Weekend Update 10/15-17/10

So let's see. After I got off work Friday I headed over to Walmart to do the shopping. I was browsing all the fall stuff lost in the fantasy of buying it all when I glanced at the clock and realized how late it was getting so decided I better start doing the actual shopping that was needed. I was a good girl and didn't buy one fall thing.

Got home and put everything away and since HDT was working overtime I decided to take my shower before he got home so that way we had all evening together before he'd have to go to bed. I was just getting out when he got home so it was perfect timing.

I made dinner and we relaxed for the rest of the evening watching some of the dvr'd shows from the last week or two.

Saturday he went to work & slept in a little. Don't remember what time I got up but when I did I got ready to go do the rest of the shopping that I still needed to do since Walmart didn't have everything we needed. Went to Target and then over to Jewel for the remainder of the groceries.

Got home and put them all away and then made myself a lunch and watched some of the shows that I watch that HDT doesn't. Was able to get rid of 5 hours of Ellen's by watching only the choice interviews rather than the whole show.

Around 5 I headed upstairs to get ready to go out for the night. My brothers, one of the SIL's and I were going to see Local H. Since HDT doesn't really care for them he wasn't going. He got home about 30 minutes before I had to take off and helped me unload my vehicle in case I ended up having to drive. Met the guys at mom's and 5 minutes later we were off, luckily I didn't have to drive - Scott did.

We got down to the restaurant/bar just before 8:00, Local H was to go on at 9:00 and the website said the opening band was still TBD. But we figured we'd be able to get a bite to eat while watching them. As we walk in the guy at the door tells us that they're closing the place down for an hour and half, no one is allowed in unless you were there for one of the reunions that were going on. He said everyone that was in the restaurant now would be kicked out as soon as they were done eating and then they'd be reopening the doors at 9:30. Which of course makes not sense since Local H was supposed to start at 9:00.

So we get back in Scott's van to head across the street for dinner. Wayne leaves a message for Scott (the singer) telling him what's going on and "what the fuck dude?" Just as we're leaving the restaurant to head back our oldest brother meets up with us. We get there just after 9:00 and there's a crowd milling around already of course. But that was fine, we were still close to the doors anyway. They open the doors at 9:30 but they're not letting anyone in, I guess it was to let the last few reunioners out of there. At around 9:40 or so they finally start letting us in.

We went to say hi to Gabe and buy some of the t-shirts, CD's, etc. that were on sale. My SIL got us a booth that was at the end of the row so there was a half wall surrounding it which made it easier for us all to sit/stand around it. Ended up being a good place to watch the show from.

Don't remember when the 1st band went on but they were pretty good and ended at exactly 11:00. Scott (singer of Local H) came out while the opening band was still playing to say hi. I haven't been to a show in years, in fact I think the last one I went to was the one I wrote about here back in '06 I think it was, maybe early '07. So it was fun to surprise him when I turned around to say hi. And I started to think back when the last time all 5 of us kids were at a show, I think it was when Joe was still drumming which has been close to 15 years now.

Local H got up there just after 11:30 and played until 12:40 or so. Was a great show, other than 2 brand new songs they played all older stuff which I enjoy more than stuff off the last couple albums. Although, never mind, now that I think about it they did play a couple songs off the last album. Anyway, at 12:40 they go walking of the stage and the audience starts the chant going for the encore. They come back and play several songs off their new EP - Local H's Totally Awesome Mix Tape #1.

After that not sure where Brian went but Scott went over to the table to stand beside Gabe while things were being sold so he could give autographs to anyone that wanted one. Kinda funny to see really since he used to say years ago that he'd never do that. We stuck around long enough for all the buyers to get their stuff to be able to say goodbye to him. Gave him a hug buy and my oh my was he one sweaty dude.

Got home around 2:20 or so and after taking Poydras outside and washing up I finally crawled into bed just before 3:00. HDT's alarm started going off around 4:45. He actually asked me to get up to help him get ready - find his socks. I basically told him no way and didn't.

I think it was around 7ish when HDT needed to go to the bathroom again so I got to let him out and then fed everyone then crawled back into bed until just before 10:00. Took a nice long hot bath reading my book - now on Dan Brown's Angels and Demons. I've had that one forever so finally decided to read it, pretty good so far.

Got downstairs with 5 minutes to spare before the Saints game was gonna be starting. Since HDT was at work I texted him with updates throughout the game. He used to have Moore as one of his fantasy players and since he hasn't done much lately because there's so many different people that Brees goes to HDT decided to drop him. Moore makes a catch and gets a touchdown this game, I send him the text and he comes back with "SOB" I couldn't help but bust out laughing. But so true. Then he decides not to start Ivory and he ends up getting 124 yards rushing. Sad, just sad.

But he got off work early so he was able to watch the last quarter. The Saints started to fuck up pretty bad after HDT got home so he kept saying he should've stayed at work. They were doing awesome and heading towards a shut out until he got home and started watching, it was funny but sad as well.

After the game ended he had me flip in between different games for him checking up on his other players. At one point I grabbed several of our recipe books to look up how I should cook the flank steak I got at Walmart. I've never cooked one before I really like 'em so decided I'd try it out. Unfortunately every recipe I found said how it should be marinated for 5 - 24 hours so it was out for dinner. And out of all the recipes there wasn't one that I had all the ingredients for so basically I made up my own using what I had from two of the recipes. While I was doing that HDT came up and started putting away the dishes from the dishwasher and putting the dirty ones in. Then I separated the chicken breasts into freezer bags while he took out the garbage and recycles. I helped him take out tot he curb an old chair that's been in the garage for years. We're finally gonna start getting rid of a bunch of the items that have been in there taking up space forever.

After all that we headed back downstairs and watched one of the Grey's that was taking space on the DVR. By the time that ended the evening game had started and since he had 3 players (2 on Washington's team and 1 on the other) he wanted to watch it. At half time when none of his players were getting any points for him and he was losing both his fantasy games he gave up the ghost and we went back to watching more recorded shows. In between I made us some chicken, rice and garlic bread for dinner.

I went up to bed around 11:30 and he followed shortly after. I forgot he was going in at 3:00am to make up the time owed to his coworker who had come in early for him to be able to leave earlier in the day to be able to watch the end of the game. I had started to feel kind of sick earlier, my stomach was feeling kind of sour, so I took a couple swigs of some off brand Maalox and went to sleep. When his alarm went off at 2:00 and I woke up I was still feeling off. I got up to go to the bathroom and while peeing started to feel like I was gonna puke. So sat on the edge of the tub in anticipation. But rather than vomiting I ended up having to take a shit. Actually felt a little better right away so went back to bed. When I got up this morning I was all better. So whatever it was has gone away, very happy for that, can't afford any more days off.

Media quote of the day: just a snippet of California Songs by Local H

And here we go again
It's never gonna end
We're all so sick of California songs
Yeah we know you love L.A.
There's nothing left to say
Please no more California songs
And fuck New York Too

Weekend Update 10/8-10/10

So this weekend was pretty busy but very enjoyable. Friday right after I got home from work HDT and I headed out to visit his dad and stepmom about an hour away at a campground they were staying at for the weekend. What should have taken us about an hour took almost two. He wanted to stop and wash the jeep because he'd be taking back the soft top to his friend that he borrowed it from the next day. So that took close to 20 minutes and then when we got to the highway it was backed up. Although it was moving steadily we were only going about 15-20 miles an hour.

So since I had to stop and get cough medicine because I couldn't stop coughing we pulled back off the highway to take a quicker route to a pharmacy. The cold had moved down into my chest and I couldn't take a deep breath without coughing like crazy. After I got the medicine we made it back to the highway but by then it was well past the construction and car accident that was making it move so slowly and we were finally on our way.

We had a good time visiting them and their friends having a good steak dinner and nice sit around the fire. We took Poydras with us and he was such a good boy, didn't cause any problems at all and everyone loved him.

I went straight to bed when we got home but he stayed up. I have no idea when he came to bed, I woke up at one point after the sun had risen with both cats and the dog all snuggled up against me and I reached behind me to see if he was there and he was. I promptly fell back asleep.

We got up around 10:00 and he headed out to his friends to take the soft top back and then to another friend's kid's football game that was starting at noon. Now that I think about it, I don't know if he ever made it to the game because he never said anything about it. Hmmm, I'll have to ask him about it. I took a nice leisurely bath and then got ready for the day.

I watched some Private Practice while waiting for him to make it back home with Jim. We three were going to a friend's house for a poker tournament that evening. HDT called at one point saying he was heading over to his friend Pat's house to check on him. He was feeling kinda down and Jim couldn't get a hold of him and he wasn't answering HDT's call either so he wanted to make sure all was well. HDT called me about an hour later saying he had stopped at another guy's house to visit and was finally on his way to Pat's place and he'd give me another call when he was on his way to get Jim. I continued to chill watching PP and finally got the call from HDT that they were on their way.

