A PRE-CHRISTMAS EVE FUNNY

Son (to Dad): What is love?

Dad: Don't hurt me.

Son: Don't hurt me?

Dad: No more.

GIVING THANKS

It is the morning after the day which was Thanksgiving, 2011.  I am still awash in the warm and happy memories of the day previous.  It was a long day, which began at 5am (actually it began at 3pm on Wednesday when I started baking the potatoes for "twice baked") with Linda preparing the stuffing that would go into the turkey.  At 6am I started on the turkey, opening the package, rinsing the bird, filling the empty cavities with stuffing and finally putting it into the oven.

After checking emails and a quick stop at FB, the rest of the morning began with a scrambled egg breakfast, then on to getting the dining room ready for dinner, with occasional stops for to watch a bit of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Preparations included getting out new tablecloths, bringing out the card table for an extension to the dining room table, locating the folding chairs, getting down the fine china and taking out the fancy silverware.  And, OH!! Don't forget to put extra bottles of wine in to chill!

With dinner planned for "around 2-ish" we managed to get it wrapped up and on the table before 2:30!  The happiness of having almost everyone home for this particular holiday is practically indescribable!  We missed having Michael and Hannah with us, but they were in our hearts as we all (Kenny and Gisselle, Dean and Brenda, Patti and Jerrod, Ian, Bridget, and Molly, Linda and me, joined by Fr. Deo and seminarian Mark sat down to enjoy a minor feast of major proportions!

It was a day that brought to light how very many reasons we have to give thanks to God for all the blessings we have been given.  Wonderful, loving, happy and healthy family, good friends, a house that truly is a home filled with love!

Now it's time to get on with the post-Thanksgiving cleanup!!

Wishing you all God's blessings on this "Black Friday", when people begin their Christmas shopping in earnest... and I pray that we don't lose sight of what we have to be thankful for and why, that we don't lose sight of the "reason for the season" that is Jesus Christ, our Lord.  As we get ready to enter in to the Christmas season, let's try to keep Christ in Christmas!  Dominus Vosbiscum... et cum spiritu tuo! The Lord be with you, and with your spirit!

ME, AT WORK

Just keep me in the dark, and cover me in excrement...

GOLDEN OLDIE MY A**

October has been a pretty special month this year, so far.  H2/H2FGNW took a 10-day trip to Del Rio to see her family.  They invited Linda and I to come also, since it was over a three-day weekend.  We decided to extend our trip also, so we went to Del Rio for 4 days, then returned to Houston for another 4 days to visit with H1/DIL1.  Let me just say that both legs of the trip were wonderful.  The weather was great and we certainly couldn't have asked for better company.

Now that we're home again, and back to the "old grind" I'm already looking forward to Christmas, when the whole family will be together once again.  Although I knew how good I had it before, well, you know... what with the entire family living within a 4-mile area, that point has been driven home many times over, now that we have family displace (permanently) to Houston, and some living in Kenner which, while in the "greater New Orleans area", is still a 20-30 minute drive on a good day.

I have to ask, do the political candidate debates frustrate you as much as they do me?  I don't watch them, and I don't like to hear about them during news broadcasts.  It just seems totally ludicrous to me that we are supposed to take seriously a group of people who get up on stage and hurl darts at one another for months on end, sometimes with great acrimony, only to turn around once a candidate has been selected and tell us how great that person is, and what a wonderful choice he/she is and how we should definitely vote for that person.  REALLY?!?!

Let me take a moment to ask for prayers for my extended family.  They are going through a crisis situation and the outcome is unclear at the moment.  Please pray for a satisfactory solution for all concerned, and know that you have my prayers and thanks in advance!

OH EM GEE, am I getting old!!!  As I write this I'm listening to the "Solid Gold Oldies" channel on cable.  Almost all the songs are from my junior high/high school years!  And I always thought oldies were what my mom and dad listened to!  Now, where DID I put that cane,again?  

Let me close by wishing Major Dad a Happy Birthday later this month, and a happy All Hallow's Eve to everyone!!  God's blessings be with you.

YOU TAKE THE HIGH ROAD, I'LL TAKE THE LOW ROAD

It was pretty much a great weekend!  The Holy Name of Mary Parish fair was held, with perfect weather and record attendance!  LSU and the Saints won their games!  Linda made AWESOME tapioca pudding Sunday, which we had for dessert after the burgers, nachos and fries from the fair.

We were scheduled to attend a pre-retirement seminar on Thursday, just to weigh our options.  Neither of us plans to retire for another couple of years.  When it was announced that the funeral for Archbishop Philip Hannan would be held on Thursday afternoon, we decided to try and slip out early from the seminar to attend the funeral.  Then we found out that I was requested for a funeral on Thursday morning, for a friend who passed away, so now we are NOT going to the pre-retirement seminar after all.  It will be a busy Thursday!

Then comes FRIDAY!!  Road Trip!!

The plans are to depart NOLA at the crack of dawn, driving straight through to Del Rio, TX.  After visiting for a few days we will head back home, stopping in Houston for several more days to visit H1/DIL1.  Looking forward to getting toasted!!!

EBBS AND FLOWS

We are home from our retreat. It was the third annual combined retreat, with deacons and wives from both New Orleans and Houma-Thibodeau.  It was great to reconnect with many brother deacons and their wives.

