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

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.

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...

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

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.

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!

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.

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)

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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!

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

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.

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

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!

I heard the news today, oh boy...

I was at school yesterday and while walking down the hall I saw the coordinator of field experiences. She is the lady who assigns us to the place where we will do our student teaching. I asked a question and in answering it she told me that my placement was done. So, the winner of my services next semester (for student teaching) is Hahnvile High School in beautiful Boutte, La. Boutte is prononunced Boo-tee. So now your asking yourself, where the hell is that? Truthfully, I don't know. What I can tell you is that its across (south of) the river in St. Charles Parish. It's also nowhere close to Baton Rouge.

With all of that said, let's look at the pro's and con's of the situation.
Con's: 1. It's way far from Baton Rouge, 2. Gas is freakin' expensive.
Pro's: 1. St. Charles is the best paying parish (county) in the state. 2. St. Charles is known to hire its student teachers, particularly UNO grads. 3. It is a large school (1400 students) with excellent facilities, funding, and faculty.

But what does all this mean? I don't know. I suppose if I really wanted to teach in La. then this would be great, but I would like to move elsewhere shortly after graduation. I love La., but I love experiencing new places and after all we've been through the last few years I really want to get away and make a new beginning. On the otherhand, If we do end up staying down here for a while then this will be a great situation for me to be in. True, I'm not garunteed a job in St. Charles but it is safe to say that my being a student teacher there will certainly move me to the top of the list come hiring time. It also helps that I am a guy (makes it easier to write my name in the snow too), that I am a teacher first but willing and eager to coach and participate in other extra-curricuar activites (I mean, how often do you find someone who is diverse enough to work as a coach and head the drama department, I am a hot commodity, so I like to believe).

The one other question that we should explore is the question of relocation. Well, K and I have talked some about the idea and we are not opposed to moving closer to the metro area, especially if there is a job for her in the area. I don't mind the drive, I just don't like the fact that its an hour plus change each way, which is time I could be using to sleep, play with Sadie, Play with Kristi, go running, or work on the following days lesson plan.

At least I know where I will be now and we can start making a plan of action to survive the rest of this year. But, I'm not really gonna even think about it until we get back from Gatlinburg in two weeks. Until then I gotta survive this history class! Apparently if I don't learn it I'll be destined to repeat it!

The title of this post, as the cool people who read this blog can tell you, is a line from the Beatles song "a day in the life". It's a great song because you get three songs in one-genius. And yes, I do realize that the line in the song is I READ the news today, but the news I got was spoken so I edited it for personal use. It is my blog after all.
P.S. JB, I know I just stole your idea about lyrics as titles with the explanation in italics, but I couldn't help it. You are my blogging hero and i worship the ground you blog on.

It's Friday...

...and for most people that means the beginning of the weekend. For me, it means the beginning of the workend. You see, I work Friday-Monday nights. Not only that but I typically have nothing to do on Friday and monday mornings. This week however I have school in New Orleans on Friday, Saturday, and Monday (which happens to be Memorial day). So, I will go to class from 9-12, then drive back to BR and be at work from 4-12. It's gonna be a long-not fun-weekend. I have a book review due on monday morning and a midterm on tuesday morning. With that said, I don't have a lot of extra hours to prepare for these two events (with work and the commute) but I'm sure I'll get it done, I usually do. Then I'll repeat the pattern next weekend. The one thing that keeps me going right now is that K and I are gonna take a little vacation in two weeks. It'll be nice to get away for a while. Were going to Gatlinburg, gonna do some hiking and whitewater rafting, and of course eat lots of pancakes (it seems that Gatlinburg is like Mecca for pancake lovers). The only downside to the trip is that we're not taking Sadie. She is gonna stay with my mom and Tom, or with our neighbors, I haven't decided yet. We're talking about being away from that sweet baby for 4 1/2 days, I don't know if we can do it. We'll probably talk about her the whole time we're gone.
Someof you may know that I am on "myspace" now. I swore I'd never do it but I have. You can find me as www.myspace.com/scottgw1 My opinion of myspace hasn't been finalized yet but my rough impression is that its a good and easy way to stay in touch with friends and family and to catch up with people you haven't seen in a while. It's also good if you like independent musicians or are trying to get your namen out there(musically). But, I also think it is making or revealling how, what's the word? illiterate our young people are. Now for those of you who are freinds of mine on myspace I am probably not talking about you. I am very selective of who I let into my friends. But I have browsed through friends of friends and read some of the comments that people write and all I can say is where did we, and the educational system go wrong? That's all I'll say about hat for now, though I'm sure that there will be more on this topic in the future.
At any rate, K and I are doing fine. She's enjoying some time off right now. She's even reading for fun-some srt of novel, i can't tell if its trashy romance or not, there's no Fabio on the cover. We are trying to watch less TV and get out of the house more. I'm trying to get back into running shape but don't seem to have the time or energy to really commit to it. I won't have that excuse once this class ends. But overall things are pretty good. I just thought I would let you know what I've been up to. so, there it is. Later.

