prayers of Thanksgiving that God has provided us with such wonderful benefactors in Tom and Cathy, who are so graciously allowing Linda full access to their home during our period of separation.

May God continue to bless you and keep you close.

WAR AND PEAS

It’s all out war!! H2 vs KenEllie!! The gauntlet has been thrown and accepted. It seems that some time ago someone filled H2’s folded socks with baby powder. The powder naturally “exploded” when he opened them.

Although no communiqués were forthcoming claiming responsibility for the attack, a retaliatory strike was launched a couple of weeks ago against KenEllie in the form of sunflower seeds under their bed pillows.

Last night, it seems that an assault team of commandos entered H2’s domain and removed the batteries from his remotes, and left him a message spelled out in TUMS under his blanket. The ball's in his court!

Ian and BB both brought home straight "A"s yesterday. All I can say to that is


And, oh, by the way,here are the peas.

JUST FOR BB

I love you

DIAMONDS ON THE SOLES OF HER SHOES

What do the former queen of France and a pair of basketball shoes have in common? "Why, nothing" you might say, and until Thursday evening last I would have agreed with you. But then L and I went with KenEllie to see "Marie Antoinette" starring Kirsten Dunst. In one scene, Marie and her royal girlfriends were apparently squandering the French fortune on candies, cakes and clothing, notably fancy shoes of every style and color... including one pair of powder blue Converse All Stars! Not a mistake, these were carefully placed in the scene.

The movie itself was interesting, though without any substance. It gives a look into what might have been the pampered life of royalty in 18th Century France. It did succeed in one of its goals, that of making Marie Antionette out to be more misunderstood than the evil witch she has been portrayed in history.

The movie alluded to the troubles of the poor French populace, but they were never shown, until the end as a riotuous crowd at Versailles. A better balance between French Royalty and common Frenchmen would have made for a better, in my humble opinion, movie. And seeing it through to the bitter end, that of the beheading of MA would have not left the ending so open and unsatisfying.

So there you have it. My two-cent movie critique. Do with it what you will, but if you pay to see the movie... it was NOT my fault. I personally think it's a "wait until it comes out on DVD" movie.

Linda returns tomorrow to Memphis for one week. We will all miss her. Not just me, but Patti, Bridget and Molly, too. Grandmoms really come in handy when the littlest one needs to be held while Mom catches a nap, or the middle child needs some encouragement and a little extra TLC.

H2's vehicle is FILTHY!!! He needs to wash it, especially around the tailgate/trailer hitch area.

I think I've figured out that if it weren't for the long lines in stores and restaurants, the increase of population both human and vehicular in Algiers and the West Bank, and the unusual increase in Hispanics, and the plethora of out of state license plates, mostly on pickup trucks pulling trailers, New Orleans would seem pretty normal to me. My daily travels rarely took me to New Orleans East, or the Lower Ninth Ward, or to St. Bernard Parish (not since the boys graduated from Holy Cross High School), so really, the only place of devastation that I pass through frequently is the Lakeview subdivision and Lakeshore Drive in New Orleans. And, although I was initially, and occasionally still, struck by the amount of devastation, I find myself having to consciously look around and "see" what is still there, or not there, or is different. I think the abnormal has become a normal part of my life, and I often don't even notice anymore. Oh, I see the workmen and the vacant lots where homes once stood, but the impact of all the still empty shells of homes has diminished over time. I can't help wondering how the rest of America and the world can stay in touch with our neediness when someone who lives in or around it every day can become almost immune to it.

Just a quick note to all my children, children-in-laws, grandchildren and "adopted" children to let them know that Linda and I love them and think of them, and PRAY for them, each and every day. Our lives are so much richer and fullfilled with you all a part of it. My personal prayer is that the God who has been SO GENEROUS to Linda and I by allowing us to be in your lives, will wrap you in His loving care and open your hearts to receive His boundless Love.

And finally, to all my family and friends who read this lame attempt at entertainment, we send to you also our love and prayers for God's continued blessings on you and your families. God Bless You!!

This One's Just For Linda

MEA CULPA*

(*church speak for "My Bad!")

Once again I've omitted a key player in one of our outings. FL1 went with us to the Shed last weekend and I left her out of the last post. I hereby publicly apologize to her and promise to never leave her out again (until the next time, probably). FL1 comes to a lot of our family gatherings and really is a part of us. I didn't mean to slight her in any way. I just kind of glaze over after awhile and when you don't proof read you miss things like that.

That's right. You get it all straight from the horse's a_ _ . No editing, no proofing. This is probably not news to anyone who actually reads this blog. You deserve some kind of award for perseverence or something.

KenEllie gave me a book of Church jokes. To help me prepare for my homilies (sermons for the Protestants out there). Maybe, if I start using jokes from the book, maybe they'll come and give a listen now and then.

We've pretty much settled into a post-K routine. Friday evening is dinner with P&J and family, Sundays that Linda goes back to Memphis is Chevy's with P&J and whoever else can make it. One night a week, looks like maybe Mondays, will be movie night with KenEllie. And lunch or dinner with H2 whenever his schedule allows. As you can see, much of what we do revolves around food. Hmmm... maybe that's why I look like I do. Ya THINK?!?!?!?

Halloween weekend is the annual tattoo convention here in town. I've always missed it because it was the same weekend as the Steel Pony motorcycle rally. We enjoyed walking around and admiring the bikes. One year Orange County Choppers was featured, another time Jesse James. And Indian Larry, before he died riding one of his creations. There were always good bands there, too. Charlie Daniels, Big & Rich, and lots of local bands. Good times. Anyway, since Scooter Productions went out of business, there's no more Steel Pony, so maybe this year we'll go to the tattoo convention. Who knows?

In case anyone out there is having Molly Grace withdrawal, here are a couple more pics.



OK. Maybe these weren't actually Molly Grace. Just some of her abnormally extended family. Ever wonder what we do on weekends???...
Here's DIL1 holding Molly. This is another DIL1 personality that recently surfaced. I call it "maternal DIL". Sometimes I wonder if H1 really married Sybil. So many personalities, so little time!! And how about H2 making an already tiny MG look even smaller?