This year's presenter was Deacon Dr. Peter Gittens, from Toronto, Canada.  A university professor of theology and philosophy, he led us on a spiritual reflection of Mary, Mother of God, perpetual virgin, who was assumed body and soul into heaven. 

OK. So I started this post over a week ago and am just now getting back to it.

First, to continue with the retreat.  It was more of a mini conference than a retreat for me, because there wasn't much silence and reflection going on in between the talks.  Admittedly this was my own fault.  It was just too easy to wander into the cafeteria area for a cup of coffee and sit down and chat with other retreatants until time for the next scheduled event.  Since more than half of the couples were from the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, it was an opportunity to meet or get reaquainted with them, so the time wasn't exactly wasted.  Still, I don't think I came away as refreshed as I would have if I had tried a little harder to spend time in quiet reflection.  Put that on my to-do list for next year!!

The following Tuesday I was on call for JPSO and got a callout to respond to a request for a chaplain at the family of a suicide victim.  It was a young man (late 30's, I think) who left behind a wife and two children, ages 13 and 7.  The suicide had taken place in another location, thankfully, but it didn't make the visit any easier.  Seeing the grief, the self-recrimination, watching as people felt their lives collapsing in on themselves, it is just heartbreaking.  It is so hard to try to offer some little bit of comfort without being pushy, or preachy, or feeling like a complete interloper into their pain.  To compound the situation, the mother of the victim had already lost one 20 year old son, I think in an accident, and recently her husband had died of a heart attack.  She was, understandably, devastated.  The mother arrived about an hour after I did, so it was like responding to two calls at once.  Please pray for the families, especially the wife, the mother and the children. 

The mood picked up later in the week when we went to MD/DLG's house for cake and ice cream to celebrate Molly-moo's fifth birthday!! She was adorable, and absolutely the center of attention!  And, it is always nice to see BB and Ian.  An added bonus was seeing Ian the day before when he met us, in between classes, for lunch at New Orleans Food and Spirits.  Can't get enough of Ian!!  He's really grown up to be a fine young man!

This week we had a very nice time with H2/H2FGFNW and 3/Angelle at Izzo's Illegal Burrito.  That was outstanding!!  It was a burrito/nacho/taco/salad place that operated like Subway.  You told them what you wanted, then what you wanted on it, and watched them put it together.  Most definitely dee-lish!!!

Later in the week  we had Chinese with KenEllie at a new (to us) restaurant (Little Chinatown) over on Williams Blvd.  The cuisine was different, in a good way, from the places we usually go to, but still very tasty.  After dinner we went to Starbucks for coffee and casual conversation.  All in all a most enjoyable evening!!
Starting to count the days until we head back to Del Rio and Houston for visits.  We can't wait!!  Bob, Irma and BV are always wonderful to visit, and we can't ever see enough of H1/DIL1!!  It should be a very nice trip.

WHAT'S UP WITH ALL THIS SAND? AND CACTUS?

I seem to be in a desert, both spiritually and emotionally, which has been going on for some time, hence the lack of postings.  Hopefully the weekend deacon couples retreat that Linda and I are about to attend will help somewhat.

We are relieved that a recent incident involving H2, his partner, and two miscreants and a shooting ended in (thankfully) minor injuries to the partner's hand, and the arrest of the two law-unabiding citizens.

In October we head back to Del Rio/Acuña with H2/H2WFGF, with a stop in Houston to see H1/DIL1.  With any luck Linda will come home with another pair of fancy boots, a little dressier than the last pair she bought.

That's about it for now.  Hopefully the creative juices will begin to flow once again very soon.  Take care and God's blessings!!

POSTPOURRI

I am humbled.  I work with people whose faith is so much deeper and stronger and richer than my own.  While I struggle with my relationship with God, I have a friend who gets to see his guardian angel. And not only that, but the guardian angels for his whole family, and for his wife's family as well.  It's a long, but beautiful story, and I hope that someday he will share it with everyone.  Meanwhile, my poor guardian angels are working overtime, and I'm keeping them busy, for sure!! 

This past month was a stressful one.  My place of employment had to "cut back" on the project I'm assigned to, which meant that 20 people would be let go.  Although the life of a contractor is a precarious one at best, still it was hard to watch people who I've worked with for the past year, or more, and who I've come to regard as my friends, as well as coworkers, have their lives thrown into such turmoil!  A few were able to find work on other projects, but most are out in the job hunt.  What makes this doubly hard for them is that anther project had shut down only two - three months earlier, putting a large group of people with similar skills into the job market ahead of our people. It is especially painful when it is a result of misdirection, mismanagement, poor planning and government bureaucracy that is at the root of the problem.

Several of my deacon brothers have gone on to their eternal reward in the past several weeks.  Please pray with me that our Lord greets them with, "Welcome, good and faithful servant."  They were all good and holy men.  They will be missed.  Pray also for their families in their time of sorrow.

St. Maximillian Kolbe pray for us! 