For those who may be interested

So I got all my grades in for the semester. 4 A's, 1 B, 2 C's. All I have left is one class this summer and student teaching in the fall.
I must say that I am a little suprised and sad that only two people post comments on my previous post to let me know that they read my blog. I really thought more peopled viewed it. Well, at least I have a 2 person audience, that's better than none. However, if you hadn't noticed that post then please go to the comments section and let me know that you've been checking it out.
I know there was something I wanted to write about but now I'm drawing a blank. We are gonna take Sadie to the beach tommorrow so I'm sure I'll have a good post with pictures up in the next day or two. Till then I'll try to remember what it was I wanted to write. Oh, and for those who may not have noticed, there are now 2 Sadie videos on the side bar. hte first one was just a test run but the second one has a little action to it.

Just Out Of Curiosity

So, sometimes when I'm writing in this here blog I think to myself "self, who actually reads this incessant dribble"? So I thought I would do a little test to find out. If you could do me a favor and go to the comments section below and let me know who you are I would greatly appreciate it. This is mainly for family and friends, after all, if I don't know you then what would be the point of telling me who you are, I still wouldn't know you.

Running with Kenyans, and Greyhounds

Kenya. I love running. I love the sport of running. I love watching it, doing it, talking about it. Sure, I haven't been doing it much lately, damn these busy lives we live that keep us from what we love. I love the simplicity of the sport. You just put one foot in front of the other, then you try to do it faster or longer. that's it, anyone can do it. Most people run for fitness and exercise, others run to earn a living. Some of those who do the best at it are from Kenya. This is especially true in the distance events (my particular favorites). It seems that they win every event they enter in, although occasionally an Ethiopian will win). I wish I could run as the Kenyans do. smooth stride, wicked fast pace. They make it look so easy. In 2006 I ran in the Crescent City Classic (CCC). I finished the 6.2 miles in 57:19 (57 minutes, 19 seconds). I was super excited because my goal was to do it in under an hour. My months of training paid off. While running that day I felt invincible, I swore I was catching up to the leaders. I was flying past people, I refused to be passed by anyone. But, reality is a kick in the head. The winner, a Kenyan, finished the race in 25 minutes (and some change). Yes, even though I was running wide open, he still ran it twice as fast. He was getting a deep tissue massage while I was at the half way point. He was probably on a plane back to Kenya by the time I got to mile 5 and was on his second pack of peanuts when I crossed the finish. I stand amazed at the ability of these elite athletes. I know I will never be one, but the "Battle That I love" is chasing the dream that though many may finish ahead of me, I will be able to cross the finish line with at least one Kenyan behind me.



Lofty? yes, but why dream any other way.
What is the Kenyan in your life?






Sadie has Kenyans in her life, she calls them Greyhounds (she is pictured with one below). She can't run as fast as them, as we found out Sunday on her first visit to the dog park. She just enjoys the chase and loves the dream that maybe once, just once, she'll catch one, just one. Oh Sadie, how wise you are.



This last picture is of Sadie playing with a boxer. Sadie is part boxer, part lab so she felt like she was with her people.