That's it for now. Take care and God bless you! We really do love you all.

DON'T GO SEE ANYTHING WITH A CHARACTER NAMED LEATHERFACE... TRUST ME!!!

Linda is back for TWO WHOLE WEEKS!!  Hoo-ray!!  It is great to have her home again.  I know Maynard misses her when she’s gone, and mopes around the house until she returns.  I guess I mope a little, too, although the kids do a good job of taking care of me and keeping me occupied.  

H1 and  DIL1 are in town!  H1 leaves for Houston Monday morning, but DIL1 gets to stay until Wednesday, working out of her boss’s NOLA office.  Good for us, bummer for H1!  It’s really great having them home for a few days.

Saturday we went to the Shed, as planned.  It was GREAT!!  The WHOLE family… Me, Linda, H1 and DIL1, H2, KenEllie, P&J, I-buddy and BB, and of course, Molly Grace.  I think we all had a great time, good food, beautiful day for a road trip, and just great family.  It’s times like these that make the best memories.

Unlike Sunday night…  I made the very HUGE mistake of going with H1, DIL1 and H2 to see “Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Beginning”.  I never saw TCSM, either the original or the remake, although I guess from the title I should have known better.  It’s definitely two hours of my life that I’ll NEVER GET BACK!!!  It was HORRIBLE, people!  Truly horrible.  If I hadn’t been the driver, I would never have sat through the whole thing.  It was that bad.  Blood and gore, brutal violence, nonstop.  

I think what made it the worst for me was when the lights came on, and I saw a couple get up with their two CHILDREN, maybe three or four years old, and walk out of the show.  Who in their right minds would take kids that young to see something like that?  Why would the theater allow it?  Where is Child Social Services when you need them?

Sunday afternoon we watched the Saints/Bucs game while munching out on some excellent food prepared by Major Dad.  H2 showed up in his Bucs jersey, which came off right after the game, which by the way, the Bucs LOST!!  Saints are 4-1 and leading their division!

Fr. Deo called this evening.  He’s back in Rome and will resume his studies on Wednesday.  Please offer a prayer for his success.  We’re hoping he will return to NOLA to teach at Notre Dame Seminary.

I want to ask for special prayers for my friends who are struggling with health issues, and for their families.  Please join me in praying for their continued recovery, minimal discomfort, and maximum support from family and friends.

H2 passed his test for ICE!!  He qualifies for employment, so now we hope he will get a job with them.  He continues to work hard to get himself ready for whatever training academy he has to attend.  He has put SO much effort into this career goal, I can’t imagine him not being successful.

All in all, life is going pretty good for our family right now and we thank God for all the blessings He has given us.

I wish you all happiness and love.  May God grant you everything you need, and some of what you want!  Take care and, until next time, God Bless You!!

SIMPLY IRRESISTABLE*

(*Molly Grace)

What a great weekend just passed! H1 and DIL1 were like a cool breeze on a hot summer's day as they blew in on Saturday and out again on Sunday. It was really wonderful seeing them again, as they are so rarely here anymore. We had a great time, good food, and it was a real treat to see DIL1 holding Molly Grace, looking like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming 18-wheeler! And... they're coming back this weekend!!! Looks like a ride to the Shed is in the works, finally!

H2 makes an already tiny Molly seem SO small when he holds her! He's working hard right now to get himself in better shape for a future job in law enforcement. He's looking into DEA and ICE, so if you have any hookups, let me know!!

KenEllie stopped by to see Molly and took turns holding her, too. Tonight I went to their apartment for dinner and a movie. DIL2 made spaghetti, Kenny poured wine, and I brought an awesome dessert from Whole Foods Market. After dinner we watched "Heaven Can Wait" with Warren Beatty. I think they enjoyed it almost as much as I did. It's one of my favorite movies.

P&J are beginning to suffer from sleep deprivation, I think. Molly keeps them jumping, for sure. BB and Ian aren't yet quite sure what to make of all the fuss, but I'm sure that they'll soon be as taken with their new sister as we all are.

I got more picks of Kylee and Logan. They, too, are just beautiful! What a trio of future heartbreakers! I hope they will all get to know one another as they grow.

I must put in one more plug for our local columnist, Chris Rose (see side link). His insight into New Orleans' current state is really right on target. If you're at all interested about what's going on lately in the Big (SL)Easy, he's your man.

As I was re-reading what I was posting, I just have to say that I'm TRULY PROUD of Linda and all our kids and their significant others and their kids. We have been blessed with a wonderful family whose members love one another, have (I think) great values and are just fun to be around. A little quirky, maybe. Try gathering with us for a family dinner and see how long it takes for our polite social interaction to take a nose dive into the nearest gutter... But it's all in fun, everyone taking good natured pot shots at everyone else. It's nice to be able to spend time with a large group of family that enjoys each other's company as much as we do.

Linda's home again for two weeks this Friday. Hooray!! I can hardly wait for her to bid fairwell to TN for good (except for an occasional vacation visit, perhaps). It's tme we were together again.

Whoa! I just looked at the time! I'd better close up shop and get some shut-eye. God's blessings to you all. Please pray for more grandchildren for us, better job opportunities for Linda, a swift recovery for New Orleans, the Saints making it to the playoffs, and mostly for the swift return to good health for so many of our friends who are ill and suffering. May their faith remain steadfast as they deal with their health problems.

Take care. We love you. And remember, "Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing. " - Mother Theresa.

MELLOW YELLOW?

It seems that we can't keep street lights at major intersections from malfunctioning since Katrina. The result of this is that it is not unusual to come to an intersection to find the lights flashing yellow one way and red the other. What really amazes me is that here in New Orleans people have never had any hesitation in running a red light. Now, however, I can't count how many times I almost rear-ended someone who came to a dead stop at an intersection with a flashing yellow light in their direction. Is there something I'm missing? Run the red, stop for yellow?