REST IN PEACE, CRISTINA MARIE

It has been a rather sad week.  Tuesday morning, as I was the on-call chaplain for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, I got a call just as I arrived at work, asking if I could accompany one of the sheriff's on a death notification call.  The sister of another deputy had been "found unconscious and unresponsive in her car" (this later turned out to be not quite an accurate statement of events) and taken to the hospital where she had died.  Meeting up with the sheriff's lieutenant, we went to the parents' house. The police officer son had only just gotten off the night shift and hadn't been contacted. Of course, the parents initially thought it had something to do with their son, but their concern quickly turned into horrible grief as the reality behind our visit began to sink in.  We tried to console, as best we could, the mother and father.  A younger brother was present, as well, who tried to be strong and in control.  This was, without a doubt, the worst thing I've had to do in my life! 

We had been with the family for about an hour when the older brother showed up.  It was at that point that I finally put two and two together (deputy's name, and the district in which he worked) and realized that I knew him, he was one of H2's best friends.  This only made the tragedy of the whole situation hit that much closer to home!

If you are reading this, please pray for the repose of the soul of the young lady, and for her family.  And may God have mercy on the "friends" whose actions contributed to her untimely death!

Anniversary Trip - Segunda Parte

So, Sunday we leave San Antonio and head to Del Rio, home of H2FGFNW's sister and parents.  We had originally planned to stay at the same La Quinta we stayed at for the wedding last July and dropping in on the In-Laws (ILs).  I dropped them an email letting them know our plans and suggested that it would be great to see them while we were there.  They, however, insisted that we stay with them, which we did.  They are truly the nicest people!!  When we got there, the mom-in-law (M-I-L) (and don't you DARE even TRY to go there!!!) had the makings of a wonderful dinner of chicken enchiladas already on the stove.

Monday morning we were treated to a delicious breakfast of tacos con huevos y cherizo (cherizo sausage and egg tacos).  Linda and M-I-L went to Acuña to do some shopping while I stayed home to study for class the following Saturday.  When they returned, Linda mentioned that many of the shops we had visited are now closed because the tourist activity has decreased dramatically.  Still, she managed to have a good time and even bought herself some new boots!!

For dinner that night we had a delicious roast that father-in-law (F-I-L) had marinated in pineapple juice and M-I-L had cooked, along with red and green HOME MADE salsas (both caliente y más caliente! (hot and hotter)), and chicken empanadas.  Delicious!!!

Tuesday, our anniversary, we started our day with an "American" breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast.  Keep in mind that M-I-L has been doing all the cooking!!  She is a fabulous cook!!  After breakfast BV took us to the Whitehead Memorial Museum.  It was small, but very interesting with a lot of static displays and exhibits such as an old railroad station, fire engines, an indian cave, different types of barbed wire (literally hundreds!), and the resting place of the "Hangin' Judge" Roy Bean!!!  It was a lot of fun! Thank you, BV, for taking the time to act as our tour guide!!

For lunch we met M-I-L for BBQ at the Hot Pit restaurant in downtown Del Rio. It was quite tasty.  Next was a malted milkshake dessert at the Emporium.  This is a quaint little shop that caters to the wimsical and crafty, as well as having a really nice old timey soda fountain area.  Their milkshakes are delicious!!  BV, Linda and I went straight there, while M-I-L ran an "errand".  When she returned she presented us with a beautiful arrangement of lilies.  They made the trip home and are still in full bloom!

From the Emporium we went to the Val Verde Winery.  It's a local business that has been owned by the same family for over 100 years, and has a citation from the state to prove it!  A young lady there gave us a very pleasant tour which we followed up with some wine tasting.  We ended up purchasing a case of various wines they produce, along with a set of stemless wine glasses.

A visit to Del Rio wouldn't be complete without stopping to say "Hello" to Fr. H. Clay Hunt, III, who said the Mass for H2/H2FGFNW's wedding.  It was both great, and surprising, to see him!  Last year he mentioned that he had a Harley-Davidson.  This year we got to see it, along with his new "look".  Check it out!!

and, from last year for comparison,

After our visit with Fr. Clay we returned home to collect everyone and headed off to the Cripple Creek Steakhouse restaurant for our anniversary dinner.  It was a bit late and F-I-L wasn't able to join us, but M-I-L, BV, and her long-time friend and classmate (LTF) joined us.  It was a great ending to a very nice vacation.  That is, until the wait staff showed up with the sombreros and boa to sing to us!! Thanks, BV!!!

Wednesday dawned bright and too early.  As we prepared to leave M-I-L fixed us our last awesome breakfast of the trip...  omelets!!  Then it was hugs all around, load up the truck (thanks, again H2!!) and head home!

Sadly I had awaken with an awful pain in my lower jaw, so after driving to just past San Antonio I turned over the driving duties to Linda.  Then, to make matters worse, as we drew near Houston the skies opened up and she had to drive through a torrential downpour, during rush hour, through Houston and on toward Beaumont.  But once the rain quit the skies cleared and it was an uneventful ride the rest of the way.

All in all, a great 4th of July, an AWESOME 42nd anniversary, and I cannot say enough how blessed I am to have such a wonderful, loving, caring, giving wife and family. And we are truly blessed to have wonderful children-in-laws and that we get along so well with their parents!!

That's it... I'm dry!!