They got home with some dinner, we ate pretty quickly and then headed out to Willy's for the poker game. None of us won this time around, made us all pretty sad but we had a good time and that's all that matters.

On our way home (which was after midnight and I was pretty damn tired) the guys started talking about going out and visiting with Pat. He had told HDT to give him a call after we were done with the game to see if he was still up and maybe he and Jim could come out for a while. He was still up and willing to have visitors so we all went out. Played some hearts, I lost - seemed like they were all gunning for me. Especially after I shot the moon without even trying to. After hearts we watched a Doctor Who episode from a few years ago. Both Jim and Pat were telling HDT and I about how good it is and we should really get into them. It was pretty good but I'm not sure I'm interested enough. HDT really liked it so he might Netflix them.

We finally got home some time after 4:00 after dropping Jim off at his place. I went straight to bed but HDT stayed up a couple more hours. He wanted up by 11:30 but got up around 11:40 so not too much later. We got ready and headed out the door around 12:30, stopped for gas and went for a drive. He surprised me on Friday saying he was thinking we should go out for breakfast/brunch Sunday and go for a drive afterward and then get back home in time to watch the game at 3:00. At the gas station I got us a packet of Zingers and a pop since we didn't know where we were gonna go for food so therefore didn't know how long it'd be before eating. It was a good thing I did because we ended up not eating until we made it back home just after 3:00.

The drive was really nice though, he brought his ipod so we had some good tunes to listen too while enjoying the unseasonably warm weather and pretty trees. We decided to head out to a town that one of his coworkers told us about that has a shop with some nice furniture where we could possibly find a bookcase or two. Which we've been wanting for awhile now. We ended up bypassing it without realizing it and the sort of got turned around by taking a side road we've never been on before. But we ended up back in the town and went into an Irish shop which had some pretty neat stuff but was way over priced so didn't get anything. The street that we needed to take to make it back to the furniture shop was backed up and rather than try to get in we decided to skip and just head back home.

We turned off of it at some point and saw a sign that was for a fall festival/hay ride/farm/etc. so we followed those to see what it was all about. But when we got to it we decided to skip it since it was big time packed with people and I'd just want to spend money we don't have on decorating things that we don't have places for them to go. So we kept driving and at some point got turned around again in some subdivision. But eventually got out of there and made it to a road we knew and headed home. We called into a restaurant to order takeout, grabbed it and made it home about 3:15. Luckily I had remembered to set the game to record before we left so were able to watch it on the dvr and during the commercials caught up to real time.

The game itself was a shambles. The Cardinals played better than expected and the Saints played horribly. Too many turn overs and costly ones at that. Sad, it was just sad. And that's all I have to say about that.

We were both really tired but knew we had to stay up at least a few more hours otherwise we'd be waking up way to early. So we watched some recorded shows while doing some laundry and then went up to bed around 10:00. I'm still fighting my cold so I've been taking medicine all weekend, I took a shot of the nighttime stuff and was asleep within minutes. I woke up a couple times in the night but fell asleep right away again so that was good. I feel rested today but I'm still coughing and having to blow my nose more than I'd like even after taking the day time stuff. Oh well, from what I've heard from other people this is gonna be sticking around for at least another week or so. Ugh.

Media quote of the day: - Roger Miller's Dang Me - one of the great tunes we listened to

They say roses are red and violets are purple
and surgar's sweet and so is maple surple

Anniversary and the sickness

Yesterday was our 5/15 anniversary. Happy Anniversary HDiTty - love you bunches!


So I've been sick the last several days. Tuesday morning I woke around 4ish with a fever. I was shivering and sweating like crazy. The fever didn't break until later in the morning but by then I had a migraine. Ibuprofen took care of that by the evening so I had every intention of going in to work on Wednesday. HDT and I didn't get out of bed until around 10:30 or so and by 2:00 I was all sleepy again so he came with me to take a nap. My alarm went off at 4:00 but I ended up dozing on and off until 5:00. But at least my head didn't hurt anymore.

Wednesday when I got up to get ready for work I had another migraine but thought I'd try to go in anyway. But I kept getting dizzy and sick feeling so I knew I was in for a real doozy. Took one of my migraine pills and went back to bed. Got up around 11:00, most of the pain was gone except for right behind my right eye. But that eventually moved over to the left eye.

But by the time we had to leave to make our reservation at the steak house in Milwaukee I was feeling better. Just a slight headache, I was still coughy and stuffy and tired but still I was feeling better. We each got a Long Island and by the time our food got there I noticed I didn't have a headache anymore. I've noticed that before with alcohol, it seems to help my headaches go away sometimes.

We each got a filet and then shared the asparagus and baked potato. All of it was very good. Then he got a slice of cheesecake and I got a chocolate chip banana cake slice. It was different but good. My plate was drizzled with chocolate and we each got a strawberry with our slice so we put the strawberries through the chocolate and ate those as well - very good.

Our waitress put us in a nice quiet/dark corner away from all the rest of the patrons which was very nice except for two very loud men. Everything they said just carried throughout the whole room. Then when we were almost done a group of 7 men were seated not too far away but still, it was nice.

When we got back out to the car before we pulled away he hands me my card. But since I've been sick I haven't gotten his card yet. I felt bad, so I asked him if it would be ok if I didn't open it yet and that I'd go after work the next day to get his card and we could exchange then. He said I didn't have to get him a card but if I wanted to, if it'd make me feel better that would be just fine. So I have to make sure I head straight to the store to get his card.

I also have to make sure I get into bed at a decent time tonight to keep getting rest because this weekend will be a busy one. I don't need to get worse that's for sure.

Media quote of the day:

Come on now, baby. My little filet. My little filet mignon with a little fat around the edges. I like that. I like a little fat on my steak. My sweet, juicy steak. You are a rare delicacy. - Alex the Lion in Madagascar

Weekend Updated 10/1 - 3/10

So, normally we'd be up in Door County right now enjoying our anniversary week. But because I quit my job last year and was out for 6 months and then only making temporary pay when I did get a job we couldn't head up there this year. I'm sad about that but I'm glad I got the job I did because so far it's great.

So, we thought about going to a movie Friday night but I was pretty darn tired from lack of sleep throughout the week and he didn't feel like going either so we stayed home. Besides we had close to two weeks worth of shows in the dvr to watch.

Saturday I got up around 9:00 and since I didn't feel like getting up but I knew I wouldn't sleep anymore I decided to take a long leisurely hot bath. I finished the book I was reading while in there. After soaking for awhile I got ready to go do the grocery shopping that's been needed all week. As I was getting ready HDT woke up, I asked him if he'd want to come along but he didn't, he was still pretty tired.

So I did the shopping and then after putting everything away, he helped with the pop, we proceeded to be lazy again all day and continue catching up on the dvr'd shows. Oh yeah, I ran back out real quick to go to BWW to get some more spicy garlic sauce and he wanted me to get another kind that we haven't tried yet just to experiment. So I got the Asian something or other. We shall see soon if it's any good.

Sunday was the game, which was a nail biter. So glad Carney is back but I feel so bad for Hartley. Oh well, he's still young, he'll get better. HDT's dad came over to watch with us since the Bears didn't play until the evening. He asked us to come over and watch it so we told him we would go.

A little after 4:00 I went up to bed to take a nap, I was so out of it I was actually dozing off on the couch. Which I hardly ever do because I can't sleep with the tv on. I set my alarm for 5:40 to make sure I'd get up in time to get the roast out of the crockpot which was set to be done at 6:00. HDT came crawling in right after my alarm went off and said he wanted to take a nap for 30-40 minutes. I ended up dozing off and on until 6:00 and then finally got up to check on the meat and finish making the sides for dinner. Got him up at 6:45 or so and we ate dinner before heading over to his dad's.

The Bears game was a big joke, at one point Collinsworth even made a joke about putting a circus tent over the stadium. It was pretty damn funny. The Bears ended up going all the way down to their 3rd tier quarterback in the 4th quarter. Sad, just sad.

After HDT helped his dad out with his desktop we headed home. Earlier in the day my throat had started to hurt and kept getting worse as the day went on. I thought it was just from the spices on the meat irritating it. But when I woke up from the nap I was stuffy and had major sinus pressure going on. Turns out I now have a cold, yippee.

You'd think with all the rest I got over the last couple days I wouldn't have gotten sick, oh well.

Media quote of the day:

It's amazing. You even make football sound bad, Bones. - Seeley Booth - Bones

He will be missed

So, Les' memorial and the visitation was Wednesday evening. The 1st hour was the memorial and several people got up to speak. I wanted to but every time someone new got up there and started to talk I'd start crying. Then Wayne looks right at me and I say "I can't" and as I'm saying can't I start to cry all over again. I just couldn't do it.

After that we had the visitation. We didn't do a formal line but of course people ended up in line anyway to see mom and his kids. My brothers and I sort of mingled and people would find us as well. For the first 5 or 6 people that came up to me I'd start crying all over again.

