Relaxing Not So Rainy Sunday

On the stop-smoking campaign.....still working on it. Doing okay but I have cheated and smoked occasionally. Keep ya posted.

I worked OT yesterday for 3 hrs and was suppose to work again today for 3 hrs. That didn't happen. I'm just having a relaxing Sunday, cleaning house (big appraisal tomorrow) and watching TV. It looks like it should be raining outside but isn't yet.....even still it is a great day to stay cozy. I did my taxes this morning...getting almost a grand back...so its off to New Orleans again. This time for Frenchquarterfest in April. At least that is the plan...need to find someone to go with. Shouldn't be a problem. I called Linda and asked her, she will let me know tomorrow, but I am not holding my breath. Talked to Tricia in New Orleans as soon as I decided to go again...just had to tell someone...it was nice to talk to her. She probably thinks I'm nuts. oh well, wouldn't be the first time someone thought I was nuts. Tricia told me that she is finally going to get a FEMA trailer....I'm happy for her!

Ran into Robbin, Christy and Mikel at The Raven Friday nite. Great to see them and it sure seemed like old times....by gones are gone by, I think. I will be having Raven Mafia party next month and we are all going to try to get together once a month. Larisa is home from Jamaica and told her the plan...she's up for it, too, so should be fun. It will be a Raven Mafia party and poker nite. Everyone is going to be invited but those that come who are not charter Raven Mafia members will be deemed Mafia B (sorry about your luck ) and will be required to wait on charter members hand and foot, thus hoping to make it to Primo Mafia spot. hehehehehehe, and good luck with that!

Well, have to finish cleaning house. Going for my 4th refinance, appraisal tomorrow.....if they approve my BIG loan, its new carpet and living room furniture! Hip, hip, hooray!!!!!

First Sunday No Smoking

Hi there! Bad news. I have been sick since I got back from NOLA, which means I haven't been able to go over and see my new grandson!!!! Aaaaaaargh! I miss Hailey a bunch, too! Oh, well, in a few days, I will be good as new. Must have caught this dreaded cold from someone on the plane?

I had promised myself that when I return from NOLA, I would quit smoking. So no more ciggys for me! I ran out yesterday and haven't gone to the store to buy more. And I won't. I admit that I took a tour through my house looking for cigs and then a stroll out to my car to hunt for long butts (found a couple, too! HA!). But now that is done and the only nicotine I will get for the rest of my life will be from these little Committ lozenges. They actually help so I will use them for the first month or so. I have sworn myself to a semi-diet at the same time, so I'm hoping I don't gain too much weight in the process of quitting smoking. I will report on my progress periodically. I am determined to quit. I have smoked for far too long as it is, I am lucky I haven't ran into any health problems already and don't want to see any. Also, my grandaughter, Hailey, has already started telling me how bad smoking is for me and, of course, she is absolutely right. When she asked me to quit because she doesn't want me to die, that did it. She is only 4 yrs old and shouldn't have to be worrying about her 'Gigi' dying. So Hailey, here it is, my promise to you that I will not ever smoke again. I'll report back later on this. Film at 11.

Back to work tomorrow after Italian vacation in October, then the holidays, and finally my trip to NOLA, things will be back to normal. Normal is good sometimes. I am looking forward to enjoying my daily life and paying off vacation bills. I will work as much overtime as I can to accomplish this. It won't take too long as I don't intend on going anywhere else for at least a year. (Then, after pay-off, I will begin to plan my next biggee......safari in Africa!!!!)

BACK FROM NEW ORLEANS

I'm baaaaaaack! Had a great time in New Orleans. Pardi Gras was HUGE fun, ya'll should go next year! Having said that, my trip to New Orleans was very different from my usual jaunts to The Big Easy. The Big Easy has become The Small Hard. Here we are, 4 mos after Katrina (that bitch!), and The Crescent City is still hurting......badly. The media does not do it justice.
Even the French Quarter, which we all hear is doing wonderfully......absolutely is not. On Bourbon Street, itself, about 75% of the businesses are open and those are only open on limited schedules mostly due to lack of 'crew'. Step to the other French Quarter streets and the percentage goes down....way down. About half the hotels in the Quarter are up and running but are filled with either workers (construction crews, insurance adjusters, FEMA employees, etc.) or displaced families. Not much room for tourists yet. They have all brought their cars and pick-up trucks so traffic and parking in the Quarter is horrendous. Frustration and Depression levels are rising. Tempers are barely being held at bay. One bartender I chatted with does not look forward to Mardi Gras at all. He told me in the 6 years he had been working in the Quarter, he had broken up only 5 or 6 fights. Since Katrina, he breaks up that many every week. He says it has alot to do with the influx of construction workers, the military, and everyone in the Quarter, residents and workers alike, are living under extreme daily stress. Same bartender says Mardi Gras will be ugly. The laid back, just enjoy life, attitude of New Orleans is very hard to find on the best day post-Katrina.