Anniversary Trip - Part I

So Friday morning, July 1st (Happy Anniversary to Kenny and Gisselle, you're the favorites), Linda and I left for San Antonio to meet up with my sister, her boyfriend, her son and his wife, and our niece and her husband and kids.  It was a nice, uneventful trip made especially nice because H2 lent us his (drool!!) Ford F-150 Super Crew (thanks!! You're the favorite) for the trip!!!


We, of course, waived in the general direction of H1/DIL1's home as we drove through Houston.  DLG/MD and family were there for the holiday.  H1 had repaired my tablet computer (he's the favorite) and DLG was bringing it home with them when they returned (she's the favorite) saving us from having to stop on this trip.  Not that we wouldn't have enjoyed seeing everyone, but San Antonio is a 9 hour drive from NOLA!!!  Even in H2's truck it's still a long haul!
We arrived in time to check in to our hotel and go to dinner with the entire group.  We had a really excellent Mexican dinner. The food was great, atmosphere nice, and company awesome!

Saturday we went to breakfast at The Guenther House restaurant.  It is in a beautiful old house that was home to a flour mill magnate.  We actually dined outside, under a canopy.  Once again, the food was excellent (you'll probably notice a "food theme" throughout) and the setting picturesque.

After breakfast we returned to the hotel, then walked to a couple of blocks over to the famous San Antonio Riverwalk.  Wow!!  Makes our Riverwalk mall here in New Orleans pale in comparison!  We pretty much strolled along the river looking at vendors and into restaurants and admiring the architecture (San Antonio has done a great job of maintaining some beautiful old buildings in the downtown area).

The "U" shaped part of the river is apparently man-made.  It makes for a nice, leisurely walk along the riverside with plenty of places to stop and rest or pop into an establishment for something to eat or drink.

After everyone had returned to the hotel, dinner was ordered from a nearby "family" restaurant that had been recommended by the front desk.  It was not their best day, apparently, as the pizzas we had ordered took more than twice the "45 minutes" to arrive, although the place was only a 5-minute walk from the hotel!  While waiting on the pizza a few of the group ran out for some Mexican takeout to add to the pizzas. We all sat in the hotel lounge area and had dinner.

After dinner it was back to the Riverwalk.  This time we took the river cruise.  It was fun, and informative, and while not exactly cool, at least it wasn't HOT!!!   While on the cruise we noticed some lighted carriages on the streets above, so we decided to take a carriage ride, too.  That turned out to be quite an adventure!!

Our carriage ride started off well.  We jumped a big line because we were willing to share a carriage.  Everything was going well, and we were enjoying the ride until the driver, a very nice older woman, decided to give us our money's worth and took a longer route.  We had just commented on the other carriages that had turned at the last corner, and she started to explain why she hadn't gone the same way when all of a sudden the horse, John (really Big J, that was his name), a 7-year old Percheron, reared up on his hind legs, then started trying to back up.  The driver tried to get him going again, but that only agitated him more.  He continued to back up and pull against his harness until the front wheels of the carriage were locked into a tight circle.  We went around in a circle three times until finally Linda and our nephew, Tim, were able to get out of the carriage and get hold of John's bridle (that's why Tim's the favorite).

 That seemed to calm him down, but by that time he was completely out of the carriage rails and had broken his harness.  The rest of the evening was spent waiting for another carriage to come and take us back to the drop off point.  The carriages are pretty, all lit up, and all pulled by small draft horses.  No one was hurt, and we ended up not having to pay for the ride, so it all worked out.

Sunday morning we got up and joined everyone for breakfast, this time at the Magnolia Pancake Haus.  This restaurant was crowded, and it was in one of the many small malls that are so common now.  But the food was excellent, we didn't have a terribly long wait, and the company, as before was awesome!!!

After breakfast we said our goodbyes to everyone, returned to the hotel, loaded up, checked out and headed for Del Rio.  That will be another post!!

CATCHIN' UP

Well, Father's Day came and went.  The weekend was great!  It started Friday with lunch at the Westbank NOFS with H2 (Happy Birthday to you!!) and Ian, followed by a viewing of Green Lantern.  Lunch was awesome, the movie not so much.  If you haven't seen it, wait for the DVD.  It's not that it was bad, it just wasn't as good as some of the other comic-book venue films have been.


Saturday was dinner with KenEllie at China Doll, followed by Bridesmaids.  If you haven't seen Bridesmaids yet, do so at your first opportunity. It was hilarious!!  Not for kids, though!

On Sunday we went to Mass with DLG and the kids.  Then off to Centro Americano restaurant for lunch. Good food, great company!!

The weekend ended with me going to Gulfport, MS on the Valk.  I spent Sunday night in the Navy Lodge at the Seabee Center, then attended the Experienced Rider Course on Monday.  After completing (successfully, I might add) the motorcycle safety course I returned to NOLA on Monday afternoon.


Last weekend I finally got my act together and hooked up Linda's flatscreen TV in the front room by the treadmill.  After she tried it out the first time I asked her what she watched.  She replied, "Cake Boss".  Is that like the rabbit used to encourage the greyhounds at the racetrack? 

