It's Time

It's Time:


Today I worked on my resume`, not that I needed to, but I did need to update it.  Ever so often, as a political operative, you need to make sure that your resume` is updated.

Cause you never know what the winds will blow up and around you.  I've seen suitcase parades before.... many times in my 40+ year career.

Also, it give you a chance to see where you are at in life, see where you might want to head, and its nice to see that time line where you began and are now.


While I am on  the subject of updating, I realized its time to change gyms.  I don't feel comfortable at the current gym, never really have.  I have been there about a year now, its just not working out.  I don't like the owner, he is a "in your face" "tell you his opinion" sort of guy... overflowing with testosterone.

I have been going to another gym for a long time, but I changed cause some of my friends started going to the "in your face" guy's gym.  So much for that.... I just need to change back, cause I am paying 35 dollars a month for nothing... not getting any benefit.  My old gym was open 7 days a week, had Sunday hours, which I liked..especially on Sunday around 2pm.....

So it's time for a change again.... Gym next week...!!!

April has proved to be a rainy month here in the Lil City by the Red River.  As always we have very stupid people that get out before the rain runs off, as you can see from the bottom photo of this lady in her new BMW.  She made it down the street, but had a lil water in the inside of her brand new car...!!

Albert Street (1st photo) was sidewalk to sidewalk, first time I have seen this much rainwater in my 24 years of living here in the City.

However, as noted in a previous post, our drainage system took it all away in about 45 minutes.

And ... and there is always an and..... we are headed  into hurricane season ... hope its not bad this year.

A nice Sunday paddle up in Grant Parish Louisiana.

Well it was another successful paddle up on Iatt Lake this morning.  I took Bob and John with me, they are in the photo.  As you can see the duck weed (Salvinia)  is getting an early start on the lake.  We slogged thru about 2 miles of Salvinia at the end of the paddle.  All in all, it was worth getting out of the house on a Sunday Morning and communing with nature and paying respect to Nature and having at Zen experience with two friends.

No Relevance

I am working from the house today.

I like working from the house.

It frees my mind sometimes, give me moments to let it wander around.

New Neighbors and Progress.....!

I came to this neighborhood about 24 years ago, it has remained somewhat the same over those years, but in ways it has changed also. We have had restorationists come along for various reasons, which has been, very successful,  for the neighborhood. We have folks moving from other cities, transferring for professions, seeking the relaxed, big tree, old street look of the neighborhood.  We have multi nationals also, folks from India and Canada; its just a nice mix of folks.  I have to say, the newest neighbor, is a Lady of Creole Heritage, hailing from Quebec, Canada. ....actually Montreal.  She's a breath of fresh, fresh air....    Just got to love our lil neighborhood.

The first restorationists were a local couple, who over the years brought about 14 homes up and down the street. They  slowly renovated them and  restored them to some extent.  Then there was a lull in this sort of progressive movement.  Then about four years ago, a local businessman, restored his family home a few blocks away.  The restoration bug caught him, what also helped was the state and fed tax credits for restoration/renovation of homes built before 1940.

I have to say, between the couple and the businessman, we have seen an upshot for the neighborhood.  

Its always good to see a lil progress.

Rain Rain and The Need for a Lil' Sunshine

We need a lil clear skies here very soon...It's Saturday here in a very wet Garden District.  Very Wet, in the last few days we have had about 7 inches of rain, including a deluge that dropped 5 inches in 45 minutes.  The City was a lil swamped.

The City itself sits on the flood plain side of the Red River,.... might I say Flood Plain Side again... our sister city across the bridge is on the Cut Bank Side..

The rain came again today, but not as intense.  I have to say that our 110 year old drainage system, in the Garden District,  performed very well, within about 30 minutes the water was gone.  Now, on the other side of town, closer to the cotton and soybean fields, it was not the case.  The reason being, my section of the city was built on the ridges of bayous that existed before the founding of the city. These bayous flowed into the Red River a short distance from what is now the levee.  So we were on the high banks of the bayous, so to speak.

With the expansion of the city, the subdivisions expanded to poorly drained areas.  Tis Tis... those folks, don't have that 110 year old drainage that we do.  I have to say they are still a lil water logged.

I have been under the weather here in the last week.. I had a small case of an intestinal bug... maybe a lil more that small case... I shed 18 pounds in 4 days.. ... wasn't a pretty sight.  But I am better, much better...

Just hope the Sun pokes his head out... and we have clear skies soon...

Reflections on a Sunday.

Its a Sunday, overcast, a lil bit rainy, but its Sunday.  Today, I traveled back to the land where I was born and raised......There, On the banks of Thompson's Creek, West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana.  I usually do not like to go back there, for various personal reasons.  Its just unpleasant memories of past happenings, not family matters, but events in my life that changed me for who I am.

Today, was a happy occasion to return though, it was a family gathering, for the christening of a family member's child.  Happy occasion.  I made the 275 mile round trip without any hiccups to speak of.

After the christening, I had a chance to spend some time reflecting on the past at the two of the three cemeteries that my  kin folks are interred at. The first cemetery is located on a hill just inside of the small town that was near our farm.  The second cemetery is set on a knoll, down a tree lined lane. All in all I visited Momma, Daddy, paternal grandparents, great grandfather, and so on.

