Late in posting this, but our trip began with a Lady Gaga concert in Dallas and on to Louisville for Hullabalou.
Gaga
Fire/sparks came out of her breasts and crotch and on top of the piano. She said the people outside were the freaks. One girl was dressed in a deck of cards. Gaga looked like a walking lampshade, a fiber optic snowflake and had stage blood on her sternum--changed clothes a lot. Lady Gaga ranges from Catholic girl to Gypsy Rose Lee to Rosie, the Jetson’s robot maid, as someone said.
Louisville Slugger
The wood spins 1,500 times; a farmer comes in and gets 40,000 to 50,000 pounds of sawdust every couple of days. A system sucks it up. Bats are 50 percent ash and maple. The sweet spot is the strongest part of the bat. They pay athletes $5,000 to use their name and picture. Some order 120 a season. They are ready in 48 hours. The bats are branded at high temperature. There are templates on lathes. They are carted on BATmobiles. Pink bats are used on Mother’s Day only. The factory has been there since 1884. They make 1.8 million bats a year.
Churchill Downs
Just wow!!
Maker’s Mark Distillery
It’s been around since 1805. It’s 117 degrees in the distillery; dark helps keep it hot and not see any mildew. The logo was a cattle brand. People once used their own containers, so it’s the oldest retail package market (1889). Seventy percent is corn grown locally, soft red winter wheat and malted barley for the meal that is mixed with limestone spring water on property. The still is 38 feet tall. The red wax dipping is dangerous; they wear gloves and take breaks every 30 minutes. No. 46 is the new recipe for 46th recipe tried. They slam dunk some bottles deep just for fun and those could be worth something on the Internet. Nineteen people are on a taste panel that approves the release after aging over three hot summers. They still roll the barrels by hand.
I remember some of the Maker’s Mark Ambassador gifts being BIG ICE CUBE TRAY, WRAPPING PAPER, TAGS, BOTTLE SWEATER.
Lynn’s Paradise Café—we went in, but the line was too long--wacky décor, supposedly great French toast, has World of Swirl gift shop, it’s where Dali meets Dolly.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
9/11 speaker at event I chaired yesterday
BOSSIER CITY, La.—Freedom, bravery, sacrifice and gratitude were the four words stressed in a Sept. 11 speech by Col. Janet M. Deltuva, deputy command surgeon, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale Air Force Base.
She was the guest speaker for the 10th anniversary remembrance of 9/11 at the Liberty Garden at the Bossier Municipal Complex. The event is sponsored annually by Keep Bossier Beautiful and the City of Bossier City.
Deltuva was a first responder at the Pentagon on 9/11. She said Sept. 11, 2001, began as a beautiful day. She said colonels at the Pentagon first thought the plane striking the first World Trade Center tower was a navigational or air traffic control error.
Then the Pentagon shook when hit by Flight 77.
She said she has not forgotten moving in fear at her job in her own country and says a prayer every time she sees or hears B-52s at Barkdsale take off.
“You only need to live for one moment without freedom to appreciate how important it is,” Deltuva said.
She said rescuers at the Pentagon waded through fire, smoke and chest-high debris. “Today, right here, right now, let us not forget our military, our police, our firefighters and our medical and disaster specialists,” Deltuva said.
She recalled an interview of a daughter of a 9/11 victim who said “the people who did this don’t know that you can’t destroy love no matter what you do” and mentioned another interview with a deceased hero’s daughter who said, “How, how can I make myself happy? It’s by making other people happy.”
Deltuva’s 2010 New Year’s Eve resolution was to read the bible cover to cover and co-workers teased her about studying for the final exam. “On Sept. 11, I thought the final exam was in front of me,” she said. “I am so glad I had a relationship with God.”
It would be easy to be scared or angry or judge or hate a faith, Deltuva said, but she instead offered alternatives: Live with compassion, give others a chance, pray for the 9/11 families, honor today’s heroes--the military, police and firefighters and disaster responders—and be ready in your spiritual life.
Mayor Lorenz Walker presented Deltuva a key to the city.
Pat Simon, KSLA anchor and lieutenant colonel in the 225th Engineer Brigade, Louisiana National Guard, served as emcee. He was deployed to Iraq in 2009.
Others on the program were Craig Kennedy, chaplain of the Bossier City fire and police departments; Suzanne Stinson, Pledge of Allegiance, Commission for Women of Bossier City president; Meredith McLellan, national anthem; and Airline High School ROTC, presentation of colors.
Sponsors included Ouachita Bank, Barksdale Federal Credit Union, KTBS and Advanced Air Conditioning. Fans, water and Support Our Troops bracelets were given out, thanks to the sponsors.
The Liberty Garden was built in 2003 to remember those who lost their lives on 9/11, said Mary Ann Van Osdell, president of Keep Bossier Beautiful. It is located between the police and fire departments at the municipal complex.
Elements include fire (flaming torches), water (pool and fountain) and earth (trees, shrubs, flowers and ornamental grasses). Iron work benches are designed like the American flag.
Etched granite panels represent all points of tragedy on 9/11.
Paving bricks in the garden are still for sale. Forms may be obtained from Alison Feaster at the Bossier Chamber of Commerce.
Bricks are $50 and can accommodate three lines of 14 letters. All donations are tax deductible.
She was the guest speaker for the 10th anniversary remembrance of 9/11 at the Liberty Garden at the Bossier Municipal Complex. The event is sponsored annually by Keep Bossier Beautiful and the City of Bossier City.
Deltuva was a first responder at the Pentagon on 9/11. She said Sept. 11, 2001, began as a beautiful day. She said colonels at the Pentagon first thought the plane striking the first World Trade Center tower was a navigational or air traffic control error.
Then the Pentagon shook when hit by Flight 77.
She said she has not forgotten moving in fear at her job in her own country and says a prayer every time she sees or hears B-52s at Barkdsale take off.
“You only need to live for one moment without freedom to appreciate how important it is,” Deltuva said.
She said rescuers at the Pentagon waded through fire, smoke and chest-high debris. “Today, right here, right now, let us not forget our military, our police, our firefighters and our medical and disaster specialists,” Deltuva said.
She recalled an interview of a daughter of a 9/11 victim who said “the people who did this don’t know that you can’t destroy love no matter what you do” and mentioned another interview with a deceased hero’s daughter who said, “How, how can I make myself happy? It’s by making other people happy.”
Deltuva’s 2010 New Year’s Eve resolution was to read the bible cover to cover and co-workers teased her about studying for the final exam. “On Sept. 11, I thought the final exam was in front of me,” she said. “I am so glad I had a relationship with God.”
It would be easy to be scared or angry or judge or hate a faith, Deltuva said, but she instead offered alternatives: Live with compassion, give others a chance, pray for the 9/11 families, honor today’s heroes--the military, police and firefighters and disaster responders—and be ready in your spiritual life.
Mayor Lorenz Walker presented Deltuva a key to the city.
Pat Simon, KSLA anchor and lieutenant colonel in the 225th Engineer Brigade, Louisiana National Guard, served as emcee. He was deployed to Iraq in 2009.
Others on the program were Craig Kennedy, chaplain of the Bossier City fire and police departments; Suzanne Stinson, Pledge of Allegiance, Commission for Women of Bossier City president; Meredith McLellan, national anthem; and Airline High School ROTC, presentation of colors.
Sponsors included Ouachita Bank, Barksdale Federal Credit Union, KTBS and Advanced Air Conditioning. Fans, water and Support Our Troops bracelets were given out, thanks to the sponsors.
The Liberty Garden was built in 2003 to remember those who lost their lives on 9/11, said Mary Ann Van Osdell, president of Keep Bossier Beautiful. It is located between the police and fire departments at the municipal complex.
Elements include fire (flaming torches), water (pool and fountain) and earth (trees, shrubs, flowers and ornamental grasses). Iron work benches are designed like the American flag.
Etched granite panels represent all points of tragedy on 9/11.
Paving bricks in the garden are still for sale. Forms may be obtained from Alison Feaster at the Bossier Chamber of Commerce.
Bricks are $50 and can accommodate three lines of 14 letters. All donations are tax deductible.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Hidden cameras needed among potential jurors
Out of the 40 people being questioned in my group, I was probably the only one who wanted to serve on the jury recently. But I wasn’t picked.
I don’t have a hidden agenda nor am I eager to convict someone; I just wanted to be involved in the process as part of my civic duty.
I wish I had had a hidden camera in the waiting room in which we sat off and on for four days. Has Dateline or 20/20 ever done a story on juror apathy?
Most everyone said they resented being there and it made me question whether fair verdicts are reached. They had their theories on how to get dismissed—“carry a newspaper, be in the medical field, demonstrate intelligence, mention financial hardship, say you have young children.”
They complained about parking, walking, waiting. They had an irreverent demeanor.
I bet if these people didn’t serve, however, they would be the first ones to complain about guilty persons running free.
Many thoughts crossed my mind: Would these uninterested citizens pay attention? Would they hurry through deliberation because they didn’t want to be there? Were people on Death Row put there by these types of people?
To want to serve your civic duty is certainly not liberal, said a friend of mine, who I complained to about the types of people who get selected. “To show respect for the court and the system in general is not liberal. It’s just plain American. To want an intelligent jury of your peers is fundamental to our system of justice.”
Don’t get me wrong, the American judicial system is the best in the world and I don’t have a better idea for choosing jurors.
What was most shocking was how many of the 12 in the jury box being questioned with me were victims of a crime—five. The prosecuting attorney said robberies were most common.
Six in one group of 12 said someone in their family had committed a crime—sons, brother, father, cousin, stepchild.
I could understand emotion coming into play in these situations, if you were related to the defendant, a victim or law enforcement handling the case, but acting like you don’t understand the Fifth Amendment on purpose to get released puzzles me.
Some potential jurors didn’t want to send an 18-year-old person to prison and thought a mandatory life sentence was too severe because of its cost to taxpayers. I know we all have different views, but surely they were just skewing answers to get released.
The judge said to not take it personally if not selected. A co-worker made me feel better, saying maybe I didn’t get picked because I wasn’t the defendant’s peer (if he was carrying a gun when he wasn’t supposed to be, as was implied).
Perhaps they select the people who are reluctant, so as to prove a point and demonstrate their authority over them, said my cousin. “Bureaucrats love wielding their so-called power.”
The standing joke is that when you go into court, you are putting yourself in the hands of 12 people who weren't smart enough to get out of jury duty. I think it is the other way around; you are foolish and selfish if you do not want to be chosen. Wouldn’t you want conscientious people judging you?
I don’t have a hidden agenda nor am I eager to convict someone; I just wanted to be involved in the process as part of my civic duty.
