The Battle I Love

Post #125

2009-11-01T19:17:00.001-08:00

This is my 125th post on "The Battle I Love" and it will be my last. This blog has served me well for several years but now it is time to make a change and move in a different direction. I have enjoyed sharing my life with you and I hope you all enjoyed the ride.

Now we sing farewell

The Pirate Song
(Namesake of this blog)

To the mast nail our flag it is dark as the grave,
Or the death which it bears while it sweeps o'er the wave;
Let our deck clear for action, our guns be prepared;
Be the boarding-axe sharpened, the scimetar bared:
Set the canisters ready, and then bring to me,
For the last of my duties, the powder-room key.

It shall never be lowered, the black flag we bear;
If the sea be denied us, we sweep through the air.
Unshared have we left our last victory's prey;
It is mine to divide it, and yours to obey:
There are shawls that might suit a sultana's white neck,
And pearls that are fair as the arms they will deck.

There are flasks which, unseal them, the air will disclose
Diametta's fair summers, the home of the rose.
I claim not a portion: I ask but as mine
'Tis to drink to our victory - one cup of red wine.
Some fight, 'tis for riches - some fight, 'tis for fame:
The first I despise, and the last is a name.

I fight, 'tis for vengeance! I love to see flow,
At the stroke of my sabre, the life of my foe.
I strike for the memory of long-vanished years;
I only shed blood where another shed tears,
I come, as the lightning comes red from above,
O'er the race that I loathe, to the battle I love.

Fight on Friends!

Lily and Clark (a Lewis and Clark style adventure) featuring Sadiejawea

2009-10-26T07:57:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a weekend. I ran the gamut of emotions, from relaxation, to frustration, to excitement, to anger, to relief and joy. Most of that was all thanks to my beloved football teams.

Alabama escaped a close one thanks to 2 blocked field goals, one occurring as time ran out. Bama defeats Tennessee 12-10. As we used to say at Northwestern state, ant win is a (Sam) Goodwin.

The New Orleans Saints are FOR REAL! But Sunday looked to be a remnant of the "aints" glory days of the past. in the second quarter the Saints trailed the Dolphins 24-3. But they never quit, for its "The Battle They Love"(a shameless plug for the old blog). The Saints fought back and overtook the Dolphins 46-34 in one of the greatest comebacks in team history, and who knew that Drew Brees could dunk? I do believe this is the year. I get the feeling we will be playing one more game in Miami this year (for those who don't keep up with the NFL, the Super Bowl is in Miami this year).

As nice as those two victories were, the highlight of the weekend came far far away from any football field or television set. The highlight of the weekend took place way out in the woods on the Louisiana/Mississippi border.

The 1st exploratory expedition of Sadie and Lily into the woods of the American south took place on Saturday morning. The expedition began as we load the Jeep, which has been nicknamed "the Sack", which fits perfectly in this story. Kelley suggested I call the jeep Betsy Ross as it is a Jeep Liberty Sport and Betsy represents liberty to many (particularly women). However, I thought the name was a little lengthy and thought calling the jeep Sacajawea would be more appropriate as she travelled with Lewis and Clark's expedition across the American west after the Louisiana purchase in the early 1800's. But, Sacajawea is lengthy as well, thus the name "The Sack" was born. It's also nice because I get to say things like, "hey baby, wanna take a ride in the Sack?" Pimp, I know.

So my fuzzy explorers and I head north from capital city to Clark Creek Natural Area which is located on the MS/LA border, about 55 miles north of the house. When I put it in the GPS a message popped up to alert me that the route would take me on unpaved roads and asked me if I wanted it to re plan a route the used only paved roads. Whats the point of 4 wheel drive if you ain't gonna use it. So away we went. We were on an unpaved road only for about 2.5 miles. But, the point is, we fear no road paved or otherwise.

This was Sadie and Lily's first time out on the trail so i was a bit concerned about how they would act. Would they run off never to be seen again? Would they cower by my feet? The result is exactly what I hoped for. The stayed near but often ran ahead or ran into the woods chasing critters and smelling all there is to smell(and there's a lot to smell). they chased each other. Often, the would run over the crest of a hill, disappear for a minute, then come running back over the hill full of excitement as if they hadn't seen me in a week.

We spent about 2 hours hiking. As it turns out, Lily is an off road machine, jumping on and off of boulders, leaping fallen trees, wading, or jumping into, deep parts of the creek. Meanwhile, Sadie was a bit more hesitant. Though very athletic and agile, she is a bit more cautious and deliberate when choosing a way around or over obstacles.

It was a beautiful morning. We arrived around 9am and it was in the low to mid sixties, clear skies and a nice breeze. The weather was perfect and the leaves had begun to change colors. Very beautiful.

Clark creek has 6-7 waterfalls. I was a little nervous when approaching the falls from above(i get that from my mom, stop holding my shirt) but from the bottom we went all the way under falls #5.

We were all alone on the trip in to the woods, didn't see a soul. Had the entire place to ourselves. That's one reason i want ed to go early, i figured most people would get out there closer to lunch time. On the way out of the woods we began to see people. 1st we scared a man and a lady, I don't think the lady liked dogs and the barking didn't help. Then we passed a Boy Scout troop(in think troop 348) from Slidell. All the boys wanted to pet Sadie, Lily would have none of it. Then we met Jake, a large, thick frame boxer and the two ladies he was with. I think Lily liked Jake, which is rare. Sadie was more interested in having the people pet her. We passed a couple more families before reaching "the sack". We loaded up and headed home, as it was getting close to kickoff time for the bama/Tn game. The mighty explorers had conquered Clark Creek, Lewis was nowhere to be found. The conquistadors of dogdom slept all the way home and for most of the rest of the day.

I am glad we went. These dogs are awesome. Even more so, it was nice to get outside and get some fresh air, to feel the dirt up under my feet. It was nice to not be bombarded by city noise and the feeling that there is always someone there. It was nice to be able to think uninterrupted and to go for intervals without thinking at all. It was nice to walk around with a clear head and the headache i had for 3 days before vanished(only to return Sunday night while doing lesson plans). It was great to watch the dogs run and play. I know they are dogs, but i get a joy out of watching them run, jump, romp, and chase things or each other. Very few things make me smile as much as Sadie's ears and jowls flopping when she runs.

It was quite an adventure for the wolf pack 3. I can't wait to do it again.

It's good to be the King!

2009-10-19T06:13:00.001-07:00

The Saints are 5-0 and just kicked the crap out of the Giants. Our defensive backs did NOT get beat by the long ball. we actually ran the ball and created turnovers. we opened holes and protected Brees.

Alabama ran the ball all over the old ball coach and is playing dominate defense. Ranked #2 in the BCS and # 1 in the AP. Sophomore Mark Ingram, 24 carries, 246 yards. Dominance.

LSU is in turmoil, the natives are restless. The masses are calling for Les Miles' head.

It's good to be me today.

I'm Prepared to Handle Lifes Bumpy Roads

2009-10-12T18:54:00.000-07:00

I bought a Jeep today. Sorry the picture quality isn't great but I took it with my phone(wouldn't Alexander Graham Bell be proud).

The Jeep is a 2008. Excellent condition. 4x4. And at a great price. Its hard to tell in this picture but it is a dark metallic blue. I am super excited. I know what you are thinking, "but Scott, what about your beloved Malibu"? She will be missed. But we must press ever onward. The Bu lived a long and reliable life. She will always have a soft spot in my heart. But her time has passed and I must now put her out to pasture to graze with others that have paid their dues.

I look forward to many miles and many adventures in the Jeep. I look forward to many trips to the dog park and levee in the Jeep. I look forward to cleaning Sadie's drool off the pristine windows for years to come.

At any rate, I bought a new car today. Hopefully it'll get me where I'm going. If only I knew where that was.

CleVelaNd RocKs

2009-10-10T18:10:00.000-07:00

I hope you are all enjoying your weekend. I am excited because one of my podnas came to town from Florida this weekend. We, along with the room-dog rolled down to New Orleans last night to see one of our friends whom is in a band based of Atlanta. The band is called "All the Saints". They play a pshycadellic metal sound like a cross between early Black Sabbath and Hendrix but with vocals that are hard to hear. The show was good and it was fun to hang out with the rockstar. The band has a show in Dallas tonight so we let them crash here at the house and use the facilites. If they get really big I'll be super cool for letting them stay here. Today, My Podna, room-dog, and I have been watching football non-stop. We have used many choice words and have threatened to dismantle the tv, but, Bama won the game so the tv lives to see another day.

Last weekend I took a trip to Cleveland. I have never been there and have always assumed that it was an ugly town. I was wrong. It was actually vert pretty. Hilly and the leaves were changing. Their was a nice coolness in the air, stayed in the 60's.

I never actually made it to Cleveland but spent my time on the outskirts of the city. I got to visit several of the small towns around Cleveland and have become a big fan of a small town calles Peninsula. Very quaint, on the shores of the Cuyahoga river. Very picturesque.

One thing I really liked is that there are a lot state parks around Cleveland. In fact, they call it the emerald necklace because the parks surround the city. I had the oppurtunity to spend some time in the parks and absolutuely loved it. Now, I'm not saying that I'm ready to move yet (after all, I've never been there in the winter)but the thought did cross my mind while I was there.

Here is a picture of Brandywine Falls, Southeast of Cleveland. it is a very pretty place. If you ever make it to Cleveland check it out.

I hope to visit more places in this great nation soon. Cleveland was a great place and there is so much I didn't get to see. I think I will make a rturn trip soon.

To make a long story short, Cleveland Rocks!!!!!!!

Teaching the Law?

2009-10-09T06:22:00.001-07:00

This year I am happy to be teaching American history. I absolutely love it. But, I also find myself teaching a constitutional law class. I like this class as well. The class focuses on court cases related mainly to the 1st amendment and towards cases affecting teens. The students are great and I am lucky to have 3 law students from one of the local universities who do most of the teaching.

The law students found us some local attorney's that were willing to come speak to the class. I like speakers. Well, I usually like speakers. The speakers we had yesterday and today have me confused.

The goal was to have the speakers talk about what they do and talk about how they help protect their clients rights(as we deal mainly with issues affecting peoples rights in our class). But, that's not exactly how the conversations have gone. For the last 2 days I have been listening to these local attorneys explain to the class how to beat the law, or have the best chance of beating the law, faced with a drinking and driving or drug possession charge.

Now, I will give them credit that they are talking about the rights of the accused but I'm not pleased with the the fact that we are teaching the kids how to beat the system. Of course, the kids are all interested, awake, and engaged.

Listening to these speakers makes me like attorneys a little less. It makes me feel like lawyers are less intersted in upholding the law and are more interested in defeating the law.

I'm aggravated by this, but at least I know how to beat the charges now.

Hit the road Jack-O-Lantern

2009-10-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

this is the pumpkin that i carved this past weekend. I'm no Leonardo or Donatello, but I think It'll do.

It's all histroy now

2009-09-10T05:11:00.000-07:00

And I'm teaching it! I really enjoyed teaching civics last year. I love the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, articles of confederation, how a bill becomes a law, Levels of government, responsibilities of citizen, supreme court cases. I love teaching all that stuff. But, I really love teaching American history. I think the part I really like are the stories. There are so many of them. Some are funny, some are sad. Some are just plain crazy. But it's these stories that,woven together, creates the fabric of America. I wish I was better at telling the stories. That will come in time as I get more familiar with the stories and their details. I had several history teachers over the years who were master story tellers. They were able to keep students engaged in the story by the way the told the tale. No one could spin a yarn like Dr. Caz at UNO. True, I couldn't always understand some of the words because of his very thick accent, but the stories were great.

I also like being able to show the students how we got here. Our history is not always a pretty one, but we try to learn from those mistakes in order to create a "more perfect union". Sometimes we succeed, sometimes we fail. But America, and Americans, keep moving forward beleiving in the hope of porsperity and progress. And I think that's why I like history. Because I can look at my own personal history and see the mistakes I have made and learn from them. I can overcome my own bad decisions, make progress and become prosperous. Everyday I tell stories about people who weren't afraid to try. Our founding fathers tried. They knew if they failed they would pay with their lives. I can learn from that. I will never know what I am capable of if I don't try.

Dress shoes continued

2009-09-01T09:28:00.000-07:00

I don't like the way the feel. I don't like the way they look. I hate dress socks. they are uncomfortable. The don't make dress socks for people with a size 13 shoe. Thus, all of the socks are too tight. and they are all too thin, then they have extra tight elastic around the top to keep them up. It's like a heroin band around your ankle all day(from what I hear). But, my current employer does not allow us to wear running shoes except on Fridays. So, I'm trapped. I bought a new pair of rockport slip-ons, which in general are pretty comforatble. But the opening is a little tight. So, when i slide my foot in the shoe it puls the sock even tighter. I've gotten into the habit of leaving the socks buhed up by my toes because i know they will be pulled when I slide the shoes on.

I guess this is just a rant because I miss the comfort of my running shoes. I do look more professional in dress shoes. I guess I will just suck it up and deal with it. I just don't like it

Shoes and socks

2009-08-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

I've decided that I don't like slip-on dress shoes. And I really hate dress socks.
I'll tell you more in an hour or two

Summer Recap and New School Update

2009-08-14T08:42:00.000-07:00

And so, my summer has drawn to a close. It was a good summer all in all, but just didn't seem quite long enough. I spent 7 weeks working at a summer camp working with about 20 thirteen year olds. It was fun most of the time, sucked occasionally, and did help the checking account, which was really the point of it all. I went for almost 2 months without knowing when or where I would be teaching this year. I parted ways with my previous employer without having anything lined up. That made the summer a bit stressful, but the income from the summer camp kept my spirits up.

I played in a beach volleyball league with some friends and we lost every game. We were the Detroit Lions of the league. In fact, I think I will suggest that as our new team name. We had fun at first, but the toll of not winning was heavy and the last couple weeks weren't the blast we were hoping to have. We have started a new season and have improved but We are already 0-1 in the new season. But, I think we will be competitive and put some wins on the board this year. If not, I suggest we aim for the most beer consumed award. We did beat another team in a practice game last week, unfortunately it was just for practice.

I did travel some. I started the summer with a trip to Orlando. My nieces were a blast, the small fry was hilarious. Big Red was a true sweet-heart, M-Mo was a bag of craziness and ready to do everything, and #3 was the boss(of paw paw at least). Tom & Jeri were a great team to travel with, I actually didn't do ALL the driving this time. And I really enjoyed hanging out with big brother, I even enjoyed hanging out with "quite contrary".

I took several road trips as well, including, but not limited to, trips to Memphis where I found some of the best damned bbq I've ever had, made some new friends, and discovered the joys of bingo, midtown, and the beauty of Lamar ave(the 11th most dangerous neighborhood in America).

I also spent some time in the Pacific Northwest a couple weeks ago. I always enjoy travelling to Seattle to escape the oppressive summer heat and humidity of South Louisiana. This year I left 90 degree New Orleans for the pleasantness of 103 degree Seattle. And did I mention that my peeps in the northwest don't have an AC in their house. It was quite warm, but i was very comfortable sleeping on the futon in the basement. With the windows open it probably got into the low 70's or upper 60's while I slept. I also set a record as I attended the hottest Seattle Mariners game ever(103 degrees), I can add that to attending the largest crowd for an NBA game when the bulls played the Atlanta Hawks during Jordan's final year.

We escaped from Seattle and headed north to the San Juan Islands in Puget Sound. Did some Sea Kayaking, whick was awesome, and some white water rafting in the Cascade Mountains. We ate alot of food on this trip. I ate way to much, and loved it.

I made a stop in Vegas on the way home. My eldest uncle just turned 60 and some family and friends surprised him in Vegas. I was glad to be there for his birthday dinner. I really do appreciate my Uncle because he is the closest link to my grandfather, who I never got to know. I know they are not the same, but he sort of puts a voice and face to the person that I wish I could have met. It was important to me to be thereto honor both he and his father, and I hope he knew that. It didn't take me long to realize that Vegas is not one of my places. It was nice to see it, but at no point did I really feel comfortable there. I would probably return if the right situation presented itself, but don't really have a desire to do so. But, I did come up with a good slogan for Vegas to use. Vegas; a naughty Disney World for rich folks.

And now summer is over. and it's back to work. I landed a job 2 days before leaving for Seattle, Which allowed me to enjoy the trip. I am teaching American History, World Geography(though that might go away), and a constitutional law class. I will miss my old coworkers but am excited about the challenges and possibilities at my new school. The school is only 12 minutes from the house so this should help lower the gas bill. It is a very urban school with a large at risk population. I've been with these kids for a week and already love them. And no, I am not worried about my safety. I haven't had any problems with the kids but I can see that some subjects that we will cover they will find extremely pointless and boring. it will be a challenge to keep them engaged all year. But I can also see that there are gonna be a lot of fun moments and a lot of breakthrough moments. I am sure I will have stories to tell. Finally, I love the way I have been treated by the administration. I know that they are committed to building a better school and I am excited that I have chosen to be on their team. The only motive I can see that this administration has is to make this school a pillar in this community and help these students achieve success in life. I certainly do appreciate that.

That should bring you about up to speed. I know I left things out, such as the adventures of mountain mike, but my little fingers are tired and I have to go teach now.

Chips Ahoy, Matey!

2009-07-22T20:20:00.000-07:00

I think I would like to build my own wooden canoe. However, I have zero experience with such things. I know nothing about boats, woodworking, or the tools of the trade. Yet, I have been feeling the desire to build my own canoe for sometime now. There are plans for such things on the internet. It seems that if I just go step by step I should be able to do it. But, it doesn't look as easy as putting together a bookshelf out of a box from Wal-Mart. So, the question then becomes, "to build, or not to build". The other question on my mind is what would I name my pirate ship, I mean canoe? Perhaps the "Bayou Barnacle" or "Scotts Yacht" or "The Chicken of the Sea". Names are very important for this type of thing. What would Speed Racer be without he Mach 5, or Hans Solo without the "millennium Falcon", or Scooby Doo without the "Mystery Machine". As you can see I have a lot of serious questions to ponder. Any suggestions on both questions would be appreciated, that's what the comment section below is there for.

Am I UnAmerican?

2009-07-14T20:35:00.000-07:00

I've been sitting back relaxing tonight, enjoying the MLB All-Star Game. Which makes me feel like a good American taking part in the national past time. You see, I really love baseball. I don't watch it much, but I love it. I love the game, the personalities, the ball parks, the smell of a glove, the history of the game. But I've gotten away from the sport in the last 10 years. Maybe it was the strike a few years back. Maybe it was the steroid controversies. Maybe it was not having a local team. What ever it was, I drifted away. A couple weeks ago I went to a New Orleans Zephyrs AAA game. I loved it. I had a seat about 5 rows behind the visiting dug out with a buddy of mine, enjoying a summer evening, making small talk with with the nice people around me. It was a good night, and a good game. the Z's won in the bottom of the 9th. Since then I've been watching the grand old game a little more on the television.

But there is one thing that bothers me, and I feel a little guilty admitting it, but I don't like it when they sing "God Bless America" during the 7th inning stretch. I loves me some God and I hope he blesses America. But there is nothing as American as several thousand people from all walks of life coming together to sing a song about baseball. Baseball is part of our shared American heritage. "Take me out to the Ball Game" is part of that heritage and is part of baseball tradition. Tradition is why we love baseball. What would the Yankees be with out pinstripes? What would Fenway be with out The Green Monster? What would the cubs be without another losing season? You see, those things are tradition, just as Harry Carray Always sang "take me out to the Ball Game" during the seventh inning stretch. I, for one, love it when the camera pans around the crowd and shows people who don't know each other with arms around each other swaying side to side and singing "ONE! TWO! THREE STRIKES YOUR OUT!" to me, that's proof that God has blessed America, and it's not found in a church or cathedral, but at the "Old, Ball, Game"!

Here we go again

2009-07-14T07:32:00.001-07:00

It's time.

Time to make it happen, because it won't do it on its own.

