Tis the Last Day of 2013

It's the last day of of the year....and what have I done in 2013.

2013 began very low key, with myself cooking lunch and settling in for a quiet day. All in all I have made some changes in my life over the last 365 days.

At the beginning of 2013 my position with the City had been all encompassing... I was wearing many many hats

Director of Public Works

Chief of Staff

Commissioner of Public Safety

In February I realized that I was headed to having "Chronic Health Syndrome" a multi condition that was in fact affecting my health in a tremendous way... to the negative.

I visited with my Dr in San Antonio and he told me upfront... you know what you have to do; its your decision not mine.... Thanks Doc.

To this end I lower my blood pressure meds by half, lost weight and felt better... Then in August 2nd I had a biking accident, compressed my C Spine vertebra and gained the weight back.. .2014 will be better  my neuro Dr. says he will allow me to cycle again on a limited basis, this past week.

All is all 2013 was fairly good for me, I have learned to appreciate life, as I turned 60 in 2013, I see the obits in the paper growing at a steady rate of folks I have known either professionally and/or personally..... its a wake up call to Enjoy Life!!!

Sunday in Alex'.

Its a lazy Sunday here in Alex.  I have to say its warming up a lil bit today and that is a welcome addition to life here in general.

I have been debating with my self as to expanding my photography equipment, whether to purchase a new Canon d6 which has a full frame sensor.  Its a hefty investment, but I am to a point that I want to begin to really develop my photoshop and print making skills  It has 20 MP and is the entry level full frame camera.  I have a Canon d40 and various Canon lens.

I have been taking a lot of Macro photos lately, of small flowers in the yard and around the area.  The prints that I have made, have sold in the local market here on a fairly good basis.

So, its whether buy or not... have to see and wait till income tax time on the old back account.

Christmas Eve ...9:47pm ....!!!

Again, its my usual Christmas Eve ... made a fire in the fireplace... ate a lite supper...Shrimp Creole without rice, roasted pecans for desert.. Water to drink.

It seems that as years pass on, nothing ever really changes, in someways, I become a lil more isolated on the "Eve"... now tomorrow beckons to be another story... I have been invited down the street to the Drell's and to make a stop by Joe and Pete's.

But tonight, as most Christmas Eves, I did not go down the street to St. James for midnight mass, but I will be snuggly tucked into my bed long before the bell tolls for the parishioners to harken the door.

My attendance to St James has been lacking to some degree...well to be honest... I have attended less this year that in any other years past.  I think I was in the sanctuary only about 3 times maybe four.. that was it... I should be ashamed, but I do support my Church in my offerings.

As I ramble tonight, memories fade to long ago Christmas times with Momma, the sister and brother...waking up on a cold Louisiana morning, gathering the gifts in each other pile, seeing what we all received from good ole Saint Nick.....ie Momma.

The one thing I have in common with that tie is I will make a fire in the fireplace, have a good cup of coffee, make grits and bacon... all on Christmas Morning.... just like we did... way back in the day...on Mockingbird Hill, West Feliciana Parish.

Sunday.... its Cold for Louisiana.. but the sun is shining and thats makes it a fairly nice day to get out.  Bradly, Dylon, and I traveled out to the country, actually Gardner, La. to pick up a load of fire wood that I had purchased. That makes 4 ricks I have brought this year.  I believe looking at the stack I have about 2.5 left give or take a few sticks.  Since I only burn it on the weekends, it might last until late February or early March, which will be just right.

I leave for San Antonio Tx tomorrow, 440 miles, to go see the prostate cancer doctor for my bi-annual exam.  My PSA remains low, which is good.  My appt is on Tuesday, sister Beth will accompany me to the visit.  I will drive back on Wednesday.  

I printed out the Christmas Party invites today.  I have paired down the list from years passed.  It is just not worth all the hassle and expense to throw a big party.  Too much work.  It will be more of a neighborhood gathering, with a few extras thrown in.  Traditionally I have had it on December 23rd and again this year it will fall on that date. Don't want to break the tradition, ya know.

It's cold here, well cold for Louisiana, we have had some winter already here in Central La.  I usually try to purchase my wood for the fireplace in September each year.  I have a man that is from Grant Parish, who sells me the wood.  When he was delivering the wood this year, he told me it as going to be a very cold  winter.  I asked him how did he know that.  He said he had been squirrel hunting and the boar squirrels that he killed had thick skin and their hides were tough.  The wood man was right and we have not yet hit January and February yet, which usually is our coldest months.  