Molly G is SUCH a cute baby. What, ME prejudiced? Well, maybe a little. KenEllie came by this evening to be formally introduced to the little one. We're praying that perhaps a little cousin will be on the way soon??

H1 and DIL1 are coming in for basically 24 hours so they, too, can ooh and ah at Molly. It'll be nice to see them again. PLUS... they're coming in again next weekend, too!! Yay!! The Shed!!!

Babies bring out the very best in Linda, I think. She is just in her own special place when she's holding a baby. It's beautiful to behold. That's one of the reasons I think I've loved her so much is because she was always such as great mother, and now grandmother. God truly blessed me. I can't figure out what she did wrong to deserve a lifetime with me. But, that's my gain!

I'd like to ask especially for prayers for several friends of mine. Cancer seems to be a big problem with so many of my friends. Please ask God to minimize their suffering and, if it is His will, to restore their health.

May you experience the love of Jesus in your lives, and may you become like Jesus to those around you.

DIRTY BIRDS MAKE GOOD GUMBO*

(*hand made sign seen at the Saints' game last night)

Saints 23 Falcons 3
'Nuff said!!!















Yeah, Baby!!

GOOD GOLLY, MISS MOLLY!!

Good news! Patti and Molly G went home today. (Jerrod, too! As much time as he spent at the hospital, they should have wheeled in a bed for him!) Ian and BB spent most of the weekend with us, and slept over each night. It was a lot of fun having them over.

BB is such a character! And when her friend Mya is around it’s like two peas in a pod. They are the best of friends, and it shows.

The Saints play the Falcons tonight in the Superdome. The whole town is going Saints crazy. Workplaces and schools are having “Black and Gold” days to show support for “our Boys”. This should be a really good game. Even when the Saints are really bad, they usually show up for the Falcons. It’s a strong rivalry.

I guess we’ll be going to P&Js to watch the game and enjoy some of Jerrod’s homemade guaca”Molly” and chips. Nobody, and I do mean NOBODY, can make guacamole like Jerrod. Or salads, for that matter. His are definitely the best!!

H2 has been in Houston all weekend, but should be home for the game. I missed him. He’s such a GOOD son. I recently joined the iPod community, and he surprised me with a clock radio that the iPod plugs into. It’s really nice, and I must admit I’m impressed with the quality and technology of the iPod.

And how about a couple more pics of Molly, to boot?


Is that not BB's pouty lip, or what?!?!?

THIRD TIME'S A CHARM?

And baby makes THREE!!! The Lord has blessed Patti and Jerrod, and Linda and I, with the arrival of Molly Grace!!! She’s a beautiful bundle of joy weighing 8 lbs 13 oz, is 20.5 inches long, and has curly BLONDE hair!! Oh, my, what a surprise THAT was!!

I only have one picture to show for the moment, but many more will follow soon! This one shows off some of that hair.

OK. Here we go, more pictures:

That's a LOT of HAIR!!

HMMMM. NO ROOM AT THE INN???

Patti was supposed to be at the hospital by 5:30 AM to check-in for her C-section today. Last night she got a call from the hospital saying it would be noon before her procedure, that there were too many babies there. They would call her at 4:30 AM to let her know for sure…

Well, 4:30 came and went, and finally Patti called the hospital. They told her that her procedure had been cancelled, there were no beds and she wouldn’t be having the baby today. Keep in mind that this is before 5:00 AM, and she hasn’t had anything to eat since 8PM the night before, and it’s not even 5:00 AM yet, and … get the picture? Showing remarkable restraint, Patti calls Linda to vent a little. So now it’s 5:00 AM and we’re both up feeling bad for Patti.

BB and Ian spent the night at our house, so at 6:45 Ian heads off to Algebra Club after being told that his littlest sister wouldn’t be coming today.

Fast forward to 7:30 AM. Patti calls again. The hospital called back to tell her to be there at 10:00 AM. Apparently her doctor stopped by and “adjusted” their priorities, and now the arrival of Molly Grace is once again on track for today.

So at 7:45 Linda walks BB, sporting a “Big Sister” shirt, to school with pink cupcakes for her classmates. (Ian also took cupcakes for his classmates.) Linda did find Ian and let him know that everything was back on track.

It is 10:45, Patti and Jerrod, aka Major Dad, aka Snake Slayer and G’ma are at the hospital. I’m at work, but work is not the first thing on my mind. Hopefully when I leave at 1:30 and head to the hospital Molly will have arrived, and the stork will have been sent packing.

And that’s the beginning of the (hopefully) first day in the life of Molly Grace.

In any event, I will try to keep you informed, and of course, pictures of the newest grandbaby will follow.

Take care, God bless you.

HOW ABOUT A NICE GAME OF CHESS????

I’ve got an idea. Let’s play a game. And let’s call the game “Spot The Idiot”. It is, of course, a driving game. It does require some effort on your part, though. First, before you leave home, or work, or where ever you may be, you have to stop and mentally decide that you are not in a hurry, that you will be courteous, and patient, and observe all (or at least most) traffic rules. If you leave out this preparatory step you run the risk of becoming a “spottee” vice a “spotter”. Next, you proceed on your way and observe the driver who:

• Changes lanes without signaling (1 point)
• Gets out of his/her exit lane and zooms ahead to force his way back after passing four or five cars in line (2 points)
• Is reading (2 points), shaving (3 points), putting on makeup (4 points) while driving
• Is kicked back, relaxed, and obviously into a very long conversation on his/her cell phone (2 points)
• Jumps from one lane to the next, back and forth, only to find him/herself still behind you five miles later (he/she is experiencing the law of “whichever lane I’m in is the slow lane”) (5 points… 1 point if he/she ends up in front of you)
• Refuses to let another motorist merge by accelerating to close the gap between him/herself and the vehicle in front (2 points)
• Stops at streets that don’t have yield signs/flashing yellow lights (2 points) or any indication that requires slowing down (3 points)
• Puts on turn signal and slows at every intersection trying to figure out if it’s the street he/she wants (1 point)(2 points if no turn signal is used)
• (my personal favorite, I saw this yesterday) while driving into merging traffic in a yield lane that is ending, speeds up trying to get in front of car driving in the through lane, and hits a HUGE bump in the road, flies into a rage and chases the driver who had the right of way, cursing him/her and flipping him/her off before speeding off in a huff (10 points)

When you reach your destination, tally up your total and email me or post a comment.