Sunrise, in your old hometown

When you think of being a tourist what do you think of? An exotic destination, somewhere you've never been. Well, that's what I usually think of as well. But, I found something new last week. Let me set up the scene for you. I commute from Baton Rouge to New Orleans on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I have an 8am class. So, to avoid the peak of traffic through metairie I leave the house at by 5:30am. I usually get to new Orleans a little before or a little after 7 (as long as there are no wrecks on the spillway). Last week, instead of coming straight to campus I got off the interstate(I-610) at canal blvd(as usual) but instead of taking a left towards the lake I took a right into the heart of the city. I went up canal to the river(at this point it was about 6:55), made a u-turn at canal place and then a right on N. Peters and headed into the quarter. Typically I only find myself in this part of town in the afternoon or evening and usually on a weekend. This of course means there are lots of people and activity. This is not the case at 7am on a weekday. It was quiet, the roads were still wet from the street sweepers(which according to the signs pass between 5 and 8am). I had the windows down and van-halen(or was I listening to jim croce) turned up as I finished off my bacon egg and cheese bagel. It actually smelled good as I drove around. the only sign of life were the downtown clean up crew in their bright yellow jackets and john deer carts as the power washed the side walks with a mixture of cleaner that is infused with some type of scented stuff (for lack of a better word) that has a very pleasant smell. There was no traffic, no pedestrians stepping in front of the car. If needed, i could have actually parked in the quarter. The coffee shops were open, they were pulling the chairs off the tables at cafe dumonde. Even bourbon street was clean. yes, even bourbon street was clean. it was a beautiful morning. I saw several runners making their way through the streets and down esplanade ave and assumed there must be more along woldenburg park & the moonwalk. Children with backpacks and sleep in their eyes made their way to the bus stop and street car lines.
It was as If I was being allowed to watch the city wake up. As I drove around for about 40 or so minutes I began to see a few more people, then a few more. A little more action, a few more shops open. But it was good to watch New Orleans come to life. So often we see the hustle and bustle, the traffic and the headaches that go along with living in the big city that many of us head for the burbs and we use the city as a playground. But, for most of us it's where our history begins. It's where Louis met Annie. Its where Gerard met Ruth. It's where Mom met Dad. It's Popp fountain on marconi drive. It was Saint Roch park and Melba's Ice cream, Colton and Cohn, Nicholls and Abramson. It wasn't just Mardi Gras weekend. It was birthday parties in city park and thinking storybook land was the cooler than Disney world and of course it was the "tickle bridge".
I am not so naive to say we should move back to the city, but if you ever have the chance to be there as the sun comes up, slow down, take in a deep breath, look around and see the unique treasure and beauty that is your old home town.

up to date

Hello all, I am doing well-busy-but well. I have 2 weeks left of the semster and have much work to do before it is over. Once again I let myself get behind on a few things and it snowballed into this huge mess I am now in. But, don't worry, I'll survive it. I won't be much fun the next couple weeks but fun isn't the issue-passing these classes is. After this semester I will take one class this summer and student teach this fall. I am almost done.

So, I did something I swore I'd never do. I joined MySpace. You can find me there at myspace.com/scottgw1
It's not as bad as I thought. There many pages that are young punks and hoochies that clutter my beloved internet, but it is also a good way to stay intouch with your friends and family and to reconnect with old friends. chances are that if you are reading this then I searched for you, I what what you are doing, and you should be ashamed.

I really want to go eat pizza buffet and take a nap right now but since I don't want to be in school forever, I guess I'll get back to work.
I still have a couple ideas I want to blog about so stay tuned.

p.s. I will not spellcheck here or there, i will not spellcheck anywhere.
If you don't like it heckle as you may, but I will not spellcheck anyway!

I Want the Best of Both Worlds

SO, the question has come up regarding my Van-Halen preference. As many of you mayor may not know, I am a big VH fan and have been since the 5th grade (1983/84ish). One of my most vivid elementary school memories is the day we were to go to music class and it was my turn to bring in some music for the class to listen to. I brought in the album 1984. My classmates and teacher wanted to hear "Jump", and we did. Then I told them that there was another song they HAD to hear and I played "Panama" for them. They totally loved it. 2 weeks later it was on the radio and MTV, I looked like a genius.

But back to the question at hand, which VH is better? Of course that has a lot to do with personal tastes, but I will do my best to give you my side of the argument. I tend to lean towards the original version of things as the better. Often reincarnations lack the heart of the original. Yes Kristi, I know that Garth's "shameless is better than Billy Joel's, but that's a rare case. In the case of VH I would suggest that we have are two distinctly different bands that should be judged each on the merit of their body of work.