I haven't done any real workouts in 7 weeks. Yesterday that changed. The dogs and I did a 3 mile run at the levee in 92 degree heat and lived to tell about it. The goal was just to get out the door and run a bit. Goal accomplished. As most of you can probably guess, that one run is eventually gonna lead to something. You are right. I have been making some tentative plans for some upcoming races. I'm looking at the New Orleans "Jazz" half-marathon in September and the Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa the weekend before Thanksgiving. Then possibly the St. Jude Marathon in Memphis in December and my return to the Mardi Gras Marathon in New Orleans in February or March. The only one that I might not do is the one in Memphis as it is 3 weeks after Tulsa, and I may need more time to recover, we'll see.

The important thing is that I got out and got started. When I talk to people about running, swimming, or cycling I often get the comment that they don't see how i run that far. I always tell them that the hardest part is just getting out the door. If you can get your shoes on and step into the street then you will at least walk around the block. That's better than nothing. The next day you might walk 2 blocks. eventually you will be running(or walking briskly)for 10 or 15 miles. It all starts with just getting out the door.

The problem is that we want immediate results without the work. Or as I call it, "instification" meaning we want things instantly, like rice and coffee. But some things take time, like a fine wine or Scotch. that's the way running is. First you just get moving, then you build a foundation, then you train for a goal. Yesterday I started moving, in a couple weeks I will have a foundation, and by Thanksgiving I will be achieving a goal. Feel free to put your shoes on and go for a walk, who knows, maybe I'll be trying to catch up to you soon.

2 stories for you

2009-07-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

It's been over a month since my last post. Sorry for the delay as I know you have been checking this thing at least twice a day drooling like Pavlov's dog in anticipation of the next savory morsel I would feed you. Well, the bell is ringing and it's time to eat rover(or tralfaz, what ever your name may be).

There has been a lot going on the past month or so and there were lots of things I wanted to tell you about, but seeing as how i neglected to write them down, I don't remember all of the tales I wanted to tell. But here's one I do recall. Perhaps you remember me telling you about Lily bringing socks and stuff out into the yard and how she even brought some twigs onto the bed. Well, I knew the day was coming and it finally arrived. A few weeks ago I walked into my bed room only to find a dead bird on my bed. Lily was so proud of it that she jumped up on the bed, picked it up, and jumped around a bit with it in her mouth. I didn't know what to say, and since Lily is a dog I didn't say anything. I just went in the garage, got the shovel and scooped the dead bird off the bed. I gave it a beautiful memorial service as I tossed it over the back fence. Don't worry friends, i washed the sheets.

On a more serious note, I'm sure you all heard that Michael Jackson passed away. I know you have been overwhelmed with the media coverage so don't worry, what I am about to say isn't really about MJ. Let me begin by saying that I am a MJ fan. I think he is a musical genius and one of the greatest performers ever, but I gotta admit, dude was freakin' weird.
MJ was a major part of my childhood. The Thriller album was released when I was in the 4th grade and yes, I did have one of the pleather jackets with the studs and zippers on it. At my 5th grade graduation we sang "We are the World" which was co-written by MJ.and for years after that MJ released hit after hit that found their way into the soundtrack of my life. The day after the story of his passing was released I was driving to work work and listening to the radio. One of he morning shows was doing a tribute and at one point I did get a little misty-eyed. Then the thought crossed my mind(and the point of this post), is this what my parents felt when Elvis or John Lennon passed away. I have heard people from their generation talk of remembering exactly where the were when they heard the news(also true of Kennedy)and how they will never forget that moment. It made me wonder if I will ever forget how I get text messages from 6 different people in less than 10 minutes breaking the news to me. I don't think I was nearly as big of an MJ fan as people were of Elvis(my mom comes to mind) but I think that a piece of me died that day as well. A piece of the innocence of my childhood was erased and painted over with the reality the world we live in. We are not kids anymore and heroes do fall. Some leave behind golden legacies and others leave behind questions and accusations. good morning real world thanks for stopping by.

I suppose what got to me the most was a question that popped into my head. Is this the time where the heroes of my childhood begin to pass away? Will my heroes create new memories for me or have I reached the point where the work of my heroes is done and all that's left are the memories that have given me? MJ is gone, Nolan Ryan hasn't pitched in nearly 20 years, Van-Halen is not Van-Halen anymore, Evel Knievel is gone, John Candy is gone, Jam Master Jay is dead, The Junkyard Dog is dead, and it all makes me wonder whats next?

I guess the lesson to be learned is that it is important to leave a legacy behind. The people I mentioned above all did just that, just as Elvis and Lennon did a generation before. And just as my mothers memories of Elvis will never be taken from her, neither will the memories that my heroes and I shared. But it doesn't take being famous or breaking records to leave a legacy, it only takes a passion and love. My mothers Father passed away a year after I was born. His name is my middle name. We met, but I never knew him. However, he left behind a legacy and is as much a role model to me and example to me as anyone. I wear his name proudly just as I wear the name of my Father proudly. Because I know these men to be great men who were not perfect, but did the best they could with what they had to make sure that their families were provided for. My Grandfather was passionate about his wife and kids and none of them ever doubted that they were loved. What greater legacy is there than that. None.

I guess what I am trying to say is that while we are here we should make the most of our time and build a legacy for those who we love. A legacy they can cherish should they find themselves without us. Be passionate about what and who you love. leave this place a little better than it was when you got hear.

Do what you need to to make it happen. As for me, I'm starting with the man in the mirror.

I Was Walking in Memphis

2009-05-18T11:41:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend! I went to Memphis this past weekend and got to got to the annual "Memphis in May" BBQ-Fest. It was fantastic. I don't know how many bbq teams there were but it was well over 300 and they were competing in various BBQ cook-offs(ex. ribs, pork shoulder, brisket, etc.) It's one of the "Superbowls" of the BBQ world and it smelled like heaven. What I did not know is that it is also a huge 3 day party. Every team has a tent set up and many of them come complete with a real bar and real bartenders. There were several 3 strory scaffolds set up complete with dance floor on the bottom, lounge area on the 2nd floor and who knows what on top. One of the highlights of my trip was watching a girl fall off while dancing on a bar. She was ok, which is why it was funny. The only down side was that I didn't get to sample as much of the BBQ as I would have liked, but that gives me a reason to go back.

I did have some very good BBQ at a place called "the Rendezvous". You know it's gonna be good when the place is in an alley. The ribs were good, the brisket was great.

*one thing to note, Memphis is a dry rub town so for those of you who are used to the wet stuff, go to Memphis with an open mind and a jar of your favorite sauce in hand.

Saturday night I decided it was time to really live it up so i went to bingo, that's right, bingo. Now, I've played some small time bingo before but this time I was in the majors. The hall was huge, the action was fast, and I was always one number from winning. But the concession stand was selling fried bologna so I'm pretty sure I'll be back. The speed round is my personal favorite. They don't call letters just numbers and it's one after the other with no pauses, ya gotta be quick on this one. It caused me to think that bingo is probably the perfect thing for old people because you really have to be thinking all the time. So it seems like a good activity to keep those elderly neurons fring and sharp. I don't know if there has ever been a study conducted but there should be.

Sunday I had a veggie pizza with canned corn on it. I've never been big on corn, as a child I hated it, but I have to admit that canned corn(not creamed corn) actually works well on pizza.

Then I drove home just in time for my housemates birthday party, which was at my house. Some one else did the grilling, I did the eating, and thanks Bern for the ice cream cake. Oh, and Sadie thanks everyone for the "this and that" that y'all gave her.

So, that was my weekend. Special thanks to my peeps in Memphis for your kindness and hospitality, I had a blast and look forward to coming back real soon.

Pleasnant Surprises

2009-05-12T19:15:00.000-07:00

So when I Pulled up in the driveway to day I noticed a pleasant surprise in one of the gardens in front of the house. I don't know what they are but they are pretty. a pleasant surprise indeed. I moved into this house about 11 months ago. I guess these flowers had already bloomed by then. So now, 11 months into living here I found out something new about the place. Interesting, eh?

I never thought I'd say this....

2009-05-06T18:50:00.000-07:00

.....But I am honestly bummed out right now because my yoga class was canceled tonight.

I've been looking forward to it all day(something else I never thought I'd say).

I came home from work. Took a nap so that I would be well rested, left early to make sure I didn't get stuck in traffic. Walked in and there was the sign on the door. Instant deflation. I've only done yoga twice so I really don't know why I'm so upset. I guess I see it as kind of an escape, and hour for me where nothing and no one else matters, me time, for lack of a better expression.

So I did what any down-trodden man would do. I came home and made my self a spinach salad. Leaf spinach, Baby Bella Mushroom, and dressing. A very sparse salad, but surely you didn't think it would have all the fixin's, I'm depressed remember? I wish BR had a dairy queen, that would make me feel better(Thibodaux had a DQ, that might be the only advantage it had over BR).

Alls I can say is that if pilates is canceled tomorrow I might have to burn down the"Y".

Thoughts on a Sunday Evening

2009-05-03T17:08:00.000-07:00

I like my family, as crazy as they may be.

I think my dogs are 2 of the best things that ever happened to me. I have learned a lot about myself while taking care of these 2.

I like to run, but I don't like to run away from things, anymore.

I think Sunday night is often worse than Monday morning. It's hard to enjoy Sunday night when you are counting down to Monday morning.

I think that honesty really is the best policy.

I think that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.

I think that Jazz Fest is freakin' awesome but is way over priced.

I think i can, I think I can, I think I can.......

I that teaching is the right career choice for me.

I think I need a vacation from teaching. just a week or so.

I would love to travel more, no destinations in mind, just see where I end up.

I would also like to travel to specific destinations like Sicily, Scotland, Germany, Spain, Machu Pichu (sp?), Japan, China, and a few others.

I wish I was more comfortable in my own skin.

I wish my skin was less fuzzy, sometimes.

I think the guy/gal that 1st mixed chocolate and milk was a genius.

I think I will keep what makes me smile the most a secret.

I think I will keep what makes me most unhappy a secret too.

I think that caller ID is killing the art of conversation. A possible future blog post?

I think that life is a series of highs and lows, twists and turns, hello's and good-bye's.

I think that life is too short and we should tell the people we love that we love them.

I think I share too much of my personal business sometimes, which is completely new as in the past I kept everything inside.

I think it's good to let things out, but not to just anyone.

I think I should do less thinking and do more doing. Don't think, just do.

I think we focus too much on our stuff. Uncle Tommy was right Friday night when he told me that all the money in the world could never buy him the happiness he had while spending a few days with his grand kids, and that no possession would ever be as important to those kids as the memory of the time he spent with them.

I think I'm gonna go sit on the porch now and watch it rain. feel free to stop by and join me. I'll save a chair for you.

"Come on Sadie and Lily, Let's go outside".
"Good girls".

Pain, pain, and more pain

2009-04-30T06:10:00.001-07:00

Pilates ain't no Joke!

Tuesday night I went to a pilates class at the "Y" and I'm here to tell you that pilates is the real deal. I am sore in places that I never knew could be sore.

I got there about 5 minutes before the class started and found a large group waiting for the aerobics class to end. When it did they all rushed in the room to get a spot. I, however, trying to be a nice guy let the ladies go in 1st. The room was packed. I had hoped to get a spot in the back corner but because the place filled up so fast I ended up right next to the instructor. I wasn't so concerned with being next to the instructor, I was more concerned that I was now in front of the class and everyone would be watching what I was doing. It turned out to be excellent motivation. everytime I wanted to stop and rest I would remember that everyone was watching.
Truth be told, no one was watching, but I still used the motivation. I was also right in fornt of the mirror. After about ten minutes I was sweating like a beast. I glanced around the room and noticed that no one else was sweating, I tried to convince myself that it was because they were ladies and just don't sweat as much as guys. I'm gonna keep telling myself that.
My pilates partner(who was also my yoga partner)once again looked bored, but after class she admitted that she had to take a couple breaks, just as I had. That made me feel better. After class I talked to the instructor and told her it was my first time. She said I did awesome. She probably says that to everyone.
Overall it was a good experience and judging by the soreness I am feeling it seems to work. I think I'll try it a few more times to see how well ot fits into the new training plan.
I have learned a few lessons though.
1. No body cares what I'm doing(they are all trying to survive the workout themselves).
2.Arrive early and push the ladies out the way (other wise they'll do it to you).
3. Invest in a thick mat(thin yoga mats are worthless when you put them on hard wood floors).

I'll let you know how spin class turns out tonight.

Pilates=no joke

Me, Yoga Class?

2009-04-27T19:29:00.001-07:00

Yep.
I went to my 1st ever yoga class tonight at the YMCA with a friend of mine. I think I liked it. I'll have to wait and see if I'm sore in the morning but as of right now I'm feeling good. I'm not nearly as flexible as I like to think I am, nor do I have the ab strength that I wish I had. But, I guess that all comes in time. I also did a 30 minute core workout class before yoga. That one was a toughy but I managed to get through them both only pausing to rest once in each class. So, now it seems I do yoga. How about that?

Tomorrow night is pilates night. I've never been to a pilates class but I hear its quite a workout. Hopefully I won't be too sore from today. I fully expect to be hurting Wednesday morning.

Wednesday night is a spin class(cycling) that I'm planning to attend. The reason I am hitting these classes 3 nights in a row is to see if I like them or not. I'm getting ready to move into a new phase of training and I want to add some new types of workouts to the mix. So, this is my test everything out week. Next week I'll make my final plan.

For those of you who do yoga, I will say that of the positions we did today my favorite was the 3 legged dog, and the only position I didn't do was the "cloud". But I think that's because I was trying to do it wrong.

I'll let you know how pilates turns out tomorrow.

Sadie's favorite position is "the licking dog"
Lily's favorite position is "laying on the bed"

Jazz Fest 2009

2009-04-26T21:23:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend I'm having. Sunday I went to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. The weather was perfect and the music was awesome. Better Than Ezra was good, as expected. But, I was really impressed by the Dave Matthews Band. They have some songs I like but after today I am a fan. I'm gonna have to go back and see what I've been missing. They were awesome, but Dave is still no Lenny McDaniel(That boy can sing!).

My 1st Triathlon

2009-04-20T03:59:00.001-07:00

For those who may be interested, here is the story of the Triathlon.

Friday night the weather started get a little rough, windy and rainy. initially my concern was that the rain would make the water even colder. As it turns out, the water temp was the least of my worries. The wind was the killer. 10 minutes before the race I went down into the water to get acclimated to the temperature. Honestly it didn't feel as cold as when I was there Tuesday morning but it is possible that it didn't seem that cold because I was walking around in a cold mist while setting up my gear. I think I got used to being cold before entering the water.

As you can see from the pics, I was one of the few, very few competitors without a wetsuit (because I'm a beast, as the kids say). Looking back I wish I had a wetsuit not so much to keep me warm but because they make you more buoyant, and I coulda used that. The problem was that the heavy winds made the lake very rough and choopy. THus, I couldn't get into a rhythm. Everytime I tried to take a breath I got smacked in the face by another wave. I quickly realized that the swim was going to be less about speed and more about survival. In the pool it takes about 15 minutes to swim the distance. Saturday it took 22. But I was still smiling when I came out the water, happy to be alive..

The swim totally drained me, but it wasn't over there. I still had 19 miles on the bike, which wasn't that bad except, again, for the wind. From time to time the wind was at my back and I was cruising but it seems like more often than not the wind was in my face. That causes me to have to do more work. But I survived the distance. Again smiling because I was glad to finish that section of the race.

Then for my favorite and most comfortable part, the run. Well, under normal circumstances it would've been. However, I was totally drained after the bike. But, I gutted it out and started running. about a mile into the 3 mile run i got comfortable. That was good beacuse with a little less than a mile to go I realized that my friend Matt(who was also my training partner) was gaining on me. I am 34, he is 25. There was no way I was gonna let him catch me with less than a mile to go. So, I dug deep and turned it up a notch. I finished 38 seconds ahead of him. That's right, the old timer kicks @$$.

It was a good experience. My first thought was that I'm not doing triathlons anymore. It didn't take long before i started thinking about how I had survived some terrible conditions and that got me wondering how I would do in better conditions. Needless to say, there will be other triathlons. My long term goal is still to do the half Ironman in New Orleans next year, and probably a marathon somewhere between September and December.I will also do some sprint tri's along the way. Feel free to join me if you would like.

Thanks to the parents for coming up and to Emma and Elie as well. Y'all were a great support team.

Enjoy the pictures, and I'll see ya when i see ya, Scott.

The Triathlon is Complete

2009-04-18T15:41:00.000-07:00

I survived it. I finished. The weather made it tough, but I will give you all the details when I get the pictures in. I'll write a full post with pictures. But, the important thing is that I can check it off my list. I'll email you when I update this thing.

Spring break, part 3

2009-04-17T12:20:00.000-07:00

When last you read I was telling you about cutting the grass yesterday. Last night was a quiet night, I had sushi at whole foods for dinner, while a friend of mine ate chocolate mousse, Now that's a healthy dinner. Anyways, I am a fan of whole foods and I think that is going to be my new "fast food" place. Instead of McD's or the King I think I'll go to whole Foods and get one of their relatively healthy meals or salad bar. The food is good and there are always interesting people in there, so It'll be like free entertainment while I eat. But, as my friend pointed out, I need to make sure I don't sit in the same place every time otherwise I will look like some crazy stalker guy. Good point.

This morning I took the girls to the dog park. I'm super proud of Lily, she actually played with another dog today, as in antagonized a dog to play with her. I've had her for almost 10 months and that's the 1st time that has happened. She's still shy, but getting better all the time(just like me).

Tomorrow is the Triathlon. I'm not too nervous. I'm ready to do it. I'm starting to think about marathoning again. I like the tri training, but something in likes the idea of being a runner the most. I'll get through tomorrow first and then start worrying about whats next. Though I will definitely do the 1/2Ironman in New Orleans next year.

Anyone interested in heading to the triathlon in New Roads tomorrow can check out the website at: www.lawired.com/latri/Kenny/Home.html

Click on race details for directions.

Race starts at 8am.

or you can call me if you have any questions.

I know most of you wont be able to make it but just know that I will be thinking of you during the race. I'll be thinking of your smiling face as I cross the line, or possibly as the last thing I think of as I drown in the freezing cold lake. What a sweet thought to end a post with. :)

Spring Break, Part 2

2009-04-16T12:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday (Wednesday) turned out to be OK. I went to New Orleans to see some friends that I went to Northwestern State with. They are all married with kids so we met for a picnic so that the kids could play on the playground while we reminisced about the old days. We each brought our own food. So, I went to the Whole Foods on Magazine street and got a couple slices of pizza, because I try not to do fast food anymore, except chic-fil-a(LOVE IT).

Anyways, It was a beautiful day and it was nice to catch up with old friends. Most of us haven't seen each other in about 13-14 years. It was odd to see these people, we all remember each other the way we looked at 19/20 years old, none of us looked that different but it's easy to see that we are not kids anymore. In a way it made me feel a little old, but it also made me feel like there is a lot of life left in me.

As y'all know, I'm a big fan of Audubon Park. I have good memories there and was happy to add this one to the list. But my favorite memory is still the time that Sadie jumped into the fountain. And of course there were many days walking and jogging there. I always smile when I think of Audubon Park.

After a couple hours I headed back to Capital City. I had dinner with a friend from work and her husband, who is a professional chef. They made chicken parmesean. Very tasty. I even had a glass of red wine with it and finished the whole glass. Quite an accomplishment for me(there's more, read on).

Then we met some others at a place in town that has a beach volley ball league. We watched another coworker play while we drank, talked, and laughed about lots of different topics. I even had a beer. It took me a full hour to finish the bottle. I'm still a light weight but think of the money I save be being such a wuss-ass drinker.

Today I got up and headed to the Y for my last training swim before the race Saturday. it was much warmer than Tuesdays swim. Then I came home and cut the grass in the backyard. The dogs like to be outside when I cut the grass. The always lay in the spot of high grass. They seem to like that better than laying on the freshly cut grass, maybe it's softer.

So, now you know about my yesterday and today. Tonight I have big plans. Me and the girls are gonna be doing a whole lot of nothing. Actually, I'm gonna go to the outlet mall tonight or sometime tomorrow, I need new pants. Anybody wanna go?

So, this is Spring Break. Aaargh!