And there is a whole new storm brewing in New Orleans. Racism. Racism has always been alive and well in New Orleans but it has been held to a quiet background noise. As of late, with the arguments ongoing regarding whether the 9th Ward should be rebuilt, the comments of the not-so-savvy Mayor Nagin, the federal governments anti-help, a dangerous bubbling hot racism is very close to exploding, in my opinion.

But, again, I have to end by saying, that we really did have a wonderful time. We were treated like royalty by all the wonderful people of the Quarter. Many could not believe that we were actually there just for vacation. Just to give back a little. Most newcomers to New Orleans right now are not on vacation. They are there to work in one form or another. Actually, in the entire week I was there, I did not meet anyone who was there simply to relax and have a good time (with the exception of the 3 days of Pardi Gras). So, please, consider New Orleans in your vacation plans. I guarantee you will have a good time. New Orleans needs you, your laughter and your money, just as much as we need New Orleans and her warmth and charms.

I KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO MISS NEW ORLEANS

Yes, I sure do know. I will be leaving on Thursday to visit New Orleans for the 10th time. I am in love with the city and all her people. I have shed many tears since August 29th of last year. I have watched attentively through the hurricane, through the flood, through the anti-help which is still happening. I really believe that most of America is unaware of what is NOT happening in New Orleans. It is hard for me to believe that if this tragedy had happened in Florida or in Manhattan or in Beverly Hills, that the response would be the same. Or should I say the lack of response. Anyone wishing to know the real story, please visit NOLA.com which is the website of The Times-Picayune, the local newspaper. And while you are at that website, please read a few of Chris Rose's columns which you can find under "Living". Quite eye-opening for those of you who believe that all is being taken care of. I am sooooooo tired of hearing that the 'footprint' of New Orleans will be smaller. Or of hearing "Well, they had a chance to get out and they ignored the warnings"(most of the dead were senior citizens). Or "The French Quarter came through unscathed"(oh really.). Or they won't have Mardi Gras this year. (Right. Thats like telling someone they won't have Christmas). Don't get me started. Just stick with NOLA.com and Chris Rose and find out the truth of it. I am going to New Orleans on Thursday, knowing that everything has changed forever. With hopes that good decisions will be made in the near future to get back as much of the heart of the city and ALL of her people as soon as possible. Do you know that New Orleans was once a city of about a half million and is now a city of under 100,000? Do you know that tourism provides the life blood of New Orleans? But that right now, nearly half of her hotels are still closed? And the hotels that are open, are being used to house clean-up workers and displaced families. Which I'm not saying that is a bad thing. I am just trying to point out the jam that the city is really in. I will go with the promises that I have made to myself......I promise be full of hugs and love when I'm out and about.....if I cry, it will be in my hotel room. I promise to be a good listener. But most of all, I promise that I will always love New Orleans, forever. Because I get it.

Evan Has Arrived!!!!!!

Such a happier note to talk about today. My first grandson was born today. Got a call at around 7:30 this morning and off I went to the hospital. He was born at 2:20 this afternoon and wow! Is he gorgeous or what!!!! Actually, he looks exactly like my son when he was born who looked exactly like his dad when he was born. The whole fam damily was there for the event. Well, not exactly THERE, meaning the fam damily was in the waiting room. Russ, my son, kept us informed of events by text messages to the waiting room. First "dialated 9.6 centimeters". Then, "delivery lights down". Next, "baby's warming bed being warmed". Until, at last we recieved a final special delivery text message: a pic of my new grandson, Evan! Baby Evan is doing wonderful. Brandi, my daughter-in-law, is having a minor complication, nothing serious, and will be good to go by tomorrow, I hope. Little Hailey was sooooo excited, right along with the rest of us. She will be a wonderful big sister. Having grandbabies is so much fun. Well, welcome to the world, E-diddy!!!!

Wrong Again

Yep, I sure had that screwed up, didn't I? Me and everyone else. How the misinformation could have gotten soooo far for sooo long, I have no idea. But the miscommunication must have made a horrible tragedy even worse for the families and friends and the entire community of those courageous miners. Courageous? Of course. Apparently, in their final hours, they had done everything they were suppose to do to save themselves. And, at the end, did they still have hope of rescue or did they know it was over. It is just so sad. For them. For their families and friends. And, yes, even for those jounalists covering the story. Everyone, at a time when hope was almost lost, at a time when weariness had blended with fear, had rejoiced at the wonderful news that their loved ones were alive.....a miracle. Only to learn, hours later, that it had been a mistake. And that is when the weariness and the fear had grown into a real anger. Hope was gone, replaced by grief and unknowing and how could this happen, oh lord. In a day and age when communication technology is at an almost unbelievable high, a very big (yet tiny) miscommunication had occurred. Everyone wanted to hear that piece of good news and they heard it, even when they didn't.

My First Post

My first post. hmmm....and what to say? Well, I am just hearing on TV that they have found the 12 miners that have been missing in the coal mine (in Pennsylvania?) for 3 days. Wow, I was so hoping it would turn out this way but never really thought it would. Even when I heard people being interviewed (like the governor, etc.) and they said they still thought the men would be found alive...I just thought they were all in denial. But, it just goes to show once again, you never know what you think you know.