Good luck, and safe driving!!

Gosh! It's been over a week since my last update! That's because there wasn't a whole lot going on. The week passed by pretty quietly until Thursday. 'Til then I'd been planning on a nice quiet weekend, starting off by going to the 8th Men's Morning of Spirituality where I was to serve at the Mass with our Archbishop. No problem.

Monday I was blessed with KenEllie coming over to watch a movie. We watched Nanny McPhee with Emma Thompson. It was actually quite good and I think KenEllie enjoyed it. I'm hoping to get them to watch Heaven Can Wait, with Warren Beatty, the next time we get together.

Wednesday I got together with H2 and his friends as usual. After a sojourn to the Pit Stop, we went to Carretta's for some good Mexican food and music. The place was PACKED, and the wait for a table was about 45 minutes. But, it was worth it.

Thursday I get a call from the Diaconate office. They want to know if I am able to prepare a short reflection on each of 3 sets of daily readings for Mass that will be taped for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) website (see my links) and oh, by the way, the taping will be Saturday. Being the simple fool that I am, I say "OK, I can do that". So Thursday and Friday evenings are now dedicated to preparing the three reflection pieces.

Friday evening I also got together with Patti and Jerrod and the kids for dinner at Carretta's. This time there's no music and they were already seated when I got there, so no wait. Again the food was great. BB is SO cute in her school uniform, and Ian couldn't wait to find out if I'd seen his picture in the T-P. That's him in the light blue shirt.

Saturday I went to the Men's Spirituality get together, served at the Mass, then headed off to WLAE-TV to do the taping. I had prepared one page for each reflection to read. When I got there, the video people told me that they didn't have a teleprompter and that they wanted me to deliver the reflections in a conversational manner, without notes. Oh, no! I was definitely NOT prepared for that, and told them so. Finally we worked out a process where I would begin the reflection without notes, then occasionally glance at the notes to keep my thoughts going, then deliver the closing without the notes. If you are interested, the dates that I prepared reflections for are September 27th and 30th, and January 30th. They should be posted to the USCCB website. It would probably be helpful to take a look at the readings for those days to understand what I'm talking about.

It was great seeing so many of my deacon brothers at the spirituality session. Many of my diaconate class who I see infrequently were there. The speakers were very good and one gave an especially inspiring talk which I enjoyed thoroughly.

Saturday evening we learned that a friend of H2 who lives just a few blocks from us had been shot, IN HIS HOUSE, by a gunman carrying an automatic weapon. The details are sketchy, but apparently he and a friend were returning from a beer run and were going into the house when the gunman approached them. They ran into the house and he followed, showering them with a hail of bullets. H2's friend is in pretty good condition in the hospital, but his friend suffered damage to his spleen and kidney (I think) and is in pretty bad shape. To top it off, the police identified the shell casings as coming from the same gun that had been used in a murder earlier that day! Our neighborhood had been so quiet before the storm. Lately it's been turned into a war zone!

On the lighter side, Linda learned this week that Reese Witherspoon owns a house in the same neighborhood that she (Linda) is staying. We have no idea, and no interest in where the members of 3 Six Mafia might be living. Just for the record.

H2 and I joined KenEllie for a late evening supper at Serrano's (another Mexican restaurant) in Clearview Mall. After a very nice dinner we went to KenEllie's new apartment for a quick tour and some coffee. It's a very nice apartment, first floor, and the complex is right across the road from one of our major shopping malls, so they have great location. Hopefully while Linda is here we'll have the opportunity to go over and bless the apartment for them.

Molly Grace is only 5 days away, and that means that Linda will be here for an extended stay in only 4 more days! HOOOO-Ray!!! I can hardly wait.

The pictures of little Logan are adorable! He looks like such an angel! We want some more pics of his cousin, Kylee!

Please pray for the young men who were shot today, and for their parents. Please pray for the newest members of the extended Herrick clan, and for a safe and healthy arrival of Molly Grace. We wish you God's blessings in abundance.

MATH AIN'T MY STRONG SUIT*

*you'll get it at the bottom. Maybe.

Linda got in late last night. She'll be here until Monday, so we have two full days together!

It's looking to be a great weekend. Tomorrow we're gathering at P&J's for a BBQ. It looks like 4 of the 6 Ugandan seminarians will be there, as well as Fr. Deo, who is in the States for a few months. It should be great to get everyone together again. We had planned a get together like this last September, but Big-K (and I don't mean K-Mart) had other plans!

Hopefully Mick and Bev will be at the BBQ also. We haven't seen Bev since they sold their house and she moved to Colorado and Mick began staying with their daughter.
Mick's staying in the area until he finishes some things at Christ the King parish, then he, too, is off to Colorado.

Life in New Orleans never ceases to be interesting! It seems that a local radio personality and former TV sportscaster (for 24 years) has been accused of murdering his wife of two years. They were in the middle of what was gearing up to be a messy divorce. Originally police thought the killing was a robbery gone bad. Video cameras showed a scruffy looking man on a bicycle at the time of the murder. He had arrived about 15 minutes before the murder and paced back and forth in front of a security camera! It seems, now, that witnesses saw a man put a bicycle in the back of a white car only a block away from the scene (the husband owns a white Taurus). A shop keeper reported selling the husband a mustache, and a gun shop owner remembers selling him a unique kind of ammo, which happens to match that used in the shooting. Armed with a search warrant, the police searched the husband's house (destroyed by Katrina), his car and his FEMA trailer. Guess what they found? A "to do" list that corresponded to the murder, with tasks checked off. I think he forgot the last task - "throw away the list". It would be hysterically funny if it weren't so sad.