But the good news is that we are only about 80 days or so away from spring here in Louisiana...I hope March comes fast.

Today, is my Birthday.... In the Catholic Calendar, I was born on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

Being a gay man in Alexandria, La; achieving the time mark of 60 years; is an accomplishment that in 1991, I would not have even imagined that I would have seen.

In 1990, I went to 17 funerals of dear friends, my generation in the succeeding years, before the advent of the "cocktail" treatment for HIV, was wiped from this Earth.  It was the time, in those preceding years, the Reagan years, that deniability occurred. It was a tragic mistake by our government to not seek research for HIV,  fear of recognizing the Gay Issue.

Forgive me, I digressed on the above subject.

60 years on this Planet, 60 years of personal growth through joy-pain-some sorrow-but in all,  most of the time, a sense of happiness and direction in my life.

I have always been blessed by the self directed spirit, it has served me well.  Through my career in Corrections and now to my life as Mayoral Appointment, I have marched to a song of Life... ever so paced.... ever so directed.

I now begin, my 6th decade on this Earth.

Here is my Daddy holding me a 2weeks old.  As you can see, he just came in from working cows on our place.  A proud Father.

Well, I am approaching my 60th year on this Earth.  The Catholic Calendar says that I was born on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which is December 8th.

At precisely 6:21am on that date, Wilma Ruth Sumrall Thompson, wife of Thomas Williams Thompson Jr. gave birth to me, at the Baton Rouge General Hospital, which was a Baptist Hospital at the time.

Most cities in Louisiana, at that time,  usually had  two hospitals, one Baptist and one Catholic, Baton Rouge was no different.

Now, here I am awaiting my birthday, ..... tis been a long haul in the years I have been on this Earth.

Raised in West Feliciana
On the family farm
Graduated from Jackson High School, Jackson La
Graduated from college Southeastern Louisiana University
Career began with employment West Feliciana Sheriff's Office
Married
Career went on with the La Department of Corrections
Divorced
Came Out (Self Realization began in teen age years) Honesty to one's self as an Adult
Career reassignment to Camp Beauregard, La Dept of Corrections
Boyfriends
Single
Current Homeownership since 1997
Friendship
Neighborhood Brick Streets Old Trees
Porch Life on the front porch
The Wave and Breath of Humanity Walks Pass Each Day
Retired La DOC 30 years
Working Again City of Alexandria Mayor's Staff
As an Out Man
Single
Wine Drinking on a Late Fall Evening by the fireplace
Good Food
.......... and Life Goes On Doesn't It.

Sunday in Alexandria, La.  Cold Sunshine and 45 degrees... picked my only tangerine from my tree today, not sure what happened to the rest of the crop, they fell off early.

Not much other than birthdays in the next few weeks, TW IV, Libbey, and then remembering Momma's Birthday on December 25th.  Also mine will fall in there somewhere.  It will be my 60th year on this planet, could be a time for some self reflection and self advise on how to spend the last quarter of Life.

Well, getting old is no fun sometimes, my arm business turned out to be my C5 try 7 vertebrae in my neck, causing the tingling and twinging down my arm.

Saw the Orthro Dr, then the Neuro Surgeon..... 3 methyl dose packs later and the pain is reduced to on again off again spasms. Nerve blocks are on the way, if this does not reside.  But I am in hopes that it will has each day gets a lil bit better than the last day.

I am not a complainer here, just stating facts... I see now more clearly that good health comes with good common sense.  I question my self as should I have kept on mtn biking and cycling.  Bike spills do happen and I have had my share of the years...

Its just caught up with me now... and as I approach 60... I do want to get over this and move on.

The good thing is right now I am not riding the bike, but I am kayaking which puts no strain on my neck since you don't have to bend over there bike.

Till next time!!!!

It was a good day yesterday on Iatt Lake, Grant Parish, La.  I have been paddling almost every Sunday for a month now.  Bryan and Bradly go with me, its a good Sunday outing.  Above is a photo of one of the smaller "boat roads" in the lake, it passes to the major boat road of the lake.  The photo was taken using a GoPro Hero3.  

I was born to late,

I was born in '53

I should have been born in 1893

and came of Age in Africa

to test my Being  among the natural elements

So Late .............

Well the left arm is doing a lil better, since the bike wreck, just a long recovery period, longer that I had anticipated.