This Friday Linda and I are heading to San Antonio and Del Rio and Acuña for the 4th of July weekend.  We're going to spend a couple of days in SA with family, down from New York and Dallas. We've never been to the San Antonio Riverwalk, or to the Alamo.  It should be a blast! A possible added bonus would be Texas de Brazil (perhaps my favorite restaurant of all time!!) for our anniversary dinner together. Then it's on to Del Rio and from there we hope to spend at least one day in Acuña for some shopping and sightseeing.  And maybe a couple of cervezas, too!!

Happy 4th of July to all!!!

XOOM, XOOM, XOOM

This is my first blog post using the Xoom tablet.  Ooh!! Ooh!! Big J, I'm lovin' it. I just wish I could have gotten 3G wtih Sprint. iPad uses AT&T, and Xoom uses Verizon.  I don't know why no one uses Sprint!

Watching the weather is not encouraging (except where riding is concerned).  It just one hot day after another!!  Mid-90s day after day.  Little or no rain most days makes a ride in to work absolutely beautiful and the ride home hot, hot, HOT!!

Looking forward to Father's Day.  Looks like a family gathering at Centro Americana Restaurant is in the offing.  All I can say is, "AWESOME"!!

And, oh, when did we move to the wild, wild West?  It seems that the folks in River Ridge are having a coyote problem... the 4-legged kind!  Packs of the critters are attacking and killing cats in the community.  I imagine they've been driven out of the wild by the flooding of the Atchafalya basin. Thank heavens the Army Corps is beginning to close the spillways.

Tomorrow being hump day, I guess I'd better call it a day and get some beauty sleep so I can attack the rest of the week with some gusto.

Wishing everyone a good evening, and a great day tomorrow.

WHY DON'T I EVER LEARN?

You'd think after watching (and waiting... waiting... waiting) season after season of Sopranos, then True Blood, and now Game of Thrones that I would learn.  I get hooked, I can't wait for the next episode, then all too soon the season ends!  Watching as GoT heated up last night, then a preview of the season FINALE!!!  Argh!!

Did I mention my second career as a student?  I've managed to stretch what should be a 4 year (max) program into 10+ years trying to get my Masters.  Theoretically the course I'm currently enrolled in (Faith and Science) is the last one I need to fulfill the course requirements.  I still need to take the comprehensive exams in the 4 areas, so it looks like next May should (it had better!!) wrap it up!

Summer came early to NOLA this year with record temperatures in April and May, almost no rain to speak of until last week.  We've finally settled into the summer routine of scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms that are so common this time of year.  Still, we're looking at highs in the upper 90s for the next several days.

Driving by the Lakefront everyday going to work is a treat.  It is always a beautiful drive, but with the lake being a few feet higher than normal because of the spillway being opened it is even more striking.

It's hard to believe that almost 6 years have passed since Katrina.  So much has happened and yet so much remains to be done.  We still have hundreds of abandoned or partially restored homes in the city.  Businesses and services are still in the process of returning to many areas.  It's a long, sometimes painful process, one that so many more communities are facing because of the flooding of the Mississippi river and some of its tributaries.

Finally, if you are an X-Men fan and haven't seen X-Men: First Class, you're missing what may be the best movie out of all the X-Men movies.  If you do go see it, watch for some interesting cameos!!

Take care and God bless!!!

SOMETHING TO READ IF YOU WERE LEFT BEHIND

I can hardly believe that May is almost over and the official start of hurricane season is just around the corner!!  Where does the time go?!?!

May is a busy month this year.  Mothers' Day, DLG's birthday, Molly-moo graduated from Pre-K and Ian graduates (TOMORROW) from high school!!!   DLG's birthday found Linda and I with the granddaughters for the weekend.  We certainly enjoyed having them over!!  Linda was able to attend Molly's ceremony and thoroughly enjoyed that, as well.  Tomorrow evening will bring the whole family together (yay!!) for the next few days.  We're really looking forward to everyone being in town.

May also signaled the start of my summer class "Faith and Science".  This should be the last formal class I need for my degree.  Next will be the 4 comprehensive exams and, hopefully, graduation next May.  Hopefully this will bring to an end what turned into a career move, having taken almost 10 years to finish, with breaks for Katrina, the cancellation of the program at Notre Dame seminary, the start of a new program at Our Lady of Holy Cross College, and the program moving from OLHCC back to NDS.  It's been a long haul, but worth it for what I've learned about my chosen faith, the people I've met and the experiences we've shared along the way.

Please continue to pray for the families recently devastated by the tornado in Joplin, MO, and for all the families suffering from the flooding Mississippi and its tributaries.  And don't forget Japan and Haiti and the souls of the faithful departed,  too!!

God's blessings to all!!!

I GOT MY HAPPY FACE ON!!

OK... I ask you, how can I NOT smile every day when I come to work when this

is looking at me on my computer screen?!?!  She had just come from the beauty parlor and was on her way to getting pictures taken.  How sweet and innocent looking!! Not a BIT of Irish temper in this one!!  Hah!! Dream on!!

The GRANDson is graduating!! He actually has only a couple more days of school, then he's done, except for the actual graduation.  That should be worth at least a dozen more gray hairs. Talk about feeling my age.