2009-04-14T13:06:00.000-07:00

Here it is Tuesday afternoon, 3 o'clock, and I have already run out of things to do. This is going to be a long, boring week.

I decided not to go back and rewrite yesterdays post, that's history now. Onward ever onward!

This morning Matt (my coworker who is doing the tri) and I took a ride to New Roads to swim in False river. We have been swimming in the pool at the YMCA but thought it would be a good idea to try an open water swim, and we wanted to see how cold the water would be. It was freezing(not literally). But I walked right in and swam around a bit and eventually got used to it. However, it was a little hard to breathe when I first got in, so Saturday I will need to get in the water about 10 minutes before the race starts to get used to it, otherwise it may be a very short race.

New Roads looks like a cute little town. I might go back one weekend to take a closer look around, it would be a cute place to take a date if I could find a nice restaurant, and a suitable "lady friend"(If you know what I mean;) ).

Anyway, the water was cold and the town was cute. I am really excited but a bit nervous about the race. I just have to remind myself to survive the swim, survive the swim, survive the swim. I'm not worrying about speed this time. I just want to finish the race. I'll worry about speed in the future.

I came home and decided it was time to cut the grass. And, with it being such a pretty day it didn't seem like it would be too much of a chore. So, I cut the front yard, but not the back. I'm gonna let that wait till Thursday because I have nothing to do that day. The funniest and sort of sweet thing about cutting the grass in the front is that Sadie runs around the backyard and house whining because she can't be out there with me. i don't know if she thinks the mower is attacking me or if she just misses me but it's sweet that she wants to be where I am that bad. She is a sweet baby. Lily doesn't make as much noise but will bark some when I push the mower along the fence line.

Well, it's 3:22 now. I just passed 15-20 minutes blogging. What else can I do to occupy myself? Anybody want to go get some coffee, or a beer, bowling, putt-putt, outlet shopping, hiking, dog walking, bungee jumping, bike riding, sushi, or something? I'm bored.

What a fabulous start to spring break. least I get to spend quality time with the pups. That I do like!

Just another manic monday

2009-04-13T19:48:00.000-07:00

Crap, I just wrote a long post and accidentally deleted it. I don't have the energy to rewrite it now. I'll work on it tomorrow. Now I must go move Sadie and Lily on to their side of the bed. I'm exhausted. Good night.

CCC 2009

2009-04-11T12:54:00.000-07:00

The pic at the top (in blue)is from the marathon back in February.

I may come back and add a story to this post, maybe not. The pic of me in grey is a picture of me running the Crescent City Classic this morning, and no, I didn't win. Damned Kenyans!
the pic at the top (in blue)is from the marathon back in February.

A Lily Tail (tale)

2009-04-09T04:18:00.000-07:00

Lily is a very sweet dog, most of the time. She can be a little mischevious, highstrung, and a little destructive but she can also be very sweet, personable, and cuddly. Today, I don't know what to call her. Let me rewind.

a couple months ago I installed a dog door so that Liliy and Sadie could go outside during the day if they wanted. I didn't want them to be cooped up in the house while I was at work and figured they would let themselves out and run around the backyard to burn off extra energy. Energy burn off was a big reason why I put the door in. You see, there had been several times when I came home to find various things torn up around the house like mail, pillows, magazines,etc. So, the door idea seemed to make sense.

And since putting in the door there have been very few occurences of things being torn up in the house(though Lily did unleash her wrath on one of the couches last week). However, I quickly learned to close my closet door and not leave things laying around. It seems that Lily developed a new habit of bringing things outside through the dog door. It started with a sock, then a dishrag, then (unevitably) my underwear. But those were small potatoes. Next thing you know it was blue jeans, shoes, and a couple of days ago she even managed to get the fitted sheet off the bed and out in to the yard. That one I was sort of impressed by. But now it seems that things are moving in reverse, I guess she has run out of things to bring outside.

Today when I came home from work I found that Lily brought in a little present for me. The bed was coverd with leaves and pieces of twigs. We had some rough weather a few days ago and so we have some small branches in the yard. The dogs like to chew on sticks sometimes, so I guess lily wanted to be comfortable while chewing so she brought it on the bed, which happens to be her favorite place in the whole world, she loves laying on the bed.

I dont mind some sticks and leaves but if she starts bring in small animals or other peoples underwear then we will have a problem.

Here are some pics of the event. She is a cutie

...and be sure to notice that I didn't add any pictures of Sadie. Because I don't have favorites.

That's a lot of swimming

2009-03-31T07:42:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I went to the Y after school to do my swimming workout. The workout called for 1400 yards(64 laps). I wasn't sure that I had the energy to swim .9 miles but I haven't worked out since last Monday and wtih the Tralthlon drawing near I knew I couldn't keep ducking my workouts.

So, I got in the water. Normally I swim a couple laps and the stop for a minute. Last week however, my friend Matt and I had a sort of breakthrough. We decided to swim for a specified amount of time instead of laps. So instead of swimming four laps and stopping I swam for 8 minutes, Which was 16 laps. my previous consecutive streak was 10. But, At the end of last weeks workout I reeled off 24 straight(56 total laps). I was quite happy about that.

So, yesterday I decided that I would just swim until I felt like I needed to take a break. Well I swam 80 laps consecutively. 80 laps = 1.14 miles (2000 yards). Needless to say, I am stoked about that achievement. It took 43 minutes and surprisingly I didn't feel like I was gonna die at the end. I actually felt good when I was done and I don't even feel sore today. I am definitiely liking the swimming part of the training, now if I would only feel the same way about the cycling and running.

Which reminds me. I thought I was gonna get to keep all of toenails after the marathon. Now, I'm not so sure. Not to gross anyone out but I think I'm about to lose one. I'm sad about that, I don't like losing body parts but I guess that's the price we endurance atlhletes must pay for our passion and sport. I sure am gonna miss that little guy(if it goes).

For those of you who are prayerful people, Please keep me in your thoughts, and not just because of the Triathlon.

TTFN, Scott.

Happy Birthday!!!!!!!

2009-03-15T12:13:00.000-07:00

The Ides of March are upon us, and that can only mean one thing. It's Sadie's birthday. She turns 3 today. I can't believe it's already been 3 years, they grow up so fast. I remember they day we found her outside the Petsmart in Slidell, and we just couldn't "leave this sweet angel here". Sadie came home to the FEMA trailer and has been my lil' podna ever since.

Lily turns one today. I can't remember the date we determined was her birthday, it's either two weeks ago or two weeks from now. So, I'm rounding it to today to make it easy to remember. Lily was rescued from the mean streets of NOLA East by a friend but he couldn't keep her. We wanted a friend for Sadie and were moving into a house with a big yard so it seemed the time was right. She has made a wonderful addition to the family. She too is a sweet baby.

Happy Birthday Sadie and Lily, Daddy loves you!(Yes, I know they are dogs).

2009-03-04T19:56:00.000-08:00

I know I said I would come back and tell the Mardi Gras stories but I've been really busy this week. Hopefully I will spin those yarns soon.

Today I have a special treat for you. It seems that spring is trying to send winter packing and I find the foliage around the house coming to life. So, the Pups and I went out to enjoy an afternoon. Here are some pics. Enjoy!

Sadie and Lily playing in the yard. We were outside for about an hour. They were chasing the toys I was throwing, chasing each other, and chasing me. Good exercise for the whole family.

Lily the one eared dog. I figure I have posted many Sadie pictures over the year so it's only fair to give Lil the occasional solo picture. Lily really has 2 ears.

Some of the prettiness in the front garden.

Colorful row of shrubbery between the house and the street.

This is what I see when I look at my bedroom window, not a bad view if I must say. Even prettier on a sunny day.

I hope you all are doing well. I'll be out of town for a couple days but will check in when I get back. Have a great weekend y'all.

2009-02-26T18:30:00.000-08:00

Keep checking back, I should have this thing updated sometime over the weekend. I'm sure you all want to hear about my Mardi Gras experiences. I've been quite busy so I haven't had time to tell those tales. I do have time to tell them now but I am way to tired. Looks like I'll be sleeping by 8:45 tonight. I'll be getting up at 4:30 to hit the pool in the morning. Ah yes, this life of mine, 'tis the battle i love.

I will tell you this though, I went to an Indian(as in India) restaurant for dinner tonight, it seems that I do like Indian food that doesn't have much curry. Now I know.

a weekly update

2009-02-17T15:51:00.000-08:00

Well it’s been a week or so since I updated so I thought I would give you an update as to my goings on.

Triathlon training is going well so far. The swimming is getting much better but I have this click in my left shoulder and after many clicks it starts to ache. I’m sure I take several hundred strokes per workout. That equals a lot of clicks. Thus, my left shoulder is very sore today. I’m pretty sure that I’m going to need to have someone look at it eventually. But, I have found that I can modify the stroke on my left arm and avoid the click. It just creates a stroke that is much different than the one I do with my right. I don’t know if it throws off my balance or efficiency but it doesn’t hurt and that works for me.

The cycling is going well. I invested in the padded shorts. Whoever invented those things was a genius. The only down side is that I feel like I’m walking around wearing a diaper. Not Cool!

Oddly enough, running is the hardest part. I’m not really enjoying the running right now, probably because the other stuff is new and exciting. But running is my old standby and my true love. The passion will return when the excitement of the new stuff wears off, I hope.

Last weekend was a good weekend. I was much busier than I anticipated. Dinner Friday night was awesome, pork tenderloin, green beans, and mashed potatoes. Saturday, I thought I would be hanging out around the house for most of the day but I ended up cycling in the morning for 80 minutes and went running at the LSU lake with a friend around 4. Steven and I hit Brew-bachers for lunch, my belly was quite full. It’s probably good that I had 2 workouts. Sunday was good too. A little family/parade time in Slidell. Of course someone had to bring fried chicken. Yes, it was good. But I limited myself to 2 pieces. But I did have 5 brownies.

I feel a little guilty that I was not home more. Luckily the dogs have each other to entertain themselves. Nothing beats coming home and having those 2 sweet angels jumping all around with there tails wagging happy to see me. I gotta get a camera so I can post some new pics, they are the most awesome dogs ever!

This week at school is one that I have been looking forward to for a while now. We are studying Supreme Court Cases. I find this stuff to be very exciting, almost as exciting as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Wednesday and Thursday should be good. The kids have wanted a debate for a while now, and now they get it. Among the other cases we will mention I am going to let them discuss Roe v. Wade for a few minutes. Sparks will fly, that’s why were going to do it last. Hopefully time will run out before we get there.

In other good news, I got my taxes done and don’t owe anything, Yea! I’m getting a little back. I think I’m going to spend it all on frivolous things to stimulate the economy, any suggestions? And no, personal checks to you do not count.

Another movie review

2009-02-10T19:05:00.000-08:00

I went to see the movie "Taken" tonight. I thought it was pretty good. I wouldn't put it in the great category but it was very good. I don't know exactly what I was expecting but it didn't meet my expectations. But again, It was good, worth the price of admission but I probably wouldn't go twice. Looking back on what I just typed, I think it's safe to say I'll never work as a movie critic.

On the training front. I did my first workout in the pool yesterday. 40 laps=1000 yards. In the beginning it was a bit awkward but by the end of the workout I figured a few things out. I slowed down, got into a rhythm and controlled my breathing. It got better, I didn't drown. The good news is that I swam 1000 yards(924 meters). The race in April has an 800 meter swim, so it seems that I could make it. The problem is that yesterday I stopped after every 50 yards. Stringing the laps together is definitely gonna take some work and effort.

Today I came home and got on the bike. I rode for an hour(roughly 13 miles) and felt good at the end. The race is 18 miles so I'm very confident that the cycling part of the race wont be a problem. The trick is definitely gonna be surviving the swim. Tomorrow I'm supposed to run for 25 minutes. I'll probably double that. I feel like running is my thing, the part of the race where I can have the most success. Also, 25 minutes just doesn't feel like much to me right now. But I don't want to push to hard. I'm trying to progress slowly and steadily so I don't burn out. It seems like the right thing to do.

That's all I had for today. I hope you all are doing well, I'll holla atcha lata. Scott.

Down the Bayou, Over the River and Through the Woods

2009-02-08T17:16:00.001-08:00

Down the Bayou
Well, I did not really go down the bayou but I did do a little Cajun dancing Friday night. Thursday night I got some waltz and two-step lessons. Friday night I went to Boutin's. It's a Cajun restaurant here in Capital City. The great thing is that Thurs-Sun night they have a live Cajun band playing and a large dance floor in the middle of the place. I put my skills to work. I'm not a great dancer but luckily no one got hurt. Luckily my legs finally felt rested from last weeks marathon, 'bout time. I also recommend the blackened alligator, DELICIOUS!

Saturday
It was a good day. I took the kids(dogs) to the Dog park for a couple of hours. It was absolutely gorgeous outside and there were tons of dogs there. Lily is getting more social, she ALMOST plays with other dogs, almost. Sadie on the other hand will play with anyone. She does not discriminate. She played with a Dachshund and 5 minutes later became best buds with a great Dane. I gotta get a camera, Sadie and the Dane were hilarious. Once we got home we kicked it around the house for a while before I headed out to the movies. "The Wrestler" is definitely a guy movie. Ladies, you may enjoy it but if there is another option I would take it. Guys, you gotta see it. You can thank me later.

Over the river and through the woods
Today I got up early and headed to "The Country" to spend some time with my Grandmother, who is completely awesome. One of my cousins is currently living with her(because she goes to college to get more knowledge) and the 3 of us went to church and then out to eat. I absolutely loved it. My Grandmother never ceases to amaze me and make me laugh. I am 34 now and today is the 1st time I ever remember hearing my Grandmother sing. She was singing the hymns at church and it dawned on me that I had never heard her sing before. It was one of the sweetest sounds I have ever heard. I will never forget today or the sound of my Grandmother singing. It makes me smile just thinking of it.

Then we went to lunch. Catfish topped with Crawfish Etoufee(A-2-Fay). Quite tasty, but not as the delicious as the seafood and spinach dip, Amazing! Then we headed back to her house and sat and talked for a while. My Lil' cousin is great, I don't know how to describe her but to say she's great(sorry I couldn't think of anything better than that).

Then it was back to the house. I did my first run since the marathon today. 30 minutes worth, or about 2.75 miles. It felt good. Tomorrow I start my training for the triathlon. After work its off to the Y to do some laps in the pool. I know it's gonna kill me, but I can't wait.

It was a pretty full weekend. But not a stressful weekend.

I feel good about things right now. Not great yet, but definitely good. The Sun was definitely shining this weekend, in so many ways.

Hopefully you got the over the river and through the woods(to grandmothers house we go) joke. I'm going to get a camera soon, it's been a while since I've put up any pics of Sadie and Lily. I know how you all look forward to pictures of those 2.

The Next Big Thing

2009-02-04T19:20:00.000-08:00

So here I am, just days after completing my first marathon. I'm still a little sore but I'm already looking ahead. I have decided to do the 16Th annual Louisiana Triathlon in New Roads, Louisiana on April 18Th. This race consists of a half mile swim(800 meters), 18 mile cycle, and a 3.1 mile run. This will be my first Try at a Tri(my attempt at humor). I am super excited. Ive got a little less than 2 1/2 months to get ready.

I joined the local YMCA today so that I can start training for the swimming portion of the race. I think that will be the most difficult part. The "Y" also has spin classes which I can use as an alternative to riding my bike around Capital City.

I'm not going to start any training until Monday. I'm giving my body time to recover from the marathon. But I am excited about training for three events at once. I think it will be good because I wont be bored because I'll be doing something different every day. We'll see.

Well, I just wanted to let you all know what I was up to. I'll be chillaxin' for a couple more days but come Monday it's back to work. Who knows, this could be the summer of the 6 pack, HA!

My First Marathon

2009-02-02T06:58:00.000-08:00

All the training seems to have paid off. About 6 months ago I decided that I wanted to run a marathon. I had several reasons for wanting to do it but mostly I wanted to see how far I could go(as most of you know I tend to go too far). Well, I didn't go too far yesterday, I went just far enough. The months of training paid off as I finished the New Orleans Mardi Gras Marathon in an official time of 4:58:35. My goal was to finish under 5 hours. Well, let me back up, my goal was to FINISH. My second goal was to finish under 5 hours. I finished with a minute and 25 seconds to spare. Yea Me!

I ran with the 5 hour pace group. Katherine our leader(the lady carrying the sign in the pictures) was great. She kept us motivated, entertained, and maintained an even pace. I don't think I would have been as successful without her, and her running skirt(inside joke).

I slept very little Saturday night. I was up at 4:45, made it downtown at 6:15. the race started at 7AM. My only warm up was some stretching. I knew my body would warm up over the first 2-3 miles, and it did. The 1st 2 miles hurt as my body woke up. As I passed mile 3(picture below) I starting feeling loose. I shed my long sleeve shirt and grabbed my 1st bottle of Gatorade from one of my support crew(newly dubbed "Team Pegasus"). Notice that I am smiling in this picture.

We made our way up St. Charles Ave to Audubon Park. I love Audubon park. It's a special place to me. As I ran around the park I couldn't help but think about the time Sadie jumped into the fountain there, makes me laugh every time. The picture below is at mile 8.5. I was feeling really good at this point, even high-fiving my peeps. Notice that I am running with a group of people. at this point there were probably 50 of us in the group(that's Katherine carrying the sign).I made it to the half way point in 2 hours 29 minutes. We were right on pace. We lost most of our group at the halfway point because most of the people were doing the half marathon. Our group shrank to about 15-20. Halfway through (13.1 miles)and I felt really good. This is where I made my one pit stop, a little to much Gatorade perhaps.

We then headed down towards City park, which again makes me think of the time Sadie jumped in the lagoon there, that makes me laugh too. I was feeling good when we reached the park. At about mile 16 I started to feel a little pain. Mile 18 I started to hurt. I carried that hurt with me the rest of the way. I stopped for a minute at mile 20 to stretch for a minute. It's OK, that was a planned stop. I got fluids and gel from Crawford and Bern and spent the next mile catching up to the ever shrinking 5 hour group. I caught them at mile 21.

The picture below is at mile 22. The group is much smaller now. Everyone was hurting here but everyone was being really positive. One of the things that I enjoyed was the camaraderie that developed. People who had never seen each other before were constantly encouraging new friends. It was great to see people supporting each other like this. It made a big difference in my day. Had I done this alone I may have finished, but there is no way I would have finished under 5 hours. At this point every part of my body was hurting but I had decided that there was no way in hell that i would stop. At mile 24 we were down to a group of 3. Our fearless leader, me, and the lady with the doo-rag(I don't remember her name). But doo-rag began to fade a bit. So, It was just the 2 of us as we reached mile 25. Katherine said she was gonna walk through the last water station to help doo-rag. She told me that if I was feeling good that I should just keep running to the finish. I said OK(that's all the words I had energy to muster). Below is me, alone, just after mile 25. Here I had one mile to go. I spent the last mile thinking about everything I have been through in the last couple months. I thought about the highs and lows. I thought about the brightness of the future and what it will bring. I thought about all of the hard work and training I put into this race. I thought about the commitment I made and how, even though every step hurt, I was glad that I was doing this.

Then, about a half mile from the finish, I didn't notice the pain anymore(but believe me, it was there). All I could think about was me and the rapidly approaching finish line. I knew I was going to finish. The thought of finishing what I started 6 months ago was almost overwhelming. From running 3 miles a few months ago, to 26.2 yesterday was an amazing thought. To know that the farthest I had ever run was 20 miles a few weeks ago to 6 more than that in the race was an awesome thought. I looked down at my watch, looked up to see how close I was to the Superdome, looked at my watch again then said to myself, "i got this". I knew I was getting close to going under 5 hours, I thought I needed to pick up my pace just a little to make sure. In my head I could feel that I was pushing harder but my body didn't seem to be moving any faster. About a quarter mile to the finish I could finally tell I was moving faster As I approached the finish The PA announcer announced my name, I wasn't expecting that, and that's when I knew I was there. I ran across the line and smiled for the first time in miles. I bowed my head and some guy put my finishers medal on me.

Then I stumbled around for a few minutes. I congratulated some of the people who I ran with, some finished ahead of me others behind, and thanked Katherine for her help.

