The priest at a local Episcopalian church contacted me several weeks ago, asking me to offer a sermon to his congregation on stewardship Sunday. Let's be clear: On the day the parish's ledership emphasizes the need for money or donations of time and talent, they had me as the preacher.
I'm not sure Fr. Bill knew what he was getting into. I'm not qualified to preach the gospel and I'm certainly not effective at asking for money. So, you go with what you know. In true Daddy D fashion, I just told a series of faith stories from my own experience and strung them together with some subjects and verbs, with a few adjectives thrown in to keep it interesting.
I "preached" (addressed the people is probaby more accurate) at two services. I have no idea how it went, but nobody walked out and nobody fell asleep. Of course, the central question is: did pledges increase? I think Fr. Bill, who was close friends with my late father-in-law, just needed a Sunday away from the pulpit and didn't want to be in a position to put the hard sell on the faithful.
I realize regardless of the outcome, this was a one-shot deal for me. There was some laguage in there about sacrifice. If I reached one person, then some good was done.
Speaking of sacrifice, here's what Fr. Bill doesn't know: I had a sideline pass for the Cowboys- Buccaneers game at Texas Stadium. Giving that up stung a little. Oh well, you gotta give 'til it hurts.
(In the unlikely event you would like to read the address, I'm posting it in the comments).
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Somewhere, Jesus is Scratching His Head
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Coming Up for Air
It's been a wild couple of weeks. The wife and mother-in-law made it back safely from New York. They had a wonderful time. The refusal to carry along a digital camera continues to frustrate me. My mother-in-law sent her film to China or someplace to get her pictures developed. Welcome to the 21st century.
I hardly noticed they were gone, I was so overwhelmed with other personal matters. My father decided he couldn't see out of his left eye. Naturally, he went to the eye doctor who confirmed that he, in fact, could not see. It was physically impossible because his retina was detached.
After asking around about which eye surgeon to use, we had to convince him to actually endure the procedure to reattach his eye parts. The good news is, the good doctor lasered him back together. The bad news is, the recovery period is long and somewhat difficult.
For ten days, he had to keep his nose pointed to the ground for 45 minutes of every hour, 24 hours a day. This meant no leaning back, no standing up straight, no sleeping on his back. We rented a contraption to keep his head down and that was just misery.
Oh, and the medicine. You would think that keeping up with antibiotics, cough suppressants, pain pills, anxiety relief and three kinds of eye drops would be a challenge. You would be correct. When you're 82 and already on a dizzying array of cardiac meds, you might as well be doing advanced calculus. Throw in the blindness, the fear and the keeping your head down all the time and you've got trouble.
This means I've been making three or four trips a day across town to manage meds and to keep his well-intentioned but ill-informed elderly friends out of his noggin. Man, an old person with a wive's tale and notion can cook your noodle.
His ten-day ordeal has passed and he can stand up straight again. The doctor even says the return of his vision seems to be ahead of schedule.
He's old and his short term memory is shot. That's a bad thing because I'm being forced to explain things to him over and over again...sometimes dozens of times. It's a good thing becasue he doesn't remember that he has to have a folllow-up procedure on his eye in about 90 days. The doctor injected some heavy fluid into the eye to hold the reattached retina in place. At some point, that stuff has to be removed. Use you imagination about how that will be accomplished. Hey, I'm not telling. I'll just remind him the night before the procedure and pick him up the next morning.
In the meantime, I'm just trying to keep my head held high.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Mom and Daughter in NYC
There they are, my wife and her mother on the top deck of a tour bus in chilly NYC. I am posting this photo as punishment for my bride, who refused to take a camera, instead opting to send this kind of image from her cell phone. Her mother, an encouragingly attractive septegenarian, is merely collateral damage.
It's a mother-daughter trip, and my wife's sister is there with them. Remarkably, it's the first time in the Big Apple for the in-laws, so they're doing it right. They're eating in fancy restaurants you've heard of and seeing Broadway shows. They're enjoying the weather, which by our standards is cold.
