From One End of I-49 to the Other

My weeks seem to be getting busier and busier. Last Tuesday night I cooked chicken and rice and gravy for Kayla and Larry. It was good, but mine is never as good as mom's. On Wednesday we got a lot of work done at work, and very nearly finished everything we could finish. We'll have some things to tie up over the next two weeks, but it's nice to be completely caught up. I went over to Wayne and Tina's to play cards and watch the results of Idol Wednesday night. I didn't win anything, but I had a fine time with good people.

Thursday night I went to watch Hannah play ball. I got spoiled last summer watching the girls play in the world series against the creme de la creme, because when they play a regular league game against weaker competition, it is pretty dadgum boring. They won, though. Afterward, I went to Rob and Crys's for the season finale of The Office. Very funny, that show.

Friday morning I got up at five in the morning and went walking with Robert. That is very early. That evening, I had dinner at Bob and Carolyn's. The drunk chicken and rice were really good, but the new squash, picked out of the garden that morning, was the highlight of the meal.

On Saturday I went to Shreveport to celebrate the Mass of Ordination of Matthew Tyler Long. Father Matthew, who we called Tyler in law school, converted while he was in Baton Rouge, and three years later he was in the seminary studying for the priesthood. The Mass was beautiful and emotional and a grand celebration of Father Matthew's new role for our diocese. I also got to see two other former law school classmates, Brandon and Donnie. When I got home Saturday afternoon, I headed to Mary and Randy's for a crawfish boil. When I arrived, there were several people I didn't know. A few beers and some shared crawfish later, I had some new friends. I also got to alternately pick on and discuss religion with a less-than-fully-sober person. It was a nice afternoon and evening.

After Mass Sunday, I packed my bags and headed to Breaux Bridge for Emily's graduation party. I was a little late, but there was still some food left when I got there. I am very proud of Emily for following through on her education after some time away. That's certainly not the easy route, but she managed to be successful. Emily has some pretty incredible things going on in her life [i.e., Nick] and I am happy for her and hopeful that this next year, which promises lots of changes and experiences for her, will be a great triumph. I spent the night down south, so after everyone left we continued to discuss the things people discuss these days, primarily the policies of the Obama administration and their lack of intelligence, until Travis and I ran out of beer. He and I continued the talk over beers at a local tavern, but soon the discussion turned to horse racing and cockfighting. Much more interesting topics, in my opinion.

Monday morning I did a little shopping in Lafayette and Alexandria before returning to Many. Most importantly, I secured a birthday gift for JP, who turns two next weekend. Tuesday I went to Kayla's for Idol, and last night we watched the final results show. The guy I voted since the top thirteen won, so I was pleased, and the show was very entertaining.

This morning marked the third day in a row I have gotten up at 5 am to walk. I'm not sure how long I will continue this, but Tippe sure likes it.

Home-Cooked Meals

I had a really good streak of eating really good food this week. And I helped! Tuesday was AI at Kayla and Larry's. It was also Cinco de Mayo. So I cooked fajitas. I did it differently than I have in the past, but they were really good. On Wednesday, I cooked dinner for Robert and Crystal, and we had spaghetti and meat sauce. On Thursday, I went to play cards at Wayne and Tina's. Wayne cooked some excellent red beans and rice, and the cornbread was out of this world. Another plus -- I didn't lose any money.

Sara's graduation party was Saturday. Her folks threw her a very nice party, which included 100 pounds of boiled shrimp, cheesecake flown in from New York, and all the beer you could drink. I gave Sara a nice portfolio/notepad holder, and included a short note with some advice now that she's a lawyer. I hope she liked it, or at least laughed a couple of times when she read it. Brian asked me to say grace before we ate, which I was happy to do. I ended the night by jumping into the pool. Ronnie said he was going in, I told him I'd follow him, and in he went. I had the good sense to empty my pockets. I take this as proof that I wasn't too drunk.