I thought to myself how in many ways I was glad I crossed the line by myself. I thought how I was glad that my support team hadn't made it to the finish line in time to see me cross. I could not have made through the race with out them and it would have been great to have them there yelling for me at the end, but this race was a very personal quest and achievement. I did this for me and now I know what I can do. I know that I can handle the tough times. I know that i can continue on through the pain because there is joy at the end. I learned a lot yesterday.

So I finished my first marathon yesterday. 4 hours, 58minutes,35 seconds.
Maybe I'll do another one some time, we'll see .

THANK YOU
Thank you to my race day support team and to all of you who have been sending me emails and texts.

Special thanks to Crawford and Bern, Having you there was awesome. good work on the signs. my favorite was the one about Sadie chasing the Squirrel.

Uncle Brian- Thanks for coming in, I really appreciate it. You can run with me next year.

Aunt Wanda- It was a surprise to see you and it really picked up my spirits to see you.

Elizabeth- It always makes me smile to see you, I'm glad you came.

Steve- you might have been the loudest of the group, but that wouldn't surprise anyone who knows you. You are a great brother and I really appreciate you being there.

Tom- Thanks for not falling asleep during the race

Mom- Thanks for being there, as you always are. What else can I say

Special thanks to my training partners Sadie and Lily for getting me through those tough training runs.

And finally, Thanks K, for all the times you believed in me and told that I could do anything. Thank You!

Drums please!

2009-02-01T14:15:00.002-08:00

I did it! the goal was to do it in less than 5 hours. I did it in 4 hours 58 minutes and 35 seconds. I'll write the full story tonight, after the SuperBowl, or tomorrow morning. But The good news is in, I DID IT!

Pre-Race Thoughts

2009-01-31T14:40:00.001-08:00

So it seems that by this time tomorrow(Sunday) I will have completed my 1st marathon. Hopefully that will be true. The other option will be that I attempted my 1st marathon. As you can see, attempted and completed are not the same thing.

I'm trying to stay positive and I keep reminding myself about all of the training miles and hours I've put into this. But, I'm still hampered by the thoughts that my last 3 weeks of training were not very good and that I've been ill lately. I feel much better now but worry that the loss of energy will hurt me tomorrow.

I have put a lot of pressure on myself to complete this marathon. I have made it, in my mind, into a make or break moment in my life. I have attached extra significance to this race that I should let go of. It's not make or break, it's not do or die, it's just a marathon. It's just me testing myself to see how far I can go. Hopefully, I will go 26.2 miles. Tomorrow is a big day, and I hope to look back on it and gain confidence from the accomplishment, but this is not the defining moment in my life. I am going through that defining moment right now, but this race is not it, just a part of it.

The defining moment is how I choose to live my life everyday, not just marathon day. I choose to live my days the same way I'm going to live tomorrow, living life on my terms, being open and honest, overcoming challenges, persevering, enjoying the moment and looking forward to a bright future that has already begun.

I don't know how tomorrow is going to turn out, I wish I did. But no matter what happens I will end the day knowing that I gave it my all, and really, what more could I do than that?

Check back Sunday night to find out how it turned out. If there is no post then check back on Monday. I'm taking off that day, a present to myself. And thanks to all of you who have been emailing me and texting words of encouragement, y'all rock my socks!

A Final word and then running stuff

2009-01-27T09:37:00.000-08:00

Just a quick final word about my previous two posts. I meant them both. I nearly deleted them both but this blog really is a chronicle of my life and I don't want to act like that part of my life doesn't exist. But, I won't have much to say about it from here on out. The End.

So, the marathon is Sunday. I gotta tell you, I'm pretty worried at this point. I've put in a lot of training but the last couple weeks haven't been that great. I've really been drained lately. I think I'm gonna try some B-12 supplements this week. I hate to start something new right now but I gotta get some pep in my step.

I'm putting a plan together for my support team. I'm trying to figure out what intervals to space them out at and how to coordinate getting them the stuff that they are going to give me during the race. I'm also a little concerned because the race starts at 7 am. I thought it started at 8. That means I'm gonna need to get up at like 4:30 or so, then drive down, park, figure out how to get my Gatorade and gels to my support peeps, loosen up, and run. If I stay in BR it'll be an hour and 15-30 minute drive, and I guess I'll drive it alone, which means I'll have to drive myself home. I'm sure I'll be able to drive but I know I'm gonna be hurting.

I could stay in Slidell Saturday night, but I don't sleep as well there. But, I could get a ride to the race from my folks. Problem is, I would have to got back to Slidell after the race. In that case I would probably drive back to BR on Monday(yes, I'm taking Monday off). Don't worry I'll get it figured out.

The fact that I feel like I have no energy is what really has me worried though. I'll just have to keep reminding myself to slow down and take it easy. As much as I would love to finish in under 5 hours I see that the biggest goal is just to finish. I can always get better. Right now I just need to finish.

So, now you know my thoughts about the upcoming marathon(this Sunday morning). I know I'll have lots more thoughts on it as it closer. I'm sure I'll have a lengthy post on Friday or Saturday as the nervous energy (or overwhelming fear) builds up.

Stay tuned, I'll keep you posted.

Another milestone day

2009-01-20T16:47:00.000-08:00

Hooray for Lily! she ran her 1st 3 mile run today. The 3 of us headed out and I initially planned to just take them for the 1st 2 miles but as it was nice and cool out I thought she would be able to handle it. She did great. She pulls a good bit and is still scared of almost everything but the kid has stamina. When we got back she headed straight to the water bowl and drank half of a full bowl(it's a big bowl). Then, she and Sadie both found comfortable places to lay down and relax. Sadie on the couch, Lily on my bed(her favorite place in the house) .

She must know I'm talking about her because she's trying to climb up on me and lick my face as I'm typing this. What a mess, these dogs are just fuzzy angels I guess(or is it tired angels, I forget the lyrics)

Yes, the angel thing is an inside joke. That one was just for you;)

I'll probably come back later tonight or tomorrow to update you all on my training and how I am doing with things. Take care friends, and please remain prayerful.

Yours truly,
Sadie and Lily's pack leader. AKA- the Alpha Male.

Cramping my style

2009-01-15T19:19:00.000-08:00

I talk a lot about overcoming barriers in my posts. I know I have many to overcome and I truly look forward to the challenge and am confident that I will overcome those barriers. However, I've got one that is truly owning me right now. It's bringing me down and destroying my life. The cramp that I developed in my left calf at mile 19 on Sundays long run came back today.

I was doing a tempo run(faster pace)today and at mile 4 it reared its ugly head, and man did it hurt. It is super frustrating because I was supposed to be doing 8 miles today. I got through 5 but did not want to risk doing any real harm 2 1/2 weeks before the race.

I don't know what to do about it. Should I run less, stretch more, use Icy-Hot? This is terrible timing.

Keith and Julie, please feel free to give any advice on this matter. You're sort of my marathon advisers.

My biggest worry is that if I don't get this resolved soon that it will be a lingering thought in the back of my head on race day. That could create major problems if i'm thinking about that while running for 5 hours.

This is not what I need right now. I could totally use some type of ego boost right now.

This is totally "cramping" my style

3 weeks to 26.2

2009-01-13T19:36:00.000-08:00

I figure I should keep you all updated on my marathon training. I have just under 3 weeks left until the big day(Sunday, Feb. 1). Sunday, 2 days ago, I did my final 20 miler of the training regimen. It went very well. I finished it in 4 hours 20 minutes. But, I stopped for about 4 minutes after every five miles to stretch and let the dogs in/out of the house. So, I guess I could cut that down to actually 4 hours and 5 minutes of running.

All was not perfect though, at mile 19 I started having a lot of tightness in my left calf. The cramping was manageable and I finished running 20 but It has me a little concerned as I am not sure if I could have made it to 26 with that pain in my leg, which I am sure would have only gotten worse.

On the other hand, I am optimistic that I will be able to avoid this situation again. I think the cramp was largely due to lack of hydration. I hydrated well on the run but I know that the 2 weeks prior to this run my hydration has been not so good. I think if I get back into good hydration habits from now until the race I will be in good shape.

I am a little concerned about the distance. But, I know that I have been training hard for this and have put in a lot of miles to get me to this point. I know that those miles will get me through the 26.2 on Feb. 1st.

Some people have asked me if I think I can run the whole way or if I am going to walk some. The answer is that I plan to run the whole thing and I hope to do it in under 5 hours. This is a lofty goal for a 1st timer, but I think it is a reasonable goal and one that if I focus and work hard, that I can reach. I can not pretend to know what will happen during the race. I may be out of it by mile 10 or I may finish 20 minutes faster than expected. What I do know is that I have a singular vision to run the entire race and to finish. If it takes more than 5 hours that will be OK. What matters to me most is to overcome the obstacles and to finish what I've started.

I WILL run the entire 26.2.
It WILL hurt, but it WILL be done.

sometimes I go to far.

2009-01-10T15:42:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I say more than I probably should. Sometimes I might push people a little too far or even over the edge. I have done this twice in the last couple weeks.
There is a time and place for everything, but there are somethings that just can't wait.
This past week I was overwhelmed with emotion and felt like I had no where to release it. I felt consumed by my thoughts and feelings and could not focus on anything else. So, when I got the opportunity I unloaded on one of my best friends and think I might have said too much.

But, as I said, I couldn't hold it in anymore. It had to come out. I feel bad for crossing the comfort line but I feel very good for speaking open and honestly about the mistakes I have made and haven't made.

It feels good to be open and honest. Most of you already know that. I have always known that but have struggled with it at times, usually to save myself from embarrassment. I am relearning the old saying that honesty is the best policy.

I have gone too far with lies and I do not like where it has lead me. Though it is hard to face the truth sometimes, and though I know that it will sometimes hurt to say it, and hurt others to hear it, I recognize that that pain passes much faster than the pain of lies and deceit.

Friends, I encourage you to be open and honest with the ones you love.

Billy Joel penned the lyric "Honesty is such a lonely word, but mostly what I need from you". I couldn't agree more. To be honest is very scary when you are admitting to wrong doing and when you know that it will hurt someone. It hurts because you know that you have caused that pain. No one else, just you. The Loneliness that comes from causing pain like that hurts like none other. But I hope we have learned that in honesty that pain and loneliness is temporary. It can also help build a foundation of trust and respect. Nothing is worth more than that. Trust me on that one.

There is no feeling like knowing you have nothing to hide. I wish I would've arrived at this point years ago. I knew it then but still feared the embarrassment that the truth would bring. I don't have that fear today. But I do fear that I pushed a friend that I dearly care about away. I hope I am wrong about that. Sometimes I go too far.

Sometimes I go too far, sometimes I am too open and too honest. I have been guilty of this lately. Though that might cause me some problems I will take it over holding things in and lying any day. No, I'm still not perfect, but I am learning.

Sometimes I go too far.

A Measure of Me

2009-01-07T19:49:00.000-08:00

I came across a quote today that I had heard before but haven't thought about in a while. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said,

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and conveniences, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

and it seemed to resonate with me today differently than it had in the past. In the past I lived in comfort and convenience, today I feel like I am in the eye of the storm of challenge and controversy. My life has been far from perfect and anyone and everyone who knows me can tell at least one story of a "mistake" I have made. But, I am beginning to realize that my ultimate measurement is is that of a good man. I know that I can not change the way others see and perceive me. I can not change the fact that I have hurt people or let people down in the past. I can change what i do and what I think. I used to look at myself in the mirror and think how imperfect I am, and I am, but now I look in the mirror and see a heart that is sincere about being better everyday, being more caring and compassionate every day, being in tune with the ones I love. Most importantly, I know that I can face and overcome the greatest obstacles and challenges that appear before me.
Though I have not always been, I know and view myself to be an open and honest man. I feel like I have nothing to hide and no reason to hide anything. Yes, I feel shame for things I have done and for hurting people in the past but that is in the past and I have learned that I do not want to live that way or make those mistakes again. I might, but I will try with all my heart not to by keeping myself out of situations that present the opportunities to fall short of my goal.

A little better everyday, that's all I can try to do. I may have set backs along the way, but the goal does not change and neither does my value. some may measure me as a good man. Some may not. I recognize that I have left a lot of room for improvement. I just know that I will try with all the strength I can muster to be better tomorrow than I was today.

This is definitely a time of challenge for me. Sometimes I don't feel up to it, but I will not give up. I can not give up. The prize is just too damn important to me.

you never forget the first time

2009-01-04T19:09:00.000-08:00

Today is a big day in our house. Lily became a runner today. Today was the first time that she got to go for a run with Sadie and I. She did great. She ran 1.5 miles. I'm so proud of her.

Lily came to us in June. My mothers neighbor found her running the streets of New Orleans East, with no apparent home, and brought her to his house. But, He already has 2 full grown German Shepherds and his wife was about to give birth to a baby. The house was to crowded. K and I were staying at my moms house for an extra, unplanned, day. I'm glad we stayed, that's the first time we met Lily.

We wanted a second dog to keep Sadie company while we were gone. We figured it would be a good idea to get one during the summer so she would have plenty of time to get used to us before school started again. And, since we were moving into a bigger house with a huge yard the time just felt right.

The first night we had her we had our doubts. She wouldn't come near us and she wouldn't sleep. Of course not, she was in a strange environment with strange people. After a couple days she started sitting by us on the couch. Now, she tries to lay on me when I'm laying on the bed.

I assume she was about 4 months old when we got her. Now she would be around11 months, I guess. because it's been a little rainy I haven't let them out in the yard as much the last couple days. I could tell she was restless today. So, with a little over a mile left on my 8 mile run I went inside and put their leashes and harnesses on. I knew Sadie would run with me but wasn't sure about Lily. For the most part she did what Sadie did. It was the first time she ran with me and she did great.

She is still a nervous dog, and very shy, but she is a lot like me, getting better all the time. It has been great to watch her come out of her shell. Like her mom, K, she has a wonderful personality and it makes me happy to see it come out.

Lily is a great dog, in fact, she's an angel and I am so proud of her. I am proud of Lily and Sadie, and of their lady who brought them into my life.

Congratulations Lily, I look forward to many more of your firsts, and many more runs with you.

1-800...........

2008-12-28T15:09:00.000-08:00

Is it possible for me to run 190 miles in the next 3 days? Hells no! But, today is special because I went over the 800 mile mark for the year. After todays 16 miler I have officially logged 810 miles for the year. Though I will not be reaching my initial goal of 1000 I am very happy with what I have accomplished. I will set next years goal at either 1000 or maybe 1200, I'm not sure yet. I have just over a month until the marathon. I am very excited and confident but it still makes me nervous. I ran 20 miles last week but was short a marathon by 6 miles. I really need to make the next month count in terms of my workouts, rest, and nutrition. Starting today everything thing needs to be focused on how it will prepare me for the race. If it won't help me, I ain't doin it. That might be my new motto in life.

On the personal level I am doing fairly well. I am working to make myself a better version of me. I can sum it up in the words of a song by The Blind Boys of Alabama, "I ain't what I ought to be, but I'm better than I used to be, and I'm gettin' better all the time".

The important thing in life isn't to be perfect, it's to see where you can improve and do something about it. That's where I am right now, doing something about it. I know I can overcome the obstacles in my life. I've now got 810 reasons behind me to prove it.

He's going the distance....

2008-11-30T12:09:00.000-08:00

He's (not) going for speed.

I made it through 18 miles today. It took a little over 4 hours. I think I figured out the hydration/nutrition issue. that seems to have helped today. I still should have had a more energy producing dinner last night. I'm getting all the kinks worked out. However, my shoes are killing me. I went to the local running store earlier this week and they didn't have the shoes I want in my size so they ordered them for me. They New Nike Air Pegasus 25's should be in any minute now, I can't wait.

I crossed the 700 mile mark for the year. I'm now at 714 miles. Those of you who look at the stat tracker at the bottom of this page know that my goal was to get to 1000 miles, but it ain't gonna happen. But, I am happy that I will be able to break 800 miles(knock on wood). I'm averaging 25 miles a week with 4 1/2 weeks to go. that should put me around 830ish for the year.

On an unrelated note, this is the last day of my Thanksgiving break. I'm not looking forward to doing lesson plans tonight or going to school tomorrow. On the bright side, it's only 3 weeks till Christmas break. Christmas break means we're halfway to summer break( you gotta keep things in perspective). It's good to be a teacher

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. Thanks to my friends and family, I appreciate your efforts this week.

18 & life to go

2008-11-24T13:16:00.001-08:00

I don't know what happened, or why. Yesterday was my first attempt at 18 miles. I was very confident that I would be successful given how well 16 miles went last week. Maybe it was overconfidence, poor hydration, poor diet, lack of rest, old shoes, warmer temperatures, or the stresses of my life right now. I don't know what it was but I know that 18 miles just wasn't in me.

The first 5 were great. Maybe too great. I think I went out to fast and burned out. Alls I know is that after 11 miles everything on me hurt or felt weak. I made it through 12 miles then started to walk. I don't know why I stopped running, but once I stopped I couldn't get started again. I was about 3 miles from home at this point so I walked it in. I guess I could say I did a total of 15, but I didn't. I died at 12.

Paula Radcliffe, I promise I won't make fun of you pulling out of the marathon in Athens anymore. I totally feel your pain.

I'm supposed to do 20 this Sunday. I'm gonna set my goal for 18 and if I'm not dead at the end of 18 I'll keep going. Among other things in my life this is a major blow to my confidence. I can already feel myself putting too much pressure on my upcoming 18/20 mile run.
Right now I'm just gonna try to focus on one step at a time, eventually those steps will add up. I wish it was as easy as it sounds.
It amazes me how running can be a metaphor for life. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other and eventually you'll get somewhere, I hope.

As well as I can remember, "18 & life to go" was recorded by the band Skid Row sometime in the early 90's. I think.

Sweet 16

2008-11-16T09:40:00.000-08:00

This morning I ran 16 miles in 3 hours 28 minutes (13 minutes per mile) and I didn't puke or die. Yea Me!

I'm not a man of many words....

2008-11-09T07:31:00.000-08:00

.... So I'll let the picture speak for itself.

I take it as a compliment

2008-11-02T19:19:00.000-08:00

Over the years I have had people say some pretty nice things in regards to my running. But, I think the nicest, or at least the one I like the best, happened on Thursday. I have a neighbor a couple doors down that gets home from work about 30 minutes after I do. I usually change and get ready for my runs as soon as I get home so just as I'm starting my run he pulls up to his house. He always says "hi" or waves, but Thursday as he was passing by he slowed down and said, with a smile on his face, "do you ever stop running"? All I could do was laugh. I know that I give people that I don't know nicknames, like "shirtless Joe" who lives across the street (you can guess why he gets that name). I wonder if they give me names like "The running guy" or " the idiot with the Alabama flag" or something like that.

I would be OK with either one of those names.

At any rate, it made me feel good that someone thinks I run a lot. I usually run about 25 miles per week, which I think is good. Which brings me to the story of today's run. Last Sunday I ran 12 miles in about 2 hours 50 minutes. I was very happy about that. But all week I've been thinking that I need to be running a little faster. So in my workouts I have picked up the pace slightly. Today I was to do a 14 mile run. I did the first 10 miles with no problems, 2 hours 5 minutes. That is a 10 mile personal record for me. My overall goal was to do the 14 in under 3 hours. I was cruising, then it went down hill in a hurry. At about mile 10.5 I developed a sharp pain in my right hip. I tried to run trough it but it was like having someone hammering a railroad spike with every step. I stopped and stretched and then continued at a much slower pace just wanting to finish. I hobbled and stretched till the 13Th mile, which happens to be right in front of my house. I decided that I had just completed a half-marathon and that I had never done 13 miles before, I counted it as a victory. I did walk the last mile. I got to 13 miles in 2:40:30. I was able to walk in the final mile at 2:59:36. Goal accomplished, I guess.

It seems as though my sciatic nerve was not happy with me today. I had this same problem when I first started delivering water. But after a couple months of lugging bottles I got a bit stronger and the problem went away. Hopefully that will happen again.

Sciatic problems are truly a pain in the @$$.