David Lee Roth Van-Halen gave us such hits as:

1.Jump 2.Panama. 3. Hot for teacher 4. Ain't talkin' bout love 5. running with the devil 6. Unchained 7. beautiful girls 8. jamie's crying 9. and the cradle will rock. 10. You really got me now(that is a Kinks cover but is smoking hot as a VH version)

Van-Hagar (the sammy hagar years) gave us hits like:

1.Right now 2.Best of both worlds 3.finish what ya started. 4. top of the world 5. dreams 6. why can't this be love 7.love walks in 8. runaround 9. when it's love 10.poundcake.

Above are 20 songs that are all great songs in there own right that comprise one hell of a catalog, and there are many others as well.

Let me be straightforward. I prefer the old van-halen. Not because of Diamaond Dave or because I dislike Sammy. Rather it is because I like the sound, the tone of the music. It is more hard edge, more raw. That's how I like my rock and roll. The Hagar material is a lot cleaner, a lot less abrasive. It is as if the early stuff is intended for guys but with enough sex appeal in it to attract the ladies whereas the later stuff is targeting the ladies but with enough of an edge to it to keep the fellas listening.

What is most important to hardcore fans is that there is a basic VH sound that exists in both versions of the band. The voice and the message may be different but the heart remains unchanged. Most would suggest that that sound emanates from Eddie's guitar. I would suggest that The VH sound is built on the foundation of Alex VanHalens drums. Eddie has a distinct guitar sound but many have duplicated his style and to some extent it can be hard to pick him out of a crowd, but when you hear Al's drums you know your hearing VH magic. He is the Heartbeat of that sound. Now with that said, you can not understate the importance of Eddie's sound and techniques. His guitar is what separates VH from any other past or present. There is only one Eddie. Let's consider why he may the greatest of all time.

1. listen to the body of work, especially "eruption" This one solo changed the sound of rock guitar.

2. Listen to the sound of those who have come since, Eddie lives in their music.

3.When the king of pop needed a guitar solo in "beat it" who did he turn to? Eddie

4. When Marty, in back to the future, needed something to scare his dad with (in the scene where his 50's dad was asleep and he came to him as if in a dream) He put an EVH tape in his Walkman and turned it up.

5. Do you not remember the discussion between bill and ted that went; bill:"we're never gonna get Eddie van halen with out a video" ted:"we're never gonna get a video without Eddie vanhalen". and as we all know "Wild Stalyns" eventually brought peace and harmony to the world. Party on dudes!!!

So what we have learned here is that VH, in both of its forms provides us with some great rock and roll tunes. would I want to see the original lineup together again? maybe, but I'm good with two versions. i DO want the best of both worlds!

My Baby

Thursday is Sadies birthday. She will be one year old. We didn't adopt her until May 5th(Cinco de Mayo, Yes Sadie is huge in Mexico). This is her baby picture, before we adopted her.










This Is shortly after we adopted her. She is helping Kristi work on her masters thesis. She has been a blessing in our lives. We know she's a dog. But, she's our dog and is 1/3 of our family. Everyone in the family has a role to play. Sadie has made family security her job. Here she is on front porch patrol making sure the perimeter is secure. We haven't had any cats or squirrels in our yard in months.



She is wearing her "Kiss Me I'm Irish" collar in anticipation of St. Patricks day.

When we got her she weighed 8 pounds and had rickets. She is now 72 and is in prime physical condition. She has brought us more happiness and laughs than we ever dreamed. If we ever have kids they'll have a tough act to follow. Happy Birthday to my baby girl!

Better Late Than Never

Well, Mardi Gras was a couple of weeks ago. It was a great weekend, Mainly because I was off work for a whole week. Also because we got to spend time with family and friends. Tom & Jeri (seriously) Got a hotel room on St. Charles Ave which we used as headquarters for the festivities. Steve, Mary and the girls came down from Baton Rouge. Patricia, Thornton and the kids came in from Seattle AND Steve and Jeanine(Sorry J, I'm not sure which spelling you use) came in from the "Emerald City" as well. So yes, there were lots of people coming in and out. BUT, it doesn't stop there. Aunt Wanda & her posse had a room in the same hotel. This, of course means I got to see many beautiful faces from multiple sides of the family.

Speaking of Birthdays

Last wednesday I took Sadie to the vet for her 6 month check-up. Dr. Diaz said she looks GREAT. Sadie is in perfect health and is a beautiful dog (those were the words of the trained professional, but I already knew it). Sadie has been on Science Diets large breed puppy food since we got her and I swear by it. But her birthday is on the 15th and I was wondering how long I should keep her on it. The Doc said I could start switching her over to adult formula now. I almost cried when she told me that. My baby is growing up so fast. I haven't started the switch yet. I want her to stay daddy's baby a little longer.