Yesterday my normal 20 - 30 minute ride home from work took 2 hours. 2 HOURS!! A garbage truck had overturned on the down side of the Crescent City Connection toward the West Bank earlier in the afternoon. By the time I left work at 4:30 not only had traffic backed up for miles heading to the West Bank, but the tie ups, as always happens, had spawned several accidents in both directions on the interstate. As rush-hour commence the CBD (Central Business District) and all arteries into and out of became gridlocked. What a mess. After being in that spaghetti pot for 2 hours, it's hard to believe that we have only 1/2 or less of our original population here.

The upside to the traffic mess was that H2 and I were able to meet Patti on the East Bank at Nacho Mama's for supper to wait out the traffic snarl. It was a really nice dinner and the ride home was ok.

Earlier this week KenEllie came over for "movie night with Dad". With Chinese take-out, and later popcorn, we enjoyed "Ever After", a nice Cinderella story starring Drew Barrymore in the Cinderella character, Danielle, and Anjelica Huston as the wicked stepmother. She is so good!! I really enjoyed her in "Witches". Our movie nights have established a certain theme. Ellie gets to pick, or at least suggest, what we watch, so I guess we could rename it "Chick flick movie night with Dad". That's ok, though. I like chick flicks as much as the next person... Maybe next time we'll watch something like "Silence of the Lambs". That's a chick flick, right?

BB and I-buddy (pronounced "EE"-buddy) come by the house every morning before school. BB is SO cute in her school uniform. Yesterday I asked I-buddy if she was always that cute. With a sigh he answered, "Yes. She is." He's SUCH a sweet young fella. They really love each other, although they do try to hide it on occasion.

The much anticipated arrival of Molly Grace is almost here. September 22nd, for those who are waiting along with the rest of us. We've been calling her Molly Grace for so long now I don't know what we'll do if Mom and Dad decide to name her something else. I guess we'll just keep on calling her Molly Grace.

The extended family is truly exploding! First Kylee Ann, then Logan Louis, next Molly Grace!! Still another one due in December, Paula's first grandbaby! Whew, did we "go forth and multiply" or what?!?!

That reminds me of a joke. When Noah finally let the animals leave the ark, as they left two by two, he told them to "go forth and multiply". Finally the only two left were a pair of snakes, who refused to leave the ark. When Noah asked why, they replied, "You said to go forth and multiply... We're adders."

On that (sour?) note I bid you farewell. God bless you!!!

IS HIGHWAY ETIQUETTE TRULY A THING OF THE PAST?

Get ready for installments 3 and 4 on my series about STUPID drivers!! Going to work this morning, traffic is stop and go, stop and go. Watching to see what is causing the delays I can see that people who are getting off the expressway are cruising in the “fast” lane until they get to their exit, THEN they try to move over 3 lanes of solid rush hour traffic to get off. I guess it being early and all they were just unaware that the exit they take every freakin’ day was coming up and maybe they should try to ease on over sooner. But NO, it’s so much easier to make life miserable for all the drivers behind them.

There’s a Subway that I go to about a mile from where I work. It’s in a little strip mall with a Safeway grocery store and several other smaller shops. Because of the Safeway there is a fairly large parking lot for this little mall. Before I go on, consider that Subway is still one of the few eating establishments that has reopened since, well, you know. Anyway, the line is always pretty long, especially at lunch time. Anyway, as I’m sitting at a table eating my lunch (a subway club on honey oat, with lettuce, extra tomatoes, salt & pepper and oil & vinegar, for those who are interested) and looking out the front window, a car pulls up, makes no attempt at cruising the parking lot for a spot, but rather stops in the lane in front of Subway, turns off the motor, gets out of the car and comes in and gets on line for a sandwich. Parks on the red “do not stop here” lines in the street, I might add!! I just don’t understand where that kind of gall comes from.

Maybe it goes along with feeling like when your kid drops a full box of fries or a drink at Mickey D’s, they owe him a replacement. Like it was the fault of the store that he was a clumsy kid. God forbid you suggest that the Mom or Dad purchase a new one, since it was their kid’s fault in the first place!! Nobody takes responsibility for their own actions anymore!!

Flash!! This just in… The much anticipated and awaited arrival of Molly Grace on September 25th has been changed. Due apparently to some of the storks taking steroids in the off season, the delivery is scheduled for 3 days sooner, on September 22nd. So now everybody crank up that anticipation excitement a notch! BAM!!!

Just a quick note of thanks to DIL1 for mentioning Ken (of KenEllie fame) in her blog. Thanks.

I spent the past weekend in Memphis with Linda. The weather was great, the food was great, the scenery was great… I’m ready to move! A job would be nice, though, and there’s a hiring freeze in Millington right now, so I guess I’m staying put for awhile. The ride to and from was terrific, with excellent weather, no rain, and not too hot. I hope it’s the same for Linda next weekend.

We’re looking forward to a nice get together with the Ugandan seminarians next weekend. A barbeque at P&J’s is planned. Hopefully Mick and Bev and Fr. Deo will be there also. It’s always fun to introduce the newest seminarian to “American” cuisine, and I’m sure this year will be no exception, so please pray for Vincent as we try to stuff him full of kabobs, burgers, cole slaw and strawberries and ice cream!
Well, as they always say somewhere, “TTFN”!! God’s blessings be upon you!

Bye Bye Miss (or Mister) American Pie

Listening to the radio on the way to work this morning I heard a song that cracked me up. It’s called “TheOKgoawayParisHiltonApparatus” and can be found at http://www.purevolume.com/theokgoawayparishiltonapparatus. Gives me an idea! We should make a list of celebs who, for whatever reason, we’d like to see just go away. What do you think? I’ll start. I’m SO sick of the whole TomKat and Branjelina thing. Those two couples are more than welcome to disappear from theaters, tv, tabloids, etc.! Really!! Enough already!! If you have a favorite someone, just leave a comment telling who it is.