Alarmingly, my wife went off on her own armed with a credit card. It's not every day a Louisiana girl shops 5th Avenue, so who knows how quickly that American Express card is melting.
After this, maybe she'll buy a decent camera!
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Sunday, October 12, 2008
Boom! Went Daddy D
During a baptism, I was sitting near the altar, dressed just as I am in the photo. I was simply biding my time waiting for communion to start. Gradually, the effects of Saturday night's red beans and rice began to create uncomfortable pressure. This is never good, but it's especially disconcerting in such an austere and reverent environment.
Knowing the baptism would take a while, I decided to quietly sneak off to the men's room to deal with my gastrobiological issues.
I'm not sure what happened, except that my feet slipped out from under me. I bounced off the arm of one of those Big Wood Chairs and landed SPLAT on the slate floor.
It looked like I was being ordained.
Did I say I was planning to quietly sneak off? That didn't work out. I landed with such force on the chair that the sound was thunderous.
Fortunately, all of the clergy were involved in the baptism and the eyes of the congregation were focused there. I fell behind the organ, so the only person who actually saw what happened was my snickering buddy Judy.
Everybody heard the boom, though. The acolytes and eucharistic ministers across the room saw me flat on my face, so this won't go away anytime soon. I stayed away from the altar until communion started. When people asked if I was okay, I said, "Yeah. I just had to go to the choir lounge to cry a little before I came back."
God got me for something. God only knows what it all means. Pray for me.
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Saturday, October 11, 2008
What Not to Serve at Your Next Party
How bored am I? I was sitting around thinking about what to eat when a minor miracle happened: Someone took pity on me and invited me over for dinner. The wife is making red beans and rice. I happily accepted and began to look forward to a combination of southern staples: RB&R and Saturday night football.
Then, I thought about my buddy JJ’s point of view on Red Beans and Rice. He has a long-standing position that it is the most overrated food item. That’s not a knock on the dish or the people who serve it. It’s just the idea that culturally, we are expected to get excited about eating it.
In our kitchen, we have a spoon holder which pays tribute to, you guessed it, red beans and rice.
Actual beans, rice and spices are encased in Lucite with a description of the Louisiana delicacy which says, “A Southern tradition served on Mondays using red beans, spices and the ham bone from Sunday’s dinner and served over rice.” I didn’t know that and certainly that’s not the context in which I will enjoy my RB&R this evening. I also sincerely doubt a ham bone will be involved.
As I contemplated this, I started wondering about other foods about which people might secretly have a lack of enthusiasm. So, I sent a text message to many people in my contact list asking them this question: “What is the most overrated food item?” This doesn’t mean you don’t like the food. It just means it doesn’t rise to the level of culinary or cultural expectations it engenders.(Hey, I told you I was bored). I have been surprised by the responses, because most of them involve Southern staples. Here’s a sample:
• JJ: Red Beans and Rice (of course)
• Chris: Cornbread
• Ray: Chili
• Sara: Steak (Steak? Really?)
• Brant: That cranberry stuff at Thanksgiving
• Tony: Crawfish
• My cousin Ron: Gator (I told him I didn’t think gator was highly rated. Maybe it is in Haughton)
• Rocky: Fried Catfish
• Sandy: 3-way tie between okra, grits and anything “chicken fried”
• Jim: Sushi
• Charlie: Chicken fried steak (That’s two for steak, I think and two for “chicken fried”)
• Steve: Rotel and anything made with Rotel (this is party sacrilege)
• Mike: sushi (with the comment “I mean, really!”)
• Tommy: anything made with cornbread
• Todd: catfish
• Irv: caviar (I give Irv credit for this, because I don’t think I’ve ever actually tasted caviar to know whether or not I agree with him.)
So, catfish, cornbread and steak lead the balloting. That rules out a lot of restaurants around here.
Updates: Kay, a wildcard entry, agreed with Irv. Mark put sushi in the top spot with a 3rd vote. Cliff weighed in with tuna casserole. Dave and Shannon say ribs.
Butch, who once was a full-time touring stand-up comedian, cleverly offered "parsley." Lori came out of her shell to say "snails."