It was really nice over all though and I found out on Thursday that there were well over 300 people that showed up. That almost seems small to me but I guess not, at least not from hearing different people talk.

HDT, his stepmom and I got out of there around 8:00. She came over to visit for a little bit, his dad had to work and sent his love and sympathy.

Thursday afternoon was the interment that was just for the family. That went pretty well. Mom was sitting in a chair with Jason on her right and Les' daughter Wendy on her left. I stood behind her with HDT behind me. I had my hand on her shoulder and at one point I feel her body start to shake and I look down and she's crying which of course makes me start to cry and then several others as well. But then we pulled ourselves together but just minutes later they did the military tribute. The guys came up and took his flag, unfolded it then taps was played where so many of us lost it again. Then they refolded the flag and one of the men came over and presented it to mom. Although the man was directly in front of me he was kneeling in front of mom so he was lower and he spoke so quietly that I only understood him when he said "ma'am" and then at the very end when he thanked Les for his contribution in protecting the country. Everything in between was just noise. But at any rate, that got me teared up again.

After the service most of us left; some of his kids, mom and sister stayed for the actual interment. HDT and I went home to let the dog out and feed him and the cats before heading over to mom's for the cookout and fire in celebration of Les. Those are two of his favorite things so we all thought that it fitting to end the day that way.

HDT and I got home a little after 11:00 and I was exhausted to say the least. But after having to put things away and then get ready for bed I didn't get in bed until almost midnight. I so didn't want to get up this morning and go into work.


A quote from Les rather than a media quote:

I am a meat cutter, NOT a butcher!

Weekend Update - 9/25/10

Les died Saturday night after having a really good day according to everyone who saw him. We didn't get over there and I'm sad for that but at the same time I basically said my goodbyes on Wednesday night. Although I didn't say that word I was still saying it and I'm sure he knew it.

By Thursday at lunch time he refused to wear the oxygen mask anymore and by Friday they had him home. I called mom a little after 2:00 on Saturday and she said he just laid down for a nap about 40 minutes before I called but wouldn't be getting too much more sleep because Wayne and his family and Scott and his two kids would be heading over for a visit. He had been visiting with people all day up until his nap so I asked her if Sunday would be better for HDT and I to go over. She said yes, that would be perfect.

Saturday evening all the brothers came over as usual to watch the UFC fights along with Les' grandson Buck. After he had been there about 15 minutes or so he gets a call telling him he needed to get home so Ron took him. We all wondered but didn't say anything to each other as to why he was leaving. Ron gave a call to Curt after they got there to let us know that Les had passed away before they got there.

But as I mentioned, everyone said he had been smiling and joking and picking on people as he used to do. When mom told me that I didn't say it out loud but thought that of course he was, he knew it wouldn't be too much longer and he was home where he wanted to be. He had made piece with it all. After Curt got the call we all talked some and all agreed on that assessment.

He'll be cremated but we're not sure what day yet. They still have to get a hold of the place he was wanting his memorial to be held at to make sure it'll be available and when. The memorial will be open to everyone but the internment will be just family. After that we'll head back to mom's for a cookout of brats, hotdogs and hamburgers and sit around the fire in honor of him.

He was a great dad, stepdad and husband... he will be greatly missed.

Sickness - one gets better while another hangs on

So yesterday just before lunch time I'm talking to HDT on his cell phone about Poydras. Poydras and the two kitties got their rabies shot and he got the distemper shot as well. They all also received blood work to make sure none of them have heart worms. Our neighbors new dog that they got from the pound had them and since we were lax in giving Poydras his medicine we wanted to make sure all were well.

Within about an hour of being home he seemed like he was hurt. He didn't want to jump up on the couch with me or go up or down the stairs. HDT thought it was his front left leg but I said it was just because he got a shot in each thigh and the muscles were probably just sore; the same as our own muscles get after a shot.

But HDT thought it was more than that, so I told him we should just keep an eye on him for the rest of the night and see how he is in the morning. He still didn't want to go up or down any stairs, I had to coax him to do so but he did do it. And outside he still walked around sniffing the ground as usual before peeing; he just did it a lot more slowly.

So when the vets office called him to let him know that all three tests came up negative for heart worm he asked them about Poydras. They said what I've been saying that he's probably just sore and sometimes dogs will have a negative reaction to the vaccine itself. So they said since he is still moving around and he ate his breakfast without any problems that we should just give him some baby aspirin and let him continue to rest.

So Jess got the medicine for us and went over there around 11:00 to give it to him and stick around a bit to make sure he would keep it down or didn't react to it in any other way. It did wonders for him and so did the resting. By the time I got home after 5:00 he was just as spry as he's always been.

But back to HDT and me on his cell phone.... he was letting me know what Jess had to say about Poydras and while he's talking he stops himself and says, "911 what is your emergency" so when he does that I usually just tune him out cause I know it'll be a bit before he'd be able to come back to me. Next thing I know my phone is dead silent so I didn't know if he hung up or just put me on mute. I wait for a bit and the decide he's gonna be awhile so I hang up.

A little bit later he calls me back and says that the call was from my mom, that Les is having a stroke and he's unresponsive. It's lunchtime now so I tell him I'll give her a call on my way out the door. She answers and says that he's now responsive but that she has to go because the paramedics need to talk to her. She told me to keep in touch with her though.

I get home and a few minutes later my brother Leroy calls and gives me a little more information. Says that Les has been in going back and forth still between wanting to just let it all end and having good days. Tuesday was a bad one, he just didn't want to be around anymore but yesterday was a good one. They were talking about him laying out on the deck watching mom while she worked in the garden and all the birds they have flitting around.

So Dave says when mom called him up from the basement that's what he thought she wanted, his help in getting Les outside. But instead she starts telling him how she thinks he's choking because he's not breathing or making any sounds, just drooling. But he wasn't choking so they figured it was a stroke. She was already on the phone with HDT before she called Leroy upstairs and the paramedics got there in record time. They thought the same thing as well.

But then when they got to the hospital the hospital thought it was a heart attack. But after doing test they realized that it wasn't either one of those. Because he can't breathe very well because of the bleomycin toxicity he takes very shallow breaths. So, because of that, he's not pushing out the carbon dioxide like he needs to and is not getting as much oxygen intake as he needs to. So therefore his co2 numbers were rising within his body, throughout his body. Basically it was like he was in a garage with the car running. So right now he's in ICU with a mask over both his nose and mouth to make sure he gets enough oxygen to counteract the co2.

His numbers at 8:30 when we got there were much better, better than they've been in days the doctors said. Which would explain why the last few days have been so negative with him. He's been feeling like total shit.

But at 5:00 when I talked to mom she said he's feeling awful and can't stand the mask and just wants it taken off. So mom and one of his daughters asked the doctor what the outcome would be if they removed the mask, the doctor said he'd die. Mom says, so what are we talking minutes, hours or days. The doctor says hours. So mom's telling me that they have a very hard decision to make and she doesn't know when they're going to make it one way or the other.

She wants me to go to her house and basically babysit Leroy cause he's all emotional and says he needs to be busy so he was gonna go cut up wood using the wood splitter. He's also an alcoholic so without saying a word we both knew all three of those things are a bad combination. So I head over there after changing and feeding the babies. I take Poydras with me and let HDT know I've taken some clothes with me for him to change into so I'd like him to come out there with me. I've also given a call to all the other brothers to let them know what's going on.

I asked her if she wants me to get Leroy and he and HDT and I go to the hospital. She just responded that she didn't think Leroy would want to go. But she didn't say no and she didn't say yes, so basically it was left up to us.

Leroy says he's fine, he's actually only had one beer so far. HDT comes out and we discuss dinner, Leroy says we don't have to babysit him. There's plenty of food there for him to eat and he has plenty of things to keep him busy so he'll be fine. So HDT and I decide we'll give mom a call and see if she needs anything and while I'm leaving her a message she calls me back. So she says that she would like a long sleeved shirt and her toothbrush and toothpaste. She says Les is doing better, he's not talking about wanting to take the mask off the way he was before.

So I grab those things and we take Poydras home, grab some McDonald's since we're both starving and head to the hospital. So yeah, by the time we got there he was doing even better. We learned they did have to put a stint in because one of the arteries was getting blocked. But that wasn't what was causing any of the issues, it was all the co2 shit.

We stick around for a little while visiting with his kids and then just after 9:00 we're able to get in to see him since they were only allowing 2 people in at a time. Mom goes with us though, she's the exception, and we visit with him a bit. He of course can't talk very well since the air is blowing so hard. It's very difficult to understand him so he tries to lift the mask up but they've got it on him pretty strong and he's so weak right now that he gave up, he even swore once when he gave up trying.