While driving down Veterans Blvd. today a car with Texas plates inched his way into the intersection as the light was turning red, effectively blocking the cross traffic. Why am I constantly being confronted by IDIOTS????? I’m keeping my eye out at the toll booths for that one!

H2 is on his way back from Houston. He should be arriving in ½ hour or so, when I’ll leave work and go meet him for supper at Carreta’s Mexican restaurant. It’ll be great to see him again, if ever so briefly. I leave for Memphis from work tomorrow.

We finally have several days of good weather strung together. It looks like a nice weekend. It’s definitely a nice weekend to get out of town. The Decadence Festival is in full swing again this weekend. NICE. I’m all for letting your hair down a bit, but this festival is just a little (ok, a lot) overboard.

Welcome Kylee Ann Herrick to the family!! My nephew Bryan’s wife Bethany gave birth to a lovely daughter two days ago! Bryan’s sister Rachel should be next, then Patti will deliver Molly Grace on September 25th. This is my brother Bill’s first grandchild, and he is understandably bursting his buttons with pride!! Congrats, Bro’!!

Getting ready for the five-year anniversary of 9/11. I wonder what kind of specials the networks have planned.

And what about this FLDS (Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) guy, Warren Jeffs? 40 wives? Is he INSANE??? By the way, the FLDS is not affiliated with the LDS folks.

Have a safe and happy Labor Day Weekend!!! God bless you!!

Ol' Black Water, Keep On Rollin'...

Well, 8/29 (somehow it just doesn't have the same ring as 9/11) has come and gone. Even though I swore I wouldn't, Monday night I watched the NBC special about the first 5 days of the storm, followed by the local NBC affiliate's documentary of their coverage of the storm. It still brought tears watching it happen all over again, feeling the anxiety, the helplessness overwhelming again.

Tuesday morning I went to a memorial Mass at St. Louis Cathedral. It was an awesome Mass, with an excellent homily by Archbishop Hughes. All the big shot politicians were there... Congressmen William Jefferson (the one under indictment) and Bobby Jindal, Senator Robert Vitter, General Honore, Governor Blanco and President and Mrs. Bush. I've never actually seen ANY politician of significance up close and personal before. Sad it took a hurricane of such proportions to bring it about. "W" is shorter than I would have thought, and Laura Bush seemed as nice as I thought.

Tuesday night KenEllie talked me into watching the Spike Lee film about Katrina. Interesting film, but not surprising, considering who made it. Although I found it very biased and misleading at times, I'm sure it is exactly what Mr. Lee intended it to be. His focus was on the lower 9th Ward, and the African American community, especially those who took refuge at the Superdome or the convention center. His main interviews were wtih black activists, so their take was not unexpected either. I have nothing against Mr. Lee's right to choose his topic. I'm only sorry that it will probably be the main source of (mis)information about New Orleans after the storm that most people in the US will see. While images of 80% of New Orleans being flooded, it wasn't pointed out that a good bit of that flooding was to the tune of a foot or two of water and much of those areas is coming back to life. It also wasn't pointed out that 100% of St. Bernard parish, Chalmette, Arabi, Meraux, etc. was gone under 10-20 feet of water. 100%!!! Of course that wasn't mentioned, it was a predominantly middle class white community of closely knit families. Will the rest of the country hear about that? Not nearly as much as they should, I would reckon.

Friday I head to Memphis to spend the weekend with Linda. H2 will return from Houston tomorrow, so maybe I'll get to at least say "Hi" to him before I cut out. He was contacted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). They sent him an application packet, so he's going to apply to them to become a special agent. Prayers are asked for him as he tries to begin a new career in law enforcement. He's a great kid! We really love him and are super proud of him!!

Yesterday I arrived home to find the city removing the one remaining sycamore tree from the front of our house. We had two until the storm, which downed one, and broke off the top third of the second one. We've been trying to get the city to take them down for 20 years. Thank you, Katrina, my dark cloud with a silver lining. Now we can put up bradford pears, which should be a lot less destructive of the sidewalk, and shed a lot fewer leaves, leaving us, hopefully, with much happier neighbors.

If you've ever been to New Orleans, and have traveled from the West Bank to the East Bank across the Crescent City Connection, you will know that there are several toll booths that scan toll tags rather than collecting cash. You'll also know that for about 1/2 mile before the booths, the toll tag lanes have signs painted in the lane stating that it is a toll tag only lane. So why is it that EVERY STINKING MORNING the toll tag lanes come to a dead halt because someone stayed in the lane until they reached the toll booth, and only then decided to move over to the cash lane? Aarrrggghhhhhhh!!!! I think they're the same people who put on their turn signal (maybe) as they cut you off. Remember people, a turn signal does NOT constitute the right of way.

Which reminds me... After the tree cutters had left, two men returned with a stump grinder pulled behind a pick up truck. They pulled up in front of the house facing against traffic, put out cones, and started prepping the site for the grinder. A couple of cars came up and inched by. Then a woman from our church came by, inched rather quickly by, and left about a 3 foot crease in the side of her car. The next thing you know she's out complaining loudly about how the truck is going the wrong way, and was it a city truck, and who's responsible for fixing her car? I tried to explain nicely that the truck was parked, as in NOT MOVING, and SHE HIT THE TRUCK, not vice versa. She replies, "So you're saying it's MY fault?!? But they're going the wrong way!" Then she proceeded to go to our "out on bail for stabbing his roommate who was committing suicide to death" neighbor to borrow his phone to call the police. I wouldn't be surprised if she drives up to the toll booth before changing lanes, too!

OK. I'm tired. Gotta go to bed. I hope Big J is enjoying his trip to N. Carolina. Rumor has it that T&K went ring looking (not shopping). Please pray that their relationship remains on track and that God blesses them with much happiness.

Take care, good night, and God bless you all, too!

