Sunday

Awww man, you gotta love those Tigers!!! As they like to do, they came from behind last night and won in the last minute of the game so that all of us Tiger fans can go on in to see our Cardiologists in the morning!!! Lawdy be!! But it was a good game and i'm glad we won! They played against Auburn and it's the first time in 10 years that we've won in their territory! We have new quarterbacks, so nobody knows exactly what to think this year, but they did great and played a good game. Walter went to watch the game at a neighbor's house down the street. The guy, Tim, is the "party house" on the street and a crowd can always be found there on the weekends. I am not a huge sports fan and like to watch the game while i'm doing other things, so I stayed home and watched it while finishing New Moon.

And speaking of New Moon, it was a good book, but not nearly as captivating as Twilight. I'm not sure I would have kept reading if I hadn't known there are 2 more books in the series, but it was good and i'm glad I finished it. Stephenie Meyer is an incredible writer and really makes me feel like i'm there in the book and know and love all of the characters. I ordered Eclipse and Breaking Dawn this weekend and hope they will be in soon.

Walter and I are both going to continue with the Atkins diet this week and are finding it easy to stick to. I never really have trouble with it, but it's so much easier not to have to cook something separate for him when I cook all low-carb meals. I made a low carb meat loaf this weekend from a recipe I found online. I've made it before and it really is good. I can share the recipe if anyone is interested. We did decide to just enjoy dinner at the Mexican restaurant, chips and all, and then just pick back up with the diet today. My problem with that is that I usually don't pick it back up the next day!!! But we have and are both looking forward to losing some more weight this week. I still want to think about working out, but it's going to be a busy week for me after work. I have my social work supervision tomorrow until 6 and then I signed up for 2 trainings after work this week that will both last until 6.

My mom & step-dad are coming this afternoon to take Walter & I to lunch for his birthday, which is Thursday. We are going to go to Hilltop, (Walter's choice and my favorite restaurant in the world), and they have an awesome hamburger salad that is perfect for our diet. Cameron is invited, but his attitude was so ugly last night that I have informed him that he will either have to show me that it has improved or stay here. I wont be embarrassed by his rudeness. He chose to stay here, but he did tell me why he was being so ugly, which is due to our argument about the homework last week. I guess he's been stewing over it for a few days, which is fine, but he isn't going to treat me disrespectfully. He also didn't send an email "thank you" for 2 birthday gifts he received on Tuesday, so I let him know this morning that he has until noon to send them or I'm sending the gifts back. Both gifts were money/gift certificates, so it is not something he wants to lose, so I hope he does the right thing. I'm sure he's angrier with me now, but he will use his manners or lose the gifts. I talked to Walter about freezing Cameron when he was 10 years old and soooooooooo sweet. Now I wish we'd done it!!!!

I've been trying to call Elizabeth but haven't heard from her. I hope everything is ok since Ike rolled through. The house they just bought is near where 2 rivers meet and after Gustav, there was water almost in the house. I can't imagine that they could stand the extra water that came with Ike. I did invite them here and they didn't come, so I'm sure they are fine. I want Landen to come spend the night next weekend and maybe Mack too. I hate to not invite him, but he is such a hand full. Maybe if Elizabeth would come pick him up the next morning and Landen could stay longer if he wanted too.

Oh, and I almost forgot! Thank goodness, nobody showed up for the party yesterday, so I guess everyone got the "evite" email update and will come next month if they can make it! At my graduation party last year, a friend of mine showed up a week early by mistake and so that really had me worrying about yesterday!!! Whew!! And someone asked about the daiquiri machine - we rented one for my graduation party and it was about $150, which included the drink mix. We had the best time with it! We put it in the backyard where the party was going on and it stayed cold the entire time!!

Have a great Sunday!

Hurricane thoughts

Walter says that our really bad weather will be here around 8pm Monday night and he estimates that it will be over by midnight. Now, i'm not talking about the heavy winds and rain because that will start tonight and last through probably Tuesday, but the REALLY bad weather that makes you question your sanity in having stayed during the storm. I remember thinking during Hurricane Katrina that I would NEVER stay through another bad storm, but the other alternative of being unable to get home for days is not very attractive either. We also were still living in the condo we were renting during Katrina and it was not as sturdy as our house, nor did we have any type of generator and survived for a week with 1 fan and 1 tv, so I feel pretty confident staying here this time. We are not under a mandatory evacuation - only suggested for low lying homes, which we are not. Walter asked me & Cameron to think about going to my mom's for a couple of days, but we both decided we want to stay here and are comfortable doing that. School/work has already been cancelled Tuesday & Wednesday, but I'm doubting people will have electricity back until closer to next weekend.

There was an article in the Baton Rouge paper today where a couple was filling up sandbags to bring to their house and the reporter asked them why they thought other people weren't out doing the same thing. The lady said, "The LSU game is on! They'll come do that later!" Yeah, priorities are in order here in Louisiana!

I am really thrilled with how our wonderful Governor Bobby Jindal is handling this storm. We learned so much that we were not doing after Katrina, so he has certainly figured out the right role in doing what we should. Things seem so well organized and that is going to make a huge difference later. He has made it clear that if you are in an area that is under a mandatory evacuation and you don't leave...you are ON YOUR OWN! Don't expect people to come help you or rescue you. And yes, he has provided transportation out if you can't afford it or have medical issues preventing you from leaving. No crying that the government wasn't there for you or didn't help you. GET OUT or deal with it. It looks like most people in New Orleans are leaving, and that is good. If you think that the levees there are fixed in any way, shape, or form, you are sadly mistaken. What happened in 2005 during Katrina could easily happen there again, so anyone who stays is a bit crazy, if you ask me.