But I gave him a kiss on his cheek and told him I loved him then just stayed there a bit touching my cheek to his. He said he loved me too and said "this is nice, this is nice" as I kept my cheek next to his. Then I told him to get some rest and get better and that I loved him.

We went back to say goodbye to his kids and they asked us to take a picture of them since they haven't all been together like that in a very long time. They were just missing one sibling, a sister, since she lives in southern Illinois. She had just left her house around 8:00 that night so she wouldn't be up here until early morning.

As of now, 10:47am, mom hasn't called to say they've made any decisions so I'm keeping hopeful that that means he's doing even better than before. We can only pray and hope.

Media quote of the day: A portion of Hold On by Sarah McLachlan

Am I in heaven here or am i...
At the crossroads I am standing
So now you’re sleeping peaceful
I lie awake and pray
That you’ll be strong tomorrow and we’ll
See another day and we will praise it
And love the light that brings a smile
Across your face

Oh God if you’re out there won’t you hear me
I know that we’ve never talked before
Oh God the man I love is leaving
Won’t you take him when he comes to your door

Scary game but on the bright side autumn is upon on

Man oh man was that a scary/good game last night. They barely pulled out that win. But as HDT says, everyone wants to beat the Superbowl champs so they're coming at the Saints harder than ever.

Our prayers go out to Reggie for a swift recovery. HDT said he's out for six weeks, ugh, we're gonna miss him. I wish we still had Bell, last year when Bush was out and Bell was in it was almost like we didn't even need Bush 'cause Bell was doing so well in his place. Oh well, we'll still be strong.

So Jim and his two girls came over last night to receive their gifts we got them while in New Orleans for taking car of the cats and dog. We got Ambrosia a small Saints pennant and a New Orleans Fleur-de-lis magnet, both for her locker at school. Rhiannon received an orange and black boa and an orange shirt with a kitty face bedazzled on it with New Orleans underneath. She was very Happy with all the orange. And both received one of the free flags we got upon entering the dome. Yeah, they were both very happy with their gifts.

And in even better news... yesterday I received my first official check as an official employee rather than a temporary employee. Wooo Hooo!

And in even betterer news... it's the last day of summer today, the best season of all is upon us. I was so happy to see the first leaves changing, you can not even imagine how happy. Although summer has decided to make sure we know what we're leaving behind with the hot and humid today. It's expected to get up to 88 degrees with high humidity. Glad I'm in the office with air conditioning.

Media quote of the day: Autumn Fires by: Robert Louis Stevenson

In the other gardens
And all up the vale,
From the autumn bonfires
See the smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over
And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes,
The grey smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright in all!
Flowers in the summer,
Fires in the fall!

Weekend Update 9/17 - 19/10

So this was a weekend of catch up sleep for me. The week of the vacation and last week I didn't get much sleep at all. I knew this but still didn't think it was all that bad. But Saturday morning after getting up with HDT at 5:30 to help him get ready for work I went back to bed and slept until just before 11:00. I woke up a few times but it was really just to roll over. At one point I thought I was awake enough to get up but after petting Poydras for a few minutes I guess I fell back asleep.

I got up and got ready to do the grocery shopping, came home put everything away, made a sandwich for lunch and watched a few X-Files. During the 3rd one I started to doze off so I turned off the tv and laid down on the couch for a nap. I set my timer for an hour so I wouldn't sleep too late. When it went off I decided to take a bath in hopes it'll revive me, plus I wanted to soak the tattoo as it's still peeling. I figured the warm water and steam would help slough off some of the top layers of dead skin. It did.

HDT got home a little after 6:00 and we made hamburgers for dinner. Watched some tv then went to bed. I went to bed with him but stayed up reading for an hour or so but was asleep just before midnight.

Sunday I was up by 9:00 and feeling more awake finally. Made myself some breakfast and, did a load of laundry and watched some tv. I finished the X-Files show I was falling asleep during then watched a few recorded shows of Hoarders and Hoarding: Buried Alive or whatever it's called. Some of them just want me to get up and clean/declutter and others just skeeve me out completely.

I watched the last 6 minutes of the Bears/Cowbays game, yay Bears! and then after mowed the lawn. We had ground bees in the front yard and every time I'd walk right next to or over their hole a few would come flying up to see what the hell was going on. They never bothered me or even came close to stinging me, if anything they'd try to attack the lawnmower. Well, as I start in on the front lawn I notice a patch of dirt where it looks like the grass quit growing more than anything. By the time I get close enough I see that it's actually kicked up dirt like an animal had been making a hole. Then I realized that it's right where the ground bees hole was. Sure enough a large hole has been dug into the ground, I'd say about the size of a Hills Bros. coffee can, maybe even a bit bigger. There are two tunnels off of it, one goes north and the other goes northwest. There were also 5 piles of feces just a couple of inches surrounding the hole. They're bigger than what Poydras leaves so I'm figuring whatever it is is bigger than him.

We have skunks in our area but they've never made a hole in the middle of the yard before; they have made their home(s) in our culvert under the driveway though. I don't know what else it could be though if not a skunk. HDT said he saw a raccoon the other day, which is unusual actually. In all the years (10) that we've been in the house we've never seen one before. But I've never heard of them living underground. And there's no way it could be any of the many rabbits since the droppings are clearly not a rabbits. So yeah, I guess we'll have to keep our eyes open to see what it could be or somehow try to close it up.

After mowing I cleaned up and read for awhile then HDT got home and played with Poydras for a little bit in the backyard. I made chicken breasts and noodles for dinner. We watched some Grey's Anatomy season 5 shows and in between would switch over to the Giants/Colts game since HDT had one of the Colts players on his fantasy team.

Around 10:30 or so I went up to bed, read for about a 1/2 hour and the finally laid down to sleep. HDT finally came up around 2:00.

Friday night we thought about going to see a movie but by the time he got home from work he was exhausted from a rough day so we nixed that idea. We just watched some recorded shows and some Grey's Anatomy. We also played a few games of dominoes. I was kicking his butt too but then it got too late for him to stay up since he had work the next morning so we had to stop before reaching 100.

Today I finally feel rested so I guess I caught up on the sleep I needed.

Media quote of the day:

Sleep. Just one beautiful night's sleep will make everything better... again. - Dexter

New Orleans Vacation Recap

So, the vacation was pretty good. We got out of town around 1:00pm which ended up being a good time since it put us right at dinner time at Gambino's Louisiana Restaurant in Taylorville, Illinois. Unfortunately they don't have a website, the menu is the best I could do and it must be somewhat old because the hours on there are incorrect. They don't open until 4:00pm, unless that's the fall/winter hours and what's on the menu is the summer hours. Hmmm, don't know. I apparently didn't order what I thought I was ordering. I thought I was getting crawfish etouffee which is with rice. What I got was a crawfish pasta dish. It was ok but nowhere near as good as the etouffee would've been. The others felt about the same as me with their food. HDiTty was upset that his fries tasted fishy. Although I think he was just "tasting" it since mine tasted just fine.

After dinner we talked with the owner about places to go and see while in Louisiana and he gave all of us a t-shirt (with his restaurant on the front) that he'd had from a party the town had had during Labor Day Weekend, an end of summer bash shirt. We had a few pictures taken with him and then were on our way again to Tunica, Mississippi. We ended up not going anywhere he mentioned but HDT and I plan on doing so when we'll be there again on our own.

We got there around midnight or so, got a couple rooms, put our stuff away and then headed to the casino. We all played a few video poker games at the bar to be able to get a free drink and we also ordered a shot of Jager for everyone (which we had to pay for of course). Then after that HDT and I found an open $5.00 table for blackjack and proceeded to play. The others said they'd be along soon. HDT and I were up and down and both almost out of chips before Scott showed up. After I made it back to the original $50.00 I started out with I started to put aside my winnings to make sure I'd leave with something. My winnings totaled $85.00 and I gave one $5.00 chip to the dealer so I ended up with $30.00 net winnings. HDT lost all his $50.00 and any winnings he had cause he just wanted to keep playing, so together we were only down $20.00. But we had a good time and that's what matters. I cashed out and we met up with the others and headed back to the hotel to get some sleep.

We were on the road again around 11:00 or so, can't really remember now exactly what time. But with a few stops for gas and bathroom breaks we made it to the hotel in good time. We put our stuff away and were going to go get something to eat when the two girls asked if we could go by Walgreens because they needed a few items. Since we did also we headed there first and then to CVS because Walgreens didn't have everything they needed. Scott got pissy and took off to find some food when we went to CVS. Rather than speak up and say he really needed to get something to eat he just huffed off. Oh well, whatever.

After we took our things back to the hotel we headed to Crescent City Brewery for our first meal but discovered they were closed until Friday for a private party. HDT and I were very disappointed. But Dana had mentioned she'd like to go to Bubba Gump Shrimp so we headed back there. I got my crawfish etouffee and it was delicious. We all got a mixed drink in a souvenir glass. Our waitress played a trivia game with us and two other tables about the Forrest Gump movie. Which was very fun, all three tables did pretty well. We took a picture with our waitress, who was very good but unfortunately for her from Minnesota so she's sort of a Vikings a fan. She isn't really into football but was rooting for the home team none the less.