I wish I had had a hidden camera in the waiting room in which we sat off and on for four days. Has Dateline or 20/20 ever done a story on juror apathy?
Most everyone said they resented being there and it made me question whether fair verdicts are reached. They had their theories on how to get dismissed—“carry a newspaper, be in the medical field, demonstrate intelligence, mention financial hardship, say you have young children.”
They complained about parking, walking, waiting. They had an irreverent demeanor.
I bet if these people didn’t serve, however, they would be the first ones to complain about guilty persons running free.
Many thoughts crossed my mind: Would these uninterested citizens pay attention? Would they hurry through deliberation because they didn’t want to be there? Were people on Death Row put there by these types of people?
To want to serve your civic duty is certainly not liberal, said a friend of mine, who I complained to about the types of people who get selected. “To show respect for the court and the system in general is not liberal. It’s just plain American. To want an intelligent jury of your peers is fundamental to our system of justice.”
Don’t get me wrong, the American judicial system is the best in the world and I don’t have a better idea for choosing jurors.
What was most shocking was how many of the 12 in the jury box being questioned with me were victims of a crime—five. The prosecuting attorney said robberies were most common.
Six in one group of 12 said someone in their family had committed a crime—sons, brother, father, cousin, stepchild.
I could understand emotion coming into play in these situations, if you were related to the defendant, a victim or law enforcement handling the case, but acting like you don’t understand the Fifth Amendment on purpose to get released puzzles me.
Some potential jurors didn’t want to send an 18-year-old person to prison and thought a mandatory life sentence was too severe because of its cost to taxpayers. I know we all have different views, but surely they were just skewing answers to get released.
The judge said to not take it personally if not selected. A co-worker made me feel better, saying maybe I didn’t get picked because I wasn’t the defendant’s peer (if he was carrying a gun when he wasn’t supposed to be, as was implied).
Perhaps they select the people who are reluctant, so as to prove a point and demonstrate their authority over them, said my cousin. “Bureaucrats love wielding their so-called power.”
The standing joke is that when you go into court, you are putting yourself in the hands of 12 people who weren't smart enough to get out of jury duty. I think it is the other way around; you are foolish and selfish if you do not want to be chosen. Wouldn’t you want conscientious people judging you?
In 2023, I saw a WSJ letter to the editor that had an attorney thinking the guy carrying the WSJ should not be picked because all he cares about would be the stock market. There was some mistakes in who he chose due to a quick time constraint and the guy ended up being foreman and voted to help the lady who was suing over her car warranty not being honored.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
He'd Rather wear out than rust
Dan Rather has circled the globe to report on significant events for 40 years. I got to meet him--one of my mother’s favorite people--at a news conference on April 19 at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
Sans sweater, he was still warm and friendly. He walked in, shook hands and introduced himself. “I’m Dan Rather.” And I’m even more impressed.
He spoke later that evening on what he has learned from a lifetime of reporting at the university’s Presidential Lyceum Series. He also visited students in a master class.
Rather has reported on every Presidential campaign since 1960, civil rights, Watergate, from the front lines of “green jungle hell” (Vietnam), in hurricanes and he anchored 9/11 coverage.
A Texan, Rather established the Dallas Bureau for CBS. He was the first to break the story that President Kennedy was dead, “before the government got together and made a formal announcement.”
He called the event “a hammer to the heart of the country.”
Rather said his passion for journalism hasn’t decreased. In the early months of his career, he wondered whether he could make a living.
“My dream has always been to do great journalism work in the public interest,” he said. “It began at an early age and has never waned.”
Rather, 79, said he would rather wear out than rust out.
I asked him who he has always wanted to interview, but hasn’t. The answer is Kim Jong-Il. “I’ve spent 50 years trying,” Rather said. “There is no current indication it’s going to happen, but I keep trying.”
He said he never suffered from lack of confidence, “as is the case with most people in television.”
Rather said most journalists are also greedy. “The constant prayer is to give me the right story,” he said.
Following Walter Cronkite was an impossible act in terms of expectations, Rather recalled. “You succeed him, but you don’t replace him. I said to myself I can’t be Walter Cronkite. I tried to be the best Dan Rather I could be.”
He said journalism is more competitive today because there are more news outlets and the Internet. “Four people shouting is not news,” Rather said. “I don’t believe the eras of anchors with gravitas is over.
“It is difficult to attract a large audience,” Rather said, adding that newspapers are laying off employees and radio doesn’t cover city council meetings anymore.
There is a reduction of resources that puts American journalism is in a crisis, Rather said.
He called it an interregnum, saying the old order is gone and a new business model is not yet in place to help the media survive and thrive
He said he is not predicting, but wouldn’t be surprised if any of the big three networks discontinued half-hour broadcasts.
“The gravitational pull is to do niche broadcasting,” he said.
He added that journalists, in some important ways, have “lost their gut and need a spine transplant.”
Rather said an independent press is the “red beating heart of democracy and freedom.
“We haven’t lost it, but it is in decline and demise,” he said.
Rather recalled being in Louisiana in the early 1960s when the civil rights movement took traction and “changed him as a person.” He said he interviewed a former governor “who smoked very good cigars and drank good whiskey.”
Rather has many memorable moments and said anytime he interviews a President, it is an honor and privilege. He also admired Martin Luther King and Mother Teresa “saving infants from garbage dumps.”
No one asked about the George W. Bush National Guard bias controversy and he didn’t bring up his mugging from the man who said “Kenneth, what is the frequency?”
Rather has received Emmy and Peabody awards. He now produces and hosts Dan Rather Reports, a weekly news program on HDNet.
Sans sweater, he was still warm and friendly. He walked in, shook hands and introduced himself. “I’m Dan Rather.” And I’m even more impressed.
He spoke later that evening on what he has learned from a lifetime of reporting at the university’s Presidential Lyceum Series. He also visited students in a master class.
Rather has reported on every Presidential campaign since 1960, civil rights, Watergate, from the front lines of “green jungle hell” (Vietnam), in hurricanes and he anchored 9/11 coverage.
A Texan, Rather established the Dallas Bureau for CBS. He was the first to break the story that President Kennedy was dead, “before the government got together and made a formal announcement.”
He called the event “a hammer to the heart of the country.”
Rather said his passion for journalism hasn’t decreased. In the early months of his career, he wondered whether he could make a living.
“My dream has always been to do great journalism work in the public interest,” he said. “It began at an early age and has never waned.”
Rather, 79, said he would rather wear out than rust out.
I asked him who he has always wanted to interview, but hasn’t. The answer is Kim Jong-Il. “I’ve spent 50 years trying,” Rather said. “There is no current indication it’s going to happen, but I keep trying.”
He said he never suffered from lack of confidence, “as is the case with most people in television.”
Rather said most journalists are also greedy. “The constant prayer is to give me the right story,” he said.
Following Walter Cronkite was an impossible act in terms of expectations, Rather recalled. “You succeed him, but you don’t replace him. I said to myself I can’t be Walter Cronkite. I tried to be the best Dan Rather I could be.”
He said journalism is more competitive today because there are more news outlets and the Internet. “Four people shouting is not news,” Rather said. “I don’t believe the eras of anchors with gravitas is over.
“It is difficult to attract a large audience,” Rather said, adding that newspapers are laying off employees and radio doesn’t cover city council meetings anymore.
There is a reduction of resources that puts American journalism is in a crisis, Rather said.
He called it an interregnum, saying the old order is gone and a new business model is not yet in place to help the media survive and thrive
He said he is not predicting, but wouldn’t be surprised if any of the big three networks discontinued half-hour broadcasts.
“The gravitational pull is to do niche broadcasting,” he said.
He added that journalists, in some important ways, have “lost their gut and need a spine transplant.”
Rather said an independent press is the “red beating heart of democracy and freedom.
“We haven’t lost it, but it is in decline and demise,” he said.
Rather recalled being in Louisiana in the early 1960s when the civil rights movement took traction and “changed him as a person.” He said he interviewed a former governor “who smoked very good cigars and drank good whiskey.”
Rather has many memorable moments and said anytime he interviews a President, it is an honor and privilege. He also admired Martin Luther King and Mother Teresa “saving infants from garbage dumps.”
No one asked about the George W. Bush National Guard bias controversy and he didn’t bring up his mugging from the man who said “Kenneth, what is the frequency?”
Rather has received Emmy and Peabody awards. He now produces and hosts Dan Rather Reports, a weekly news program on HDNet.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Ban Cell Phones at Public Meetings
I gave up my cell phone for Lent two years ago and am now suggesting our legislators give up theirs entirely.
I, along with 150 other concerned citizens, attended the census hearing conducted by the House and Senate governmental affairs redistricting committee Monday night at the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum.
The group gave a presentation for 55 minutes, then members of the audience who had requested to speak had three minutes to comment, give or take. The latter part lasted 50 minutes.
Of the 10 committee members on the front row lording over the meeting, three used their phones or palm devices at one time or another. One gentleman actually put his to his ear and the other two were either surfing the Internet, checking e-mail or texting.
I got even madder when I found out they received a per diem payment for nine meetings held across the state. They were working -- on our dollar -- and not paying attention. Plus, the behavior is rude and distracting and indicates that their minds are made up.
This begs investigation into an even bigger issue. Are we paying for these cellular data plans? If so, let’s stop the abuse.
I understand the importance of communication; it’s my major and vocation for 32 years. I have been attached to a phone or beeper since the early 90s and am as “addicted” as the next person. But if I can give up my personal phone for 40 days, certainly legislators can put theirs away for 40 to 50 minutes.
I regret I was unprepared to document the heads-down time of so many during this meeting and hear it’s happening amongst other elected officials. Next time I’ll be taking names and clocking the inattention to the constituents. I’ve got your number.
I, along with 150 other concerned citizens, attended the census hearing conducted by the House and Senate governmental affairs redistricting committee Monday night at the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum.
The group gave a presentation for 55 minutes, then members of the audience who had requested to speak had three minutes to comment, give or take. The latter part lasted 50 minutes.
Of the 10 committee members on the front row lording over the meeting, three used their phones or palm devices at one time or another. One gentleman actually put his to his ear and the other two were either surfing the Internet, checking e-mail or texting.
I got even madder when I found out they received a per diem payment for nine meetings held across the state. They were working -- on our dollar -- and not paying attention. Plus, the behavior is rude and distracting and indicates that their minds are made up.
This begs investigation into an even bigger issue. Are we paying for these cellular data plans? If so, let’s stop the abuse.
I understand the importance of communication; it’s my major and vocation for 32 years. I have been attached to a phone or beeper since the early 90s and am as “addicted” as the next person. But if I can give up my personal phone for 40 days, certainly legislators can put theirs away for 40 to 50 minutes.