Its been a very long time since I was back over in those parts of the state, you realize that buildings, towns, etc are  so small now in actuality,  but were fairly large in the days of your youth.  I passed the one grocery store in the small town that I went to school in, it was small... I could have sworn it was larger..

Just a Sunday's Reflections on the Past.

Reminders and Ramblings

Reminders !!!

I was reminded today that Easter was 50 days long, its just not Easter Sunday.  Here is the site where I realized that ....  http://icanhasgrace.com

At lunch today, I ran into an old friend, haven't seen him since my retirement (from the first career), he was a fellow Warden.  When I read today's entry on the above blog, I also read another blog that was attached, it was from a Lady that talked about Capital Punishment.  Texas had just sent another man to the Greater Beyond.  She was most definitely against CP.  Just another reminder of how this country is turning its attention to the overall LAW/ORDER Issues. Whether its Ferguson or the SC incident, Law Enforcement (LE) is being observed so much more very closely.  My conclusion and reminder to myself is the below:


Years ago, I became one of the first graduates of a  Bachelor Degree Criminal Justice program, here in Louisiana.  The attitudes back then were much different than today.  What I am saying is I believe Law Enforcement, was kinder, more service oriented, not such of a punishment minded, not so militaristic, when I began my career in 1975.  Certainly we had ex military personnel that were in the ranks, but these were Vietnam  Vets. They had seen a terrible war, their attitudes were "let's live".

Back then, we serviced the people, the motto " To Serve and Protect" was very much embodied,  if you were stopped for a dwi, you were counseled, taken home, for the first time, referred to someone for help, we battled the war on drugs much differently also.

I don't have the words really, other that what I see today in the LE officers.......

Now as LE officers pass me in their beef up units, that look like mini tanks, they have a frown on their faces, they portray such a mean look.  They never smile.  Sometimes it makes me sad to see this mentality,  that is now the norm.  With the inventing of the camera phone, things are changing, everyone is on video, which is another topic for another time. ....... but it might be the most needed occurrence in LE today... "to film the Badge".

It seems that the LE community wants to see its self now as Warriors, not Public Servants.

 I watched in horror yesterday as I saw that man, stopped for a simple traffic violation, gunned down as he ran away.  I would have hoped,  that most officers would have called for assistance, back up and then gave chase... Not pull out the 40mm and shoot 8 times!!!!

Reminders....and .... Ramblings !!!!

Easter Sunday in the Deep Deep South

I should be down the street at Church... I am not as you can tell.  I am observing the Day of Rising here at The Camp, Giving Thanks for All Things.... Hoping for Good to Happen. I was reading one of  the blogs I like, the topic was choices made in Life.  Certainly, Life Choices, the one's that we are in control of make a difference in the long term.  It reminds me of my choices made in my life.  I believe for the most part I have made good choices in the major decisions: career, friends, investments, etc. Certainly, the Faith that one has also influences the decisions and choices that a person makes. I use Faith in a general term, but for me, it is a personal Faith in Life, one that I believe very much in.  This Faith is evident,  when I attend St. James, down the street. I feel the Faith there.


On a Side Note:

Well, I had an interesting night last night, I meet a solider from an area military instillation, we have an abundance of those sites in and around Central La.  In talking to him, I realized how the military has changed over the last 20 or so odd years.  His perception, of military life is interesting.  Open, out, there is an air that if you criticize anyone, remark of any one, then your career if you are a career military person, will be in jeopardy. I guess, with all the macho abuse, in the past history of the military,  you need some strict standard of operation. It was just thought provoking to hear it from an infantryman, a regular G I Joe.

It was my first meeting with him, not sure if he will be back, he seemed to be searching for something. He had a wonderment about him tho, his willingness to participate, his eagerness for the excitement, it was refreshing to say the lest.

Hmmmmm

A couple of days ago, I met a guy online, on a gay website, he lives in Lafayette, works a lil north of that city. We did the usually texting on the site, then as we got comfortable with each other, we exchanged cell numbers.  We continued to text till last night when he suggested we "FaceTime" since we both had Apple devices.  Sure, lets do that.  We did, it was an interesting experience for me, since I have "FaceTimed" with relatives and close friends, but never a potential date.

In our previous texting, before FT, he noted that he liked older men, him being 41.  He is from Utah, came here for work, has a very good job in the mechanical field.

I thought the FaceTime conversation was going well, then abruptly he ended it, said a fast good-bye.  He did text back and explain later that he had a call coming in from a relative.

Intuitive... hmmm.... some awkward feeling.... hmmmm ... I texted him this morning around nine, we had a brief exchange, then texted him around 1245pm... just saying "what ya doing".

Being that he is 58 miles away; distance here in Central La. doesn't mean a too terribly much, folks drive to eat here regularly for 45 miles, I thought I would just extent an invitation to him for this evening. Just to be a gentleman about it.

Hmmmmmm  ..... no response from the wyd text. I think that the FaceTime of last night was not so productive for him.  He Saw the Face, the Person...!

Reality set in???, who knows, I'm not getting excited and giggly ..... Hmmmmmmm

The Magnolia fasciata is blooming, it is at the end of my front porch.  The late air of the evening is heavy with the smells of Magnolia fasciata... one of the joys of living in the Deep Deep South...spring is here now... and summer is coming too!