After that we headed over to Jackson Square but they were already closing it off because of the NFL parade the next day so we headed to Bourbon Street. Checked out a few shops, got some drinks and then settled in at a bar that had a zydeco band. We stayed there for quite awhile when I started to feel really tired and needed to go. Plus I could tell the girls were getting a little restless. So we headed back to the hotel, those 3 talked about going out again and then someone mentioned Harrah's. So I said if all we'd be doing is sitting at a table playing some blackjack that I could get behind that for awhile. So we went back to the hotel so the girls could freshen up and then headed to the casino. They didn't have any cheap tables, the lowest starting amount was $15.00, there's no way we'd pay that so we all just played some slots for a little while then went back to the hotel.

The next day was game day. We got up and joined Dana for brunch; Jess and Scott had already been up and had breakfast so they weren't interested. We went to Mother's Restaurant which was just up the street from our hotel. It's a busy place, so much so that they have a doorman that will tell you when you can come in because the line is too long and there aren't any seats yet. But we didn't have to wait very long. The prices were good and the food even better. At least for HDT and I, Dana got an omelet which came with grits and two homemade biscuits, she said the omelet was ok and definitely cheesy like she likes them, but it was still just ok. She didn't care for the grits and since she's watching her carbs didn't eat either of the biscuits. She let us try a pinch though, they were really good. Although my crawfish etouffee wasn't as spicy as the one from Bubba Gump it was still just as good. I could've had more though, it came in a bowl and wasn't quite large enough for my taste; but I was still satisfied. HDT got the Mother's Ferdi special (Po Boy) and was very pleased. We both agreed we'll have to go there again.

Afterward we went to the Riverwalk shopping center. Jess and Scott were supposed to meet us there but decided they'd go to the World War II Museum instead. We three flitted from shop to shop buying stuff here and there and wishing we could buy other things; such as a few gorgeous paintings. But at $600.00 and $1,500.00 they were just a bit outta our price range. Heh

When it was around 3:45 we headed back to the hotel to change into our game day gear. The others met us there. None of them were going to the game; Dana decided to take a nap and the other two decided to go to the Riverwalk to check it out. I wrote about the game in my last post so won't say anything here about it.

By the time we got back to the hotel room and freshened up it was after 11:00 and we were both hungry. The other three met us and we headed over to Krystal's for a couple burgers and fries. After that we went walking down Bourbon Street which of course was crowded as could be. Mostly made up of Saints fans of course but also a few brave Vikings fans still wearing their jerseys. HDT really wanted to head back to the Bayou bar for some more zydeco music. We lost the other three in the throng of people. Eventually Dana made it to us and shortly afterward Jess and Scott did as well. Those two didn't really want to stick around for the music so they went and did their own thing.

We three hung out, got a drink, enjoyed the music and the people dancing for awhile. Then since Dana had been wanting to get her fortune read using tarot cards we headed out to Jackson Square since that's usually we're all the tellers hang out. But unfortunately they were still cleaning up from the parade and concert so we just ended up heading back to the hotel for the night.

Friday morning we got up and texted everyone to see where they all were in the getting ready stages. Both girls said they'd need about 45 minutes to get ready, turned out they needed over 2 hours. They didn't make it down to the hotel lobby until close to 1:30pm. Not long after that before we had left the hotel it started to pour down rain. We sat around waiting for it to blow over but it was taking it's sweet ass time. At one point it looked like it was done so we headed out, but nope, it was still coming down good enough that we didn't want to go walking out in it.

Finally it stopped so we headed over to Crescent City Brewery. We found out from our waitress that the NFL bigwigs were the private party that closed it down. Everyone agreed that the food was good and those three enjoyed the beer sampler and each ordered their favorite. Jess at one point sort of jumped in her seat and then asked HDT if he had touched her on her side. He said no and I let her know no one had walked behind her. She said at the same time she felt the touch she got a huge chill all on that side. So she's kinda freaked that it might have been a ghost. We all got a kick out of that.

After lunch we were going to head out to the St. Louis Cemetery, which houses voodoo queen Marie Laveau. But it looked like rain so we decided to catch a cab there, which ended up a good thing since the cemetery closes down at 3:00pm so we would've walked all that way for nothin. On our way back to the hotel HDT mentioned how he still wanted to get a tattoo while we were down there and Jess piped up that she'd like to as well. I wasn't too keen on the idea of us going since I knew it'd take at least two hours for HDT's tattoo alone. But Dana was interested as well so we four went to a place that HDT had heard about from a guy he had met when he was in Houston last month for the conference he went to. Scott didn't want to get one and didn't want to hang out while they were going on so he opted to go to the casino on his own.

We got HDT's jeep and headed out. He got a gorgeous fleur-de-lis on his right arm. Jess got a tattoo on her back on the right shoulder blade area - the first couple of lines of a song that their grandma sings to all the kids. Dana got a lily on her right foot - mostly on the top but a little of it going down the right side and a little bit going up the ankle. I ended up getting my first and only (and will be the only) of a heart with a fleur-de-lis inside it. Again, once I get pictures downloaded from the camera I plan on putting them up, maybe this weekend.

Sure enough it took hours to do all four of them but we had a good time while it was going on. Afterward we went back to the hotel to freshen up and change to go out. We were hungry again so decided to go to the Market Cafe but by the time we got there (after stopping off and getting three daiquiris and one hurricane for Jess) they were closed. On our way back to try to find a restaurant we were going past Jackson Square again and decided to finally get Dana's fortune read. That was a treat. When the chick started out talking, almost for the first five minutes - maybe even longer, everything she said made Jess, HDT and I all think of Jess and what she's going through. It was quite amusing.

By the time that was done, and I gotta give the chick credit, she took a long time so got her $15.00 worth that Dana gave her, it was around 11:45 and we were all really hungry. The few places that we really wanted to go to were of course closed so we headed to Bourbon Street in hopes of finding a decent place, if not we'd stop and get a hot dog from one of the vendors. But we spotted a couple cops so Dana asked them about a place to go and the only place that they said was still open for food and was a good to go to was The Alibi so that's were we went. The food was good but the service wasn't the best. We knew about the whole they're "not a restaurant" deal but still, the dude behind the bar could've been better about getting Dana her food.

But at least she got hit on, quite a bit, by a guy that was sitting at the table behind her. Although she wasn't interested at all I could tell she was still flattered. The funniest part was that at the very beginning he shows her a picture on his iphone of the Saints Superbowl ring. She just shook her head and said that she wasn't a fan and couldn't care less about it. His face fell all the way to the floor, was pretty damn funny to see.

After that we went back to the hotel for some sleepy time. We got up the next morning and did our packing and called down for a bellhop and cart. They held all our luggage while we walked down to the riverwalk. We were gonna go to Mother's again but the line was out the door, down the steps and up the sidewalk. So we went to, hmmm, now I can't remember the place. But it was outside the shopping center. Anyway, I got my last crawfish etouffee meal, which was a ton of it and very good, of the trip. Our table was right by the kitchen (which is open) and at one point all of a sudden one of the chefs starts to scream and shout. We couldn't really understand anything he was saying though. We couldn't decide if he'd been fired and was shouting about that or as I thought I heard he was shouting about someone that he didn't want in there and he never wanted to see them again. Either way it was quite exciting, the whole restaurant looked up and over his way as soon as he started.

Jess really wanted to go Cafe Du Monde so after lunch we headed that way. It was hot as hell and sweat was pouring down our faces but since she wanted to go we obliged. I tried to tell her that she wouldn't miss out on anything by not going, that there was one in the mall where it was air conditioned and if she really wanted to sit outside we could still do that but it'd be on the river where there'd at least be a breeze. But she wanted to go to the "real place" so that's what we did. Sure enough, we get there and it's crowded and hot as all hell. She did admit that I was right, she wouldn't have missed out on anything. And then, she didn't even finish one beignet. Whatever.

We headed back to the hotel taking our time looking at all the artwork along Jackson Square. The two girls ended up buying a painting from one of the artists and HDT and I bought a terrific black and gold fleur-de-lis painting from another one. She said she was actually sad that she was selling it to us since it was her only large painting and it's what brings in the looky-loos. Also, she could paint five of the smaller ones to just one of these. But that's the one HDT really wanted so she agreed, especially since we're actual Saints fans and not just likers of the painting. We had her autograph it for us even though her signature was on the front. She wrote on the back for us to stay Saints fans.

We stopped at some shops along the way back to the hotel to get last minute gifts bought and were finally on the road/highway by 4:40pm. We made it back home some time after 9:00am on Sunday. Gave the cats and the dog a lot of love and then I took a nap for about an hour while HDT stayed up hanging out with some of his friends watching their team's games.