I regret I was unprepared to document the heads-down time of so many during this meeting and hear it’s happening amongst other elected officials. Next time I’ll be taking names and clocking the inattention to the constituents. I’ve got your number.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Meeting Morgan Fairchild
I was fortunate to hear Morgan Fairchild speak about caring for her mother who suffered a series of strokes at this year’s Go Red for Women luncheon sponsored by the Heart Association. Fairchild said both of her mother’s parents died of strokes (the mother 13 days before her wedding) and a little less of her mother came back after each stroke she suffered. It was hard to believe that her mother enrolled her in drama lessons when she was too shy to give a book report. "My fear of the stage was only second to the fear of my mother," she said. She is absolutely beautiful. "At my age, I have the face you've earned and paid for," she said.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
NY NY
April 1, 2010
My face made the Today Show! One of Lauren’s friends saw me on. David recorded it. Very lame crowd that day. We were front row. Visited the cathedral, of course.
We visited the 911 Memorial, which wasn’t there when I went four years ago. A perpetual scrolling of names commemorates those who were lost. Very sad. Kleenex boxes provided.
We attended the NASDAQ opening bell ceremony. It was Kelly Services, no celebrity. But very cool. You have to clap real loud. A lady who went to LSU and was a KD was next to us. In Macy’s, I had on my LSU shirt and some people stopped us. One was the aunt of someone in Caroline’s class. And my old boyfriend’s daughter, Sarah, was on our plane on the way back. Still can’t get over that. Haven’t seen her since her wedding four years ago; lives in B.R.
We saw Wicked (No. 3 for me), Rock of Ages and The Lion King. The average applause is 15 claps, I learned. Rock of Ages worked in a Tiger Woods joke.
We ate at Sardi’s and the Russian Tea Room and Serendipity and Bubba Gump’s. Be sure and see the nesting dolls at TRT.
A cop chase made Caroline’s day. She wanted green grass, no pollution, no honking horns and smiles. Where do people work, she asked since there are so many shopping n the stores? She said all the cab drivers are named Mohammed.
We did the bus tour. We learned on the bus to ask what theaters do a lottery and that the seaport has a TKTS site much less crowded than the one in Times Square. Off-Broadway means less than 500 seats. Ask for a 10 percent out-of-state discount at Macy’s.
Planned to be there for St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the oldest and largest in the world. We only saw a little of it.
The 249th St. Patrick's Day extravaganza is to be the last of the Big Apple's world-famous parades to take place before new restrictions go into effect April 1 requiring all parades to be shorter to save money.
Chinatown is very lame any more. No designer knockoffs. Just stupid stuff. No back room trips or van trips.
I don’t think Caroline liked it as much as I thought. She didn’t want to do the ferry or Statue of Liberty.
The Naked Cowboy was out.
I lost my camera.
My face made the Today Show! One of Lauren’s friends saw me on. David recorded it. Very lame crowd that day. We were front row. Visited the cathedral, of course.
We visited the 911 Memorial, which wasn’t there when I went four years ago. A perpetual scrolling of names commemorates those who were lost. Very sad. Kleenex boxes provided.
We attended the NASDAQ opening bell ceremony. It was Kelly Services, no celebrity. But very cool. You have to clap real loud. A lady who went to LSU and was a KD was next to us. In Macy’s, I had on my LSU shirt and some people stopped us. One was the aunt of someone in Caroline’s class. And my old boyfriend’s daughter, Sarah, was on our plane on the way back. Still can’t get over that. Haven’t seen her since her wedding four years ago; lives in B.R.
We saw Wicked (No. 3 for me), Rock of Ages and The Lion King. The average applause is 15 claps, I learned. Rock of Ages worked in a Tiger Woods joke.
We ate at Sardi’s and the Russian Tea Room and Serendipity and Bubba Gump’s. Be sure and see the nesting dolls at TRT.
A cop chase made Caroline’s day. She wanted green grass, no pollution, no honking horns and smiles. Where do people work, she asked since there are so many shopping n the stores? She said all the cab drivers are named Mohammed.
We did the bus tour. We learned on the bus to ask what theaters do a lottery and that the seaport has a TKTS site much less crowded than the one in Times Square. Off-Broadway means less than 500 seats. Ask for a 10 percent out-of-state discount at Macy’s.
Planned to be there for St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the oldest and largest in the world. We only saw a little of it.
The 249th St. Patrick's Day extravaganza is to be the last of the Big Apple's world-famous parades to take place before new restrictions go into effect April 1 requiring all parades to be shorter to save money.
Chinatown is very lame any more. No designer knockoffs. Just stupid stuff. No back room trips or van trips.
I don’t think Caroline liked it as much as I thought. She didn’t want to do the ferry or Statue of Liberty.
The Naked Cowboy was out.
I lost my camera.
AmBASSador--All About the Classic Fishing Event
March 10, 2009
My all-time favorite story, still today, is the excavation of the 1,000-year-old Indian canoe along the Red River I covered back in the mid-80s.
Going from then to now, the Red River is currently in the news with Shreveport-Bossier City's lure of the Bassmaster Classic. And in between does anyone remember “Big Red by ‘80?” The river did finally become navigable and many fishermen went through the locks and dams to catch their limit this past weekend. I remember covering the unveiling of the first lock and dam in Marksville, too, with Sen. J. Bennett Johnston saying, “One down, four to go!”
Attending the Classic has been awesome. Events were free and crowds were everywhere. The Shreveport Convention Center was alive; Municipal Auditorium was utilized for a red carpet party that featured a welcome by James Burton. We beat attendance in New Orleans. Other hosts have been Chicago and Pittsburgh.
The Zac Brown Band performed Saturday, but that reality show exterminator dude was featured on Sunday; it seems like we could have found someone better to open the event.
I wanted to be an AmBASSador and still consider myself one, but the Tourist Bureau never contacted me for that, a sign for my business or the Facebook page it was supposedly creating. I heard their bag for VIPs had a measuring cup, note pad, one strand of Mardi Gras beads and a map in it until someone helped add items like Cajun recipes, restaurant coupons and the Junior League cookbook. The eight stations weren’t manned properly either, apparently, because the night of the Media Party no one was hostessing.
I was pulling for four fishermen: Edwin Evers because my father-in-law ran into him way back when he was living out of a camper and fishing on the Red and they actually fished together; Byron Velvick because he was the “Bachelor;” Kevin VanDam (KVD) because of his name and the first woman to compete, the tiny Kim Bain-Moore. Fish don’t know if they are being caught by a man or woman!
I am now a fan of Rick Morris because he seemed like an LSU fan on stage; Bryan Schmidt because he has quotes on his boat; Bobby Lane because he confirmed that birds up above mean fish can be caught below; Kenyon Hill from Norman, Okla., because of his fondness of fishing for his terminally ill father; and Gary Klein for his 27 attempts to win the Classic. I also cheered Louisiana’s lone participant, the “Hack Attack.”
I liked last year’s winner, Alton Jones, for the fact that he signed an autograph for someone, who later sent him a letter detailing how he gave the hat to a dying man, who showed it to everyone in the hospital. It brought a lot of joy to him in his last days and put a smile on his face, making a difference. Jones said it was a little thing that ended up being significant and that is what he’ll remember from his championship reign.
I’ll remember everything; it’s way better than seeing it on TV. I met Hank Parker, Bill Dance and Jimmy Houston. The founder of the tournament was a hoot, saying Parker was gay (LOL). All of the women swoon for him.
I tried to get the LSU AgCenter in the ESPN news since our research station is the closest to the river of any in four states. Mary Ann Tice with the Shreveport Sports Authority said they were talking about that in her suite. So maybe next time! I bet they return.
My all-time favorite story, still today, is the excavation of the 1,000-year-old Indian canoe along the Red River I covered back in the mid-80s.
Going from then to now, the Red River is currently in the news with Shreveport-Bossier City's lure of the Bassmaster Classic. And in between does anyone remember “Big Red by ‘80?” The river did finally become navigable and many fishermen went through the locks and dams to catch their limit this past weekend. I remember covering the unveiling of the first lock and dam in Marksville, too, with Sen. J. Bennett Johnston saying, “One down, four to go!”
Attending the Classic has been awesome. Events were free and crowds were everywhere. The Shreveport Convention Center was alive; Municipal Auditorium was utilized for a red carpet party that featured a welcome by James Burton. We beat attendance in New Orleans. Other hosts have been Chicago and Pittsburgh.
The Zac Brown Band performed Saturday, but that reality show exterminator dude was featured on Sunday; it seems like we could have found someone better to open the event.
I wanted to be an AmBASSador and still consider myself one, but the Tourist Bureau never contacted me for that, a sign for my business or the Facebook page it was supposedly creating. I heard their bag for VIPs had a measuring cup, note pad, one strand of Mardi Gras beads and a map in it until someone helped add items like Cajun recipes, restaurant coupons and the Junior League cookbook. The eight stations weren’t manned properly either, apparently, because the night of the Media Party no one was hostessing.
I was pulling for four fishermen: Edwin Evers because my father-in-law ran into him way back when he was living out of a camper and fishing on the Red and they actually fished together; Byron Velvick because he was the “Bachelor;” Kevin VanDam (KVD) because of his name and the first woman to compete, the tiny Kim Bain-Moore. Fish don’t know if they are being caught by a man or woman!
I am now a fan of Rick Morris because he seemed like an LSU fan on stage; Bryan Schmidt because he has quotes on his boat; Bobby Lane because he confirmed that birds up above mean fish can be caught below; Kenyon Hill from Norman, Okla., because of his fondness of fishing for his terminally ill father; and Gary Klein for his 27 attempts to win the Classic. I also cheered Louisiana’s lone participant, the “Hack Attack.”
I liked last year’s winner, Alton Jones, for the fact that he signed an autograph for someone, who later sent him a letter detailing how he gave the hat to a dying man, who showed it to everyone in the hospital. It brought a lot of joy to him in his last days and put a smile on his face, making a difference. Jones said it was a little thing that ended up being significant and that is what he’ll remember from his championship reign.
I’ll remember everything; it’s way better than seeing it on TV. I met Hank Parker, Bill Dance and Jimmy Houston. The founder of the tournament was a hoot, saying Parker was gay (LOL). All of the women swoon for him.
I tried to get the LSU AgCenter in the ESPN news since our research station is the closest to the river of any in four states. Mary Ann Tice with the Shreveport Sports Authority said they were talking about that in her suite. So maybe next time! I bet they return.