Late entry from my thoughtful pal Patrick, who writes, "(Red beans and rice)is a sentimental favorite, but I see your point. I'm not really sure why oatmeal exists. My vote is for oatmeal."
My wife is of a similar mind with Brant, except she took on a holiday staple straight-up, saying "turkey." Matthew offered "capers," although I would put them in the same category with Ron's gator.
For me, upon further review, it’s lobster. I’d eat it if it’s put in front of me, but it’s a whole lot of work and is really expensive. Plus, there’s not much to it without the butter.
Isn’t that true, though, about many things in life?
Happy eating.
Alone Again, Unnaturally
Wow. My weekend fell apart. For weeks, I had been geared up for a trip to Gainesville for the LSU-Florida game. Thursday and Friday, life conspired against me. I'll spare the details, but I can sum things up this way: Instead of spending my Saturday in the company of 90,000 people watching one of the great college football matchups of the year, I'm sitting alone at the house watching games on TV.
That's not all bad. I'm getting a lot of rest. The games have been really good so far, and I'm not spending any money. Given the state of my investment accounts, that's probably a blessing.
This is the first of three football trips I've lost this season. I have surrendered LSU-Tulane tickets due to an unanticipated personal commitment which directly conflicts.
And this one hurt me: Yesterday, I handed over four 45 yard-line tickets and a parking pass to the Dallas Cowboys - Seattle Seahawks game next month. Can I be forgiven for being a middle-aged man on the brink of tears?
There is great news about the Cowboys' situation.
I have a friend who is an avowed Cowboys fan. He's the kind of guy who uses the word "we" when talking about the team. He has never been to a game in Texas Stadium. I told him over the summer that he needed to get over there before the Cowboys move out. I handed him the tickets and the pass yesterday. The look on his face easily balanced the knot in my stomach. He's taking his family, none of whom have been in the stadium before.
I hope it's a good game. I hope it's played in an ice storm. (Okay, not really...I don't think).
Monday, October 06, 2008
The City is Buzzing
My daughter is a junior at a midtown high school. It's the oldest school in the city and has a long, rich history. There is a long-standing rivalry with a school in the southeast part of town. We actually live in the other school's attendance zone, but my daughter is a magnet student, so she chose the mid-city school. Our son graduated from yet another magnet program. My wife and I attended Catholic schools in town. So, until recently we had been blissfully oblivious to the intensity of the rivalry.
Things are coming to a head now, thanks to this billboard.
That's a message touting the spirit of my daughter's school. It was paid for by a group of seniors. What's wrong with this picture? It's a block away from the rival school, and it's easily visible from the south side of its campus.
Hold on. I should say it was visible. The other school's principal, a person who clearly has nothing better to do, complained to school district authorities. Somehow, the principal of our daughter's school was compelled to become involved. A flurry of phone calls and urgent conferences ensued and it was decided that it would be in the best interest of all concerned for the billboard to be moved.
I will resist the temptation to register my disappointment with this development in harsher terms. Let's just say I think some kind of explanation is in order. This is not the principals' or the school board's business. This was a transaction initiated by a group of citizens. It makes no mention of the other school, although its placement was quite intentional.
I'm embarrassed for the other principal. If she had her head screwed on straight, she would have laughed and acknowledged that the kids from across town had found a healthy positive way to poke good-natured fun at her student population.
This was a great teaching moment, an opportunity for her to lead by example, and she blew it. She taught her students to be shallow and thin-skinned.
I'm glad my daughter isn't under her influence. I hope our principal comes to his senses.
I asked my daughter if people are talking about this. She just rolled her eyes and said, "God, yes." The schools play against one another in football a week from Friday in the stadium they share. Sounds like fun! 
The other school's mascot is the gators. 
It's tradition the week of the game to have parties featuring "gator gumbo." The students wear camo gear to school on game day because they're going "gator hunting." It's great fun and it's been going on for decades. It pre-dated their myopic leader and will survive her. Jacket Pride, City Wide indeed.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Celebration Headache
The game went down to the final minute and her blood pressure was through the roof. She was wearing her colors, screaming at the TV.