Every time a local heard my name they'd do a double take and say something. Many of them actually laughed. So my media quote will be what our waitress said at Mother's Restaurant.

Media quote of the day:

Hey, hey (while patting the shoulder of another local at the table next to us) meet Katrina, she's right behind you. She's here to say hi again." The whole table looked, there were about 6 of them and the table next to them who were also locals looked as well. I couldn't help but wave and say hi, they smiled and said hi back. Yeah, it was always amusing whenever someone heard my name.

Who Dat!!

So, where to begin. I guess I'll have this post be about the game experience and another about the trip in general.

We left the hotel after changing into our Saints gear around 4:15 with three others that we had met at the hotel bar and chatted with whenever we saw them coming and going. Upon walking out the hotel door we entered a small crowd heading to Poydras and when we turned on that to head to the dome it was like a sea of black and gold. It was a beautiful sight. Every couple hundred feet or so there were people on the side of the sidewalk selling water and beer out of coolers. I've never ever seen that at any game we've ever been to, whether it was there in New Orleans or any other city. At least I don't recall it going on in New Orleans before, it has been over five years since I've been back, so I suppose it's possible.

We didn't take a camera this time, but we had our iphones so I may be able to put some pics up later from them, we shall see. But just a couple blocks from the dome there's a building with a statue in front of it and someone had put up a blowup doll on it with its right ankle taped up and a sign in front saying something like "Hey Brett, how's the ankle?" It was quite amusing.

When we turned off the sidewalk to go up the ramp to the dome we lost the three guys we were with. They must have gone straight to the section that had a stage where Benson and others were giving speeches and holding up the Lombardi Trophy. It was way too crowded so we continued up the ramp and watched for a bit and took a few pictures from there. Then continued up the ramp to the dome. It was only 4:45 or so and the doors weren't opening until 5:30 so rather than stand in line so soon we decided to go ahead and walk around a bit. And besides our gate was G and we were at C which already had people standing at the opening. HDiTty got a corn dog and we each got a drink and stood along the railing people watching while he ate. Afterward we decided to walk some more and then realized that people were coming out of the team shop. So we went back to the entrance and right when we walked up the guy was shutting the gate and said that they couldn't let anyone else in until the doors actually opened at 5:30. They had to have enough time to get everyone out of there by then so they didn't have to worry about who actually had tickets and who didn't.

Which ended up sucking big time because when we got to our gate we realized we were on the side that the sun was shining down right where we needed to stand. We were only like the 5th or so people in line but after being there 5 minutes with sweat pouring out of all pores we decided it wasn't worth it to be there for another 25 minutes before doors opened. So we went and stood in the shade with several others just a little bit away.

Upon entering they were handing out flags to wave so we each got one. Then as we're heading to the NFL shop we see that they're handing out more but in a plastic bag with 5 of them bundled in. We each got one of those as well, they'll be simple/cheap gifts to give to the kids. We got to the shop and looked around. The shop is so much bigger than it ever was before and is very nice. Much more room to move around in compared to the old one. I'm not a claustrophobic person but the old shop could get me feeling that way sometimes when it was extremely crowded. After looking around the only things we saw that we really wanted to buy was a purse for me (black and grey with a grey fleur-de-lis) and a couple of towels for him. I didn't look closely at them but I think one was a Superbowl towel and the other was an NFC Championship towel.

After that we stopped and got some jambalaya and coke for lunch and headed to our seats. We kept climbing and climbing up the ramp and after awhile at every turn I would think, this has to be it but nope just another turn of the ramp. Finally we made it to the next level and started heading around to our section. And of course we passed many food stations along the way but since we've never been that high we didn't know they sold food and drinks up there as well. Lesson learned. But by the time we got to our seats and were able to eat we discovered the food was still warm so that was nice. But yeah, we entered the seating area at row 1 and our row was 36. And with steps that were quite tall we were very tired to say the least by the time we made it up there. It was the very top row in our section so we had the wall to our backs. We found out from our seat mates that there used to be 5 more rows behind us but with the remodeling they cut them out to make a press box/coach box. So the upstairs coaches were right behind us along with Bobby Hebert. One of the season ticket holders was telling someone else about it and he said Bobby is there for just about every game.

Which was really cool. Once the first person noticed that he was up there a chant went out "Bobby, Bobby, Bobby" and he stood up and leaned forward a bit and started waiving and giving thumbs up to us all. HDT got a picture or two, maybe even a little video of him with his phone. We were only 7 seats away from the stairs and every now and then before the game a security person or two would head down them and then a bit later head back up with a "suit." At half time security came down and cleared off the steps and then all of a sudden several guys start heading down real fast all with clipboards or papers in their hands. It was kinda fun to see.

During warm ups every time our guys would leave or come on the field loud cheers would go up. There's always cheering for the home team at every game but these were so much louder than normal. There were boos for the Vikings. I don't agree with that but whatever.

We had 5 flat screens right over head so every now and then I'd look up. Three of them were showing the concerts by Taylor Swift and then Dave Matthews, the other two were showing stats and starting line ups. The only problem was there wasn't any sound but that's ok, I was recording the pregame show at home.

The tent thing goes up that the players run through, the cheerleaders come out and next thing we see is a float coming out with Harry Connick Jr and Benson on it. Harry has a speech and then ends with the Superbowl flag being revealed. The place went nuts and the Who Dat chant went up. It was a version of the wave, it always came to us from the left and then went on to the right. Then our beloved Saints came running on the field.

The opening drive was absolutely awesome. After that it was a bit of a struggle, the offense couldn't seem to get much going, the yardage for everyone seemed lower than normal. But still, Pierre Thomas looked good. Defense did well holding them to just 9 points and blocking that extra kick. I had even said to myself that I hoped they blocked it and then looked down right when it was being kicked so missed the block. When the stadium went nuts I look up and see our side all excited and the fans high fivin' each other. I was sad to say the least. But oh well, at least it happened.

After burning up outside in the sun and humidity I was freezing inside. I went from extreme heat to extreme cold. We each had an empty seat on either side of us and only a young couple in front of us who also had empty seats on either side. So we didn't get all the surrounding body heat one normally would at these events and being in the top row I had the air blowing on me the whole time. I was absolutely freezing, I had goosebumps the whole time. We stood for the entire game and every now and then I'd sit during timeouts, etc. to relieve me feet and then huddle against HDT for warmth. A little before half time the couple in front of us put on jackets, I wanted to rip them off and snuggle in. Heh

At one point, near the end of the game when the Vikings had the ball the screaming and clapping was so loud to distract them that I could barely hear my own screaming and clapping. I have never heard it so loud in there before. Several people, including HDT, were banging their fists on the wall behind us and stomping feet. And then when Brees had the ball it was unbelievably quiet. More quiet then I remember it ever being before. Both were something to behold really. Every time Reggie was at the ready for the return a chant of his name would go up. And at the end of the game, during the final few seconds the Who Dat chant went up again.

We stayed at our seats, along with the couple that were on HDT's side, letting the majority of the people leave. They gave him their ticket since ours were just the Ticketmaster printouts. HDT was very happy about that. When there were relativity few people left we decided to head out. I was able to get into the bathroom without a wait, which was really nice. And no crowds walking down the ramps which was even nicer.

By the time we got back to our hotel room and washed up and changed to meet up with the rest of our vacationing party it was after 11:00 and I was starving.

Bourbon Street was of course crowded with all kinds of people but mostly the fans and shouts of Who Dat could be heard periodically. Bands would put the Who Dat chant in the middle of songs. Yep, it was a great game and a great night. We are so happy to have been able to be a part of it.

Media quote of the day:

Great team win last night against the Vikes. Have to say, the Who Dat chant to start the game was unbelievable! Greatest fans in the world - Drew Brees on twitter - 9/10/10 at 9:46pm

I gotta quit being a worrywort - not good for my health

So nothing much has been happening around these here parts for the last few days. HDT started his vacation yesterday, he's off through the 12th. I've given him a to do list for the next couple of days. A few phone calls mostly but they need to be handled sooner rather than later. The most important is calling his stepmom to see if she'll be around and willing to take care of the cats as my mom won't be able to help as she usually does. If she can't I guess we're gonna have to breakdown and buy one of those automatic feeders. And when we walk in the door they're gonna be starved for attention more than usual.

I've started doing my normal worrying about how are we going to get everything done that everyone wants to do. It's really only a few things but with the way time just seems to fly when you're on vacation I have a feeling at least one if not two of them are going to have to go by the wayside. If we don't get into to town until mid afternoon Wednesday then that'll be too late to do anything but hang around town and partake of the food, drinks and music. Which is good and will probably be done every night. But we won't be able to do the swamp tour, cemetery tour or plantation tour that late.