Doin' the Cabo Wabo
Nov. 25, 2008
First of all, we loved the Hilton. You drive up and are given a margarita; you check in outside, see a beautiful fountain and then go to your room. The room was huge and overlooked the beach. It had a Jacuzzi and large glass shower. Very festive. They did origami figures every night that were left on our bed and pressed logos on the toilet paper. The breakfast was awesome; we ate there every day. Fresh juices—orange, watermelon, cantaloupe, beet, carrot. Live guitar music was played at breakfast. They even warm your nuts at the bar. The bar was awesome and there is one at the pool. It is right on the beach (kind of rocky sand); it wasn't crowded, I really could go on and on.
We rented a Jeep, but they have a shuttle. We drove to Hotel California.
If you haven't been to eat at The Office, it's my fave. You sit at tables on the sand under the moonlight with flaming coffee and tequila. We hit the Hard Rock Café, Cabo Wabo, Gigglin' Marlin, Mi Casa and El Squid Roe.
For the sights, we took a glass-bottom water taxi to the Arch/Land's End and saw sea lions; it was choppy, but I survived. You see a window to the Pacific and the marina is great. Everyone tries to sell you something—caricatures, painted shells, serenades, jewelry, condos.
It is very Americanized--they speak English and use American money. I read Honeymoon with My Brother while there. It says about traveling internationally: You'll change the views on an issue you thought to be previously untouchable. You'll feel guilty about not knowing a foreign language, yet believe even more strongly that English is the universal tongue. After the trip, newspapers will be far more interesting, though you'll shake your head at the shortage of foreign news. You'll also listen with greater interest to a friend's stories about travel. Travel is an investment with guaranteed returns.
First of all, we loved the Hilton. You drive up and are given a margarita; you check in outside, see a beautiful fountain and then go to your room. The room was huge and overlooked the beach. It had a Jacuzzi and large glass shower. Very festive. They did origami figures every night that were left on our bed and pressed logos on the toilet paper. The breakfast was awesome; we ate there every day. Fresh juices—orange, watermelon, cantaloupe, beet, carrot. Live guitar music was played at breakfast. They even warm your nuts at the bar. The bar was awesome and there is one at the pool. It is right on the beach (kind of rocky sand); it wasn't crowded, I really could go on and on.
We rented a Jeep, but they have a shuttle. We drove to Hotel California.
If you haven't been to eat at The Office, it's my fave. You sit at tables on the sand under the moonlight with flaming coffee and tequila. We hit the Hard Rock Café, Cabo Wabo, Gigglin' Marlin, Mi Casa and El Squid Roe.
For the sights, we took a glass-bottom water taxi to the Arch/Land's End and saw sea lions; it was choppy, but I survived. You see a window to the Pacific and the marina is great. Everyone tries to sell you something—caricatures, painted shells, serenades, jewelry, condos.
It is very Americanized--they speak English and use American money. I read Honeymoon with My Brother while there. It says about traveling internationally: You'll change the views on an issue you thought to be previously untouchable. You'll feel guilty about not knowing a foreign language, yet believe even more strongly that English is the universal tongue. After the trip, newspapers will be far more interesting, though you'll shake your head at the shortage of foreign news. You'll also listen with greater interest to a friend's stories about travel. Travel is an investment with guaranteed returns.
Hooray for Me!
Aug. 25, 2008
I attended an event at Tiger Island yesterday where Billy Cannon, Bert Jones and Jack Jaubert (now an artist and a former Tiger football player) were signing autographs. Jaubert looks at me and asks, "Were you an LSU cheerleader?" I was dumbfounded. What better question can a girl be asked? I asked him to repeat it so folks around me would be witnesses. This lovely gentleman said I was a doll. He was not flirting; the wife was right next to him. He just said I looked familiar and was sure he had seen me cheering on the field at Tiger Stadium. Rah!Rah! for Jack Jaubert. I am his new biggest fan.
I attended an event at Tiger Island yesterday where Billy Cannon, Bert Jones and Jack Jaubert (now an artist and a former Tiger football player) were signing autographs. Jaubert looks at me and asks, "Were you an LSU cheerleader?" I was dumbfounded. What better question can a girl be asked? I asked him to repeat it so folks around me would be witnesses. This lovely gentleman said I was a doll. He was not flirting; the wife was right next to him. He just said I looked familiar and was sure he had seen me cheering on the field at Tiger Stadium. Rah!Rah! for Jack Jaubert. I am his new biggest fan.
My Lifesaver
Aug. 8, 2008
Many of my blogs are from odd occurrences at either Kroger or Willis-Knigthon. Today's is the latter. My niece, Lauren, was in the hospital to get her appendix out yesterday. It is a busy place and it is very rare to share an elevator with just one person. I got in and a gentleman asked which floor. It ended up being the doctor who saved my life 21 years ago when my appendix ruptured. Hadn't seen him since. How bizarre. I was carrying the doll my mother bought me that we named Miracle because I was very sick and gangrene set in, but I was healed. I told him about the doll, too, and he couldn't believe I still had it. Thank you, Dr. Barrett and God to this day!
Many of my blogs are from odd occurrences at either Kroger or Willis-Knigthon. Today's is the latter. My niece, Lauren, was in the hospital to get her appendix out yesterday. It is a busy place and it is very rare to share an elevator with just one person. I got in and a gentleman asked which floor. It ended up being the doctor who saved my life 21 years ago when my appendix ruptured. Hadn't seen him since. How bizarre. I was carrying the doll my mother bought me that we named Miracle because I was very sick and gangrene set in, but I was healed. I told him about the doll, too, and he couldn't believe I still had it. Thank you, Dr. Barrett and God to this day!
What I Gave Up for Lent
March 20, 2008
I gave up my personal cell phone for Lent. I have been attached to a beeper or cell phone since I managed the Remington Suite Hotel in the early 1990s. I have a personal and work cell phone and numerous e-mail addresses and felt like I didn’t need my phone as much since both of my parents are deceased.
So, I read a book about a girl giving up a different thing each month for one year, her cell phone for one of the months. She said giving up the phone made her and her friends stick to a schedule. I left a message on my phone that I would try it for a week, but I pretty much stuck to it the whole 40 days.
There has only been one unfamiliar caller that I wondered about, but didn’t answer. I wanted to use the phone the first day when I sat on the bridge for 40 minutes due to an accident and when I traveled and normally checked on relatives, but I didn’t. I did have exemptions the day I was expecting someone to deliver a large check, when one of my Dallas car deliverers called and during a fight with the spouse. I exempted my cousin Cheryl when she was coming to town to let me know her whereabouts since I was already at the Boardwalk and that’s where she was headed and my aunt who needed to tell me about her emergency surgery. And I did use the work phone instead of the personal one the day it snowed when I was headed back to Shreveport to check the weather ahead of me.
Everyone I know thought this was a great idea. Even my priest said it would take discipline. Others asked their boss if they could get rid of their phone. I had people call their phone a noose and say they have wanted to throw it in the river. Some said family is the worst abuser of calling the cell before land lines.
Next year I am going to pay attention to slimming my carbon footprint. I am not going to use plastic bags, waste electricity or drive excessively without planning a route. Or should I start now?
I gave up my personal cell phone for Lent. I have been attached to a beeper or cell phone since I managed the Remington Suite Hotel in the early 1990s. I have a personal and work cell phone and numerous e-mail addresses and felt like I didn’t need my phone as much since both of my parents are deceased.
So, I read a book about a girl giving up a different thing each month for one year, her cell phone for one of the months. She said giving up the phone made her and her friends stick to a schedule. I left a message on my phone that I would try it for a week, but I pretty much stuck to it the whole 40 days.
There has only been one unfamiliar caller that I wondered about, but didn’t answer. I wanted to use the phone the first day when I sat on the bridge for 40 minutes due to an accident and when I traveled and normally checked on relatives, but I didn’t. I did have exemptions the day I was expecting someone to deliver a large check, when one of my Dallas car deliverers called and during a fight with the spouse. I exempted my cousin Cheryl when she was coming to town to let me know her whereabouts since I was already at the Boardwalk and that’s where she was headed and my aunt who needed to tell me about her emergency surgery. And I did use the work phone instead of the personal one the day it snowed when I was headed back to Shreveport to check the weather ahead of me.
Everyone I know thought this was a great idea. Even my priest said it would take discipline. Others asked their boss if they could get rid of their phone. I had people call their phone a noose and say they have wanted to throw it in the river. Some said family is the worst abuser of calling the cell before land lines.
Next year I am going to pay attention to slimming my carbon footprint. I am not going to use plastic bags, waste electricity or drive excessively without planning a route. Or should I start now?
Keith Urban Oozes Pure, Raw Talent
March 3, 2008
I mostly went to this concert last night to see Carrie Underwood and because my friend Donna loves Keith Urban. Now, I do, and Carrie can stay home. What a disappointment. He played for two hours with pure, raw talent. No one can play the guitar like him, with apologies to James Burton who was in the house and recognized. Keith also played keyboards. He did his homework before arriving because for the encore he came out in an LSU jersey with the No. 1 on it and played We are the Champions. He allowed a girl with a sign saying she had a baby gift for him to present it and it was a baby LSU outfit. He had drummers from Destrehan play on stage at the end of one of his songs. Keith Urban has unbelieveable star quality and what a waste it would be for him to stay an addict. Nicole is a lucky woman.
I mostly went to this concert last night to see Carrie Underwood and because my friend Donna loves Keith Urban. Now, I do, and Carrie can stay home. What a disappointment. He played for two hours with pure, raw talent. No one can play the guitar like him, with apologies to James Burton who was in the house and recognized. Keith also played keyboards. He did his homework before arriving because for the encore he came out in an LSU jersey with the No. 1 on it and played We are the Champions. He allowed a girl with a sign saying she had a baby gift for him to present it and it was a baby LSU outfit. He had drummers from Destrehan play on stage at the end of one of his songs. Keith Urban has unbelieveable star quality and what a waste it would be for him to stay an addict. Nicole is a lucky woman.
MAVO Five-O and the Ride in the Limo
Dec. 11, 2007
They say they card people who look like they are under 30. I remember getting carded the day I turned 40 at Rite Aid on Youree. Well, folks, you probably won't believe it, but I got carded tonight at dinner. Seriously. I turned 50 today. I had a great party yesterday. The theme of the party was "Don't Blink—Life Goes Faster Than You Think" after a Kenny Chesney song. The cakes took in two of my favorite things—LSU and Wizard of Oz and featured a rainbow in purple and gold. The centerpiece included other things that turned 50 this year. Guests received Metamucil as a favor, courtesy of one of MAVO's doctor friends. Donations were accepted for the Wheelchair Foundation in lieu of gifts and I can "purchase" two wheelchairs. The day after my bday I got taken to lunch in a limo provided by the same gentleman who let me use it on my 40th. This time I went to Tokyo, where I've decided the chef needs to be a juggler, basketball player and drummer as well.