I also but an iPod shuffle today, I'll let you know how that turns out.

On top of ol' smokey

2008-10-12T15:44:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share a couple of pictures with you. And believe it or not, there are no pictures of the dogs. Nope, I take it back, Sadie is in the background of the 1st picture.

A couple of weeks ago I finally got a smoker. I went with the gas variety thinking that it would be the easiest way to maintain a steady temperature. I think I was right. I found one at Albertsons in BR. When I first saw it it was marked down to $99. I was gonna go back and get it. I happened to be there again a week or 2 later and saw that it was marked down for final clearance, $69. I think the original price was $149, so I am very pleased with the deal I got.

I decided that my first experiment would have to be spare ribs, my favorite. But, since this thing has such a high capacity I also threw in a salmon filet. I did my prep work on the ribs the night before, created a rub from the "stuff" I could find in the cabinet, and let time, heat, and hickory smoke do their thing. The result: pretty good, not yet great but pretty good. Even K-Love, who is not a ribs person, said she thought they were good and had a second helping. I plan to make ribs my specialty, I've still got lots of work to do. The salmon was good also but he ribs, mmmm, the ribs!

In an unrelated story. I find my neighborhood to be very nice and the people seem pretty friendly. EXCEPT for my neighbor. I have tried several times to wave and say hi but she doesn't seem to want return the effort. Now, I'm from the kind of place where one neighbor coaches the other neighbors kids in Little League or one neighbor brings former New York Mets first basemen and Alabama Alum Dave Magadan over to say hello and sign an autograph (true, I wasn't home but our neighbor did bring him over, pretty freakin' cool, I know). So I'm really not used to having stand-offish neighbors. She also has an LSU flag hanging on her carport, like most people here in Capital City. But, come Saturday she unleashes her giant inflatable LSU helmet.

Now, I have no problem with school spirit, in fact, I love school spirit. As my loyal readers may recall, I have even decided to stop saying negative things about LSU. BUT, this lady has waged war with her incivility and giant purple and yellow dirigible. So, I went on-line and ordered my self an Alabama banner to hang outside. I think of my self as a pretty classy guy so I only fly it on Saturday, I fly my American flag the other 6(as you might expect from a civics teacher).

I don't plan to buy anything inflatable for the yard at this point, but I have scoped a few things out on the net. Just in case. Maybe K and I should invite her over for some BBQ ribs on November 8Th* so that we can "make peace". Just a thought

*Nov 8, LSU vs. Alabama

Me? A morning person?

2008-10-04T15:01:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me well, and has known me for a while can tell you some sort of story about my "dis-agreement" with mornings. My sister could tell you about the time when she was 6 and tried to wake me up on a Saturday morning and I kicked her in the head. No, it wasn't on purpose, she tickled my foot to wake me, I never opened my eyes, shook my leg to stop her and WHAM! little kid crying on the floor.

My Dad could tell you about me stumbling out of bed on the weekends just in time for breakfast, or lunch as they called it.

My mom can tell you that during my college years she learned to never, ever, ever, call before 10 AM. If I did answer the phone, it was like talking to a wall. If!

But that was a long time ago. Since moving back to Louisiana in 2003 I have found reasons to wake up before the Sun.

First, My job at Abita Springs Water. Up at 5:30, to work at 6. Hauling water by 6:30.

Second, Raytheon-warehouse support. Up at 5:30, commute 50 minutes, at work by 6:30.

Third, living in BR, commuting to school in NOLA. 8:00 classes so I woke up at 5:30, left the house by 5:45. Catch major traffic in Kenner, get to class 10 minutes before 8.

Fourth, Teaching. School starts at 7:20. Teachers must report by 7:05. It takes me 30 minutes to get there. So, I usually get up between 5:30 and 6.

I say all that to say this(that's for you biddy). My running has been suffering lately. I feel very tired when I get home everyday. That makes my workout runs very un-enjoyable. Thus, I have shortened and skipped several runs lately. I usually get up at 6:30 on Sundays to do my long runs. That got me to thinking that maybe I should do my runs in the morning before work. The problem is that I would have to get up at 4AM. I am not really happy with that idea. But, I have a half marathon in late November and a full marathon February 1st. They are not gonna run themselves.

My eating habits have also been out of control lately. Basically I eat whatever whenever. This does not help the workout program at all.

So, Wednesday night I decided to set my alarm for 4:30 AM. I figured that I would make the decision to run or not when the alarm went off. The alarm never went off. Instead, Sadie decided that she wanted to wake up and start her day at 4AM. I tried briefly to get her to go back to sleep. But, I know her so well that I knew it wasn't gonna happen. I realized that I wasn't going back to sleep anytime soon so I might as well get up and run. I got up, got dressed(white shirt and white shorts), Put on my miners headlamp flashlight, and turned one of Sadie's reflective collars into a reflective belt.

After a sip of go-go juice(gatorade) and half a granola bar I turn on my headlight(singular) and I'm on my way. The goal for the day is 3 miles, just to see if I can get up and see how I feel later in the day. The run itself is pretty uneventful. My body woke up pretty quickly. But, given the early hour I found myself in an unexpected race. A race againt the little white light. Though the street lights did a good job of lighting the way I found mysel running in and out of darkness. As I ran into the dark spots the light from my headlamp, a small circle about 6 feet ahead of me showed me the way. It was the first time in several months that I have run without my MP3 player. For all my precautions I was passed by not a single car and saw no one. Not a single dog bark. It's an odd feeling to be out in the middle of the city and feel so alone. It's also odd to run without seeing the road beneath you. You quickly learn to trust your bodies natural abilities and instincts. My feet and ankles, legs and joints adjusted to each foot fall, my body finding its natural rhythm and seeming to float through the miles. It was a beautiful experience. Knowing what I know now makes me wonder if I should do it again. It's never as beautiful the second time.

But, I know that I feel better when I run. I know that I run better in the morning. So, on Tuesday's and Thursdays I will be, or at least attempt to be, getting up at four to go running. I felt fine during the day on Thursday but a bit sluggish on Friday. I'm gonna have to figure out a sleep pattern.

So now, not only do I wake up before mother nature, but I will be going to sleep at supper time. What's next? taking K-love to get the Denny's early-bird special at 3pm, then to bed after Entertainment Tonight.?

I don't know how this is gonna turn out, I'll keep you posted.

I'm so tired, I haven't slept a wink

2008-09-26T18:40:00.000-07:00

I have been tired a lot lately but have managed to get a lot done both at home and at work. I got the Malibu working(not that you knew it wasn't). got a lot of the tree out of the back yard(the Gustav tree that is), and I bought a new Lawn mower yesterday, because the old one was becoming a pain in my @$$.

I cut the grass today, the new mower is freakin' awesome. It's a Troy-Bilt 190cc (6.75 something or others) push mower. It has a hell of a lot more power than the old mower(I use the term hell for emphasis, this thing's a beast).

But, it took me almost 2 hours to get home from work today, it usually takes 30 minutes. Therefore, instead of finishing the yard at 5:15 or 5:30, I didn't finish till 7:00. Not exactly how I like to spend my Friday evening. Then I threw burgers on the grill and we are currently watching the Presidential debate. Big fun on a Friday night.

Tomorrow we're taking Lily to the vet. She's been limping lately and we wanna get it checked out. Then at noon I'm helping one of my podna's move. And in the PM I'll be glued to the BAMA/UGA game. Luckily, we still have the big screen, yea!

Sunday, me and big brother are heading to the big greezy for the Saints/49er's game. So, I won't be able to work on lesson plans until Sunday evening. Not to mention that I'll be waking up at 6am Saturday and Sunday to get my runs in. So, I don't guess I'll be getting much rest this weekend. At least I won't be bored.

The title is a line from the Beatles song "I'm so tired" on the "white album". As a side note, the official title of that album is "the Beatles" But it has come to be known as "the white album." Not to be outdone, in the 1990's, Metallica released an album with a black picture on a black background. It's official title is "Metallica", but it is know as the "black album". Is it their homage to the fab four? have no idea, but it is an interesting parallel. Well, interesting to me, at least.

500 club

2008-09-20T11:11:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends. It's been a while since we last chatted. We survived the hurricane. We went with out power for about a week and a half. Even worse than that, we went with out cable for 3 weeks. But, we got it back yesterday. My mother evacuated to our house for the hurricane and brought her big screen TV with her. she is in Hawaii this week so I get to keep it, with cable, for at least one more week. She also left he Wii. Yes, I have already hooked it up to the big screen.

My running has suffered the last 2 weeks. I have been really tired lately, probably because of the crap I've been eating lately and the lack of sleep. So, I've been taking it easy and will start hitting it hard this week. Tomorrow is supposed to be 11 miles. I think I will scale it back to 8 or 9.
The 10 mile race I have been training for has been cancelled due to hurricane issues(Middendorfs, the host restaurant, is right on Lake Pontchartrain). So, I don't have a tune up race for the half marathon in November. I think I will continue my current plan and just have a one man race that day.

One spot of good running news. I hit the 500 mile mark this morning. My goal is to run 1000 miles this year, I am now half way there. Woo-Hoo! It's taken 8 1/2 months to do 500. I don't know if I can do another 500 in 3 1/2 months. But, I'm not giving up yet.

On the career front. I think I just had my best week as a teacher. I, for the first time, felt truly confident in my abilities to teach, motivate, and support my students. I like the way that feels. I know I will face some ups and downs this year and in my career, but right now, I feel good.

There is some other stuff I've been wanting to blog about but I don't remember what right now. But I did by a smoker today. I'm sure there will be many BBQ/smoker posts in the future as I master various techniques. Till then.......

And I think to myself....

2008-09-10T10:14:00.000-07:00

The electricity is back on at our house. Woo-hoo! I can't wait to sleep in my own bed and sleep an hour later. The drive fro "the Dell" to Capital City is a B-otch. Now, we just need to clean all the debris in the yard and do some cleaning inside and we can restore a senses of "normalcy" to our lives.

Normalcy happens to be one of my least favorite words. I don't remember ever hearing the word before 9-11. It was used to exhaustion after Katrina. and now I wish it would fade away. I've been trying to come up with a new word to replace it but haven't found the perfect word just yet. Though I am currently leaning towards normalociticiousness. Just a thought.

The other word that I don't care for is wherewithal. Ray Nagin used this word at least 27 bazillion times after Katrina and used it in full force during Gustav as well. I don't recall ever hearing this word before Katrina, but it is possible that it's just because I have a small vocabulary. Or, a low measure of vocabulariousness.

But enough about words for now, I have electricity. Now, if I only had cable. "What a wonderful world this would be."

You may recognize the title as a line from the Louis Armstrong classic "What a wonderful world". The last line of the post is from the 1960 Sam Cooke tune "what a wonderful world(this would be)". Both of which you can find on our old friend youtube.

"I see hurricanes a-blowin"

2008-09-07T09:26:00.001-07:00

Stupid Gustav has totally messed up the routine I was getting into. Work was going well. My training was going well. Then, big ole stupid-headed Gustav had to knock down trees in my yard and devastate BR. The parentals evacuated to my house. Luckily, their house(which had 6 1/2 feet of water after Katrina) didn't even lose power this time. So, after living in our powerless house for a day after the storm we relocated to their house. It feels like we are playing musical houses at this point. Bad news: its suppoesd to take 14 -21 days to get pwer restored to my neighborhood. No Bueno!

I have missed a week of work(because schools are closed) and am supposed to go back tomorrow. I guess we'll be making a 2 hour commute each way everyday until power is restored to our neighborhood. By the way, Entergy reported that our neighborhood was the hardest hit in BR, just my luck.

Good news today that they are going to begin working on restoring power to my neighborhood today. But, given the massive amounts of destruction, I don't expect to have power for several more days.

I have had to adjust my running schedule slightly but have still gotten my workouts in. I miss running in my hood. Running here in moms hood seems so dreary and tedious. Not that its a bad hood, it just isn't home.

And if all this isn't enough, Hurricane Ike looks like it's heading this way too, Wonderful!

We did get to see some of K-love's family Saturday so at least some good came out of it. And, Sadie and Lily have become fast friends with the dogs across the street from the parents.

Today is the opening game for 5the saints. Kickoff is in 20 minutes so I gotta finish this post soon. I am more excited about this football season, college and pro, than I have been the last several years. I'm looking in to getting a smoker so that I can enjoy football and bbq on the weekends. But, I can't decide which smoker I want.

Well, I guess that's enough for today. Hopefully I'll be home soon. I'll keep you posted.

Cloud 9 part 2, and 25 or 6 to 4 other things of interest

2008-08-24T13:03:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I feel like my life is all about numbers. My running right now is going well, but I feel like I live for the old mileage chart. I love adding up the new miles on the way to my upcoming race and raising the number on the counter at the bottom of this page. I am obsessed with knowing how many miles it is around the neighborhood. I have 3 different 3 mile loops. I've got a mile, a 1.5 mile, a 4 mile, and a 7 mile loop. But what I did not have was an accurate measurement before last weeks 9 mile run. As it turns out, each of my 3 mile loops was actually 3.4 miles. So, after 3 loops I racked up 10.2 miles, not 9. I was very happy about this revelation. For starters, that's an extra mile I get to add to my tally. Second, It means I was running a faster pace than I thought, About 12:30 per mile as to 14:00(roughly). Third, I actually did ten miles. That gave me extra confidence going into this mornings run.

I got up at 5:50 AM and was out the door by 6:20. The first bands of tropical storm Fay arrived early this morning so it was sprinkling when I started. It sprinkled the entire duration going between a light drizzle a moderate rain. Luckily, there was no lightning. I don't really mind running in the rain as long as I don't have to worry about being fried by 1.21 jigawatts of electricity. The rain actually helped keep me cool and there was a bit of a breeze, because of the tropical storm, remember. I made it through 9 miles today in 1 hour and 58 minutes. My goal was to do it in less than 2 hours. Thus, today I am the greatest runner ever on the south side of my street between the stop sign and the house with the LSU flag and the little white ceramic bunny in the yard.

A FEW OTHER POINTS
1. My new job is going great. I am teaching civics. I have 3 classes of all freshman and 2 classes that are a mixture of repeaters and transfers(ranging from grades 9-12). For the most part, I really like the kids. There are probably only one or two kids that I see any "major" potential problems with. The administration is great. That have been totally supportive and are always offering to help, I just haven't found anything for them to help with yet. Finally, the faculty is awesome. The other teachers have been super friendly and have been very helpful. I gotta give mad props to the crew of newbies, we all hit it off really well and that has made the transition to this school easier for us all.

2. K-love starts school tomorrow at big ole' state U. She is excited and I am excited for her. I am even considering wearing the State U. shirt that has been sitting in the bottom of my closet for the past year as a show of solidarity. I have given up saying bad things about the school, but I haven't quite begun saying good things yet.

3. I am sad that the Olympics are over. I look forward to them for 4 years then they come and go so quickly. One good thing about them being finished is that I won't have to see Michael Phelps face for a while. Damn endorsements, he'll still be all over my TV for at least the next six months. Good bye baseball and softball. I am sad to see you go. I don't know who you pissed off to get kicked out but the least you could have done is take syncrhonized swimming and diving with you. I also think they should combine judo, karate, and taekwondo with fencing and the shooting event to create a new "ninja skills" category. That would be awesome, but I imagine it would also be hard to see what was happening given that they are NINJAS!!!!!

Cloud 9- a wonderful song by R&B legends the Temptations
25 or 6 to 4- Hard grooving track by the group Chicago, with some tight horn parts. Very akin to songs like "Spinning Wheel" and "Vehicle". But I'm to lazy to look up who sang those songs

Cloud 9

2008-08-21T10:22:00.001-07:00

The Manchac 10 mile run is coming up in about 7 weeks. This is one my measuring posts on my way to the Mardi Gras Marathon Feb. 1st. As part of my training I do a long run on Sunday mornings. I am happy to announce that this past Sunday I set a new personal record. I ran 9 miles without stopping. It took me 2 hours and 15 minutes to do, but I did it. I felt surprisingly good afterwards. I had run 7 or 8 miles several times before, but something about 9 just seemed really far. My training guide(that I printed of of runnersworld.com) says I am to run 9 miles again this weekend. I feel confident in getting it done and feel like I can even pick up the tempo a step or two.

Yes, I was a bit sore on Monday, but not as much as I expected. One of the nicest things about the long run is that it adds a big jump in mileage. For those of you who have not noticed, there is a tracker at the bottom of this page keeps up with how many miles I have run this year. I love putting in the Sunday mileage. It makes it look like i really did something substantial. Well, after doing it I would definitely call 9 miles substantial. On the down side, I only ran one third of a marathon. I've still got a long way to go.

Ps.I had a great time at the cookout Sunday. K and all were glad y'all came over. I hope the grilling was to your liking and we definitely like the idea of the mountains or anything having to do with Alaska.

My favorite time of every four years.

2008-08-12T17:30:00.000-07:00

I love the Olympics! I love the spectacle and the fact that competitors face off against the best the world has to offer in each sport. I love the history of the games and the great moments of Olympiads past. I love the Images of John Carlos and Tommy smith with their gloved fists raised in the air. I love watching video of a barefoot Abebe Bikila winning the marathon in 1964. Just weeks ago I finished Jeremy Schapp's book Triumph, that tells the story off Jesse Owens and his great showing in Berlin in 1936.

Yes, I actually woke up at 5:30AM on a Saturday to watch they Olympic marathon trials. I can not wait for the track and field(aka trackfield) portion to begin Friday. k and I have been watching a lot of the swimming and gymnastics, but it is the track events that I really love.
I'm not real big on the events where the competitors are judged(like diving and gymnastics). It's not that I don't appreciate the sports, it's just that I don't like the subjective scoring system. I favor races where the first one from here to there wins. Or, whoever lifts the most weight wins, or whoever throws this big rock the farthest wins.

Please don't misunderstand me. I think that gymnasts and divers are great athletes. I am especially impressed by the guys on the rings. Those guys are freakin' amazing. I don't think I could ever do what they do. It's just that it's hard for me to say that one guy is better than the other. I understand that there is a criteria that judges use to judge them. But its just that, a judgement. It's opinion, and for some reason that bothers me.

Now I have a new least favorite Olympic sport, synchronized diving. I mean, are you kidding me? How did this get to be an Olympic sport? Did someone say"hey man, you know what would be totally rad? what if instead of you doing that dive by yourself, we did it together?"
Whoever said that needs a smack in the back of the head.

I love the Olympics but some of the sports are out of control. I originally made list of events that should be removed. I deleted it. I don't want to judge those events. Those athletes work hard and as a runner, I appreciate and understand the hard work that they out in. I understand the sacrifices they make to be the best in there sport. So, I wish them well. It's not their fault that there sport is in the Olympics. It is a blessing for them and I fully support the struggle that leads to the triumph. So, here to the Olympians. I may not like or understand what you do. But I know it means the world to you, so show the world your best. You've earned the right to compete. Right here, right now.

What if...

2008-07-25T15:44:00.000-07:00

Often, when K and I are driving places, I start asking what if questions. For example, what if you were stranded on a desert island and only one food grew on that island. What would you want that food to be? Or, what if you had to choose between Sadie and Lily, who would you choose? Or, If you were exiled from the U.S. and had to move to another country, where would it be? I think you get the drift.

Today, while running errands, I think I came up with the toughest question I have ever asked(yes, even tougher than choosing between Elvis or the Beatles).
The question is: if you could put together the greatest rock band ever, who would be in it?

You must choose,
1. A lead singer
2. A guitar player
3. A bass player
4. A drummer
5. if you want, you can also choose a keyboard player.

BUT, you can only choose one member from an existing band. For example, I could not choose Eddie Van Halen and Alex Van Halen because they are in the same band. However, you can choose a former member of a band if that person is no longer with the band. For example, I could choose Eddie Van Halen and Sammy Hagar because Sammy is currently not in the band. But I could not choose David Lee Roth and Eddie because Roth is now touring with Van Halen.
Hopefully the rules are not to confusing.