How big an event was this: even Joe College and the girlfriend hung around and watched. Yes, the whole immediate family was gathered 'round the living room pulling hard for the Vanderbilt Commodores. The daughter, who will be making college decisions soon, wants to consider Vanderbilt.
We have not reached agreement on which was more entertaining, the game of my wife's quite out of character antics. Let's be clear here: Vanderbilt hasn't had a winning season in a quarter century. To be nationally ranked and undefeated through five games is just absurd. Yet, there they are.
They've beaten Auburn, South Carolina and Ole Miss. They still need to play Florida and Georgia among others, so staying undefeated is just unthinkable. Here's hoping their return to reality features a soft landing instead of a crash to Earth.She has vowed that we will go to whichever bowl game the Commodores get invited to. That's great for me: a December trip to Memphis or Nashville...or stay at home in Shreveport. We dare not think any higher than that lest we be emotionally crushed.
The season is perfect as of now. It will be great no matter what happens.
It will be most satisfying for her if the'Dores can get one more win. It will be dreamlike if it comes at the expense of the Tennessee Volunteers.See you in December. Go Gold.
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Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Daddy D is Published
It's good that the image is in focus.
On the heels of a trip to Auburn for an LSU game, the opportunity to be back on the sidelines at Texas Stadium was simply a thrill. When I broke into broadcasting (in the 70's, my God), I had the great fortune to routinely cover the Cowboys. It was one of those circumstances that led a young man to give no consideration whatsoever to the paltriness of his paycheck. The rewards were so great that as long as the rent got paid, nothing else mattered much. Trips to Texas Stadium dwindled and ultimately stopped, much to my disappointment. I had not been on that field in years.
The Cowboys are moving into a new facility in 2009, and I told my wife over the summer that I felt a desire to get to Irving for one more game in the stadium. I had no notion that it would happen for me with such style. Roy was assigned to cover the Cowboys-Redskins game. When he called and asked if I would be willing to tag along and shoot some photos for him, I practically jumped through the phone saying yes.
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Walking down the tunnel past the visitors' locker room toward the field, I was transported back in time. As my senses came alive, I was awash in nostalgia. I had been there many times before, but as a much younger version of me. I had a still camera instead of a TV camera, but the setting was the same. I didn't close my eyes, but instead opened them a little wider. For a moment, I had a full head of hair, was 25 pounds lighter and there was a little dream of being a big-time sportscaster.The moment of self indulgence passed and it was time to work on a freelance photo assignment.
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I just needed one decent image to justify my sideline pass and I think I got it. The work was comfortably familiar. .JPG)
I was shooting images of Romo and T.O. instead of Roger and Drew, but the uniforms looked the same.The only real difference I felt was how I reacted to the cheerleaders. On the sidelines, you stand within inches of them and occasionally pass a word or two. When I was doing this with regularity, I was typically dreaming of making those conversations more substantive.
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I still noticed them and acknowledged that they are beautiful women, but my brain registered, "some guy's daughter." I realize they might have looked at me and if they thought anything at all, it was "harmless old man." There's some comfort in that.I walked away from a career in sports broadcasting five years ago because it aggravated me more than excited me. It was great, at least for an afternoon, to be reminded what it was I loved so long ago.
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Thanks to Roy and Scott and everybody at the paper!.JPG)
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Saturday, September 27, 2008
A Gold Moment
My resident 'Dores fan is a realist. She knows there's virtually no chance her team will win the division. She's just hoping for two more wins so they will be bowl eligible.
How excited is she? She got on the internet and ordered some Vandy gear, and she's been checking the front porch twice a day while she impatiently awaits delivery.
In the meantime, I'm facing a potential conflict of interest. I'm on the selection committee for the Independene Bowl, which has a contract with the SEC. If the Commodores get it done, will I need to recuse myself? What if they're bowl eligible and we don't invite them? I'll never hear the end of it.
Maybe they will win their way into the Sugar Bowl or something and I won't be conflicted. Maybe pigs will fly over downtown New Orleans, too.