They say they card people who look like they are under 30. I remember getting carded the day I turned 40 at Rite Aid on Youree. Well, folks, you probably won't believe it, but I got carded tonight at dinner. Seriously. I turned 50 today. I had a great party yesterday. The theme of the party was "Don't Blink—Life Goes Faster Than You Think" after a Kenny Chesney song. The cakes took in two of my favorite things—LSU and Wizard of Oz and featured a rainbow in purple and gold. The centerpiece included other things that turned 50 this year. Guests received Metamucil as a favor, courtesy of one of MAVO's doctor friends. Donations were accepted for the Wheelchair Foundation in lieu of gifts and I can "purchase" two wheelchairs. The day after my bday I got taken to lunch in a limo provided by the same gentleman who let me use it on my 40th. This time I went to Tokyo, where I've decided the chef needs to be a juggler, basketball player and drummer as well.
Trent Tomlinson
Oct. 29, 2007
I feel guilty that I got into the fair for free to see Trent Tomlinson. That is one show you should pay for. He said he wants to put country back on the map, ala Hank Williams Jr. He is wild. He started off with a leather jacket, got down to a tank top and then bared his chest, all of course with his trademark bandana. He did change into a cap that had the word "Faith" in glitter toward the end. He ran through the crowd and jumped onto the spotlight stand. I got a great up-close photo. He has a new song coming out about Baton Rouge. Bobby Pinson sang his song, Don't Ask Me How I Know to give Trent a break. Trent did a Johnny Cash song and a Black Crowes song. Look out for him being named a future Entertainer of the Year.
I feel guilty that I got into the fair for free to see Trent Tomlinson. That is one show you should pay for. He said he wants to put country back on the map, ala Hank Williams Jr. He is wild. He started off with a leather jacket, got down to a tank top and then bared his chest, all of course with his trademark bandana. He did change into a cap that had the word "Faith" in glitter toward the end. He ran through the crowd and jumped onto the spotlight stand. I got a great up-close photo. He has a new song coming out about Baton Rouge. Bobby Pinson sang his song, Don't Ask Me How I Know to give Trent a break. Trent did a Johnny Cash song and a Black Crowes song. Look out for him being named a future Entertainer of the Year.
The Ultimate Compliment
Oct. 15, 2007
I covered the Feist-Weiller Cancer Center Lifesavers Ball Saturday night, wearing my cool two-piece red formal, yes, showing midriff at my age (because I can, she said conceitedly). I first wore it in 1999 and bring it out every now and then. I am talking to this lady who says, "My 23-year-old son wants to meet you. He loves your dress" ...and she adds that he thinks I am cute or something like that. I say, "Where is he?" Since my husband is a homebody stick in the mud, I am, of course, stag again. She said he left early. Probably a good thing, our age difference would be worse than Demi and Ashton and I am married and all. But it was the ultimate compliment. I think the record before that was a 36-year-old.
I covered the Feist-Weiller Cancer Center Lifesavers Ball Saturday night, wearing my cool two-piece red formal, yes, showing midriff at my age (because I can, she said conceitedly). I first wore it in 1999 and bring it out every now and then. I am talking to this lady who says, "My 23-year-old son wants to meet you. He loves your dress" ...and she adds that he thinks I am cute or something like that. I say, "Where is he?" Since my husband is a homebody stick in the mud, I am, of course, stag again. She said he left early. Probably a good thing, our age difference would be worse than Demi and Ashton and I am married and all. But it was the ultimate compliment. I think the record before that was a 36-year-old.
Name Lover
Sept. 14, 2007
So, I go inside Starbucks because the outside line is too long. I am wearing my LSU AgCenter nametag. The young dude who took my order said, "I love your name." I asked, "My name or my nametag?" He said name. He has good taste. This affirms my not taking my husband's name or trying to hyphenate. I love all of my names, too!
P.S. Hate to harp on the name (no I don't--it's been such an issue), but now a lady at an event said, "That's a money name." I've also heard "high-dollar name," "I thought you'd be taller with a name that long" and "Mary Ann Van Osdell of the Shreveport Van Osdells."
So, I go inside Starbucks because the outside line is too long. I am wearing my LSU AgCenter nametag. The young dude who took my order said, "I love your name." I asked, "My name or my nametag?" He said name. He has good taste. This affirms my not taking my husband's name or trying to hyphenate. I love all of my names, too!
P.S. Hate to harp on the name (no I don't--it's been such an issue), but now a lady at an event said, "That's a money name." I've also heard "high-dollar name," "I thought you'd be taller with a name that long" and "Mary Ann Van Osdell of the Shreveport Van Osdells."
Jag
Aug. 17, 2007
OK, so I go to my sister's house quite a bit. I have never met her neighbor. I recently went in the Jaguar. A week or so later he comments to my brother-in-law, Fred, that the girls must have some friends with rich parents because he saw a Jag pull up with a fine looking woman in it. Fred just assumed it was indeed one of my nieces' rich friends. Fred starts mowing the lawn and stops mid-field, and laughs. It suddenly hit him. "He was talking about Mary Ann." So, yes, I am the fine woman, not rich, but noticed because I was in a Jag.
OK, so I go to my sister's house quite a bit. I have never met her neighbor. I recently went in the Jaguar. A week or so later he comments to my brother-in-law, Fred, that the girls must have some friends with rich parents because he saw a Jag pull up with a fine looking woman in it. Fred just assumed it was indeed one of my nieces' rich friends. Fred starts mowing the lawn and stops mid-field, and laughs. It suddenly hit him. "He was talking about Mary Ann." So, yes, I am the fine woman, not rich, but noticed because I was in a Jag.
Tough Question
July 24, 2007
The people who baffle me are the ones who:
1. Prefer to be alone almost all of the time.
2. Don't care about educating themselves.
3. Have no mementos, souvenirs or other keepsakes.
4. Don't play games to win.
The people who baffle me are the ones who:
1. Prefer to be alone almost all of the time.
2. Don't care about educating themselves.
3. Have no mementos, souvenirs or other keepsakes.
4. Don't play games to win.
Mercury is Retrograde
July 2, 2007
Last week, I went from Friday to Monday without Internet service. My printer at home didn't work. The Internet went out again Wednesday night until Thursday night. So, I am sitting next to this lady at a seminar and we are talking about some of the bad news going down in the Shreveport area--Minden girl dying in car accident, LSUS guy suicide, blackout in New York, etc. I say that I think the planets are out of alignment. It just so happens, she says, that Mercury is retrograde. I had heard this before; it was a Becker episode. She goes to the Peace of Mind Center and is heavy into astrology. She said Mercury rules thinking and perception, disseminating information and all means of communication. Also: commerce, education, transportation. By extension, Mercury rules people who work in these areas, writers, orators, commentators, critics, gossips, spin doctors, teachers, travelers, tricksters and thieves. Mercury retrograde gives rise to personal misunderstandings; flawed, disrupted or delayed communications, negotiations and trade; glitches and breakdowns with phones, computers, cars, buses, trains.
I look it up when I get back to work, and in fact Mercury turns retrograde three times a year, according to www.astrology.com. Mercury will straighten out July 24 (it's been retrograde since June 15), but then we have Venus and Mars to worry about.
Retrograde is when a planet appears to go backwards through the Zodiac. It is not wise to make important decisions while Mercury is in this formation since these decisions will be clouded by misinformation, poor communication and careless thinking. Home businesses are particularly susceptible to communication breakdown. People will be much more moody and emotional problems will give rise to digestive upsets. This period brings traffic snafus and missed appointments. Documents can go astray.
Venus goes retrograde July 27 until Sept. 8. Venus turns retrograde only once every 18 months. Venus, the goddess of love, rules feelings and emotions, aesthetics and tastes, fashions and all forms of desire, money and wealth. In Venus retrograde, our visual sensibilities are reduced. We dress with less flair and colors seem muted. Don't purchase clothes and jewlery, change makeup or hairstyle. Redecorating or refurbishing homes should be avoided. This is not the best time to get married or give big parties. Was Venus retrograde on May 3, 2003? Venus rules diplomacy so slowdowns in all sorts of negotiations can be expected, including industrial disputes, legal issues and diplomatic endeavors.
As for Mars, mark down Nov. 15 through Jan. 30. Mars turns retrograde only once every two years and two months. The god of warriors rules physical energy and efforts, the physical force that drives your ego and risk taking inclinations. Mars retrograde can mean accidents, injuries, warfare and other forms of violence.
Last week, I went from Friday to Monday without Internet service. My printer at home didn't work. The Internet went out again Wednesday night until Thursday night. So, I am sitting next to this lady at a seminar and we are talking about some of the bad news going down in the Shreveport area--Minden girl dying in car accident, LSUS guy suicide, blackout in New York, etc. I say that I think the planets are out of alignment. It just so happens, she says, that Mercury is retrograde. I had heard this before; it was a Becker episode. She goes to the Peace of Mind Center and is heavy into astrology. She said Mercury rules thinking and perception, disseminating information and all means of communication. Also: commerce, education, transportation. By extension, Mercury rules people who work in these areas, writers, orators, commentators, critics, gossips, spin doctors, teachers, travelers, tricksters and thieves. Mercury retrograde gives rise to personal misunderstandings; flawed, disrupted or delayed communications, negotiations and trade; glitches and breakdowns with phones, computers, cars, buses, trains.
I look it up when I get back to work, and in fact Mercury turns retrograde three times a year, according to www.astrology.com. Mercury will straighten out July 24 (it's been retrograde since June 15), but then we have Venus and Mars to worry about.
Retrograde is when a planet appears to go backwards through the Zodiac. It is not wise to make important decisions while Mercury is in this formation since these decisions will be clouded by misinformation, poor communication and careless thinking. Home businesses are particularly susceptible to communication breakdown. People will be much more moody and emotional problems will give rise to digestive upsets. This period brings traffic snafus and missed appointments. Documents can go astray.
Venus goes retrograde July 27 until Sept. 8. Venus turns retrograde only once every 18 months. Venus, the goddess of love, rules feelings and emotions, aesthetics and tastes, fashions and all forms of desire, money and wealth. In Venus retrograde, our visual sensibilities are reduced. We dress with less flair and colors seem muted. Don't purchase clothes and jewlery, change makeup or hairstyle. Redecorating or refurbishing homes should be avoided. This is not the best time to get married or give big parties. Was Venus retrograde on May 3, 2003? Venus rules diplomacy so slowdowns in all sorts of negotiations can be expected, including industrial disputes, legal issues and diplomatic endeavors.