I will try to take some pictures & videos over the next few days. If our backup generator works as planned, I should be able to get online and post some of them during the storm, so check back and see how well that works out! It is amazing how much support and prayers are coming to me and my Louisiana friends through the friends who live in our computers! We really appreciate it more than we can say!!

Saturday

It's such a nice day here if you didn't know a hurricane was looming around the corner. We have been picking up things in the yard today and just making sure we're ready to go for the storm. You don't want to leave any "projectiles" out in the yard! Cameron is going to the LSU game with his dad this morning, then I'll pick him up to ride the storm out here with us. He doesn't usually come back until Mondays, but I asked him if he wants to come today or possibly have to wait until Tuesday or Wednesday before we can get out to get him (no way to know, really) and he decided to come today. I think he's figured out the backup generator will provide a lot more comfort (and computer) during and after the storm than his dad's house where they will be using candles & flashlights for days. I feel better having him here with me anyway, so I'll go get him when he gets back from the game.

And since I mentioned it, my LSU Tigers are playing their first game today!! Due to the impending evacuation of New Orleans, which will bring on "contraflow" where our interstates will all be going one direction, the game was moved up to 10am. Wow. Hard to tailgate at 8:30 am, but hey, we do what we gotta do. And so far they are winning! Yay!

Walter & I have decided to get back on the Atkins diet once things are back to normal after the storm. He usually wont do it with me, but he says he will this time, which makes it easier for me to stick to the diet when he's doing it too. We are also going to start going to work out at the health club again, or so we say. So, let me know if you're up to trying the Atkins diet and we can have a mini-support group! The diet works SO well if you stick to it 100% (I usually lose 10 lbs in the first 2 weeks) and really helps to have other people to talk to about it. Now, if I could just eat right once I stop dieting!!

Questions & Comments:

My friend, Dena, says that the restaurant we went to for my 1999 birthday was the Acme Oyster House in New Orleans. And the hurricane that we partied until New Orleans was evacuated was Georges. That girl doesn't forget a thing. She also remembered some other details of the birthday trip, but I wont share them and embarrass anyone!!

Pray for us in these southern coastal states!! I hope you have a great weekend!

Just One Word...

I was tagged by Veggie Mom over at Eat Your Veggies! for a "meme." Nonna, the proprietress at Nonna's News, has a super "meme" out there. I am supposed to answer these questions with One Word. It's not as easy as you think!

1. Where is your cell phone? Table

2. Where is your significant other? Work

3. Your hair color? Brown

4. Your mother? Cute

5. Your father? Not

6. Your favorite thing? Restaurants

7. Your dream last night? Erased

8. Your dream/goal? Happiness

9. The room you're in? Den

10. Your hobby? Computer

11. Your fear? Snakes

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Here

13. Where were you last night? Home

14. What you're not? Quiet

15. One of your wish-list items? JP

16. Where you grew up? Louisiana

17. The last thing you did? Study

18. What are you wearing? Clothes

19. Your TV? Off

20. Your pet? Big

21. Your computer? Laptop

22. Your mood? Good

23. Missing someone? JP

24. Your car? FUN!!

25. Something you're not wearing? Jewelry

26. Favorite store? Cato

27. Your summer? OFF

28. Love someone? Yes

29. Your favorite color? Blue

30. When is the last time you laughed? Today

31. Last time you cried? Unsure

32. Who do you want to tag?

Mere The Babblings of Mere

Kelley My Life With My Love

Lizzy The Journey to the Hot Tub

Susie Bienvenue

Tam Momma Song

Today was a better day with Cameron. We talked last night about how we can compromise with the computer/grades/social issues and we came up with some ideas of how we could work together. I am going to let him use the computer when he wants to use it, as long as he's done his "hour of homework" at a set time, eats dinner with us (and pretends he likes us), and makes efforts to be out of his room doing other things. So far, so good today. Bryce came over after school and they asked me to help them study for a Biology test tomorrow, so we spent some time doing that. They both ate dinner with Walter & I (we used to ALWAYS do this - not sure what happened), and now they are both down at Bryce's house. And tonight was taco night, so everyone enjoyed that!

Work was busy but good today. I went to my smallest school to get the schedule of the only student I have to see there currently, then I went to my bigger school where my office is and got it looking good and got the computer hooked up, except it is missing 1 power cord that I will bring from my house. I am really going to like having an office with a computer in the school where I will spend 4 - 5 days. I met with 4 of my new students today and have to work out my schedule to see them.

It is still raining non-stop here. I don't think we've had a day without rain in weeks. I am ready for a few dry days!!!

Do you know these people? They are the Imagination Movers - a phenomenal kids band who are from New Orleans AND I have to say, personal friends of mine! Well, ok, I don't know 3 of them, but I grew up with Mover Dave. He & my brother have been best friends since elementary school. I am so proud of the Imagination Movers, and if you haven't exposed your young children to them, you should! They have recently gotten a DISNEY SHOW and will be premiering 2 new consecutive episodes on Saturday, September 6(10/9c) during Disney Channel's learning-focused Playhouse Disney programming block. It is filmed entirely in New Orleans and the series introduces preschoolers to the Imagination Movers' energetic rock and roll music while emphasizing creative problem solving skills. You gotta see them!

And while I'm advertising...stop by a participating Burger King in Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe, and New Orleans to pick up a free LSU Football Fan Card featuring the 2008 LSU Football Schedule. Burger King is the only place to get it. It has a beautiful photo of Tiger Stadium as well as valuable WHOPPER sandwich coupons. So, go get em! Walter's niece helped design and implement the promotion!

I've got so many new blogs to read, so I'm going to spend some time tonight doing that! I have really enjoyed meeting so many new people this week!!