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.