As for Mars, mark down Nov. 15 through Jan. 30. Mars turns retrograde only once every two years and two months. The god of warriors rules physical energy and efforts, the physical force that drives your ego and risk taking inclinations. Mars retrograde can mean accidents, injuries, warfare and other forms of violence.
Broadway is so Ozmopolitan
June 7, 2007
Where do you begin to talk about a trip to New York City? There's the visit to Ground Zero and St. Paul's Church (sad), Ellis Island where I found my grandparents' names on the American Immigrant Wall of Honor, shopping in the secret channels of Chinatown, The TODAY Show and talking to Ann Curry after giving her Mardi Gras beads, seeing Wicked and Chicago, eating at the oldest pizza restaurant, outdoors, etc., walking, subways, taxis, mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral (you can listen on satellite now), oddities like a rice pudding restaurant and the great M & M store.
On the bus tour, I learned that Soho stands for South Of HOuston, not pronounced like Houston, and that one of the hospitals was the first to use hypodermic needles, start an ambulance and have a maternity ward--never thought about that before.
The new touristy thing is to have your photo made with a hot FDNY guy. It felt pretty safe although we had the scare about the JFK Airport fuel lines being tampered with in the news. SWAT teams were out one night at a hotel and I saw random checks of trunks in parking garages.
One day was spent attending the BookExpo America (the publishing industry's annual national convention), where I shipped home 43 free books, the majority autographed. Favorite moment: one of the authors, Doug Crandell, who said, "You were on my plane yesterday." I couldn't believe he remembered me and I thought it was a line. In fact, he was on the Atlanta plane because he described exactly where I sat and how "cute" I was. :) He is my new favorite author. In line behind me while shipping the books home was a guy who grew up in Bossier City. Small world. And while walking in Times Square, who do I see right beside me, but Kathy Patrick of the Pulpwood Queens/Jefferson, Texas, who I had just met at the Municipal Auditorium. We spoke briefly.
Back to Ellis Island, if they could figure out how to manage immigration in 1910, why can't they reform it now? Politicians tried to help them to get their vote and children in school were used as "go-betweens" to learn the language. If they didn't settle in Little Italy or Chinatown, they traveled by train. Most were farmers in 1910. Some idiot from Boston sitting next to me on the plane back said he heard that Shreveport was "all farmers" and the armpit of the South. Boy, did I set him straight.
P.S. Learned a new word: transverses in Central Park.
Where do you begin to talk about a trip to New York City? There's the visit to Ground Zero and St. Paul's Church (sad), Ellis Island where I found my grandparents' names on the American Immigrant Wall of Honor, shopping in the secret channels of Chinatown, The TODAY Show and talking to Ann Curry after giving her Mardi Gras beads, seeing Wicked and Chicago, eating at the oldest pizza restaurant, outdoors, etc., walking, subways, taxis, mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral (you can listen on satellite now), oddities like a rice pudding restaurant and the great M & M store.
On the bus tour, I learned that Soho stands for South Of HOuston, not pronounced like Houston, and that one of the hospitals was the first to use hypodermic needles, start an ambulance and have a maternity ward--never thought about that before.
The new touristy thing is to have your photo made with a hot FDNY guy. It felt pretty safe although we had the scare about the JFK Airport fuel lines being tampered with in the news. SWAT teams were out one night at a hotel and I saw random checks of trunks in parking garages.
One day was spent attending the BookExpo America (the publishing industry's annual national convention), where I shipped home 43 free books, the majority autographed. Favorite moment: one of the authors, Doug Crandell, who said, "You were on my plane yesterday." I couldn't believe he remembered me and I thought it was a line. In fact, he was on the Atlanta plane because he described exactly where I sat and how "cute" I was. :) He is my new favorite author. In line behind me while shipping the books home was a guy who grew up in Bossier City. Small world. And while walking in Times Square, who do I see right beside me, but Kathy Patrick of the Pulpwood Queens/Jefferson, Texas, who I had just met at the Municipal Auditorium. We spoke briefly.
Back to Ellis Island, if they could figure out how to manage immigration in 1910, why can't they reform it now? Politicians tried to help them to get their vote and children in school were used as "go-betweens" to learn the language. If they didn't settle in Little Italy or Chinatown, they traveled by train. Most were farmers in 1910. Some idiot from Boston sitting next to me on the plane back said he heard that Shreveport was "all farmers" and the armpit of the South. Boy, did I set him straight.
P.S. Learned a new word: transverses in Central Park.
Weird Experience
May 29, 2007
So, David's dad was recently at Willis-Knighton Pierremont. We got off the elevator on the seventh floor and started to go down the hallway, the same one we stood in when they had to intubate my dad before he was rushed to ICU right before he died. While we walked that hall I kept saying, "Please don't let it be the same room dad was in." After all, this is a huge hospital. Well, unfortunately it was. It was the last room in the hospital, they were told. It was very hard to go in there. I didn't say anything, but it was eating me up. I could visualize every scenario of that horrible November day in 2005. David's parents told a story of their night there. That the TV just happened to come on very loud and that Mr. Thomas was dreaming the phone was going to ring and it did. Dad?
So, David's dad was recently at Willis-Knighton Pierremont. We got off the elevator on the seventh floor and started to go down the hallway, the same one we stood in when they had to intubate my dad before he was rushed to ICU right before he died. While we walked that hall I kept saying, "Please don't let it be the same room dad was in." After all, this is a huge hospital. Well, unfortunately it was. It was the last room in the hospital, they were told. It was very hard to go in there. I didn't say anything, but it was eating me up. I could visualize every scenario of that horrible November day in 2005. David's parents told a story of their night there. That the TV just happened to come on very loud and that Mr. Thomas was dreaming the phone was going to ring and it did. Dad?
MIT Out of Tune, Off Key
April 27, 2007
The piano drop off of a building, a MIT tradition that celebrates the last day to drop a class, is the stupidest thing I have ever seen. Destroying this instrument is disgraceful and inconsiderate. I don't care if it may be beat up or out of tune, old and "worthless," it should be respected and not pushed off the roof for pure amusement.
The piano drop off of a building, a MIT tradition that celebrates the last day to drop a class, is the stupidest thing I have ever seen. Destroying this instrument is disgraceful and inconsiderate. I don't care if it may be beat up or out of tune, old and "worthless," it should be respected and not pushed off the roof for pure amusement.
April Madness, Mayhem, Massacres
April 24, 2007
What is it about national tragedies occuring the week after April 15? There's Waco, Oklahoma City, Columbine and now Virginia Tech. The Branch Dividian compound went up in flames on April 19, 1993, and the Murrah Federal Building was bombed by Timothy McVeigh two years later to the date. On April 20, 1999, Columbine High School was the site of a mass killing by two deranged teens. And the most recent horrifying incident involving a crazed lunatic was April 16. Did winter make these criminals dark? Could it be spring fever? Were they born at 6:30 p.m. when the hands are pointed down? Is Mercury retrograde? If you go way back, the Titanic sank, Lincoln was shot and the San Francisco Earthquake hit--all on April 14 except for the earthquake on the 18th.
What is it about national tragedies occuring the week after April 15? There's Waco, Oklahoma City, Columbine and now Virginia Tech. The Branch Dividian compound went up in flames on April 19, 1993, and the Murrah Federal Building was bombed by Timothy McVeigh two years later to the date. On April 20, 1999, Columbine High School was the site of a mass killing by two deranged teens. And the most recent horrifying incident involving a crazed lunatic was April 16. Did winter make these criminals dark? Could it be spring fever? Were they born at 6:30 p.m. when the hands are pointed down? Is Mercury retrograde? If you go way back, the Titanic sank, Lincoln was shot and the San Francisco Earthquake hit--all on April 14 except for the earthquake on the 18th.
Now the Boston Marathon terrorist (April 15). And Lexington and Concord began and Hitler was born on April 20.
Out in the Field
April 21, 2007
If my away messages say I am out in the field, I am really out in the field. Seriously. Yesterday was Wheat Field Day in Winnsboro. Field days cover timely topics oriented towards teaching product knowledge that can be adopted at farms and ranches. No worries with the wheat crop. I had to chuckle when I rode with a fellow employee named Bubba. He had a Silverado with the farm package. Farmers are good people. They are stereotyped as snaggletoothed, overall-wearing, straw-chewing people who ride tractors all day and say things like, "Right tharr," said a story in The Daily Reveille about dairy science students. But they are hard-working, early risers who feed the world. You are able to practice your profession because you don't have to worry about what you are going to eat and how you are going to obtain it. You have to worry about me now that I now acreage of crops and the average age of a Louisiana farmer. It's 55. It's 58 U.S.-wide.
If my away messages say I am out in the field, I am really out in the field. Seriously. Yesterday was Wheat Field Day in Winnsboro. Field days cover timely topics oriented towards teaching product knowledge that can be adopted at farms and ranches. No worries with the wheat crop. I had to chuckle when I rode with a fellow employee named Bubba. He had a Silverado with the farm package. Farmers are good people. They are stereotyped as snaggletoothed, overall-wearing, straw-chewing people who ride tractors all day and say things like, "Right tharr," said a story in The Daily Reveille about dairy science students. But they are hard-working, early risers who feed the world. You are able to practice your profession because you don't have to worry about what you are going to eat and how you are going to obtain it. You have to worry about me now that I now acreage of crops and the average age of a Louisiana farmer. It's 55. It's 58 U.S.-wide.
Ag 101 or My First Day on the Job
April 4, 2007
I started off learning about the tomatoes at the Red River Research Station where I am housed and then crossed over to Caddo Parish to see the Pecan Station. Next stop was the Calhoun Research Station (est. 1888) where they are studying the recycling of utility poles, which will save the forests. Winnsboro was the final destination to see the Sweet Potato Farm. A yam is just a slang term for sweet potato. I had to ask the difference. I can't wait to see them be picked (scoop--a new high quality variety with good yields, color and flavor, Evangeline, is on its way). They use a cool piece of machinery with a blade that digs them up and walks them up a conveyer while shaking off dirt to a place where six people put them in bins.
I also learned what forage is yesterday. And have you ever seen a boll weevil trap?
My work files now say things like strawberries, corn, sorghum, etc. I learned about wide row/narrow row research and planting sequence to maximize returns. Some of these studies have gone on for 20 years.
I have met plant pathologists who study disease, professors, wood scientists, foresters and saw automated weather stations (www.lsuagcenter.com/weather). If you have a dispute with your insurance company, like someone did, this is a historical and current record of wind and rain and such.
I will be reading Mid-America Farmer Grower, Louisiana Farm and Research, Delta Farm Press and our very own Louisiana Agriculture. I will help the faculty edit their columns and scientific journal articles.