Saturday was more low-key. After Mass, I spent the evening hanging out with Buck. Sunday I went out on the lake with the Hables and the Murphys for Mothers Day. We had a very relaxing afternoon.

A Very Meaningful Message

In light of the controversy surrounding the invitation Notre Dame extended to President Obama, and its decision to bestow an honorary doctorate to a man who has done so much to promote abortion in his first 100 days as president, I thought this sermon was an appropriate response. It was given by the Most Rev. Wenski, Bishop of Orlando, at a Mass of Reparation. While it was in response to this scandal perpetrated by Notre Dame, it has an important message to all men and women of faith about how we should strive to be images of Christ in the world.

Mother Nature Provides a Wake Up Call

I was up bright and early (i.e., 4 am) Sunday morning. Bock wanted me to be at Toledo Tackle at 5 am so we could get out on the water early. We were on the lake by about 5:45 am and headed to Lanan bridge to try our luck with the white perch. We weren't very successful, but we caught a few fish. I learned a thing or two, and visiting with Bock was enjoyable. The guys we went with, Skip (Bock's host) and Charlie, were more successful. We couldn't see them, but Charlie's dachsund Peanut hates fish, and barked madly every time they landed a fish. Pretty funny.

We tried a few more fishing holes, none with great success, and I headed back to town at about 2 pm to get to Mass, where I served as a Lector. When I finally got home I sat down for a big salad. My meal was interrupted when I saw Kayla walking. Tippe and I joined her. During our walk, I mentioned that I was probably going to rent a movie. She suggested Marley and Me. I agreed it was a good idea, and I borrowed the movie and headed over to watch it with Kayla and Larry. Even though we knew how the movie ended, the tears were copious. If you ever need a good cry and have lost a beloved pet (like Canoe, Tippe's sister who died in the fall), it's definitely the movie to watch.

Sunday morning, I awoke to the sounds of a vicious storm at 7:30 am. Many was hit pretty hard by a storm, including what looked like a tornado. Three trees fell in the cemetery across the street. A limb fell and but a dent in the hood of my truck. But I was lucky. Several houses in my neighborhood, including three of people I know, ended up with trees on them. It'll take a while to recover, but we'll do it.

I finally headed out to the covered dish at church to celebrate the First Communion of our youngsters. Some of the food was late, owing to power outages at the restaurants and grocery stores providing it, but it was still a nice celebration. I came home and cleaned up most of the limbs in the yard. Later, I had chicken and dumplings with the Hataways and the Boudreauxs. A fine end to a fine weekend.

Today, I finished a memo, worked on a couple of writs, and took care of some odds and ends, and I am ready for court on Wednesday. Tomorrow, since I finally have a few minutes and the court term is approaching the end, I'll tackle the mess on my desk. Tomorrow night, I'm cooking fajitas to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

What a Week

Man, what a busy week. I finally got to hang out at Kayla's for American Idol for my "regular" Tuesday night for the first time in three weeks. Kayla cooked an aweson dinner of beef tips, mashed potatoes, greens, fried green beans, and cornbread. Further proof that the show is just an excuse to get a great meal.

Wednesday, I went out to the lake to meet my uncle Bock and Aunt Linda, who were staying for the weekend. They brought up steaks from Poche's in Breaux Bridge, and it was an awesome meal. It was good to visit with them and meet their host Skipper Carlisle. After dinner we went fishing, and I caught a couple of nice bream.

Thursday after work I went and played cards. I got angry because one of the guys I played with got mad at me for something I shouldn't have done. I don't mind someone pointing out that I should not have done, but treating me like a six year old pissed me off. I still had a good time, but I need to work on (1) sticking up for myself and (2) not letting dickheads bother me. So at least I learned something about myself.

Friday we had a crawfish boil at church, which was very nice. It's 11:30 pm now, and I am going fishing at 5 am tomorrow. So I am off to a very fast night's sleep.