The Piano Man

So, monday was Kristi's birthday. She turned 27. Seeing as how I am 32 I guess that makes me a bit of a stud. But, that's not the point of this post. One of her presents was tickets to see Billy Joel in concert the day after her birthday. Now, you may not know it but Billy's music has a special place in our relationship second only to the Beatles. As many of you may recall, she walked down the aisle to "She's got a way", the words of which are all true. We spent many evenings listening to Billy and talking, getting to know each other in the first few months of our relationship. His music is a major part of the soundtack of our love.

She was very excited to go, which is good because it wasn't cheap. Our seats were great. on side of the stage but very close. It didn't hurt that we could see Drew Brees on the opposite side of the stage (Kristi has a mild crush, but it helps me watch more football so I don't complain). At any rate, It was Awsome. If you get the chance to see him take advantage of it. I know he's getting a little older now and the hair is gone, but the energy is there, the piano skills are there and thank God the vocal skills are still there. It was one of the, no, the best concert I've been to. He sang all of the hits you wanna hear and some of his rarities that hardcore Billy fans would love.

It was a great present for Kristi. She smiled alot and that made it all worth it to me. But it should also be said that I am a bigger fan than she is so it was a great present for me too. I should also thank my mom. She landed us the tickets (to aid in the suprise) and with a friend of hers from work, came with us. Jeri is a crazy woman and she had a blast as well. We were happy to have her and Mrs. Cathy with us. All in all it was an amazing night. we were all in the mood for a melody...and billy had us feelin' alright.

Happy Sadie Gras!

So, last Sunday we took Sadie to the "Krewe of Mutts" parade here in Baton Rouge. These are some of the pictures we took while we were there (there are several more pictures on Kristi's blog, just click her link). It was alot of fun. There were lots of families, lots of kids and yes, lots of dogs. Sadie-head wanted to play with them all. She was really excited, probably overwhelmed, when we first arrived. She settled down after a while. She did great until a little brass band passed by, then she tried to climb on top of me. she calmed down once she saw that instead of throwing bead many people were throwing dog treats. We found a nice place to watch the parade in between to yellow labs and a yellow lab mix. It looked like we were one big yellow lab group. Sadie made several friends, we met a lot of nice people and their dogs. It was comforting to know that we are not the only ones who are obsessed with their dog. Did I mention that my beautiful wife, once a cat person, is now suggesting that we rescue a second dog. We'll talk about that after Mardi Gras passes. For privacy reasons I'm not going to say who got to know the police at the parade. Sadie and i have an understanding that what happens at Mardi Gras-stays at Mardi Gras.

We are probably gonna enter Sadie in the parade next year. she'll be the one with the "show your teets" sign. Sorry, I just couldn't pass up that joke.

HAPPY MARDI GRAS!!!!

School Dazed and Confused

Well, School has been back in session for two and a half weeks now. Last semester I got off to a really slow start and had to catch up on a half semesters work in the last two weeks. I fared well but those two weeks were rough for everyone here at the house. I told myself that I wasn't going to to that again this semester but it I am close to falling into that rut again. I think that this post will actually help me to get motivated and get off to a good start. One of the main problems is the cost of text books. I have 5 classes that require me to spend at least $100.00 each for books. Now, it is possible to by used books off the internet for much lower but I'm still figuring between $250 and $350 all totaled. As you know we don't exactly have a lot of dough to be throwing around so I am reluctant to order these books which means I am not doing all the reading I'm supposed to. You can see where this causes a problem. so, tonight I will force myself to sit here at the computer for a while and order the damned books.

I need to suck it up and spend the money. Don't misunderstand me, we're not broke or in debt, we just don't have much extra money. We can afford the books, but if I have the books then I can't use that as an excuse to not read. Those who know me are well aware that I have spent a lot of time in school. I am burned out. I am tired of it. I don't feel like it is benefiting me anymore. It was a benefit and i have learned alot, but i feel like their is nothing else they can do to prepare me for my career as an educator. But, there are requirements I must meet so off I go twice a week from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. I am taking 16 hours this semester. that's actually the fewest i have taken since the spring of 2005 (15). I can handle the classes, they are not hard by any means. I just don't have the motivation I need right now to get the work done.