Hot off the press—Cotton is no longer king; acreage is down for the first time since 1975. Corn acres are up 12 million acres and soybeans are down 8 million acres. The USDA has placed corn acres in the state at 700,000 which is on the high end of what Kurt Guidry, ag economist, was expecting. It will be fun following the biofuels industry since I have stock in some of those companies.
Rice and cotton acres were both down in the U.S. with cotton falling by 3 million acres and rice falling by 194,000 acres. Cotton acres in Louisiana had the biggest drop of any commodity, down 40 percent. Rice acres are expected to be up less than 3percent in Louisiana.
In total value, forestry is the largest plant commodity. Poultry is the largest animal commodity.
I will be going to a wheat field day soon (you can watch the rice field day virtual site on the web). There will be commodity meetings, cotton forums in Delhi and Rayville, the state horse show in West Monroe, pecan grower meetings, tomato seminars, Wetlands Week, Master Gardeners shows, rebirth of our presence at the State Fair here and the other events that include Ag Alley, Ag Adventures, Ag Expo and Ag Magic. Not to mention the 4-H events.
This place does everything but sewing! It is the cleanest place I ever worked. No dust anywhere. Smells good, too. They are serious workers with their doors shut. And the housekeeper makes the coffee continually.
Come get some tomatoes between 7:30 and 4:30. $10 for five pounds. There are grown in a greenhouse without weed or disease chemicals. They are fed very well, I am told.
I started off learning about the tomatoes at the Red River Research Station where I am housed and then crossed over to Caddo Parish to see the Pecan Station. Next stop was the Calhoun Research Station (est. 1888) where they are studying the recycling of utility poles, which will save the forests. Winnsboro was the final destination to see the Sweet Potato Farm. A yam is just a slang term for sweet potato. I had to ask the difference. I can't wait to see them be picked (scoop--a new high quality variety with good yields, color and flavor, Evangeline, is on its way). They use a cool piece of machinery with a blade that digs them up and walks them up a conveyer while shaking off dirt to a place where six people put them in bins.
I also learned what forage is yesterday. And have you ever seen a boll weevil trap?
My work files now say things like strawberries, corn, sorghum, etc. I learned about wide row/narrow row research and planting sequence to maximize returns. Some of these studies have gone on for 20 years.
I have met plant pathologists who study disease, professors, wood scientists, foresters and saw automated weather stations (www.lsuagcenter.com/weather). If you have a dispute with your insurance company, like someone did, this is a historical and current record of wind and rain and such.
I will be reading Mid-America Farmer Grower, Louisiana Farm and Research, Delta Farm Press and our very own Louisiana Agriculture. I will help the faculty edit their columns and scientific journal articles.
Hot off the press—Cotton is no longer king; acreage is down for the first time since 1975. Corn acres are up 12 million acres and soybeans are down 8 million acres. The USDA has placed corn acres in the state at 700,000 which is on the high end of what Kurt Guidry, ag economist, was expecting. It will be fun following the biofuels industry since I have stock in some of those companies.
Rice and cotton acres were both down in the U.S. with cotton falling by 3 million acres and rice falling by 194,000 acres. Cotton acres in Louisiana had the biggest drop of any commodity, down 40 percent. Rice acres are expected to be up less than 3percent in Louisiana.
In total value, forestry is the largest plant commodity. Poultry is the largest animal commodity.
I will be going to a wheat field day soon (you can watch the rice field day virtual site on the web). There will be commodity meetings, cotton forums in Delhi and Rayville, the state horse show in West Monroe, pecan grower meetings, tomato seminars, Wetlands Week, Master Gardeners shows, rebirth of our presence at the State Fair here and the other events that include Ag Alley, Ag Adventures, Ag Expo and Ag Magic. Not to mention the 4-H events.
This place does everything but sewing! It is the cleanest place I ever worked. No dust anywhere. Smells good, too. They are serious workers with their doors shut. And the housekeeper makes the coffee continually.
Come get some tomatoes between 7:30 and 4:30. $10 for five pounds. There are grown in a greenhouse without weed or disease chemicals. They are fed very well, I am told.
What I Would Name My Web Page
March 21, 2007
Thanks to a comment from my friend Amanda, I have decided to name my personal web page, if I ever get one, www.shreveportgirlsdontworkinhaughton.com. I HAVE A NEW JOB. My last day at Evergreen, which is moving to Haughton, is Friday. I will be assistant communications specialist for North Louisiana for the LSU Ag Center beginning April 2!
And my friend JK says tell everyone at Evergreen to "get someone else to clean the kitchen!" www.cleanyourownkitchen.com.
What's the greatest about all this is that Kelly gets to keep my hated presence there going by wearing the clothes that I gave her.
Thanks to a comment from my friend Amanda, I have decided to name my personal web page, if I ever get one, www.shreveportgirlsdontworkinhaughton.com. I HAVE A NEW JOB. My last day at Evergreen, which is moving to Haughton, is Friday. I will be assistant communications specialist for North Louisiana for the LSU Ag Center beginning April 2!
And my friend JK says tell everyone at Evergreen to "get someone else to clean the kitchen!" www.cleanyourownkitchen.com.
What's the greatest about all this is that Kelly gets to keep my hated presence there going by wearing the clothes that I gave her.
I'm in D.C. and it's Monumental!
Jan. 6, 2007
I am in Washington, D.C., for a conference at the Renaissance, but have managed the following:
Tuesday: Tour of the International Spy Museum, assuming a "cover" and suspicious of everything since. You learn about dead drops and see weapons, disguises and surveillance. The pigeons used during the war were interesting.
Wednesday: Tour of the Capitol and Library of Congress (LOC for future reference). The White House Visitor Center is a waste of time. We were supposed to have a real tour from Congressman Charles Melancon's office, but the Ford funeral gave an extra federal holiday, so it was canceled. We missed all of the Ford fanfare unfortunately, but I got to sign his condolence book. Did you know the Statue of Liberty can fit under the Capitol Rotunda? That is how tall it is in there. There is a lucky star in the basement that indicates the center of the building and the center of Washington at one time. Of course, I stepped on it. The Hawaiian statue is somewhat interesting, in a remote spot because he doesn't have on a lot of clothes.
The LOC is awe inspiring. Forget the books, there is great architecture in the LOC. They thought of everything. Mosaics honoring painting, poetry, engineering, philosophy, science, music, religion, commerce, history, art and law. Cherubs with the tools of their trade--musician, electrician, etc.; the four seasons; the five senses; wisdom, understanding, knowledge and philosophy; fortitude, temperance, prudence, patriotism, courage, valor and achievement; adventure, discovery and conquest which lead to civilization; the evolution of the book from spoken word to the Gutenburg Bible, one of three vellum copies in existence; a statue with a mirror to show History Looking Back; doves, etc.There is an exhibit that said Thomas Jefferson separated his books into Memory, Reason and Imagination. You can use your cell to listen to that exhibit info. I thought that was way cool.
In the evening we went to the ESPN Zone to cheer on the Tigers in the Sugar Bowl, and I mean I showed them how the Tigers party. They have the hugest TV and 12 other feeds. I sat on a recliner on the front row.
Thursday: National Museum of the American Indian--lame; Oz exhibit temporarily located at the Air and Space Museum--also lame because it's only the Ruby Slippers, Scarecrow costume, the camera used and a piece of the script. A guy whose mother lives in Shreveport was the security check. Small world. Then it was back to the LOC to the gift shop because there was no time yesterday, but it was closed due to a reception for Nancy Pelosi--called "Celebration for a New Direction." It's a huge day on the Hill with the swearings in today. I wormed my way into her deal, kind of like I did at private parties at ESPN last night. Could be my Southern charm. I didn't spot her. Then I took a cab to the National Cathedral. Very huge and beautiful, but not as much so as the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, also here. The National Cathedral is nearing 100 years old, but some pieces were just added in 2002, is the second largest cathedral in the U.S. behind St. John the Divine in New York and sixth in the world. It is a cathedral because of the cathedra, a chair. Didn't know that. Woodrow Wilson is buried in here as are Helen Keller's ashes. There is an actual moon rock in one of the stained glass windows because Michael Collins went to St. Alban's school next door. I saw a book in the huge store called Cathedral Cats (they live in cathedrals in England). The bell tower is the highest point in D.C. and there is an observation deck, but I didn't have time for it.
Saturday: I had the best time, touring the U.S. Postal Museum, Union Station, the Holocaust Museum and the National Gallery of Art. Then, my friend Lee Ivory, who is editor of Sports Weekly, took me for a motorcyle ride and dinner at an Irish pub. He is going to take me to the National Press Club next time I come.
The weather has been great! Security is everywhere! Airports are really catering to passengers with massaging chairs and rapid cell chargers.
I am in Washington, D.C., for a conference at the Renaissance, but have managed the following:
Tuesday: Tour of the International Spy Museum, assuming a "cover" and suspicious of everything since. You learn about dead drops and see weapons, disguises and surveillance. The pigeons used during the war were interesting.
Wednesday: Tour of the Capitol and Library of Congress (LOC for future reference). The White House Visitor Center is a waste of time. We were supposed to have a real tour from Congressman Charles Melancon's office, but the Ford funeral gave an extra federal holiday, so it was canceled. We missed all of the Ford fanfare unfortunately, but I got to sign his condolence book. Did you know the Statue of Liberty can fit under the Capitol Rotunda? That is how tall it is in there. There is a lucky star in the basement that indicates the center of the building and the center of Washington at one time. Of course, I stepped on it. The Hawaiian statue is somewhat interesting, in a remote spot because he doesn't have on a lot of clothes.
The LOC is awe inspiring. Forget the books, there is great architecture in the LOC. They thought of everything. Mosaics honoring painting, poetry, engineering, philosophy, science, music, religion, commerce, history, art and law. Cherubs with the tools of their trade--musician, electrician, etc.; the four seasons; the five senses; wisdom, understanding, knowledge and philosophy; fortitude, temperance, prudence, patriotism, courage, valor and achievement; adventure, discovery and conquest which lead to civilization; the evolution of the book from spoken word to the Gutenburg Bible, one of three vellum copies in existence; a statue with a mirror to show History Looking Back; doves, etc.There is an exhibit that said Thomas Jefferson separated his books into Memory, Reason and Imagination. You can use your cell to listen to that exhibit info. I thought that was way cool.
In the evening we went to the ESPN Zone to cheer on the Tigers in the Sugar Bowl, and I mean I showed them how the Tigers party. They have the hugest TV and 12 other feeds. I sat on a recliner on the front row.