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Loud Night Out
Mostly, though, it was a night out and a chance for my wife and me to share an experience with our daughter and her friends.
Their interest was focused on the opener, young country singer Taylor Swift. I knew her songs from spending time in the car with my daughter, who has her iPod loaded with everything Swift has ever released.
As has been noted several times in this space, I seem to wind up at country music shows even though I rarely actually listen to country music. The lyrics are mostly clean and the crowds are usually well-bathed and well-behaved, so it's almost always a positive experience.
My ears are ringing. Feels like I went to an LSU game.
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Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Leftovers From the Road
Charmed, though? Let's get real. Someone living a charmed life is not forced to hang around a Wal-Mart in Monroe, Louisiana for thirty minutes while the clock strikes midnight. That's exactly where I found myself when my traveling companions deemed it essential to buy a sackful of snacks for the all-night trip to Auburn.
The only thing to do, it seemed, was laugh. We were surrounded by the exhausted, the drunk and the infirm as we rounded up beef jerky, Nutter Butter and M&M's. One poor guy, who had quite obviously just finished a shift at a job he merely tolerates, was trying to buy a fifth of Captain Morgan and a generous supply of mixers. We slid right behind him at the checkout line at about 11:45. The clerk was so inept and flustered by her professional challenges that we did not get to the register until about 12:10. That's when she told our beleaguered companion that liquor sales are not allowed after midnght. The fact that he got in line before midnight was of no consequence to her whatsoever. Rules are rules, so Captain Morgan sailed back to the aisle and our new friend slinked off into the oppressive amber light of the Wal-Mart parking lot. When last seen, he was forlornly swatting away a cloud of mosquitoes as he went off in search of a way to wash away the memory of his emotionally exhausting day.
The football was high level, but the meals were far from it. The highlight was the "continental breakfast" at a Hampton Inn somewhere in Mississippi. Wendy's and Taco Bell were staples on the trip. There's nothing wrong with that. It's fun in its own way, but charmed? Three grown men shared a room with two beds for two nights. That meant somebody got a chair or a floor. At least there were choices.
"Charmed" would be a room to himself for each guy and a flight instead of a nine-hour drive.
I'm not complaining. I'd do it again this weekend or the next.
I think the Wal-Mart experience scarred us, though. Tim, who put the trip together, blogged about it too. Click there to get a different outlook on our "charmed" trip.
The Auburn football experience rivals LSU's. Their "War Eagle" is as impressive a live mascot as Mike the Tiger. The tailgate experience is on par with Baton Rouge in geographic footprint as well as duration. And yes, Jordan-Hare Stadium is big and the crowd is ear-splitting at times.
I'm glad I went and I thank Tim for inviting me. Maybe he's my charm.
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Monday, September 22, 2008
A Colossal Waste of Time
To add insult to injury: my son literally bumped into Bruce Willis. There's another movie filming in town. Willis is the star. They are shooting on campus and my son actually crossed paths with the megastar...and bumped into him. There was an exchange of "Sorry, man." "No problem."
To rub salt into the wound: my friend Tim got a speaking role in the movie that wasted my day. The stars are not lining up for me an any sense here.----------------------
We were to be professors in a dinner party scene. We dutifully reported at 7:30am, went through paperwork and wardrobe selection and the started our sit-a-thon.
There were some women there, too. They primped and made a fuss about make-up & hair. Then they sat there, much of the day in an outdoor tent where their well-styled hair went flat and their make-up couldn't hold back the sweat.
We did get to the place where The Big Scene was being filmed, but only about eight people from the herd of "background artists" actually got to go onto (or even see) the set. The rest of us, about forty people, sat and sat and sat in a "holding area." We never saw a movie star or a director.
They did feed us well: steak, shrimp, a chicken option, nice salad and sides, excellent dessert slection. So, there's that.
I got a $25.00 bonus because I drove my car on one outdoor scene.