H1 Should Get This

I read a joke in Reader’s Digest. It seems that a woman was preparing for a party. As the time for people to begin arriving approached, she realized she needed milk, but didn’t have any. She asked her husband to run to the store to get her a quart of milk. He returned a while later, empty handed. When she asked about the milk he answered, “They were out. All they had were pints.” - I don’t get it. Oh, and she also mentioned that her husband is a statistician. – I still don’t get it. (OK. Maybe I do get it)

Has It Been A Year Already?????

Linda's visit is almost over. Tomorrow she heads back to Memphis. It's been a good weekend, though. Saturday we went to dinner with our good friends Keith and Chris. We don't see them nearly often enough, so it is always especially nice when we can get together. They joined Linda and I for Mass at our parish, then we went to Byblos for dinner. It was great, as usual.

Today I preached at both 8am and 10am Masses, then off to Chevy's for our traditional Sunday lunch with Patti and Jerrod (aka Snake Slayer)(it's a long story... something to do with dreams and rat terriers and snakes) and family. Supper was at their place, with SS making homemade pizzas. KenEllie joined us so it was a nice family (sans H1, DIL1 and H2) gathering.

It's hard to believe that the 1st anniversary of Katrina is only 2 days away. Some folks are really looking forward to commemorative events, others don't want to remember any more than they have to.

C Ray was on Meet The Press this morning. Man, can he dodge the hard questions. Tim Russert asked him one question three times, and never did get a straight answer. And it seems like Nagin can't open his mouth anymore without offending someone. Although, I have to say that I don't hold his comments about N.Y. against him. I think the journalist who put him on the spot by comparing the destruction of New Orleans to the destruction of the Twin Towers was way off the mark. Apples and oranges. No one is denying that 9/11 was a huge tragedy with terrible loss of life and property, but to compare it to the devastation of 80% of an entire CITY, plus surrounding communities as well, is simply wrong.

H2's considering a career with the Houston P.D. He's even gone so far as to take the civil service exam and be interviewed for the department. Although Linda and I will miss him if he moves to Texas, we wish him the best of luck and success where ever his career aspirations take him.

Hurricane Ernesto (or, as our pastor calls it "Er-nasty") is hopefully going to take a turn away from the Louisiana/Mississippi Gulf coast. We pray that if that happens that the people of Florida will be spared any significant damage from the storm. While praying that the hurricane doesn't come to us, we certainly are not wishing it on anyone else!

Let me close by wishing you all long life, much laughter, and lasting love. May God bless you with all that you need, and most of what you want. Praise God, follow Jesus, choose LIFE.

I'M STILL HERE, BELIEVE IT OR NOT.

I had a job interview today. Now THAT was nerve-wracking!! I think I can count the number of job interviews I’ve had in my entire LIFE on one hand. Too bad. It’s a job I think I could do well, but don’t think I fit the picture of who they are looking for. Oh, well. C’est la vie. At least I’m fairly happy doing what I do now.

Big J commented at lunch that I haven’t blogged in awhile. Then Ellie, of KenEllie fame texted me with a similar comment. I can’t help it if I just get blogger’s block. It happens. I just hate to ramble on and on without having anything really substantive to say, although I have done so in the past. I try to keep it to a minimum.

The first anniversary of Katrina is only five days away. A whole year has gone by. I’ve shared some of my perceptions with you before, but I think as we get closer to the anniversary, we get more thoughtful about it. At least I do. And what I’ve been thinking about most is how much of New Orleans is still relatively untouched (repairs-wise) since the storm. At the rate we are going I would venture to say that the New Orleans of 2015 will be quite a bit smaller than that of 2005. This might not be so bad. There’s been much talk of “green space” over the past year. A few more parks and green areas, especially in some of the more blighted areas of pre-Katrina New Orleans might be a good thing. This is a great opportunity to beautify an aging city.

Katrina has brought about an unexpected opportunity to improve our school system. Many charter school associations have sprung up, taking over administration of many of the public schools. Hopefully this will result in better schools which will, in turn, be a selling point for bringing people to New Orleans, rather than a reason to not come to New Orleans.

It’s time I put behind me what was before, and get on with the new normalcy of life post-K. I don’t see any changes coming any time soon, so for now, life is a lesson in patience, perseverance, flexibility and creativity (after all, necessity IS the mother of invention, is it not?). For now, and for the foreseeable future, we do by making do.

Life is good. The alternative? Not so good. So be it. Let’s live life to the fullest, optimistic about the future and ready to pitch in to make the future a better place for everyone.

Take care, God bless.

A Katrina Prayer

I received this prayer in an email today. It touched me and I hope it will touch you, too. - D³

Rewriting the History of August 29th: A Prayer

Thank you for letting me understand homelessness, living without power, without television, without cool air in the heat;

Thank you for letting me understand hunger, the leisure of dry clean clothes and the relief of a place to sleep.

Thank you for letting me understand the deep and overwhelming sadness when forces, beyond our personal control, take the loved, the familiar, the usual.

Thank you for my needfulness and for my newfound empathy for those homeless before the storm and homeless now and for those hungry anywhere, for those in need everywhere.

Thank you for the opportunity you provided to help my neighbor, to be my brother's keeper, to serve food, to patch roofs, to clean yards, and to start mending that which was broken.

Thank you for the chance to change ourselves,
for a reprieve from the normal, commercial day,
for teaching us to make do,
to get by,
to improvise,
for drowning our conceit,
complacency,
callousness,
for silencing the noise,
for stopping the clock,
and for the chance to act our best when the worst occurred.

Thank you for the people who reached in, pulled out the living, cradled the dead, comforted the broken and torn apart, wept for the splintered and uprooted.

Thank you for the people who didn't wait to come right away, who opened their homes, who emptied their shelves, their closets, who cleaned, fed, healed, held us, who told us our spirit was amazing, and who keep on coming.

Thank you for the people who measure their faith by their actions, and measure their actions by its consistency with their faith.

Thank you for all the people we have met, who are new friends, new loved ones, new brothers and sisters, new neighbors.