Currently, my lineup is as follows

1. Drummer- Alex van Halen (Van Halen),
2. Bass- John Paul Jones (Led Zepplin) or Living I would choose Sting
3. Guitar- Jimi Hendrix, Living I would choose Eric Clapton(since I can't pick Eddie)
4. Lead Singer- Mick Jagger(The Rolling Stones)
5. Keyboards- Billy Preston( the 5th Beatle) or living I would choose Art Neville

Who Would you choose?

Take Two!

2008-07-21T17:10:00.001-07:00

Sunday morning, 5:30 AM. We woke up, got dressed, loaded the cooler, and hit the road. It took right around an hour to get to Norco. We were happy to see other cars pulling into a parking area at the spillway. As it turns out, there were around 1500 runners in the race this year. The course was just over 3 miles. The first mile and a half was on top of the levee. Even at 8 AM it was hot and the Sun was brutal. Naturally, it was humid as hell. I wanted to start a little slow and pick up speed at the end. looking back, this was not the race to do that. When the race turned off the levee and down into the woods the trail quickly narrowed to about 2-3 feet wide. That made it very hard, if not impossible, to pass people. We were basically running single file through the woods. I kept thinking of the Creedence Clearwater Revival song "Run Through the Jungle". Well, to make a long story short, I won the race. As you can see from the picture, I smoked the competition. I'm just kidding. The winner finished the race in about 15 minutes and some change. I finished about 20 minutes behind him.
It was a lot of fun running through the woods. I figured I would get pretty muddy, but it's been pretty dry this week. There was only one big mud hole, I went around it. I heard several people saying that it's a lot more fun when it's sloppy. I suppose I will run it again next year, hopefully in the mud.
A few side notes. first of all, Voodoo BBQ was giving away pork sandwiches afterwards. That was a huge letdown. There was no sauce to add to the meat and it really needed it. Also, there was no water being handed out after the race, or at least I couldn't find it. Luckily, there were Pepsi products. I prefer Pepsi so that was good. But, they were pouring it from 2 liters into little paper cups. It had no fizz, not cool.
All in all it was a good morning. K and I got free Phidipidees t-shirts(I am a shameless build board, give me a shirt with your name and I'll wear it). But, Sunday I was supposed to do a 7 mile long run as part of my training for the 10 mile race in Oct. So I ran 2 more miles when I got home. Then, a quick shower and back to bed. Well, I hoped you enjoyed my story. Have a great day.

Pre-race warmup!

2008-07-19T14:23:00.000-07:00

Those of you who ready this blog frequently may remember that I was going to run the "spillway classic" trail run today. Would you like to hear how it went? Well, it went as follows.
Last night, Friday night, I was excited about about the race so I laid out what I was going to wear. Knowing that I would probably get muddy I packed a bag of extra clothes and a towel. Everything was set so that we could get up at 5:30 and special-K and I could be out the door at 6:00 AM. We went to sleep a little later than planned but I actually slept until 5 minutes before the clock went off. I was "woked up" by Sadie's leg kicking me in the bladder. I think she was having some sort of dream of chasing a cat or squirrel(the other white meat). At any rate, her leg was a' twitchin'. Naturally I got up before the alarm. after taking care of something I laid back in bed for 2 minutes till the alarm went off.
I had no problem getting up. I brushed the old tooth, sort of brushed some of my hairs, deodorized myself and headed to the extra bed room where I had my clothes laid out. While I was getting dressed, K was doing the same plus making herself some coffee. She got ready and with coffee in hand headed for the computer to check any e-mails that may have rolled in since we last checked. I loaded up a cooler with Gatorade and some granola type bars and we were about ready to go. I went into the computer room to say that it was time to go and to get the brochure for the race which included the directions. I looked at the cover, then at my digital watch. I noticed that the race was for 8 AM, we had 2 hours to get there. That would be plenty of time. Then I noticed that the race was on July 20th. Today is the 19th. The friggin' race is tomorrow.
Needless to say I have felt like an idiot all day.
K tried to go back to sleep but since she had already put the java into her system it took a while. I figured that since I was already dressed and very aggravated I may as well go for a run. I did 3.5 miles at a decent pace. I got back home and showered, laid on the bed and we finally fell back asleep. We probably napped from 7:15-9:00Am. Then we woke up and had a great breakfast of eggs, bacon, and biscuits which powered us on a hot garage sale binge. Sad news, no good deals. But, we did get a great deal on some metal star string lights at Big Lots. Before the 4th of July they were $9.00, today they were$.90. That's right, 90% off. we bought 3 boxes.
Looking back I guess this hasn't been the worst day ever. Seriously, 90% off. That's Awesome and you know it!
I'll let you know tomorrow or Monday how the race turns out.

The Woofer & Lil' Bit Show

2008-07-15T15:59:00.000-07:00

I'll let this masterpiece speak for itself, enjoy!

It hurts, it hurts!

2008-07-13T13:04:00.000-07:00

Right now I am not sure why I run. I was supposed to do a 7 mile run today. I got up a little after 7 and slowly got dressed. At about 7:45 I headed out the door. I haven't run anything close to 7 miles since I ran 6 miles at the crescent city classic way back in April. Since then my longest run has only been about 3 miles, and that was a month ago. But, since I started a new training program and it said that I am supposed to run 7 miles, i was gonna run 7 miles. My plan was to run(slowly) the first 3.5 and then do a combination of running and walking the second 3.5. I mapped out a 3.5 mile loop last night.

So I started running and the first 3.5 I felt pretty good. I thought to myself, "this isn't bad at all". Then came the second half. When I started the second half I was a little tired. But, I kept running(slowly). Then I thought to myself that I still had a long way to go so to prevent hurting myself I should do the smart thing and take a walk break. The one thing I definitely don't need to do right now is hurt myself. So, I walked a little and ran a little. But, every time I walked, it got harder to start running. Luckily I have pretty good will power. Nonetheless, It was hard to run after walking. Looking back, I think it was the right thing to do. I may have been able to run all 7 miles but if for some reason I would have not been able to do it, then it probably would have lessened my confidence.

I made it the whole 7, actually 7.2 miles. I am proud of my self not only for doing it but also being smart enough to not kill myself by running the whole thing. Wow! I actually used my brain, good for me.

Now that might seem like a feel good story to you, but I ain't done yet. When I got back to the house I was pretty tired, my legs and feet were very tired. The lady next store was outside cutting her grass. My grass wasn't terribly high but I was planning on cutting it in the next couple days. K-love was inside cleaning the house, mostly the messes that lie in my wake, so I figured that I might as well at least cut the front yard since I was already sweaty. I did cut the grass. I started around 10 am and finished around noon, not exactly the coolest part of the day. Now my legs are killing me, my feet absolutely hate my guts, and my whole body in general just isn't pleased with me. On the other hand, the yard looks nice, but the back will have to wait till tomorrow. That makes me think that my yard is like a mullet, short and neat in the front, long in the back, or as they say,"business in the front, party in the rear".

I don't know why I tell these stories but I hope someone, somewhere gets a chuckle.
I am supposed to do another 7 mile run next Sunday but I am going to run in the spillway classic trail run on Saturday. That's 3 miles so I'll probably just do 4 miles on Sunday, maybe 5 if I feel like a bad-ass, and I never feel like a bad-ass.

Oh yeah, I found out that there is a group that runs 3 miles every Tuesday night. That meet at Happy's Irish pub in Baton Rouge. There run starts and ends at Happy's to be followed by 2-for1 pints till 10pm. Sounds like my kind of crowd, except for the beer thing. Maybe they have an excellent Irish root beer on tap. I'll let you know.

The Mouse and the House

2008-07-07T07:32:00.000-07:00

Wow, I'm actually sitting still long enough to update the blog. It has been a busy month for us and with school starting in a month I think I better do some hardcore relaxing. OK, I wont really be relaxing this month but I will definitely be slowing down.

Here's what has been going on.May 31st was my last day at Down the Bayou High School, it was also the day that we dropped Sadie off at puppy prison for a 10 day stint. I tried to think of it as a doggy hotel but face it, she was locked up in a little cage all day, that's a prison. But,we couldn't bring her to Disney world with us so it had to be done. That's right, we went to Disney World. We drove from the bayou to the north shore, Dropped off the head(Sadie that is) through our stuff in the Camry, waited 2 hours for the old man to get home from work, then headed east stopping to sleep somewhere around Tallahassee. Woke up the next morning and had a wonderful breakfast at the local "Po' Folks". Now that's my kinda place. We proceeded to Orlando, Where moms rented a house in a nice little resort community. Luckily it was a big house because there was a total of 14 of us staying there. We visited Disney's Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios(formerly mgm studios) and Universal studios. It was quite hot but quite fun. It was great having Bix roll with us for a couple days. We swam at the house and I even went running a couple days around the neighborhood. But, With all the walking we were doing the running was just a drop in the exercise bucket. I think I lost about 5 pounds on the trip. I have reclaimed my lost poundages since returning. There were lots of fun moments but the singular moment that stands out in my head is definitely Bix singing Ring of Fire at Karaoke. I'll never hear that song the same way, it was awesome.

When we got back we got back to Sportsman's Paradise we stayed an extra day on the North shore, The guy who lives across the street from the parents works in The Big Easy and rescued a puppy he found wandering the streets. But since he already has two full grown German Shepherds and a baby on the way, his wife said he couldn't keep it. K-love fell in love with it and now our family has grown to be a quartet.

The reason we stayed the extra day was that we had to cruise up to Capital city to close on a house. After signing my name 600,000 times they handed over the keys. We proceed to our new house and I made sure the plumbing was up to standard(if'n yo know whats I's sayin').

We then went back to the bayou, Packed and loaded the truck, and relocated, with the help of Keithy, Jules, Butch(my Dad), and DJ Woofer(my brother), to Capital City.Since arriving we have built a fence which was more difficult than originally planned because the ground here is like concrete. We painted the kitchen, dining room, and living room. We got a new bed(yippee). And other little odds and ends. We have more that we plan to do but were gonna take a little break for now, at least until next payday. Mad props to Tom and Jeri, The Indianians, and K-Renee on the fence job.

I also found a job. I was offered a civics position at Dutchtown High School. I am excited about being a Griffin. First I have to figure out exactly what a griffin is. I have attended some meetings and am about to start planning for the upcoming year.

I haven't run in about a month. So, 2 days ago I started training again. The 2 runs that I have gone on have felt pretty good. Although I am not nearly where I want to be in my fitness I feel like I will be progressing pretty rapidly. Starting to day I am on a 14 week training plan to prepare for a local 10 mile race in October. After that I will start a 16 week training program for the Mardi Gras Marathon on Feb. 1st. Well, I guess that brings you up to speed on us and since I'm not used to sitting in one place long enough to write something this long my bum is starting to hurt. I guess that means this post is over.

But don't worry, I've got plenty more to tell you about over the next couple of days.

Pictures of Lily!

2008-06-29T10:28:00.001-07:00

For those who have not heard, our family is now a quartet. About two weeks ago we brought home a 4 month old female German Shepherd mix. Her name is Lily. No, she is not named after the flower. I got the name from the song "pictures of Lily" by The Who. At any rate, here are some pictures of Lily

It's hot in Florida.

2008-06-06T17:44:00.001-07:00

We are currently enjoying our vacation here in central Florida. It is a bit warm but we're used to that. I just wanted to let everyone know that we are still alive. I'll be writing a post or 2 when we get back. But now I must get back to my margarita/pina-colada/teqila sunrise/whiskey sour/gin & juice/sex-on-the-beach/mudslide/martini. That's right, I'm on vacation!

Reese's Pieces!

Clarification

2008-05-18T19:08:00.001-07:00

I just want to make sure that those of you who read my previous post understand that I am not "dis-ing" Louisiana as a whole. I was referring specifically to the Bayou Lafourche/Terrebonne region. There are many things I love about La, in fact, right now I am thinking about how much I love the ribs at the Tin Roof BBQ restaurant in Natchitoches(Nack- a- tish). So, before I get banished to a distant land let me say that this place ain't so bad. I'm looking forward to living in capital city. I'm planning on buying T-shirts for all of the state universities opponents this year and wearing each weeks opponents shirts everyday leading up to the game(yes, I will wash them, maybe). But, I will probably not miss living down the bayou. Though I would rather live down the bayou than in Lacombe(AKA. LaCompton).

THE END IS NEAR!

2008-05-12T07:45:00.000-07:00

Actually, It's 13 days away. 13 more days until summer vacation. It's been a long time since I had a summer vacation. I completed the program at UNO in 3 1/2 years because i went to summer school and intersession every summer. So, for the last 4 years I've had no REAL summer vacation to speak of. This summer I plan to do a lot of nothing, a lot of running, a lot of reading, and a lot of sleeping.

But, 1st I have to surive these last 13 days of school. The students are ready to get out, and so are the teachers. Several teachers are already shifting into shut-down mode. I'm not quite shutting down yet but we are definately slowing down. I have outlined the plan for the last two weeks and the students have agreed to it. I am giving them a lot of rope here and I can tell that several of them are going to hang themselves with it. So, I will remind them everyday about the plan and the best way to reach the goal of passing this class. But, they know that it is their responsibility to "get 'er done".

And so, my time on the bayou is coming to a close. Here is a short list of the things I like and dislike about the place.

Likes:

1. I'm never cold, it's freakin hot here

2. no traffic, cause ther's no where to go

3. I see more wild life, alligators, snakes, etc

4. lot's of fried seafood

Dislikes:

1. I'm never cold, it's freakin hot here

2. There's nowhere to go, at least there's no traffic

3. The increased chances of being attacked by wildlife, alligators, snakes, etc.

4. lot's of fried seafood, in fact, everything is fried here, my heart is shutting down. I never thought I would actaully crave a salad.

INK!

2008-04-21T19:09:00.000-07:00

OK, it's quiz time. What do you think the tatoo on my arm represents. Think, but not to hard, it may be easier than you think. Especially if you know me well.

No, it's not real. It's just sharpie on my arm. Then again, sharpie is a permanent marker so who knows how long it might be with me.

The winner of this contest gets 1,000,000 bonus points on the next test.

Still going, and going, and going...

2008-04-13T12:05:00.000-07:00

As many of you may or may not have known, I like to think that I am a runner. I don't think I am a great runner, but I do run. I absolutely love it and wish I had more time to designate to it. I remember thinking ,back when I was in high school (1989-1993), that people who ran for the sake of running were crazy, or stupid. A friend of mine who lived in the neighborhood was on the cross country team and tried to get me to do a few runs with him. I think my initial dislike of long distance running was his fault. We ran about a 1/4 mile at a pace I could handle, then this fool says, "let's pick it up a little". Needless to say I got smoked. I tried to keep up but had to stop in order to keep my lungs from climbing outside of my body to get more oxygen. Perhaps if I had just ran a quarter mile that day and then ran a little further the next day I could have biult up some endurance and enjoyed the sport way back when. So, a few years passed and I stayed in shape(I use the term loosely) by playing basketball mostly with the occaisional flag football game and such mixed in. My next attempt at running came as a result of a less that perfect relationship. You see, I was dating this girl, and it suffices to say that we dated longer than we should have, During the last couple of months a felt trapped by this brood of vipers and was looking for a way to have some time to myself. One day, in order to get some peace and hopefully relieve some stress, I said "dear, sweet, kind, wonderful one(probably not my exact words), I think I need to get in better shape so I'm gonna go for a run". It was great! no nagging, no aggrevating, just mean and the beautiful scenery of rice mine road and the banks of the Black Warrior River in Tuscaloosa/Northport. What I quickly learned was that the longer I ran, the less I had to hear the naaging and aggrevation. So, I quickly went from a mile to 3-4 miles. As it turns out, I lost a few pounds and generally felt better. Not long after, the relationship ended. I continued to run. I still had many stresses and the running seemed to help. A good friend of mine, Parker, started running with me. Those are some of my best memories, running to the lock and dam, running river road, racing through downtown Tuscaloosa.
Then Steve, my brother, took ill. I moved to Texas and continued to run. But, in time I ran less and less. We eventually moved back to La. and I got a job at abita springs water. I tried a few times to run, but it's hard to muster up the energy to run after lugging 5 gallon water bottles all day. It wasn't until I left that job and went back to school that I started running again. The fall after Katrina, K and I were living in married student housing at LSU and I found myself with some free time. So, I started with a run around the band practice field. then around tiger stadium(singing ""Yea Alabama" as I ran). Once again, a mile grew to 4 miles and in april of the following year I ran the Crescent City Classic in 57minute and 19 seconds, almost 3 mintues faster than my goal to finish in an hour. I thought I would never stop running again. It had become part of my life. Well, Classes got hectic, we moved to Slidell and back to Baton Rouge. I was slinging hash at the OG most nights. My old friend running and I parted ways. I thought of him often and tried to rekindle our relationship a few times but wasn't in the cards. Finally, I thought to myself, "Damnit! I want to run. I will run". Now I run about four days a week. Distances ranging from 2-7 miles. Usually about 3.5. One of my best motivators now is to prevent any more growth of the buddha. It's an ongoing battle. The other motivator I have is Sadie the wonder dog. We have a decent sized apartment, but it has a tiny yard. Sadie is a 75lbs yellow lab/boxer mix (we call her a golden boxador). She is very well behaved but if she doesn't get regular exercise she begins to start chewing on stuff. We don't have much but what we do have we try to keep nice, so it is my job to get Sadie the needed exercise to prevent legs from being chewed of of couches or the conversation "honey, have you seen my cell phone?", reply,"I don't know where the phone is but sadie's butt is ringing."
At any rate, I run. Last month I ran the crescent city classic in 1:01:43(beating my goal of 1:06:00).
I wrote this big long post just to get to this point. I have decided that to keep myself motivated, and to facilitate a healthy lifestyle, I should make some goals for myself. Well, I have and here they are. Within the next calendar year from today(April 13, 2008) I plan to run a half marathon, a full marathon, and a 1/2 Iron man tri-athalon. I will be in training all summer. Here is my race schedule.

Nov 23, 2008 - Ole Man River Half Marathon(New Orleans) 13.1 miles
Feb 1, 2009 - Mardi Gras Marathon(New Orleans) 26.2 miles
April 5, 2009 - Ironman 70.3 New Orleans - 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run (sounds fun, huh?).

so, if you call and I don't answer, I'm probably out running. I plan to run some smaller races along the way and the date of the marathon and half marathon may be moved up a little, if I can find other races nearby. But, the Ironman Date is set in stone. Here it is in print so hold me to it. I said I would do it and I will. Feel free to ask me how it's going or to join me along the way.
So there it is, my running history and future. Oh! My other goal is to run 1500 miles by New years day. There is a ticker at the bottom of the page that will track my progress. Check back to see how I am Progressing.

Ps. no, I don't run to get away from K. I run so that I will be in better health so that I may have more time with her.

A few thoughts on BBQ

2008-04-07T05:36:00.000-07:00

Last night K and I were watching some cable television. One of our favorite shows is "No Reservations" on the travel channel. They showed 3 shows in a row, yes we watched for 3 non-stop hours. In these episodes, Tony Bourdain(the host) traveled to Hong Kong, Namibia, and Ghana. For those of you who may not be familiar with the show, Tony is a chef from New York, he travels the world and eats all manner of foods on the show and talks a little about the history and cultures of the area. Mostly, it's all about the food. Now we have watched this show for the last couple of years and have seen Tony in many foreign lands and I have noticed that all of the places on the show, and it seems to me that all places around the world, have at least one thing in common; BBQ. Our friend, grilled meat. Meat in all of its forms, beef, pork, chicken, fish, duck, goose, warthog, etc, etc..
I suppose that it makes since though. If we were to travel back in history to the first cooked meal what would we expect to see? We would see the first people who were able to create fire warming themselves after a hunt and accidentally dropping their kill into the fire. They would pick it up, take a bite and think "Wow, those are some good eats", or something like that. So, instead of throwing a whole wilderberast into a fire they would build a rack over the fire(as to not burn up the whole kill). Thus BBQ was born. Over time we have added various seasonings and spices and of course sauces, mmmm sauces! But the basics remain the same+meat+ fire+ rack=deliciosity!
I love BBQ. I love The smell of the meat, the crispness of the flame kissed outside and the soft jucy texture of the inside. I love the many different cuts and preperations. And i suppose that today I feel a little more connected to the world. I may never travel to Laos or Ghana or Uzbekistan, but I know that when it comes to firing up the old char-broil or lighting up the kingsford charcoal at family get togethers, we're doing more than just cooking a meal, we're embracing our global family and the spirit of our ancestors, the brotherhood of all mankind. Grill on brothers !