The film's star, Edward Norton, was driving a car that I had to pass. The assistant director or somebody told me my timing was excellent. I hope that counts for something. After my moment as a stunt driver, I stood around and watched them film the next shot in the sequence, which involved moving the camera on a track. That was interesting to see, I suppose. The one star I caught a glimpse of was the one I sort of hadn't heard of when I got asked to work on the movie. Somewhere, Susan Sarandon and Richard Dreyfuss were lurking. I think I might have been in the same building with them. I think they were in the dinner scene I never got called for.
At the end of the day, I had earned the car bonus plus four hours' overtime. It wasn't worth the disappointment and frustration. There are at least 30 people I hung around with who seem to feel exactly the same way.
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Sunday, September 21, 2008
Smiling All The Way
Let's start with the obvious: LSU overcame a 14-3 second half deficit to win at Auburn for the first time in a decade. They scored the winning touchdown with just about one minute left in the game to win 26-21. I was standing on the end line when Brandon LaFell caught the winning pass from Jarrett Lee.
LaFell ran directly toward me as the impressive throng of LSU faithful at Jordan-Hare Stadium exploded with glee. The trip would have been great no matter what, but certainly it was better because the game was thrilling. The fact that LSU won was gravy. Both teams were ranked in the top 10 in the nation.The traveling companions and I left home Friday evening and watched high school football, then headed eastward into the night.
We were out of town for 48 hours. 17 of those hours were spent in the car. About 8 of them were spent watching football.
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The other guys all were working, so they had to write and produce stories for their media employers. Consequently, a good chunk of their time was spent under significant deadline pressure. I pitched in where I could in a good faith attempt to justify my attendance, but I had essentially no stress. .JPG)
There was a little pressure to be witty. That comes with the territory when you hang with this crew. I don't have may opportunities to do "guy trips," and this one seemed to go really well..JPG)
The weather was spectacular and the football was even better. The company was consistently entertaining. You can't ask for much more than that.Sphere: Related Content
Saturday, September 20, 2008
It's a Great Day So Far
(Auburn, AL) - Look at Daddy D...waving at you from Jordan-Hare Stadium. Somehow, I worked my way into the press box for a nationally-televised Southeastern Conference game which features two Top Ten teams. LSU, the defending national champions, have come to the plains and we're tagging along.
It has not been an easy journey. After work on Friday, I left for West Monroe, LA, where I helped with a high school football broadcast. From there, with a post-midnight departure, my traveling companions and I drove through the night to Meridian, Mississippi where we crashed for a few hours. Trust me, there's no easy way to get from Shreveport to Auburn, but I'm here and I'm excited.
I have to be honest, I'm hoping for an LSU win. It will make the long overnight drive home much easier to take.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Daddy D in the Movies
The movie industry continues to percolate around town. Susan Sarandon, Richard Dreyfuss and Edward Norton are coming to town to star in a move called "Leaves of Grass."
I knew nothing of this until yesterday. I was sitting there minding my own business when my phone rang. It was a casting director, who said he has shown my photo (among others) to someone working on the film. He might have said the director, but I was kind of half-listening at the moment. However it happened, somehow it was determined that I look scholarly or something, because they're asking me to appear in the film as a professor.
I poked around and this project has a lot of credibility. Norton will play twins. One is an Ivy League professor (presumably I will be an on-screen colleague) and the other is a drug dealer. The professor is lured back to his Oklahoma hometown for a doomed scheme against a local drug lord (Dreyfuss) that unravels his life. I doubt I will meet or even see the Big Stars, but I'm looking forward to the experience. I'd like to see how big-time movies are made. It's a one-day shoot for me, which obviously means no lines and a lot of sitting around. I have no idea what they will pay, but I can't imagine it will be much. Still, If I make it onto the silver screen for even five or ten seconds, it will be kind of a rush. I'll definitely buy the DVD, so maybe I will come out even on the deal. Here's the first movie poster. See you at the multiplex.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Working That Sale
It was time to buy a new suit and I had a coupon for $300.00 (yep, three hundred bucks) off a regular-priced suit at a men's store close to the house. So, I went shopping.
I found a suit I really liked. It was on sale for $299.00. FREE SUIT!