Things on the home-front are about the same, dating in a small semi rural market is always a challenge when it comes to available partners, however even in a truly urban one, I am that exist also.

However, Life in general is good.  This part time work I am doing satisfies my need for belonging to an  organization and give purpose in General Life contentment.

I do miss riding my bike, it was my primary source of exercise, having given up going to the gym about 6 months ago.  Maybe here soon I will be able to modify my riding requirements and ride again.

Life on the Red River continues on.

Well I realized as of late, that my blog that I have had for many years, has not been attended to.  So, I will attempt to begin writing again.

I am approaching my 60th Birthday here, later at the end of the year.  60 years, certainly a milestone in my family's history.  Most men of my family have not seen their 60th, generics I believe are the root source of this.

It is raining here this morning and I woke up very early. About a month or so ago, I had a spill on my mountain bike, which with continued riding, irritated my C3 thru C5 vertebrate in my neck.  This was truly a wake up call for me, as my health has been a major concern for me in the recent years.  No riding for me says the Dr for two months.  Biking in the last two years has certainly been a stress relief for me and without it I can certainly see the signs of malcontent approaching.  I must find something else to do as a stress relief and overall health product.

Momma's Sayings

Today I was talking to my sister, who lives over in Texas.

As I began the conversation, I told her "I have some sad news to tell you". This was always one of my Momma's sayings.  Momma had many short sayings, I was thinking of writing them down some day.

So to begin remembering Momma's Sayings here are a few.

Takes a Lot of Living to Live
I have some sad news to tell you
Let me pack up my brood and head to the hill
Let me Tell You a Lil' Somethin'
Make it today, cause the sunrise might not come tomorrow
Get Off My Land, do I come and sit in your front yard

As  I remember more I will come back and revisit this post.

Its a Saturday morning in Old Alexandria... that little city by the Red River.

This past week has been good.  Back at the gym, getting some routine down for the coming weeks and months.  Waiting on Spring to rear its bright sunshine lil head.

I have to trim the crepe myrtles here soon.  I am Not butchering them as some of my neighbors do.  I prune them, not whack them off at the joints.  ITs a terrible sight to see, butchered Crepe Myrtles.

Other than that I have reconnected with some of my blog buddies on here.  That's a good thing for sure.

Integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes

As you know I have been here in the world of semi politics in Louisiana in some form or fashion since my earliest days of going to college.

In those days, I managed the pool hall at Robert E Lee Hall, Southeastern La Univ. from there I went on to work in a local Sheriff's Office then got on the hind tit of the milk cow for the State of Louisiana.... retired from there and now work in some unclassified position the Mayor of this lil' city on the Red River, known as Alexandria.

There is one thing I have to say, I was looking around my home office and noticed all of those plaques given for this and that.. there is one word that stands out in all the inscriptions, that is Integrity.

Integrity is something that in all of my career, I have been the most proud of.  Making the correct decision for the "Right" reason, not for what someone wanted, not for being 'pushed' into making it, not for who's head it was going to roll, not for the 'wrong but expected' reason, No.... for the Right Reason and the Correct Decision.

I am most proud of that word.. integrity , to stand up and say Yes, to stand up and say No, ... but to Stand Up either for or  against what I believe is a right or a wrong.

I credit my Momma for giving me the forfeiture to believe in myself, to have that Integrity.

Thanks Momma.

January 27 2013 I haven't posted here in almost a year... gee times passes by so rapidly now. I am still with the City of Alexandria, now its Chief of Staff to the Mayor. I serve in an unclassified position. I have been with the City Administration since July 2008, after my retirement from the La Dept. of Corrections, as Warden of Dabadie Correctional Center. Time has flown by, during the last 55 months, after the retirement, I have battled within myself which way should I approach the last quarter of my life, realizing that every day is one less. I am aggravated to some extent with my current employment, the scope of work is decent, but the attitudes under which I have to administrate give me some pain. However the workplace is an experiment for my and my sexuality being in an open setting. In all situations, there is a shining star, one of mine is that I am accepted as a gay man, in a rural Louisiana city administration, one prior to my current employment, I would not have had the opportunity to be as "open" as I am now. Corrections didn't embrace social diversity well. The Administration that I work under now allows me to perform and function as my Self and with the knowledge of my identity. On a personal note, I am back to mountain biking with my friends Bradly and Bryan, I will be posting a few photos of our adventures here, in and out of the city. I am glad to be back blogging again!!!