At the bottom of the page you will find my current list of favorite BBQ joints. I have travelled much lately so the list is small. Also, I have yet to find a worthy BBQ joint in the New Orleans or Baton Rouge metro area. Not to say there isn't one, I just haven't found it yet. Please feel free to let me know of any I should try. And TJ Ribs in Baton Rouge is not an option. I've been there and it absolutely sucked.

Crescent City Classic 2008

2008-03-27T10:47:00.000-07:00

Saturday, March 22nd, I ran the Crescent City Classic 10K(6.2 miles) in 1:01:49. That's 1 hour, 1 minute, and 49 seconds. My goal was to beat 1:06:00. I did it! My pace was 9:59 per mile. My original goal was to run 11:00 per mile so I met that goal as well. here are some pictures of the day. The people that you might not recognize are out friends Keith and Julie, They are from the Midwest but currently live in the Bayou. They run marathons but were very kind in cheering me on, they made the sign. The picture of Sadie shows her wearing my running socks. She accompanied me on most of my training runs so I couldn't leave her out. She's a great running partner, until she sees a cat or a squirell, then it's hang on to your britches time.

Easter week turned out to be pretty decent. Friday we went to Slidell. We put Sadie in a kennel for the weekend. It was probably worse for us than for her. But, since we are going to Disney world for a week in June I thought it best to start getting her used to being boarded. The lady at the kennel said she did great and was sweet. I already new that but I guess it was nice to hear. Saturday was great, the race went well and we had a good time hanging out in the city afterwards.

Sunday, we went to Baton Rouge to visit my brother and his clan. Gotta give some props here, the BBQ was freakin' awsome. The kids were all quite agreeable and overall it was just a good day and good company.

Monday, we got Sadie back from the kennel. Or as I like to say, that's the day I sprung her from the pen. It was also my mothers birthday. K, Moms, and me did some outlet shopping in gulfport, we spent 2 hours at Hudsons, I think I deserve a reward for that. We did Copelands for dinner. I created a new dish combining the catfish acadiana and the topping from some other dish with crabmeat and shrimp. Quite tasty if I must say. Tuesday we went to Baton Rouge, K had class there. While she was in class I took Sadie to the dog park. It was awesome. She loves the dog park. At one point all of the dogs were chasing her in a big circle but she kept weaving between the trees so they couldn't quite catch her.

After her class, we headed back to the bayou. The rest of the week We stayed pretty laid back. did some shopping, some exploring, and K actually did some work, I ran a couple days and that was enough work for me. So now it's monday and I'm back at working wishing that I was still on vacation. The students have been pretty good today, I found an activity that is keeping them busy so my day is going pretty smooth. There are 2 months until summer break, the problem is that there are no breaks or 3 day weekends betwenn now and then. I suppose this is the part of the year where I just put my head down and push forward until it's all over. I try not to think about how far away summer is but I am living on the fact that it is right around the corner. 2 more months-it doesn't sound too bad.......or does it?

I Wrote a Simple Song

2008-03-04T19:51:00.000-08:00

If you don't know who the man in this picture is then I'll tell you. His name is Billy Preston and he passed away june 6, 2006. Though you may not know who he is you are probably familiar with some of his work.
He is one of the greatest keyboard and organist ever. He was also a great song writer and human being. Instead of writing a narrative I will just make a list of just a few of the things he did in his 59 years on earth.
-Wrote the songs "You are so beautiful", "Will it Go 'Round in Circles", "Nothing From Nothing".
-Played on 3 Beatles albums including Let it Be, The white album, and Abbey Road.
-Played at the Beatles last ever live performance, the "roof top" concert
-played with ray charles, including rays final album "Genius loves Company"
-played on several rolling stones albums including "Miss You"
-also played with Aretha Franklin, Sly and the family stone, Sam Cooke, Little Richard, Nat "King" Cole, the Jackson 5, Bob Dylan, Barbara Streisand, Eric Clapton, Geaorge Harrison, Ringo Starr, Sammy Davis Jr., Quincy Jones, Jonh Lennon&yoko ono, and B.B. King.
-And so much more.

I know that this may not be of much importance to a lot of you that read this blog(if anyone still reads this blog) but I like Billy Preston and wanted him to know that his life and work are important to me. But, since he is not here, I'll tell you instead.

The title of this blog comes from a BP song Titled "I wrote a Simple Song". But not only did he write a song with this title but his most famous song, "you are so beautiful" is a very simple song with one verse. BUT, if you know the truth then you know that the song actually has a second verse. Why Joe Cocker chose not to use it is beyond me. I suppose the truth and heart in the first verse said all that needed to be said. Who Knows?

Because it's Carnival Time!

2008-02-05T12:14:00.000-08:00

Happy Mardi Gras to you and yours! I hope you all are having a good time today. For those of you who are not celebrating today, I say shame on you. I had a brief mardi gras season this year. Two weeks ago I caught Krewe de Viuex in the French Quarter. If you've never been then you should. It is a treat. Other than that I caught the big Slidell parade Selene on friday, Endymion on saturady, The super bowl on sunday, Drove back to the bayou on Monday, and just got back from the Thibodaux mardi gras day parade. Let me just say that I had no problem finding a parking spot and there was no problem finding a place to watch the parade. On the other hand, the parade only had 10 floats. K had some work to do so I took Sadie with me. She spent most of her time sniffing out chicken bones on the ground. She was a crowd pleaser as usual. Many kids petted her, and she didn't mind. At least 10 people stopped to talk about her and tell me how beautiful she is and what a sweet temperment she has. I know, She's the best, but I try to be humble. Above is a picture of her wearing some of the beads she caught.

Let me take this oppurtunity to congratulate the New York Giants on a victory in "The Big Game". Well played.

One more thing. I also wanted to give a shout out to the Catholics and the French for coming up with this Mardi Gras thing. I think it is brilliant to have a giant party leading up to Lent. I also think it is genius to give me a week of from work just so I can go to a big party. I know I have sometimes had my differences with the Catholics and the French, but today I raise my glass to you. Umm, my glass of apple juice, that is;)

I like being a teacher, and here's why!

2008-01-14T06:30:00.000-08:00

I like days off. Of course we all know that teachers are off during the summer, which is well deserved after spending 9 months locked in a room with 25-30 kids. And we also have the week off between Christmas and New years. But What I'm excited about is that it seems that I have days off every couple of weeks this semester. Here's the schedule.

School starts Jan 7th.
3 weeks later, off on the 21st for MLK Day.
3 weeks later, off a week for Mardi Gras.
5 weeks later. off a week for Easter.
then work 2 months with no interuptions till summer
Last day of school, may 29th.

I am off for a full week in Febuary and in March. Not too shabby!

Now don't get me wrong. I love my job and find it easy to get out of bed in the morning, but who doesn't love vacation. Especially now that I have a paycheck that will allow me to enjoy it!!

Something to say

2008-01-08T17:47:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the LSU fighting tigers fo their BCS championship victory of the Ohio State Buckeyes. I still don't like LSU but they did lay the smack down on the buckeyes, props to ya!

In other news, yesterday was my first day as a full time certified teacher. All in all I think the day went well. I am teaching world geography(9th grade). The students(I don't like to call them kids, though they are) are great. I think they are smarter than they think they are. I'm looking forward to helping them see that.

There is a new video of sadie over there to the right. I made a mini movie, check it out.

One hell of a season(and I do mean Hell)

2007-12-30T13:16:00.001-08:00

No defense. No offense. And for some reason you kick the ball to Hester. Words can not describe the digust in my heart right now. I am using all the restraint I have right now ot to use a lot of profanity in describing this season. Instead, I will just say that my patience and faith are waivering right now. I will probably be gung-ho next season but today, as I sit here typing with bitterness in my heart and fingertips, I'm not sure if it will be the Saints that I am gung-ho about.

It's all a blur to me now.

2007-12-28T09:55:00.000-08:00

The last several weeks have been really hectic. So here's my chance to let you know what's been going on. First of all, we went to thanksgiving at my Moms and there was a butt load of people. it was fun. The week after that was my last week of student teaching, I had alot of loose ends to tie up and managed to give a unit test on my last day. That's right, I am the meanest teacher ever! That is how November ended. Now it was time to get a job. I was waiting for some people to call but the phone just wasn't ringing so I tracked down the e-mail addresses of some principals in my area and told them about myself and that I would be interested in talking about any available positions. The phone started ringing. Initially it was just middle schools. Then Central Lafourche called. I went to see the principal and the meeting went well. He said he had a position that would start in January. I said I was interested. So, I worked as a sub the 3 weeks prior to Christmas break. I am looking forward to having my own classroom and torturing the youth of the bayou. I got my degree in education from UNO on Dec. 15th. yea me! My Dad, sister,and sisters boyfriend came down from Oklahoma. I thought that was nice of them. We, plus my local family and our friends from the mid-west, went to Liuzza's for lunch. It was delicious.
Christmas was nice. We kept it as low profile as possible. We were able to see a lot of family. Unfortunately we were not able to see my dad's side of the family, which is probably good, I don't know how many more BAMA jokes i can suffer through(and no, I'm not switching to LSU).

Here are the highs and lows of the past month.

The lows: Christmas shopping. It's not that I don't like Christmas shopping, it's just that I feel pressured to buy a gift for everyone. I feel like I am expected to get something for everyone I know. For example, if you go to a persons house for a christmas party do you have to bring a gift? Do you have to give a gift to your grandparents? I think Christmas could learn a few things from Thanksgiving. I mean it's just like Christmas but with out the stress of shopping and the depletion of funds from the bank(rupt) account. Well, and the baby Jesus.

The highs: Oh the food. Lots of food. Which is good and delicious, but after days of gorging myself could be considered a low. This year I solved the puzzle. I took Sadie out for a run everyday, except the day it rained, and instead of making a big plate I mades several small plates that I ate over a distibution of time. I still think I gained 5or so pounds but I didn't have that nasty bloated feeling. Another high was seeing family and friends. I hate that I didn't see all the family but you know what, I did what I could do. I still love you all, and hope to see you soon (especially you Maw-Maw, someone pass that message along for me please). And finally, one of the high points of the holiday season, other than getting a job, is the annual broadcast of "it's Christmas Charlie Brown" I especially love the scene where Linus tells the Christmas story, it chokes me up every time. If anyone asked me what Christmas is all about I would sit them down and make them watch it . The animated dancing also rocks. Finally, I took a few minutes this year to consider what christmas is really about. I Thought of that first Noel when the "Lord's boy" was born. I pictured the teeny tiny baby jesus in a manger, laying in his Bassinet wrapped in a onsey pj set with footies from baby gap, playing with his Baby Einstien moblie While Mary, Joseph, and the 3 wise-guys(yeah, they were from Sicily) have a Madden tournament on the Wii. Yeah, that's Christmas to me. It was a great month, It all seems to have flown by. It's all just a big blur to me now, except the heartburn.

The joke in the title is that the pictures are blurry, get it?

Coming Soon...

2007-11-26T11:24:00.000-08:00

Hopefully I will have a chance in the next few days to put up a post about holidays and family. Or maybe one about finishing swchool and looking for a job. At any rate, stay tuned for loads of fun and lots of banjo music!

Greatest songs from the 80"s

2007-11-08T11:46:00.000-08:00

Last night I was flipping through the channels and came across the countdown of the greatest songs of the 80's on VH1. So, I thouhgt I would make a list of my top 5.

5. Beat It/Billie Jean (Michael Jackson) Both of these songs are awsome. MJ completely dominated the airwaves and MTV when the Thriller album was released. He gets the number 5 spot for two reasons 1. They played these songs on rock, pop, soul, country, and every other radio station. The guitar solo on Beat It, played By Eddie Van Halen (what other reason did you need?).

4. Jump (Van-Halen) Because it's Van Halen, that's why. Also because this song was huge. Everybody was listening to it and it was on the charts and radio forever. It was like its own dimension. It had its of climate , it was huge, and it rocked.

3. Wild Thing (Tone Loc) Because The sample they used was from Van Halen's song "Jamies Crying". Also, because of the line "Couldn't get her off my jack, she was like static cling, But that's what happens when body start slappin', from doin' the wild thing". Classic.

2. Every breathe you take (the Police) When I was in 4th and 5th grade my brother and I, and other neighborhood kids, would go to the community pool to stay cool. Every day while swimming, and staring at the one particular lifeguard (i forget her name but think of it like the connection betwwen "squints" and Wendy Peffercorn in the movie "The Sandlot") this song would come on every day. In fact, it seemed like it came on every half hour. It has forever become know in the mind of my brother and I as a "Pool Song". There are several others but this is the greatest of them all. Unfortunately, it has no connection to Van Halen except that the band broke up in the 80's and the original line ups have gotten back together and are on tour right now (minus van halen bass player michael anthony who is currently being replaced by eddies son wolfgang).

1. Whip It (Devo) Crack that whip! Whip it! Whip it good!
What else do I have to say?

So, I hear there's a big game on today.

2007-11-03T10:57:00.000-07:00

Sadie's ready!

I figure that some of you may be looking for a prediction. Well, I'll say what I have said since the begining of the season. LSU SHOULD win this game. But, they also Should have beat Kentucky. They also had close, laser close, calls against Florida and Auburn. The point here is that it's anybody's game. Of course I'll be pulling for Bama. I'm still not completely sold on Saban, but the more reading and investigating I do the less I don't like him (take a second to re-read that last sentence). I think this will be a good game. I don't think Bama's D can stop LSU's offense but they might be able to slow them down. On the other side I also think LSU can slow down Bama. It comes down to turnovers.

I plan to walk around quietly with my head down tommorrow and Monday But if Bama wins you will all recieve Taunting e-mails from me immediately after the game. Typical! And as always, ROLL TIDE!

Tourists!

2007-10-19T10:58:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have read my post from several months ago where I talked about being in New Orleans really early in the morning and how nice it is. Well, I had an interesting experience lat weekend. K made a friend at her job and we were supposed to go down to Houma last Saturday to meet the new friend and her husband for dinner. So, we went down early to do some shopping. K's friend called to finalize the plan for later that night and we mentioned that we were already in Houma(because there is nowhere to shop in Thibodaux). So her freind said that she and her husband had planned to go on a swanp tour and invited us to go with them. Well, K and I are spontaneous outdoors types so we agreed. We went down bayou black and across the intracoastal water wayinto some swamp whose name I forget. Our 65 year old guide turns down a smaller bayou and cuts off the engine. He then starts yelling, "BAAAAABYYYYY". "Come on baby". I'm thinkg that this guy is crazy but after calling for only 5 seconds we see two alligators swimming towards us. Now, I grew up in south Louisiana, but we never saw alligator really close. I remeber hearing about them in the pond at Joe Brown Park(N.O. East) and hearing about them in the lagoons at city park and remember seeing one way off in the distance in Moonraker Lake(Slidell). The only time I ever saw one up close was at the zoo and the alligator farm in Kissimmee Fl, but I was 8 when we went there. In the last 5 years I have seen more alligotrs than ever. When I worked for Abita Springs Water I saw gators regularly while driving across bridges in Lacombe. I even saw a small one(three or four feet) swimming in a ditch as I drove down the street. I also watch a lot of discovery channel and animal planet, especially the shows about gators and the big cats. So, i feel like I know a good deal about alligators. So, i wasn't nervous about the alligators swimming up to the side of the boat. Even though there cold dark eyes seemed to be penetrating my soul with every intention of devouring my flesh(I guess gators like italian food), I wasn't really nervous. Then-there's always a then- The guide drives the boat further down the bayou. At this point I'm expecting to hear banjo music. He parks the boat against a bank and proceeds with the calling of the gator. "BAAAAAAABYYYYYY", "Come on baby". Come on Jean, Come on Robert(French pronunciation - Ro-bear) and yes on of them did come. But instead of feeding the gator while it was in the water, he lured it up onto the bank which the boat was up against. The rail along the boat was about 6 inches higher than the bank and the gator was only about a foot or two from the boat. I'm thinking, "that gator can easily jump into this boat. So, the other people on the tour(Our friends are from Indiana) who were not with us were from San Diego, and they love there Budweiser select. These fools are jumping around the boat trying to get a better picture angle. meanwhile the gators looking nervous and the guide keeps calmly reminding these people not to make any sudden movements. Honestly, I was hoping one of the guys would slip out of the boat just to see what this 6-7 foot gator would do. But it didn't happen. It was the closest I've ever been to an alligator and even though it was only 6-7 feet it was still intimidating. It was a great experience. However, I made a point to avoid shaking the guides hand when we were done. He fed the gators raw chicken parts barehanded but didn't use any soap or hand sanitizer when he was fininshed.
We also got to see a bald eagle close up in the wild. This was the third or fourth time I've seen a bald eagle in the wild but never so close. It was an amazing site. It's easy to see why someone would use the eagle as A mascot or symbol. It is strong, graceful, powerful, and looks very dignified and stately.
I tell you this story because I don't know how many of you who live down here in south Louisiana have ever been on a swamp tour. Alot of the stuff the guide told us I already new and I was able to give extra info to our new friends from Indiana. I sometimes find myself falling out of love with Louisiana, last Saturday the love returned. There are some really great things about this state. From it's colorful characters to it's unique wildlife to it's diverse musical styles. There is a lot going on in this state and it's a beautiful thing. It's easy to get caught up in the negatives. Every once in a while it's good to let someone else show you around your own neighborhood. There may be things there that you never knew. Be a tourist, take a day off and see what your neck of the woods has to offer. Just remember to bring hand sanitizer

I'm not saying, I'm just saying.

2007-10-13T06:12:00.000-07:00

This could be the weekend the LSU loses. Kentucky is playing well. They are at the top of the SEC East, and they want to stay there. There coming off a loss to South Carolina and are looking to take out there loss on todays opponent. Also, they can score points. So, what I'm saying is that this is a dangerous game for the tigers. But, LSU clearly has more talent than the wildcats and are also playing well. LSU should win, but, it's been a crazy season. My prediction is a 3 point game with the winner scoring the winning points with under a minute to go. then, like with the florida game, the other time starts to drive it fizzles out around mid field, or even more likely, in their desperation the throw an interception. Good luck to all the kitty cat teams today and as always-Roll Tide.

ps. Bama over ole miss by two touchdowns (I hate ole miss).

Purple and Gold (Part 2)

2007-10-07T18:32:00.000-07:00

So, I mentioned in a previous post that I did not own a single purple and gold shirt. I also stated that the only way I would get one is if the school I'm working at either started paying me (as in when I finish student teaching) or that they give me one. Well, they gave me one. I recently started working with the football team, mostly the freshmen team. The head coach(varsity) gave me both a shirt and a cap. The baseball coach provided me with an extra hat, one of the practice hats I believe. As a coach I don't have much responsability yet (since I joined on in the middle of the season) but I am steadily working my way up. At the first game (varsity) I was responsible for not getting in the way. That happens to be my specialty. This past friday, I recieved a very important promotion. With threatening skies stalking ominously above us, I was given the responsibilty of caring for the head coaches raincoat. Again I excelled. Just as the first drops began to fall, as the teams were warming up, the new young coach (that's me) sprinted across the field. Showing flashes of his glory days at Gorretti playground (in the East baby!), he dove below the water table and into the equipment bag. He was as a streak of lightning as the head coach recieved his protective covering at midfield before even the first drops had time to soak into his Nike Dri-fit shirt. The coach was dry, our heroes work was done. Minutes later the sprinkle ended and the jacket returned to its place in the equipment bag where it remained for the rest of the night. We lost the game, But I remain undefeated in my conquest of protecting the coach from the elements.

It looks like next week I'll be recieving another promotion as I make my way into the press box to work as a spotter for the defensive staff. With my trusty Bushnell binoculars in hand I am sure that not a wideout or flanker will pass un-noticed onto the field beneath me.

I'm not sure if I'm wearing purple and yellow or purple and gold in this picture. But, I will say that is probably the most comfortable shirt I own.