Last Saturday H2, H2FGFNW, Ian and I went to see Fast Five, the lastest in the Fast and Furious movie series.  It was pretty much as expected... hot cars, action, and The Rock!!  It was all TOTALLY believable, except for the part where Vin Diesel beat up on The Rock in what was basically a bar brawl. Yeah, right!  Do you want some Vin-o to go with what The Rock is cookin'?  Admittedly Vin is pretty big, muscular dude, but next to Dwayne Johnson he looked small and a little soft. Just saying.

If you're a SciFi/Fantasy type and haven't yet checked out Game of Thrones on HBO, what are you waiting for?  It's already up to episode 3 and is heating up quickly.  Check it out.

Treme.  (Whistling the theme song to myself and tapping my foot) I really enjoyed the first season.  The start to the second season seems to me to be a bit disjointed.  Maybe the creators are trying to bring all the new viewers up to speed right away but it was just too much of too little as they bounced from character to character and sub-plot to sub-plot.  At least that's how I felt.  Hopefully it will settle down.  Still, the music is pretty darned awesome! 

Have you heard about Osama bin Laden?  He's dead... nuff said!

Still struggling with the weight loss thing.  It doesn't help when you go out Friday night with H2/H2FGFNW for Reginelli's (Italian), and then Saturday go out with KenEllie to D'Itali's (Italian).  But it was sure dee-LISH!!  And the company in both cases was AWESOME!!

Apparently analysts are saying that the GNO (Greater New Orleans) area is becoming something of a booming job market.  Good to hear, I hope it's true.  We could sure use an upturn in the economy here.

So I hear that the Army Corps of Engineers blew up a levee, virtually destroying an entire town, in order to save a city further down river.  So a LOT of flooding in one place is better than a little flooding in a lot of places?  Interesting concept.  Tell that to the townsfolk that lost everything.  Makes perfect sense, right?  Build a levee to protect, blow it up to protect, then rebuild it.  $$ + $$ + $$.  And add to the cost of all that construction/destruction/reconstruction the cost of "making it right" (ACOofE's words) for the townspeople.

And OH, by the way, if you ain't here, in New Orleans, then we miss you!!  Come see us. SOON!

I OBJECT, YOUR HONOR!! (OVERRULED!!)

It's finally here, the last day of jury duty!!  It has made for a long month.  The ritual of arriving, checking in, sitting in the jurors' lounge for hours on end waiting to be called, the anticipation/trepidation as names are called (will I be called?  why are they calling a jury at 2PM?), going up stairs to stand in line outside the courtroom, then being herded (yes, like cattle) into the courtroom only to sit for another hour as the judge and various lawyers and defendents go through the motions of "clearing the docket" until it's actually time to sit a jury, all combine to make for a very long and very stressful day.

Easter was pretty awesome!  As I have almost every year, I sang the Exultet at the Easter Vigil. Nobody complained, and noone jumped up and ran out of the church holding their hands over their ears, so I guess that was a good sign.  The only glitch was when I stumbled at the foot of the sanctuary while holding a cup of the Precious Blood.  Struggling to not spill any, I went down pretty hard.  I'm sure the building shook, and the walls swayed as I landed... but I didn't spill a drop!!! 

Easter Sunday we had a very nice dinner with family gathered either in person, or via the internet!  H1/DIL1 were linked in via computer, although no sound made for a very interesting meal time.  The grandkids LOVED it!  Dinner was good and we had, in addition to family, Bob and Joan, friends from when I was stationed on the USS Moosbrugger who are now retired and travelling the States in a camper, and Matt, a coworker of H2, with NOPD.  We did miss H2FGFNW (former girlfriend, now wife) who had to work. But we made her a full plate which she had as soon as she got off.  Everything was delish (thanks, Major Dad, for the awesomely awesome deviled eggs!!) and I think everyone had more than enough to eat. 

It's after 10AM, so they should start calling for juries soon.  A very Happy Easter Season to you all!!  Christ is Risen!!

A LITTLE MORE OF THIS, AND THAT

Jury duty is just that, a duty!!  Boring, boring, boring!!  It wouldn't be so bad if I were picked each day to at least go to the jury pool and watch the lawyers do their stuff... but waiting in the jury lounge is almost painful... ok, it IS painful.  Thankfully, only two more days, and I rearranged my schedule so next Wednesday and Thursday are jury days.  Then I should be safe for at least two or three years!

Yesterday H2, MD and I took a L-O-N-G bike ride.  It was the annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, held by the Pat Taylor Foundation at the Circle Bar Ranch in Mississippi.  The GPS said it was a three hour trip, but add to that a couple of gas stops, one of the cops' motorcycle battery died on the way, and it took a wee bit longer than expected.  Once we got there, most everything had pretty muched wrapped up. We had missed all the good food, so we were all pretty hungry.  After having a quick soda and looking around a bit, we headed to Nells Grill, a place I found via the GPS that was only 4 miles from the ranch.  Oh, and did I mentioned that the sky had darkened considerably about the time we arrived, and most of the other riders had hightailed it out of there?  So naturally, our luck being what it is, we were .8 miles from the restaurant when the rain hit.  We were soaked by the time we arrived. 