Thursday: National Museum of the American Indian--lame; Oz exhibit temporarily located at the Air and Space Museum--also lame because it's only the Ruby Slippers, Scarecrow costume, the camera used and a piece of the script. A guy whose mother lives in Shreveport was the security check. Small world. Then it was back to the LOC to the gift shop because there was no time yesterday, but it was closed due to a reception for Nancy Pelosi--called "Celebration for a New Direction." It's a huge day on the Hill with the swearings in today. I wormed my way into her deal, kind of like I did at private parties at ESPN last night. Could be my Southern charm. I didn't spot her. Then I took a cab to the National Cathedral. Very huge and beautiful, but not as much so as the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, also here. The National Cathedral is nearing 100 years old, but some pieces were just added in 2002, is the second largest cathedral in the U.S. behind St. John the Divine in New York and sixth in the world. It is a cathedral because of the cathedra, a chair. Didn't know that. Woodrow Wilson is buried in here as are Helen Keller's ashes. There is an actual moon rock in one of the stained glass windows because Michael Collins went to St. Alban's school next door. I saw a book in the huge store called Cathedral Cats (they live in cathedrals in England). The bell tower is the highest point in D.C. and there is an observation deck, but I didn't have time for it.
Saturday: I had the best time, touring the U.S. Postal Museum, Union Station, the Holocaust Museum and the National Gallery of Art. Then, my friend Lee Ivory, who is editor of Sports Weekly, took me for a motorcyle ride and dinner at an Irish pub. He is going to take me to the National Press Club next time I come.
The weather has been great! Security is everywhere! Airports are really catering to passengers with massaging chairs and rapid cell chargers.
New Goldfish
Sept. 26, 2006
I have two new goldfish, Fin and McDreamy. Fin has some black marks. Whichever one dies first is a prediction on who Meredith is not going to pick. These fish were obtained at the Feist-Weiller Cancer Center event I covered for The Forum. The Little River Band performed. They are awesome!!
I have two new goldfish, Fin and McDreamy. Fin has some black marks. Whichever one dies first is a prediction on who Meredith is not going to pick. These fish were obtained at the Feist-Weiller Cancer Center event I covered for The Forum. The Little River Band performed. They are awesome!!
Holy Dirt
April 1, 2006
We had a fiesta out West for vacation earlier this year. My husband and I flew to Albuquerque, the balloon city, and had a burger with red chili mayonnaise for dinner and the next morning drove by Old Town to see the miraculous staircase said to be built without nails at San Felipe de Neri Church, but it wasn't open yet. So it was 323 miles on to Flagstaff to a hotel on Route 66, down to the red rock monoliths in Sedona and back to Flagstaff, then to the Grand Canyon the next day. We wanted to see the amazing vistas at the Petrified Forest on the way west of Albuquerque, but it was closed due to a heavy snowfall. I was going to buy something from the gift shop, but several items I picked up were not native, saying "made in Pakistan."
After seeing the majestic canyon, we circled through Sleeping Ute Mountain that appears as a giant sleeping Ute Indian in Cortez, Durango but not Silverton, Aztec and Farmington to see Shiprock Pinnacle, igneous rock flanked by long upright walls of solidified lava. Driving by Sleeping Ute, we noted the feather, arms crossed at the chest, the hips and legs.
Stopping in Aztec at the Aztec Ruins National Monument, we saw an ancestral puebloan community with its great kiva, a circular ceremonial room. Ironically, the picture we took in there did not come out. You could almost smell the aroma of corn and venison stew simmering in clay pots over a fire of cedar and pinon wood and feel the presence of the people and the beating of the drums.
My husband is fascinated by Indians and we noted signage of such school mascots as Red Mesa Redskins, Tuba City Warriors and Shiprock Chieftains. We also noticed that numerous trains travel out West.
We then continued our drive through beautiful Chama, to get to Chimayo in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and ultimately, Santa Fe, which I've since read has the cleanest air in the United States, according to the American Lung Association, and some of the lowest overweight and obesity rates in the nation.
The only "must" destination in Chimayo was El Sanctuario de Chimayo, "the Lourdes of America," that my boss had told me about. Along the quaint route are crucifixes galore, in yards, on trees, on street signs, on backyard sheds, on the hillside.
According to www.roadsideamerica.com, somewhere around 1810, a Chimayo friar was performing customary penances on Good Friday when he saw a light bursting from a hillside. Digging, he found a crucifix, quickly dubbed the miraculous crucifix of Our Lord of Esquipulas. A local priest brought the crucifix to Santa Cruz, but three times it mysteriously disappeared and was later found back in its original location. By the third time, everyone understood that El Senor de Esquipulas wanted to remain in Chimayo, and so a small chapel was built on the site. Then the miraculous healings began. These grew so numerous that the chapel had to be replaced by the larger, current Chimayo Shrine -- an adobe mission -- in 1816.(Even the Wendy's Restaurants in this part of the country are adobe looking).
The crucifix still resides on the chapel altar, but for some reason its curative powers have been overshadowed by El Posito, the "sacred sand pit" from which it sprang, behind the main altar. Over 300,000 people visit every year, many taking the pilgrimage on Good Friday. Mass is still held daily.
The Prayer Room, which is located in the sacristy of the church (next to the pit), is filled with discarded crutches, braces and shrines.
There are two excellent gift shops where you can buy nice plastic containers for your free dirt, but beware of the man outside selling spices.
Unlike the old legend that taking lava rocks from Hawaii results in misfortune and calamity for tourists because one of the volcano goddesses punishes people who dare take something of value that belongs to her, I have four miraculous dirt stories to report since my return. I brought back six containers of blessed dirt and holy water. An acquaintance thought her colon cancer had spread, but a new PET scan the day after she got the dirt proved otherwise. Another friend no longer has a stomach cyst after an ultrasound received the week she got her dirt. An out-of-town friend who is having a difficult pregnancy and received her dirt in the mail found out her son will not be developmentally disabled after extensive tests and a close friend who had a biopsy last week got a benign report after retrieving her dirt from a mailbox delivery. This just in: my aunt was cured of shingles after her shipment. I am waiting on results of two other younger friends. It has also helped someone with a legal matter.
I wear my dirt around my neck in a cross that stays filled at all times and am making plans to return to Chimayo if the airline situation improves.
We came to the end of our trip at LaFonda, the inn at the end of the Santa Fe Trail and within walking distance of the plaza. Shopping ensued, but I didn't come back with any turquoise, only an appreciation for the beauty of the West, God's creation of the Grand Canyon and the healing power of dirt.
We had a fiesta out West for vacation earlier this year. My husband and I flew to Albuquerque, the balloon city, and had a burger with red chili mayonnaise for dinner and the next morning drove by Old Town to see the miraculous staircase said to be built without nails at San Felipe de Neri Church, but it wasn't open yet. So it was 323 miles on to Flagstaff to a hotel on Route 66, down to the red rock monoliths in Sedona and back to Flagstaff, then to the Grand Canyon the next day. We wanted to see the amazing vistas at the Petrified Forest on the way west of Albuquerque, but it was closed due to a heavy snowfall. I was going to buy something from the gift shop, but several items I picked up were not native, saying "made in Pakistan."
After seeing the majestic canyon, we circled through Sleeping Ute Mountain that appears as a giant sleeping Ute Indian in Cortez, Durango but not Silverton, Aztec and Farmington to see Shiprock Pinnacle, igneous rock flanked by long upright walls of solidified lava. Driving by Sleeping Ute, we noted the feather, arms crossed at the chest, the hips and legs.
Stopping in Aztec at the Aztec Ruins National Monument, we saw an ancestral puebloan community with its great kiva, a circular ceremonial room. Ironically, the picture we took in there did not come out. You could almost smell the aroma of corn and venison stew simmering in clay pots over a fire of cedar and pinon wood and feel the presence of the people and the beating of the drums.
My husband is fascinated by Indians and we noted signage of such school mascots as Red Mesa Redskins, Tuba City Warriors and Shiprock Chieftains. We also noticed that numerous trains travel out West.
We then continued our drive through beautiful Chama, to get to Chimayo in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and ultimately, Santa Fe, which I've since read has the cleanest air in the United States, according to the American Lung Association, and some of the lowest overweight and obesity rates in the nation.
The only "must" destination in Chimayo was El Sanctuario de Chimayo, "the Lourdes of America," that my boss had told me about. Along the quaint route are crucifixes galore, in yards, on trees, on street signs, on backyard sheds, on the hillside.
According to www.roadsideamerica.com, somewhere around 1810, a Chimayo friar was performing customary penances on Good Friday when he saw a light bursting from a hillside. Digging, he found a crucifix, quickly dubbed the miraculous crucifix of Our Lord of Esquipulas. A local priest brought the crucifix to Santa Cruz, but three times it mysteriously disappeared and was later found back in its original location. By the third time, everyone understood that El Senor de Esquipulas wanted to remain in Chimayo, and so a small chapel was built on the site. Then the miraculous healings began. These grew so numerous that the chapel had to be replaced by the larger, current Chimayo Shrine -- an adobe mission -- in 1816.(Even the Wendy's Restaurants in this part of the country are adobe looking).
The crucifix still resides on the chapel altar, but for some reason its curative powers have been overshadowed by El Posito, the "sacred sand pit" from which it sprang, behind the main altar. Over 300,000 people visit every year, many taking the pilgrimage on Good Friday. Mass is still held daily.
The Prayer Room, which is located in the sacristy of the church (next to the pit), is filled with discarded crutches, braces and shrines.
There are two excellent gift shops where you can buy nice plastic containers for your free dirt, but beware of the man outside selling spices.
Unlike the old legend that taking lava rocks from Hawaii results in misfortune and calamity for tourists because one of the volcano goddesses punishes people who dare take something of value that belongs to her, I have four miraculous dirt stories to report since my return. I brought back six containers of blessed dirt and holy water. An acquaintance thought her colon cancer had spread, but a new PET scan the day after she got the dirt proved otherwise. Another friend no longer has a stomach cyst after an ultrasound received the week she got her dirt. An out-of-town friend who is having a difficult pregnancy and received her dirt in the mail found out her son will not be developmentally disabled after extensive tests and a close friend who had a biopsy last week got a benign report after retrieving her dirt from a mailbox delivery. This just in: my aunt was cured of shingles after her shipment. I am waiting on results of two other younger friends. It has also helped someone with a legal matter.
I wear my dirt around my neck in a cross that stays filled at all times and am making plans to return to Chimayo if the airline situation improves.
We came to the end of our trip at LaFonda, the inn at the end of the Santa Fe Trail and within walking distance of the plaza. Shopping ensued, but I didn't come back with any turquoise, only an appreciation for the beauty of the West, God's creation of the Grand Canyon and the healing power of dirt.
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