I felt so symbolic yesterday.

2007-09-21T21:00:00.000-07:00

Some times I don't understand things. One example is the title to this post. It's a line in the counting crows song "round here". What does it mean? what does it feel like to feel symbolic? I don't know.
What I did feel yesterday, was like a teacher. A real teacher. I'm not sure what it was but I actually felt like I was truly in control of my classes and I felt like real work was being done and learning was taking place. It felt good and I was proud of myself and proud of my students. I felt like I was really prepared and that I was properly preparing them for the upcoming test.
Today, was a good ay as well. The odd thing is that 2nd period I have a class of 11 students who all seem very bright and capable. I expected them to be my best and easiest class to deal with. Instead, they are wearing my patience very thin. They have about a 10 second attention span. That class is followed by a class of 30 that I fully expectd to be the class from hell. Truth be told, other than the fact that the room is packed to the gills, it has become my favorite class. The students in this class are among the lowest achieving that I teach. But, they are never disrespectful and when you get them engaged in an activityb and they get started, the room falls completely silent and the only sound you hear are pencils scratching away on paper. I often find myself not wanting to interupt them for fear that they will get out of "the zone".
The lesson here is that you can't really judge someone, or a group of someones, until you get to know them. I rushed to judgment on these two classes and have been humbled by my actions. The lesson here is that you should not rush to judgement. especially if you don't know who, or what you are talking about.

Purple and Gold

2007-09-15T19:50:00.000-07:00

For starters, if you say your colors are purple and gold then you should actually where gold. The saints, for example, wear black and GOLD. LSU, however, wears purple and YELLOW. Thats probably why I don't like LSU, because their YELLOW.

But, the reason why I bring this up is that Friday was Spirit day at Hahnville and the teachers and students were encouraged to wear purple and gold to support the team. I however, do not own anything purple and gold (I also don't own anything purple and YELLOW). So, I wore a blue shirt because I sure as hell wasn't gonna go out and buy something with purple and YELLOW on it. But I will say this, I'll wear what ever they want if they hire me in december. But until then I will continue my purple and YELLOWless life style with a big smile on my face.

For the LSU fan's reading this let me just say that your team is looking really good right now and they are very worthy of their #2 ranking. As usual, LSU is number 2, ha ha you're number 2.

For more information on the picture above go to my blog entry from September 27, 2006.

Random rusings about television

2007-09-13T13:28:00.000-07:00

At one point in my life I went for a little over a year with out cable. Truth be told, I didn't really miss it. I had a make shift antenna that allowed me to pick up 4 channels. I watched a lot of Bonanza that year. It's amazing to think that Hoss and Little Joe could be related. Since that time I have lived with and without cable. At one point I even had free cable for a little over a year. Then, the cable gods sent their wrath upon me and I was smit off the cable. So, now we have cable, which we pay for. We get 78 channels, but there never seems to be anything good on. Now, I am happy that we have cable during football season but because there are no good tv shows on I constantly rely on football as my entertainment. As a result, I am already getting tired of watching football. The ladies reading this are probably thinking that its amazing that a man would get tired of football and the guys are probably thinking that there is something wrong with a man who gets tired of football. So, let me clarify. The problem is that there is absolutely nothing worth watching on tv. For example, the one show that I feel I must watch on weekly basis is "the rock of love" on VH1. For those who haven't seen it, its like a rock and roll version of "the Flava of Love" that features Brett Michaels (of Poison fame). So how sad is my life? pretty bad eh?
Last night K and I couldn't find anything to watch so we actually watched a show called "desicion house". The premise of the show is that couples who are having problems come into the house and have 3 days to decide if they want to work on their relationship or get a divorce. What's more entertaining the watch people fight about wether or not to get divorced? It seems sad to me that there is so little good on tv that a network would actually show a program like that.
I know that reality shows are all the rage but maybe would should draw the line somewhere. I mean whats next?
What it all comes down to is that we have become to reliant on the television to entertain us. we can't create our own fun anymore, we can't communicate with each other anymore.
So should we just turn off the tv? Well, that's up to you. As for me, I'll be watching the Alabama Vs. Arkansas on Saturday and the Saints and Buccaneers on sunday.
But, when the games are over and their is nothing good on, I will start turning in off and spending a little more time with K and Sadie-Head. After all they are what really matters.

Old School, or old and at School

2007-08-30T13:17:00.000-07:00

It's been about 2 weeks since my last post and I feel like I should post some sort of update. But, I don't have anything planned. So, let me kick it freestyle for you one time. I will try to sum up the last 2 weeks for you in a freestyle rhyme(i will type what ever comes into my head, rap style, with nothing planned).
Here we go!

(Insert drums and bass line here)

so its been a while since i updated my blog
so you haven't seen new pictures of me or my dog.
I've been a busy boy, I haven't done much sleepin'
but if you you know me you know I'll never miss eatin'.
I moved from by the river in baton rouge
now I live in thibodaux on bayou lafourche.
I'm teaching 9th grade geography at Hahnville high
where the have gators on the campus and that ain't no lie.
I'm liking what I'm doin and thats a good thing
cause student teacher don't get paid that means no cha-ching.
so my pockets may be empty but thats allright
at least my pockects not weighed down when my wallets light.
its not an easy gig some kids can be a pain and that ain't cool
it's probably karma goin round for how I used to act in school.
so its thursday now and we're about to start labor day weekend
and just in time cuz this kids are driving me to drinking.
But let me let you know I love it and I'm doing fine
and though it wasn't much I hope you liked my rhyme.

Peace, I'm outta here. word to ya mom inem!

Reflections on the art of slinging hash

2007-08-13T16:25:00.000-07:00

Lat night was my last night at the Olive Garden. I am now officially retired from the restaurant biz. I'm done and will never, ever, work in food service again. Hmmm, sounds like I've heard that line before. Oh yeah! I said it twice before, the last time being when I left Salvaggio's. Of course Katrina messed up my cushy warehouse gig and sent me to the OG. But this time things are different. I start my student teaching on Monday and should be able to parlay(sp.?) that into a teaching job come January. If not then I'll work as a substitute until I land a gig. So let's recap the places I have worked(food related) and in chronological order. I will give dates to the best of my recollection.
1.1997-98 Johnny Rays BBQ, Oh how I miss the chocolate pie and delivering catering orders in the pig van
2. 1998-2000 Olive Garden, Tuscaloosa. This was also the only time in which I have ever been "terminated" from a job. it's true, I got fired(long story-not my fault).
3.2000-2001. Alabama Grille, Tuscaloosa. I liked eating there but working there was terrible. on the bright side, they had awesome homemade cake and it was in walking distance from my apartment.
4. 2001-2002(maybe 2003) Lone star Steakhouse, Tuscaloosa. These fools actually let me be a manager.
5. 2004 Salvaggios, Slidell, La.-Best thing about this place was that it got destroyed by hurricane katrina. I know that seems like a really mean thing to say but the boss (not mr. phil) was a complete jackass. I have never in my life wanted something bad to happen to a person. I take that back, this was the one time.
6. 2006 Olive Garden, Slidell. I will give them a pass because I worked there when they re-opened after the hurricane and things were crazy everywhere. But, there were some really nice and memorable characters there, as well as some complete DA's.
7. 2006-2007 Olive Garden, Baton Rouge. By far, my favorite restaurant experience and I credit that to my co-workers, you guys (remember the time I got yelled at for saying "you guys" on my first day?) made it tolerable and sometimes even fun to come to work. I will not miss the job at all but I will miss the lovable band of characters who I proudly call friends. I also give credit to the management team. The group at the BR-OG is the best management team I have ever worked around. I I must give special mention to the general manager, Lorin Bray. Mr. Bray was the best manager I have ever worked for, with, or around. It was my honor, and I do mean honor, to call him "boss".
I have spent a good amount of time in the biz and have seen and heard a lot of things. But as I am in a reflective mood I would rather relate to you what I have learned rather than just random anecdotes.
One of the things I have learned is that it is much better to listen than to talk. Those who know me know that I can be the center of attention, but I have learned that it is a better idea to put the spotlight on others, to make them feel like they are the most important person in the room. That is how you develop relationships, and get fat tips.
I have also learned that if someone tells you that you are the best server they have ever had, it really means that they gave you a crappy tip. The verbal tip is the sign of monetary death.
Probably the thing that I have taken away from my food service experience more than anything else is that nothing beats a smile, a joke, and eye contact. In all of my years of services I had one customer complaint. Yes, only one. And I got that when I dropped a glass of ice on a little kid. Oddly enough, the parents didn't mind at all but a guy eating with the family felt that we should buy the entire meal for the entire table(by the way, the kid was not injured and by the end of the meal he had become my "little buddy"). Some people will use any opportunity to get something for nothing.
To those of you who work in the biz, remember that the people at your table or at your bar pay your bills. Be nice, try to make their day a little better, hopefully they will help make yours better.
to those of you who are sitting at the table or bar, remember that you help to pay your server/bartenders bills. If you leave nothing-they make nothing. servers make $2.13 an hour and due to the way taxes are set up they typically get a voided paycheck each week. That means zero dollars of hourly wage. They live on what you leave. Many of them are working their way through college on this money, some are single parents trying to raise a family on this money, the list goes on and on.
The point to all of this is just to say that I'm glad it's over for me. I look forward to being the one doing the eating for a change.

Although I do not remember all the names and faces, I just wanted to say thanks to all of you who helped by my bills and tuition. And, to all of you who fought with me on the front line, you will always be in my heart. Always.

The Season Draws Near

2007-08-09T14:58:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and laugh, I laugh at it myself. Some may say that I was a band nerd. Alls I'm saying as that chicks dig the uniform(especially the cape). So, football season draws near. I am excited! I think it's gonna be a great year for football fans here in south Louisiana and for those in Tuscaloosa as well. Let's begin with the NFL. Our beloved Saints have a lot of talent on the roster this year, particularly on offense, and if nothing else they will be fun to watch. Now don't misunderstand what I am saying. It's gonna be a tough season. Our schedule may not look terribly difficult but we are slated play some very tough teams. True we get to play Atlanta twice and 3/4's of their offense we be in court while we play(refering to vick, for those who may have been under a rock for the last 2 months). But, Atlanta isn't known for scoring a million points, they rely on a stout defense. Also you better believe that they will be out to prove that they are more than a one trick pony. What bodes well for the black and gold as that they can potentially score from anywhere on the field and with the talent we have can stretch the field and create a lot of mismatches and one-on-one scenarios. Defensively, I think we are stronger this year. It's still early in preseason and I fully believe that many of the issues we are most concerned about (DB's) will work themselves out as opening night approaches. The predictions on the saints vary. If your asking me, I am thinking that we will be somewhere around 11-5 and deep into the playoffs. How deep? I will not speculate, but I will say that this team is one of the most dangerous in the league, and I mean that with both good and bad contexts. If we lose Brees, We're dead.

Turning to the college ranks. I think it will be an exciting year nationally. There are a lot of powerful teams ready to stake their right to play in the national championship game. But beware, Rutgers and Boise State don't plan on slipping back to anonimity. That's not to say that they are going to the big game, rather, I am suggesting that there are some other school who are ready to make a jump into the spotlight. Rutgers and Lousville will have an affect(effect?) on things. Also watch out for some bottom dwellers who are gaining strength. Kentucky will be a factor in deciding the SEC East. They will upset at least two of the big dogs in the east this year(though I'm not sure which two). Also, Watch out for the PAC-10. We all know about USC but UCLA is tired of playin the little brother role.

But let's talk about the issue that you all really want to hear my take on. LSU @ Alabama. Let us take off our purple and gold or crimson colored glasses. You and I both know(though we may not publicly admit it) that this game could go either way. Yes, LSU has been rather dominant the last several years and Alabama has been hit and miss, but this will clearly be a game of emotion. Alabama players understand how much LSU wants to win this game. The boys in Crimson and white love their coach and their university and will not die easy in this game. On the flip side, The tigers are taking this game personally(I'll write a post on that some other time). They want this victory more than a natioanal championship. You think I'm just saying that but trust me, I hear lots of things while working at a very popular Dining establishment here in tiger-town. So, let's turn our attention to the field of play. LSU is a little sketchy at QB. They have talent there but are unproven thus far. They have lost several recievers and coach miles continues to make comments that someone needs to step up in that role, we'll have to see if someone does. In terms of running backs there is no clear #1 but there seems to be a hundred #2's. Defense, where they have been simply dominant the last couple years(minus that big oops against Tennesee 2 years ago) should be pretty strong again. But with the loss of some of their top players I would not expect them to be the fighting tigers you have become used to. They will give up some points this year, not alot, but they will not be able to stop everyone, everytime.

As for BAMA. They didn't look great last year but they did have a lot of young guys get alot of experience. Their QB started every game as a sophmore and has proven that he can make every throw in the playbook. Also, he remains calm and rarely makes mental mistakes. The offensive line returns all 5 starters (I think they were mostly sophomores last year). The running back situation is alot like LSU's. No one seems overly dominant but there are several guys who, unlike LSU, seem ready to take the #1 back position. Recievers are an issue at BAMA. They have some guys who can flat out fly but may not be the most reliable and some guys who will catch everything but lack big play speed. It'll come down to play calling to maximize what they have. Finally, the defense. Alabama has always been a defense first school. They, however, lack the dominance that they had even 2 years ago. However, the do have a couple of playmakers who can force turnovers and make big stops. All in all, they will be similar to LSU in that they will appear dominant at times and be like trying to eat soup with a chopstick other times.

So, this brings us to the issue of coaching. I will tell you who has the edge and why. But read what I have to say before unleashing your verbal assault in my direction. It think LSU is ahead of the curve on the coaching side because Les Miles has been there for a couple of years and his way of doing things is routine their now. But he has several new coaches on staff, including coordinators which means that the tigers are having to install some new systems. Alabama also has alot of new coaches this year including Nick Saban (who, though I love BAMA, i am not really a fan of). I have given this much thought and after the waying all of the issues, pros and cons, etc. have determined that Alabama has a better coach than LSU. DON'T START YELLING YET! Heres my justification for saying this. When Saban left LSU, tiger fans hailed him as the greatest coach in their history(yes, you did. be honest with yourself). In Les Miles' career at LSU he has been criticized repeatedly for being inferior to Saban(you may not want to admit it now but again, you know I speak the truth). And finally, Why is LSU taking this game so personally? because they are seeking not to prove that they are better than Alabama, but that they are better than Nick Saban. LSU, by their own actions, have determined that Saban IS a better coach than Les Miles.

My prediction for the game-like I said, it could go either way. I'll give you my pick the week of the game. I will say that at this point I lean towards LSU, but hat could be because one of my legs is longer than the other.

OK, let the swearing begin.

Thanks for your help.

2007-08-09T12:50:00.000-07:00

We found a place. Probably less than a mile from K's job, that's good for K. It's about 30(ish) minutes for me. If anyone finds themselves in the area give us a call. Again, I'd like to apologize for using the blog as a classfied section but we can now get back to our regularly scheduled program. However, I can't post any musings just this second, I gotta pack some boxes. Oh, we're moving on the 16th or 17th, we're not sure which yet. go bye bye!

It's been a while since I posted any pics of Sadie. His one of her napping on "her futon". What a cutie!

If you can help!

2007-08-02T15:46:00.000-07:00

I hate to do this, but it seems that Kristi and I need to move to the Thibidoux area. If you or someone you know has a house for rent in the area(Thibidoux, Houma, Raceland, Lockport, Des Allemands, etc...) please let us know.
Sorry for the shameless advertisement but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Elvis Vs. The Beatles

2007-07-18T22:11:00.001-07:00

K and I have on occassion had some interesting arguements as to who was more influential in the history of rock and roll, Elvis or the Beatles. This is an interactive blog and I would like you to weigh in. Pick a side (stay off the fence) and give us some reasons. They don't have to be good reasons, just have a take.

K says that the Beatles are without a doubt more important than Elvis. She argues that every band since exhibits some Beatle-like traits. I agree that the beatles have influenced countless others but I also say that Elvis was the strongest influence on the beatles and there would be no beatles if not for the influence of the King.

OK, you can take it from here. What's your take?

Insomnia? Probably not.

2007-06-28T20:55:00.000-07:00

So, I was laying in bed trying to fall asleep but it just wasn't happening so I figure instead of keeping Kristi(and Sadie) awake with my moving around I would come piddle on the Internet until I get really tired. I read a comment on a friends blog dealing with the Saints releasing kick returner Michael Lewis. What my dear friend said (in essence) was that it was good to get rid of Lewis because he was a throwback to the "old" Saints. "Old" meaning "losers". This hit a sore spot with me. It is true that the Saints haven't been the most successful team in NFL history and it is true that we, as Saints fans, haven't always had a lot to cheer about. But I think it is very unfair to suggest that everything from 1967-2005 was all crap. Michael Lewis, prior to blowing out his knee was one of the best and most feared return men in the league (and yes, it was a fumble). But, his release has nothing to do with him weighing down the team with past failure. The fact is that it frees up a roster spot. Reggie will return the kicks (there are others guys chomping at the bit to help in this role as well). Lewis was a returner only who never turned into a great or reliable receiver. Thus, he became a one trick pony, a great kick returning pony, but a one trick pony nonetheless. Reggie on the other hand is able to do several jobs which means the Lewis' roster spot can be used to fill a need, and yes we do have needs.
What aggravates me is that Saints fans are acting as if our history started last year. It was a great year and the future looks bright but let us not forget that we looked like crap in Chicago. Our savior of a coach called a terrible game and our anointed players dropped the ball, repeatedly.
Saints history is filled with some great players and great moments. football in New Orleans did not start with the arrival of Reggie and Drew.
John Gilliam returned the Saints 1st kickoff for a touchdown. Dempsey-record breaking kick-to win the game. Manning-do I need say anything. The dome patrol. The only time the entire linebacker corp from a team started in the prow-bowl together. We have had some great players and some not so great, but all of those guys had one thing in common-they played to win. They came up on the short end more often than not, but they still played to win. To suggest that what those men worked for means nothing is a slap in the face to a fan like me who has shared in the victories and felt the sting of defeat that Saints alums have felt. I will miss Michael Lewis, Just like I miss Dalton Hilliard and Vaughn Johnson. They were great Saints who Played Hard, who played to win. I hope we go to and win the super bowl. And part of me hopes that Fred Thomas has an interception return for a touchdown to win the game. O.k., its a very small part of me. To say that "the saints are smart to disassociate themselves people who remember the bad times" is a slap in the face to Michael Lewis, who busted his ass on every play and it is a slap in the face to every saints fan who cheered for the black and gold(see 1965-2005).

Don't hassle me, I'm on Precation

2007-06-04T06:16:00.000-07:00

It's getting close. I don't have to go back to work until next monday (a week from today), thus I dub this my precation. The vacation doesn't start until after my final on Wednesday morning. But, at least I don't have to go to work, YEA! Wenesday we are heading up to Gatlinburg for a few days. We're gonna do some hiking and white water rafting. I love the mountains, probably even more than I like the beach. I like the fact that I don't get sand in my unmentionable places, Ha!
So, I think the fun of Myspace has worn off. It was fun and exciting for a couple of weeks but now it seems to have lost it's luster. I'm considering deleting it, the one good thing about it is that I have talked to my sister more, and since we hardly ever talk that may be reason enough to keep it. I suppose that if I contacted more people then more people would probably contact me. but let's face it, I'm a little lazy and typing on this keyboard requires work. I've also been in a funk lately and haven't felt like being social so I really have made no effort to communicate with people. But I feel better today. It's good to know that my plate has much less on it today than it has in quite awhile and it will be nearly empty after wednesdays final. Imagine that, I'll have free time. I won't know what to do with myself. Maybe I should get a hobby like spearfishing or archery or mastering the blow gun, any thing that has me doing something with a pointy projectile. Or, I can become a conspiracy theorist. I can uncover the truth that Ringo was the mastermind behind the beatles and prove that he, in fact, was both the eggman and the walrus (koo koo ka choo). Well, I can feel myself begining to ramble so I will sign off. Rambling, isn't that something people with free time do? Yea for rambling! Precation Rulz!