What I have mentioned so far seems a little negative so let me assure you that I will not fail these classes ( I know that's what you were thinking). I am scheduled to do my student teaching in the fall. After this semester I have 2 classes to take this summer. I have already complted my education classes and all of my upper level social studies classes (minus 1 history class that I'll take this summer, I've made an A in every college history class I have ever taken<>

The problem here is that I am ready to start teaching. It is my passion and I am excited abouted it. So much so that I can't focus on what I am doing now because I am looking past now and into the future. I need to focus on the task at hand and take care of this semester. I'm just ready to be done. Don't worry, I'll get it done. I feel better already. maybe i could send Sadie to school for me, she likes books. She's even eaten several of them!

The Saints go marching in and we will go marching on!

So, I just wrote this really nice blog entry about he Saints season and the great effect it had on the city and the region. But, when i went to spellcheck it all went away. I am too aggravated to recompose it It would lack the emotion that the original had so let me just sum it up.
the Saints had a great season and have inspired all of us in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region. It may just be a football team to others around the country but down here the team isn't just the guys you see on the field, its the grandmother at home yelling at the TV, it's the little kid who wears his Deuce jersey to school and breaks the uniform code, It's the college professor who won't count students absent the day after the big monday night game. Its a team of thousands who live and fight for each other. If your not apart of it you will not understand what I am writing. But for those of you who are near to it you know that as go the Saints, so got the weather, finding money in the dryer and the crime rate.
This season manythings were changed and the saints were winners. That "never say die" attitude (thank you Walter Payton) has carried over to the citizens of the region and those currently displaced. The Saints have built a soild foundation on which to build for next year and we will continue to rebuild our homes, our schools, our business, our lives. But not the way it was. Like the Saints we will clean house, work hard, and build a winning city and region.
If you know what it means to miss New Orleans, then get to work and bulid the home of your dreams.

In the above post i used the word bulid instead of rebuild because the slate is clean and to rebuild implies i return to what was. I favor a return to what should have been and now can be. If at first you don't succeed, tear the damn thing down and build a better one.

Christmas and the Saints

I was one of the lucky ones who got to go to the Saints playoff game against the Eagles. The catch was that I had to sit with my mom. She is actually pretty cool to sit with. She knows a good bit about the game and will voice her opinion when she feels the need. It was a very enjoyable evening. But you can tell that 40 years of losing takes a toll on a person. The Saints were leading by 7 with about 9 minutes left in the 4th and the Eagles were driving. Our seats were in the upperdeck in the endzone. the Eagles had the ball third and one at the 5 yard line. Everyone in the dome is standing and screaming in support of the defense. I turned to my left only to see my mom sitting down watching the game on the jumbo screen. I asked what she was doing and she said she didn't want to see the Eagles score. "This is the playoffs woman, get up and support your team" was my reply. she did and Scott Fujita made a great stop forcing the Eagles to kick a feild goal. As we all know the saints won the game. Maybe it was that one extra voice. Everyone down here in the New Orleans area is buzzing about our boys, even Sadie is showing her spirit.

We went to Oklahoma for a couple days after Christmas to see my Dad, Janet, Stephanie "Q", and Poppy. It was fun. Tulsa may not be Vegas or any thing but it is a nice town-and clean. We were there during a warm spell between two blizzards. we only had to wear coats one day. Its a long drive and was Sadies first experience with long distance travel-11 hours. Prior to this her long was only an hour and a half. She did great. She only got fidgety when were delayed by a wreck outside of Norman Ok. I think they flipped over the "Sooner Schooner" and it took some "Cowboys" (OU/OSU joke) to get it rolling again. Every one was doing well. Dad and Janet took a liking to Sadie, they were probably sadder to see her go than Kristi and I. My dad (57) even got down on the floor to play with her. I had to take a picture because i am not even sure if there is a picture of him playing on the floor with one of his kids (kidding).

What I have learned over the last few weeks is two things.
1. There is nothing as important as family. Even if you don't see them or talk to them as often as you should, they are still a part of you. Love them, tell them you love them,show them you love them. try to see them more and be a part of each others lives. This goes for parents, siblings, children, grandparents, cousins, aunts& uncles, steps, halves, in-laws and outlaws. and with all of that said.........

2. All you can do is be you and do what you can with what you have. You can't make other people do anything or feel a certain way. you can't please everyone.