Nells (that's the way it is spelled, no apostrophe) Grill turned out to be a tiny little place way out in the boonies, but it was clean, the people (looked like a grandmother, mom and daughter where working) were friendly and, I don't know if it was just because we were so hungry, the food was delicious!  Big ol' greasy burgers, with the buns warmed on the skillet, fried dill pickles, french fries, corn poppers (little fritters), it was all good!  We sat and talked and ate while the storm passed, then headed for home, taking it slow on the wet roads and gradually speeding up as they dried out.

With the long trip up, the rain delay, and then the ride back, I barely made it to church for the 7pm Mass for Holy Thursday.  I was still in my bike boots and jeans when I vested for the service.  It was all good, though, and everything went smoothly.  A long day, after all, but in a very satisfying way.

Today I wore the same shirt I had on on April 1st, and took the same route I had taken then.  I have to admit to some butterflies in my stomach as I approached the overpass where I went down on the Shadow.  The Valk was as sure-footed as ever, and got me to work with no problem!!

Next up... EASTER!!!  Yeah, Baby!  That's what it's all about!! Wishing you all the happiest and holiest Easter as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord!!

A LITTLE OF THIS, A LITTLE OF THAT

April is trucking along quickly, although it didn’t get off to the greatest start I could have hoped for.  On April 1^st I managed to “total” my Honda Shadow (VT1100), only recently purchased from Major Dad, while on the way to work.  Although I wasn’t wearing gloves, I did have a jacket on or the damage to my arms would have been much worse than it is.  My knuckles and elbows on both hands and arms took a pretty good beating.  The bruise on my backside is HUGE (but, then, so is said backside!)!! 

April is also my month for jury duty at Orleans Parish Criminal Court.  This involves going twice a week (either Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday) to sit in a jury pool, waiting to be called up to one of 12 courts as a prospective juror  for a trial.  So far I have not been chosen, although I was called to a courtroom once.

Next Thursday (Holy Thursday) is looking to be a busy day.  If my Honda Valkyrie (GL1500) gets out of the shop in time I plan to go with H2 on a ride to Mississippi with a group of his police officer friends.  It’ll be a good ride and a good time to get “back in the saddle” after the accident.

The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (Jazz Fest) is right around the corner.  It got me to thinking that the last time I went to Jazz Fest DLG was pregnant with the grandson who is graduating from high school next month!!! Wow!! Guess I’m a huge fan of Jazz Fest, huh?..   NOT!!

This morning as Linda and I headed off to work I noticed that the temperature was 76 degrees.  This at 7AM!!  And it’s only mid-April!!  What does the summer hold in store for us?!?!

One last comment…  Stephen Colbert’s American Dream (a Ben and Jerry’s ice cream) is the BOMB!!!  Delicious!!!  Try it, you’ll like it!

MIGRAINES SUCK!!!

Migraines Suck!!!

'NUFF SAID!!!

THEY SAY IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY!!

Kenny ,

I'm glad it's your birthday. Happy Birthday to you!!!

IT'S OVER!!!

Mardi Gras 2011 is winding down! It’s been a good one for our family this year. My brother came down from Ohio to spend the week and enjoy the craziness that is Carnival in NOLA. I think he’s had a good visit, with lots of parades, good weather, and a trip to the French Quarter today. Since we were having company, Linda and I took off both Friday and Monday, and of course we were off for Fat Tuesday. It’s going to be very hard dragging ourselves to work tomorrow!

This past Friday we went to our granddaughter’s school for the Krewe of Pre-K parade. It was really cute! Each student decorated a wagon, then their 8th grade “sponsor” pulled them around the school in a parade. Molly-moo was cute, the “floats” were pretty neat, and it was really a lot of fun.

H2 had to work every day that there was a parade, most of the time Uptown on St. Charles Avenue. He got a break on Saturday when Endymion had to reschedule their parade due to rain, but then on “Bacchus” Sunday he had to work extra hard, as Endymion followed Bacchus on the Uptown route.

We also had both granddaughters sleep over for three days so that DLG could go to Houston for a book signing. The girls were fun, and I think they had a good time while at our home. Our grandson spent some time with us Sunday at Bacchus, then he met up with Major Dad and helped with the post-parade cleanup until the wee hours of the morning.

Shout out to Ed, who rode in Thoth. He hit me with a huge bag of 72” beads!! It was great!

Next comes Ash Wednesday and 40 days of Lent. A time for inner reflection, resolutions, and spiritual growth. I’m struggling with what I want to accomplish (or at least attempt) this year. Rather than just giving something up, I prefer to look for things that are more positive, that contribute in some way to my spirituality, or at least make a positive change in my life.

Wishing everyone a very productive Lenten season as we look forward to Easter. May God’s blessings be on you all, my family and friends.

JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT IT HAD BREATHED IT'S LAST...

OMG!! There's still a little life in Lot(L)!!

February turned out to be quite a month…

Linda and I flew to Denver, CO, for the 50^th wedding anniversary celebration of our very dear friends, “Uncle” Mick and “Aunt” Bev. The flights to and from were non-stop, relatively short, uneventful, and essentially painless if you don’t consider the 7 AM departure from New Orleans, and the 11:30PM arrival back in NOLA.  We could not have asked for more beautiful weather.  Denver had been experiencing sub-zero temperatures the week before, but it climbed to sunny mid and upper-50’s while we were there.