Not so fast, Skippy.
The deal is for Three Bills off the regular price. Alertly, I asked what the regular price of the suit had been. I was told $550.00.
Quick math led to perhaps the first-ever request of its kind: I asked them to put the suit back at its regular price. There was a pause, and then....they did it!
Back up to $550.00...$300.00 coupon on the table and BOOM: Suit costs $250.00 instead of $299.00. Sold. I feel like I stayed in a Holiday Inn Express last night or something.
I was so pleased that they were willing to work with me that I bought some new shirts. I had another coupon for ten bucks off each shirt. They started ringing them up and noticed something else: my company's corporate discount would actually make the shirts costs even less. So, they disregarded the coupon and gave me the coprorate price. That's customer service.
There's a local men's store I'm usually loyal to. I have spent thousands and thousand of dollars at Pope's over the years and I'll be back. But, I have to hand it to Joseph A. Bank for reeling me in and hooking me. I'll go to Pope's to buy ties to go with my sale suit.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Another Sure Sign of Aging
We were out and the Cowboys were on TV, so we decided to stop into a sports-themed restaurant/ bar to grab a bite to eat and watch a few minutes of the game. It should be a sports fan's dream, right? A nice collection of jersey-clad fans surrounded by big-screen TV's with waitresses bringing fried food and beer. What more could you ask for?
A little quiet, if you don't mind. The people were just too loud, too wild.
Speaking of wild, I ordered some chicken wings. Knowing my limitations, I asked for mild sauce. We have established it was LOUD in there. Apparently our waitress didn't hear me exactly right. She brought "wild," not "mild." Since I was watching the game and trusting my server, I munched right in. I knew mmediately I had made a terrible mistake. Wild is right. I was wildly sweating down the back of my neck in less than thirty seconds.
How old am I? I know that I will pay the price tomorrow for tonight's accidental ingestion of Wild Wings.
Break out the medicated cream and turn up the TV a little, will ya?
Sunday, September 14, 2008
How Great is DirecTV?
Hurricane Ike played havoc with a couple of local television stations. Saturday night, the NBC affiliate was off the air. This was worrisome because the much-anticipated season premier of Saturday Night Live was coming on! The local FOX station is still not transmitting, which is an issue because it's NFL day. No problem. The fine folks at DirecTV somehow knew of the troubles and simply directed another FOX signal and another NBC signal into this market. They provided on-screen messages on the channels where we would normally see these networks instructing us where to tune. It was a beautiful thing.
Try that with cable.
It wasn't perfect. The video streams were got were not in High Definition. If you're accustomed to HD, it's an adjustment to go back to the old way of seeing things. But, hey, I'll take it.
Do the right thing. Switch to satellite. If you do, tell them I sent you. Maybe I'll get a free month of ESPN GamePlan or something.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
The Breezy Breeze
While millions are suffering from the effects of Hurricane Ike, at our house it was a non-event. I made my daughter get up off the sofa and go outside "to feel the wind of Ike."
After a week of hearing we might have tropical storm or hurricane force winds here in northwest Louisiana, we were pleased to be able to step onto the street and feel the invogorating breezes. There is no damage in our neighborhood.
In fact, Ike forced us into a day of rest. I had an assignment as a TV sideline reporter for a college football game today, but the game was postponed and the telecast was called off. So, I sat around the house watching games, talking with the ladies who live here and troubleshooting a frustrating internet connectivity issue.
People are dutifully staying indoors, making for a quiet day.
The wind was remarkable, but we've endured more frightening gusts during many spring thunderstorms.
Don't confuse my relief with a lack of concern. My best friend and his family hunkered down south of Houston. When last I heard from him, he was without power and housebound with his wife and three young children. The kids weren't scared, he said. It was sort of like camping. That was before the hurricane came ashore. I'll be interested to hear later how that camping trip worked out for them.
Update: I feel like an idiot for kidding around. My friend texted me tonight to say they "lost the west side of the house." It's like somebody punched me in the stomach. Thankfully, he said everyone's okay.