Thank you, KATRINA.

Not for the wind,
not for the water,
but for the appreciation of the things no storm can shatter,
no water can wash away,
no wind can move.

- Tom Teel and Reilly Morse, Gulfport, MS

*Three Days, Man... Three Days... We just love you...

* With apologies to Max Yasgar and his farm, Woodstock, NY, 1969.

I went to the movies with H2 and FL1. We saw "Pulse". It was $5 and 1 1/2 hours of my life I will never get back. It was definitely a "wait until it comes out on video and get a friend to rent it" movie. Oh well, the company was good.

Going to the Pit Stop tomorrow night and then maybe out for some hot wings and celery stalks. Hope the weather holds up. We've had a lot of rain lately, so a couple of days without is nice. Still very humid, making any outdoor activity sticky and uncomfortable.

It's tomorrow night already. I'm back from the Pit Stop. H2 is getting ready for his trip to Houston tomorrow evening. It will be very quiet around here while he's gone. Maybe I'll finish season three of Alias.

A close friend of ours has a large, fast growing lymphoma in his chest. He begins his first round of chemo this week. Please pray for him, and for his family. We met them soon after moving into Algiers Point, and have been friends ever since, with his boys attending Holy Name of Mary school, and Holy Cross High School with my own sons.

We're starting to see houses bulldozed in Lakeview. More than I would have imagined. It's an older neighborhood anyway, so pre-K people would buy homes, demolish and rebuild. I guess Katrina was nature's way of encouraging the practice.

Hmmm. I guess I'd better save this and continue later. My mind is like mush and I can't think of anything else to write. Maybe tomorrow.

So what's up with this JonBenetRamsey thing? A teacher confessed? From Thailand? What's he doing in Thailand? Is that not bizarre? And he said it was a kidnapping gone bad. If it's true, I'm sorry the mother didn't live to see it, or to see her husband and her finally out from under the dark cloud of suspicion that had enveloped them for the past 10 years.

Not to be outdone with bizarre, our legislature recently passed a law making it illegal to smoke in an automobile that is carrying a child under 5 years old. While I'm all about not smoking, I find this a little unsettling. Hasn't it already been established that a car (or truck) is an extension of one's home? If that's true, then how soon will we be looking at legislation to regulate smoking in households with infants? We can't legislate ourselves into a society where no one ever gets sick, no one ever has an accident, no one ever dies prematurely. Stuff happens. Regardless of our best efforts. It's part of life, part of living.

Enough of the soap box. It's taken me three days to finish this. Take care, God bless, we love you.

Saturday Morning

Linda is home. H2 is home. I'm up after letting Maynard out for his morning u-m-m, you know. Fed Maynard, fed Gumbo, fed Evil Greenbird, fed Craig-er. Prepped two pots of coffee, made one. Checked my emails. Now I'm blogging, sort of. All's almost right with the world.

The day is young. Not much to say. I'm not even sure my mind is fully engaged yet. Maybe I should go get some of that first pot of java and see if it gets me going. It's decaf, but hey, it's the thought that counts, right? Mind over lack of caffeine, that's what I say!

I spoke to DIL1 a couple of times last week. She seems VERY happy with her "Xbox". I'm thinking she won't be TRULY happy until she takes it on a, say, 6 hour or so road trip, probably easterly. H-m-m-m? I guess that'll have to wait, since H2 is heading to Houston once again on Thursday and will be there for two weeks.

I don't know if anyone read much after Katrina about people (notably police officers) "borrowing" new vehicles from lots in downtown NOLA? Apparently a LOT of cars, and fancy ones at that, managed to evacuate the city. Well, now there's a billboard that cracks me up every time I see it. It's basic black, no pictures, and all it says is "New Orleans' Finest Drive Sewell". (Sewell Cadillac was hit pretty hard). I love it!

The day has dawned brightly, so I'd better get out and run errands before the afternoon showers and T'storms start developing. Happy Linda's Home!! Day to everyone. Take care, and of course, God bless you.

TGIF

It’s Friday in NOLA! Guess what that means? It means that Linda is coming home, or she’s not. SHE IS!! SHE IS!! SHE IS!! Yep, she’s making it home every other weekend now, and this is the weekend!!

Add to that that H2 has been in P’Cola all week and returned today, AND it’s Friday, to boot, and you’ve got yourself a hum-dinger of a weekend starting. The weather is beautiful. Hot, but beautiful. No rain today (so far).

With H2 gone it was pretty lonely and quiet at the ol' hacienda, but Patti and Jerrod took good care of me. They had me over twice for dinner. One of the dinners was cooked by Ian. The boy can do porkchops, let me tell you. KenEllie checked on me from time to time, and texted me with encouragement. All in all it wasn't too bad a week, but still I'm thrilled that H2 AND Linda are both going to be home tonight.

Oh, I almost forgot, I did have to call the plumber on Monday, and the A/C guy on Wednesday! But all is well now. Pipes are flowing and house is cool again. Just in time!

I’ve been meaning to update you a little bit on NOLA, “post-K” as the saying goes. I wrote a bit about it a blog or two ago, but I wanted to add some pics. I took these last week, so they’re current.This is the old Coast Guard station on Lake Pontchartrain. The new one was completed and moved into last year. Pretty timely, eh?

The next two are of Lakeshore Drive, usually well kept as it is in a pretty pricey neighborhood, and is used by lots of people for recreation. As you can see, it's not a pretty sight any longer.
And finally a couple of homes along Pontchartrain Blvd, a major thoroughfare that leads out of Lakeview toward the I-10/610 split.

Hopefully you can see from the photos that New Orleans, the Big Easy, the City that Care Forgot (I've never really understood that one) has a long, long way to go. I think people are surprised and a little dismayed at how little recovery, overall, has actually been accomplished. And little by little it looks like more people are opting to stay away than was originally thought.

Well, we're still here. Come and visit anytime. We'd love to see you!!

Take care, and God bless!