Then there's Thursday. HDT wants to be at the Dome early, which is fine by me but I don't want to be there as early as noon as he says, maybe closer to 3:00ish. But still, to be on the safe side we should hang around town again as we won't want to take a chance of getting back from anywhere too late. Although the cemeteries aren't far away. So it all depends on how early everyone gets up and is ready for the day.

And Saturday we plan on leaving between 3:00 and 6:00, so again, depending on how early we're up and ready will determine what can be done if anything other than walking around town again.

So Friday is really the only day that we have all day to be able to do those 3 things without any timeline to worry about. With the boat tours having set times it's the only thing that we'd have to really watch the clock for. The other two things we can pretty much do at any time because we don't have to take a set tour for the cemeteries and Oak Alley starts a new tour on the hour every hour. But both still have to be done during morning or afternoon hours, nothing going into the evening.

So basically, I've just told myself not to worry about it anymore because otherwise I'll start to get agitated on trying to make sure we hurry to finish whatever it is we're doing to be able to be where ever on time. And that's not fun for me or for anyone I'm pushing along. Which really would come down to constantly telling HDT that we "need to get going" and that's just gonna get him all pissy. So yeah, I just have to let things flow however they're going to flow.

Basically, no matter what we're going to have a good time which is really the most important reason for me not to worry about it. If things don't get done then that'll just be an excuse to make sure we all go again some other time.

Media quote of the day:

Meet me at the cemetery. Twenty minutes. Come alone. - Spike - Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Weekend Update 8/27-29/10 - It's a long one!

Friday night we debated going to see a movie and then decided not to, can't remember why though. Can't really remember what we did that night either. We must have just decided to stay home and watch some more shows from the DVR while he played his online game.

Saturday while eating breakfast I decided to check the time for Avatar since we never did see it when it came the first time around nor did we see it on DVD. There was a showing at 2:00 so I asked him if he wanted to go see it and he did but he wanted to do a few errands before hand.

Oh wait, now I know what we did Friday night. He had some shirts to take back to the store that he decided he didn't want anymore, he had bought them for his trip to Texas at the beginning of the month. And of course while we were there we looked for some others that weren't dressy that he'd be able to wear while we're in New Orleans. He returned 3 shirts and got 3 shirts and a pair of shorts. So rather than get some cash back we ended up spending more money. Oh well. But he had to take back a small carry on bag that he had also bought to take to Texas but ended up not using so he did that first. I thought it was only around $35.00, don't know why I thought, just did; but it was actually $85.00. So that ended up paying for his clothes so that was wash at least.

After those things we were going to go to the Apple store to take back a wireless mouse he had bought while he was in Texas but then realized he didn't like so much. But by the time we were done with the clothes it was too late to go there. So we we decided to go get some dinner. We were going to go find a Chili's but before we did we saw a Famous Dave's which we've never been to and several people have told us we need to go to. We told our waiter we'd never been there before so he went through all the sauces with us and gave us some fries to try them out. And then next thing we know we're being told we'll be getting a free bottle of whichever sauce we could agree on. And then during dinner another person comes up to us and hands us an envelope with all kinds of things in it. I got the rib tips with garlic mashed potatoes and spicy green beans and they came with fries and a corn bread muffin. A lot of food but all very good. HDT got a burger with a slightly spicier sauce than I got. We both really like everything and agreed we'd be back again.

So back to Saturday, we got ready and were gonna start heading to the Apple store when he decided to get his oil changed instead. It was one of the items on our todo list but I figured with time being an issue we should do the Apple store first but since we weren't far from the oil change place he figured we could get in and out right away. Which we did but then he decided to go to an auto store to look at air filters. Then we had to go to another one because the 1st store didn't have what he wanted. By the time we were walking out of there it was almost noon and we still hadn't left town to go to the Apple store. Which is about a 40 minute drive south from our town. I was starting to get a little perturbed and basically just decided to resolve myself to the fact that we wouldn't be seeing the movie after all on Saturday and maybe we'll see it on Sunday. On our way down he said something about once we leave the Apple store we'll head over to the IMAX theater and hopefully be able to get some lunch before the movie because he was starving. I said I had no idea when it was starting there if they even had it. He thought when I told him 2:00 that it was that theater I was talking about and I told him no that it was the Cinemark one that we always go to which is a 20 minute drive north of our house. Which is why I figured we wouldn't be seeing it that afternoon.

He really wanted to see it on IMAX so I tried to find out if they had it and if not on IMAX at least in 3D on a regular screen. The damn links kept taking me to another Regal cinema in a completely different town that doesn't have IMAX. I got so frustrated that I gave up and we decided we just head over there after the Apple store. Which is what we did. They didn't have it on IMAX but they did have it at 2:40. It was 1:40 so we had enough time to go over to Red Robin to get a bite to eat. Where our waiter was one of the best we'd ever had. He was bringing replacement cokes before HDT was even finished with the glass he had. And kept asking me every time he came back if I wanted a refill. I let him know I didn't and then told him if I needed to I'd just drink out of HDT's. He said he felt bad that he couldn't get me a refill, it was kind of amusing but very nice.

Avatar was ok, after all the hype we were expecting this wonderfully awesome spectacular blow us away movie. Yeah, not so much. Don't get me wrong, the 3D and cgi visuals were absolutely beautiful but the movie itself was just good. We've seen pretty much all of it before and although I knew it had a "message" and was political I didn't expect it to be shoving it down our throats which it did for the most part. Sure there were parts that brought a tear to my eyes but again, nothing we haven't seen before. And it was 3 hours long, I completely forgot it was that long. Although to be honest it moved along pretty well so it didn't seem that bad. I was actually surprised when I saw the time.

After that we headed home, had some dinner and then took out the garbage and recycles and did a quick swipe down of the bathroom since the family and his friend Jim were coming over to watch the UFC fights. There were a few good ones and a few duds but as always the company was fun so it was a good night.

I went to bed pretty much right after while HDT and Jim stayed up to play on their game. He had plans to head over to his friend Pat's house Sunday morning at 10:00 as usual. At 4:30 when I woke up and realized he still wasn't in bed I texted him telling he better get some sleep. I think he came up around 5:30. We got up a little after 9:00 and right after he finished getting ready and was about to walk out the door the phone rings. It's Pat and the gathering has been canceled for various reasons.

So we ate some breakfast and then I went to take a bath while he played online. I got ready and we the left to do more errands. I had to buy a sympathy card for a cousin that died awhile ago. My mom was going to be sending a package to the wife/family and she asked us kids if we wanted to contribute. I figured a little bit of cash (the wife didn't work so money is tighter than normal) and nice sympathy card would do. Plus we had to take some cash out to pay my brother Roy for helping to cut down the tree. And since he lives with mom we'd be able to take care of both those easy enough. We visited for a little while and the left to go to the pet store because HDT wanted to get a harness for Poydras to use while in the cars. After that we headed up home to freshen up a bit and then went to the funeral home for a wake for another cousin that just passed away last week. We stood in line for over an hour to spend 5 minutes giving our condolences. But I believe it would've been noticed if at least I hadn't shown up since the mom was one of the cousins on the reunion committee.

On the way home we stopped off and got groceries, then went home and made dinner and then I flopped on the couch and he flopped in his computer chair and we vegged for the rest of the night watching the Emmies. I was very, very happy that Jim Parsons won for best comedy actor for The Big Bang Theory. Love him!! Happy a few other new names won but disappointed that so many of the same shows/people won again. Very disappointed that Lost didn't win anything, they at least should have won for best Drama show but no Mad Men had to win again. Whatever.

Media quote of the day:

I'm polymerized tree sap and you're an inorganic adhesive, so whatever verbal projectile you launch in my direction is reflected off of me, returns to its original trajectory and adheres to you. - Sheldon - Jim Parsons - The Big Bang Theory

It's official - finally

I have finally been given the good news! I will be hired on officially at my job (in here through a temp agency). My first official day as the company's employee will be the day I return to work from vacation - the 13th.

WooHoo!!!!

No Tramp Stamps Allowed!

So everyone that's going on the trip with us came over last night so we can lock down as much as we can. Scott has a training class Tuesday morning so we'll be leaving as soon as possible after he's done which we're hoping is as early as 10ish but could be as late as 12:00. We'll head to Taylorville for dinner instead of lunch and then after that head towards Mississippi, don't remember the town name but I guess it's a casino town. Scott says it's the Las Vegas of the South. We shall see. Or maybe not, depending on how everyone is feeling we may skip it and head straight down to New Orleans. But if we do go then we'll probably get a room so we can rest for a bit before heading back out on the road.

We've got our hotel rooms booked and we voted on some of the things each of us want to do. One is an airboat swamp tour that everyone wants to do. I looked into those, they're not cheap, I don't remember them being that much when HDT and I took one several years ago. But then, it was before Katrina hit so it's been several years and a disaster since, so who knows what that did for inflation. But the Oak Alley tour is only $15.00 so that's still a good bargain. None of them have ever been to a plantation home. Oh wait, I take that back, HDT and I went to one that is in a neighboring town of Gonzales - where I lived off and on for 6 years. But it's nowhere near as nice as Oak Alley. He and I are definitely going to that, not sure if the others will go.