At the reception following Saturday evening Mass (that was an experience in itself), Linda and I sat with several Colorado natives.  One of the ladies mentioned that she had been a member of the original Denver Broncos’ cheerleaders.  I’d guess she was referring to the Pony Express cheerleaders.

During the reception Mick and Bev’s family announced that they were bringing some of New Orleans to the evening.  They led us all in a 2^nd line, followed by the Electric Slide. One of the ladies at our table leaned over to me and asked if we really did those dances in New Orleans.  I replied, “Absolutely!  At every dance, reception, or other opportunity that presents itself!!”

A week later H1/DIL1 came to town.  It was a great (BUT SHORT) weekend, with the family getting together on Saturday for home made pizza (we made 12).  Sunday we got together again, this time for home made lasagna, before H1/DIL1 hit the road back to Houston.  Good times!!

Not only have I been remiss in my posting frequency, but I’ve exacerbated the situation by neglecting to congratulate my grandson on earning a FULL scholarship to Xavier University of New Orleans to their Chemistry/Pre-Pharmacy program.  So, WAY TO GO, IAN!!!  Can I have a “Whoot, Whoot”!?!?

BB had a birthday this month.  Happy Birthday, BB!!

She is growing SO fast.  Linda and I gave her a starter Pandora bracelet which I think she was very pleased with.

Now we’re looking forward to my brother coming in for the rest of Carnival season.  He’s a veteran parade goer, and even rode in a Mardi Gras parade (Krewe of Morpheus) one year.  If the weather holds, it should be a spectacular visit, and loads of fun!!

Oh, by the way, if you find yourself in need of “more cowbell”… believe it or not… there’s an app for that!!!

WHERE DOES THE TIME GO?

Started on December 17th:  "Every year I vow that I will start earlier next year.  And every year I don't.  That's right.  The tree, the lights, the ornaments... they're all still packed away from last. year.

I don't know why it's so hard to get the tree out and up every year.  As much as I really enjoy looking at other peoples decorations, and as much as I enjoy our tree once it's up, I'm really not a big fan of actually trimming the tree.  I can understand how some people decorate their tree and then leave it up in a corner year round!

Part of the issue is, I think, that we don't take our tree down until the Epiphany.  That's because all the days leading up to Christmas are actually part of Advent.  Christmas day begins the 12 days of Christmas, so rather than getting "12 Lords a Leaping" on Christmas day, as the commercial world would have you believe, one should actually get "A Partridge In a Pear Tree" on Christmas morning.

But, we forget what Christmas is really all about.  It's about the birth of Jesus, the Christ.  Emmanuel.  King of Kings, Lord of Lords. God's gift to mankind, the promise of redemption... our hope of salvation realized.  We forget what should be first and foemost in our minds and hearts in the days and weeks leading up to Christmas, that mystery of our Faith... Christ has died, Christ is Risen, Christ will come again.  And so, while we prepare for the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior, we also prepare for His return, as "with the clouds of heaven there came one like a Son of Man".

The days and weeks leading up to Christmas..." and that's where I stopped.  Before Christmas.  And hadn't returned until today.  So, procrastination reigns supreme in 2011, apparently!!

AAAAAaaaaaa-anyway, we did leave the tree up until January 6th.  Actually, we left it up even longer, but didn't light the lights any longer.

Christmas was nice, not too overdone.  Gifts were more restrained this year as, like the rest of the world, we're finding our budget strained by today's economic situation.  But that didn't impare our ability to laugh, to love, and to linger over an excellent Christmas dinner with family, held at Major Dad/DLG's house.  In the spirit of the season, I think the traditional dinner table conversation managed to stay out of "the gutter" for most of the day!  Whoda thunk it???

2010 was not without its ups and downs, but mostly ups.  Perhaps most notable was H2's wedding to H2GF (now DIL3).  This brought together family and friends from all over to Del Rio, TX for the rehearsal and wedding, and on into Ciudad Acuña, Mexico for the reception (as well as some pre-wedding activities). It was definitely a great time. 

Also in 2010 I became a volunteer chaplain with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office.  This involves going on "ride-alongs" with deputies during their shifts.  I've only been on a couple of ride-alongs so far, but the professionalism of the deputies I've ridden with is pretty impressive!

2011 has started with a fizzle, as the Saints' road to a "Two Dat" came to a screeching halt at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks.  Time to focus on next year and not dwell on the past.  Seems like we did a lot of that this season, dwelling on the successes of the previous year, when it was pretty obvious that it was a different team that was squeaking by its opponents this season.

On the flip side, LSU did win the Cotton Bowl (GEAUX TIGERS!!!)!  And Auburn, taking the national title, put the SEC on top once again!

Here's hoping for a wonderful 2011!!  Linda and I are heading to Houston this weekend to visit H1/DIL1, and we're taking DIL3 with us.  We're looking forward to a nice visit.  Hopefully the weather holds for us.  The cold isn't so bad, as long as the sun is shining!!

Carnival season is extra long this year, with Easter being in April.  Hopefully some family members will be able to come for some of the fun!  It's always a great time of year for parties, beer (or wine, or daquiris, or...), crawfish, beer (or wine, or daquiris, or...), parades, and did I say beer (or wine, or daquiris, or...)?

Have a wonderful New Year, and may God's blessings be yours in abundance!!!