We all also want to go to at least one of the cemeteries. HDT and I went to one during one of our first trips there way back in 1996 or '97 (damn, 15 years we've been together, wow) and we really liked it. We went exploring on our own then but I think it'd be nice to take an actual tour. We shall see on that one though. You learn a lot with tours but I like to do things on my own time too and that's not so compatible with tours.

And of course everyone wants to enjoy the music and booze on and around Bourbon Street. That'll be done on most nights I'm sure, if not on all of them. So yeah, as Scott said last night, I don't mind being a cliche. He said that in response to the Natchez steamboat ride. It's nice, we've done it a couple times, but as HDT said it's a cliche to do. But then, it's a tourist town so pretty much what isn't a cliche to do?

One thing that HDT and I always do, every single time we go, is get our first meal at Crescent City Brewhouse. We went there on our very first trip back in November 1995 and have gone there for our first meal ever since. We told everyone that we'll have to do that again this time but they'll all like it. Not only for the food but the beer, they're all beer drinkers unlike HDT and I. So that's lost on us but that's ok, they have other drinks we like.

HDT swears he's gonna get another tattoo while we're there. He has a couple fleurs-de-lis on his left arm. Says he wants to get something else on his right, but maybe another fleur-de-lis. He's been given a name of a guy/place to go to, says he's gonna call to see if he can schedule an appointment. I think it's a bit much but whatever.

After everyone left last night he found on some website that there's going to be a parade to kick off the NFL season. It's going to be 5:00 to 7:00 starting in the French Quarter. He had originally said how he wanted us at the Superdome early, maybe as early as noon. But now he's not so sure. We're thinking we may try to be where the parade is going to kick off and watch it for awhile and then start heading to the dome. Depending on traffic we may even try to get a cab to get there quicker than what walking would do. It's not far but it'll still take awhile to get there and kick off is at 7:30 and he wants time to be able to go to the gift shop before hand.

Our tickets/seats, if we're looking at the pictures correctly, are in the very top row on the Saints side. Wow, we've never been so high before, but that's the cheapest we could find and they were still almost $300.00. But no matter what it'll be worth it just to be there!!


One week and 4 days!!

Media quote of the day:

Ah, the tramp stamp. My bread and butter. So I'm guessing that the real story involves a bad breakup and some booze? Unless that's a gang tattoo, in which case I think it's time to find a new gang. - Dr Stella Zinman - How I Met Your Mother (HDT better not booze up enough to get a tramp stamp! Especially since Scott would egg him on to do so!!)

Yep, I'm talking about the trip again.

So I'm slowly moving forward in the twitter department. I haven't done one yet at all but I've chosen several people and companies to follow. I went ahead and put in the widget on the sidebar for whenever I actually do start to tweet.

I have a feeling I'll do some while on vaca. Speaking of which I need to go ask for some more time off....

So I was just given permission for the two extra days off, we're now heading down on the 7th and will be leaving to come back on the 11th. Scott (HDT's co-worker not my brother) wants to be back in time for the Bears game at noon on Sunday. So we'll be leaving Sat. afternoon some time.

We may be stopping on the way down in Taylorville, IL for some early cajun food. HDT and I met a guy last year on our way home from the Saints/Rams game. He owns a cajun restaurant in Taylorville and told us to stop in any time, call him ahead of time so he knows we're on our way, and he'll hook us up with some awesome food.

My mom and I had gone down there in December. I have an aunt and some cousins that live in Taylorville and we all went there for dinner. It was really very good and he did remember me. I felt bad that HDT wasn't with us but they all insisted on going once my mom talked it up. And it was good, I can't wait to go back.

This is the part I hate though, when all I can think about is the upcoming vacation. Time doesn't move fast enough for the most part and then when you want it to slow down (when packing, etc) it seems to speed up. But all I want to do is go online and go to all sorts of websites to see what deals I can get for us while we're down there.

I've already printed out some coupons from neworleansonline.com that I know will get put to use. And I also looked up hotel rates and at least for one of the ones we're looking at it's cheaper to go through them than the other ways I've been researching.

Two weeks from today and we'll be on our way. Yep, can't wait!!

Media quote of the day: Portion of "When the Saints Go Marching In" - Louis Armstrong

Oh when the saints go marching in
When the saints go marching in
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

Weekend Update 8/20-21/10

So this weekend was pretty good. Two of my brothers came over Friday morning and cut down our magnolia tree. They took a bunch of pictures and then I took several more when I got home that evening. We still need to get them downloaded from the camera and then I'll post some on here. I loved that tree but HDT has been wanting to get rid of if for years as I believe I mentioned some number of posts ago.

When I went home at lunch they were more than half way done with it. I knew ants had taken up residence inside of the base but OMG the amount of tree they were actually living in is amazing! The base of the tree came up a couple feet then branched off into 3 different sections. One of the sections was just about completely eaten away by them. There were several branches that were hollowed out and others that looked like an ant farm from the side when you see them in a tank. I hope you get what I mean by that. You'll see once I get the pictures up.

The guys said when they were cutting that part of the branch that the ants started to swarm out where the cut was being done and also at the base. They said at the base is where all the ones with the wings came shooting out of. Tons of them they said. Didn't get a picture of that though. Kinda disappointed.

Then the next morning after it had thunder stormed we see all these white rocks sitting on the stump. We were quite confused as to where they had come from. As the day went on it actually seemed like more showed up. What we finally came to the conclusion of as to how they got there is that we figured between squirrels and kids that they had fallen into the tree through different holes. Including the one where the three sections came together; there was a little hole there. We figured they were hidden in the clumps of dirt that was on the base of the tree from the ants and the rain washed the dirt away from the rocks. As the day went on the dirt dried and fell off of more of the rocks which made it look like more were showing up. It's the only logical explanation of it all.

It was HDT's weekend to work so he was already there when I got up on Saturday. I decided to go ahead and take a bath right away so I'd make myself presentable so I'd be more inclined to do the shopping and errands that I've been needing to do. I went to the feed store to get the cats and dog their food, then to the grocery store to get the pop that we're low on, then to the car supply store to get blinker bulbs for the back left blinker that's been out for more than a week now, then to the oil change place to get the oil changed that's been needing changing for too long. I went back home after that and chilled out watching a movie and during that HDT called to say he needed me to go pick up the plumbers tape that didn't come with the new shower head and the ant killing food to help get rid of the remaining ants. He had sprayed all around the stump and the wood sections that are up against the side of the garage and all around the house with ant killer spray. Which did seem to do a really good job but to be on the safe side we wanted the food that the remaining ones would take back to the home and kill all the rest including the queen.

So after my movie I did that then came back and chilled out some more watching another movie until he came home. I made dinner and we chilled out until bedtime.

Sunday he was back at work again when I got up around 8:30. I grabbed Breaking Dawn (4th book in the Twilight series), a diet mountain dew and went out to the living room to commence reading for several hours until I finished it. I liked the ending, thought it was fitting. I finished around 1:20 or so and decided to go mow the lawn and pull some weeds. I was done with that by 2:30 and then rinsed off before soaking in a nice warm bath for awhile.

I think I ended up watching another movie, oh no, I cleared out some of the shows I watch but he doesn't such as Ghost Hunters International. The started watching Hoarders, that show scares the bejeesus outta me. We'll let too many magazines pile up and not always put our clothes away and just use the whites out of the basket, etc. So there's times that I think - this is how it starts, you get complacent with it and slowly it just starts to accumulate and next thing you know you're walking through a minefield of STUFF. Yep, scary, can't let that happen.

We watched some Grey's while eating dinner and after. Then I had to go to bed for the night. He came to bed around midnight to take a nap before heading back to work at 2:30am to work until 6:00am. His overtime is done now for awhile. Well, as long as someone doesn't call in sick or anything. He also only works a few more days on his regular schedule then he's off for a full two weeks on vacation.

Media quote of the day:

How can you take something so negative and celebrate it? - Steve Gonsalves - to Brian about him wearing a "Dude, run!" hat

Do you have a catch phrase? - Brian Harnois

This is technically from the original Ghost Hunters and not the international and also from several years ago but the premise of this is just so damn funny I had to use it.

New Orleans Bound

So, he looked over my breakdown and saw that we'd be able to make the trip just fine and with all his overtime he's doing will just make it that much easier. So the trip is back on. I'm so happy and excited.





Oh to be back in the land of awesome food and warm hospitality and great music. I can't wait to get some mouth watering crawfish etoufee and even more mouth watering beignets. Mmmmmm.

Media quote of the day:

That's kinda like my old man told me one time, Lynn. The only thing better than a crawfish dinner, is five crawfish dinners. - Coach Red - The Waterboy