Snowmageddon!

Merry belated Christmas!

We are in Little Rock taking care of Elder Daughter's pups while she and family visit her in-laws in Dallas. Christmas Eve was wild and crazy at The Son's with duck gumbo, chili, ham, turkey, and 3 "grand crazies," as Pepper's first wife calls them. Christmas morning was calm at my Daddy's with Younger Daughter and SIL#2 with traditional Christmas Brunch Casserole, cheese grits, fruit, and cinnamon toast (since I forgot to buy Pillsbury cinnamon rolls). I think we may stick with toast in the future -- it was pretty good!

Then we hot-footed it back to ED's house as the freezing rain and sleet began to fall.

It changed over to heavy snow (even some thunder snow!) in late afternoon and kept falling steadily until the wee hours of the morning. There were already a good six inches at 9:00, when the power went out.  All told, we have between 10 and 12"! A genuine White Christmas!

That was 2 days ago. There is a huge snowball fight going on across the cul de sac as I type. In my car. While I charge my phone. Because the power is still out and not expected to be restored for days yet.

The thermostat now shows 49. At least there's a gas fireplace and a full propane tank on the grill. I built, and Pepper cooked, tomato soup and grilled ham and cheese for dinner last night. It was pretty good! He warmed water this morning for coffee and spit baths. Not quite so good.

I've decided to decree that 2012 is now officially Moogie's Grand Multiple Power Outage Extravaganza. I'm not sure which is the less pleasant: post-hurricane steamy hot power outage or post blizzard frigid, blustery outage.

We have friends who have offered showers and spare bedrooms, but we wouldn't take advantage of the bed hospitality with four dogs in tow. Maybe a shower!

Ah, the adventures in Moogie's World!

Idiocracy 101

We're taking care of Elder Daughter's pups and house while she, SIL#2, and Baby Jack spend Christmas with the in-laws in Texas. We got to have Thanksgiving with them, so I suppose I begrudgingly understand that sharing is only fair. Sort of.

So, tonight is what my Mama called "Garbahj" night -- emphasis on the second syllable -- when one hauls the trash to the curb so it can be picked up at some point the next day by city sanitation workers.  I just now schlepped the big green trash can to the curb. It was only about 1/2 full, whereas last week it was close to overflowing.  I suspect that's because there was no need to schlep it at all the week before, considering that a small family lives here at present. Even so, the re-cycling cart was seriously overflowing last Monday morning.

Tonight when I rolled the re-cycling cart out, it was nearly full -- understandably since there have been a whole lot more folks around this week.  Once I was at the curb, it hit me that I'm not in New Orleans, where we accept fewer items for recycling, but pick it up weekly. Noooo, I'm in Little Rock  where almost everything is accepted for recycling, but it's picked up only every other week. So, I rolled the re-cyclables back into the garage, and anticipating the holiday schedule, took two bags of re-cycled materials from the re-cycling cart and transferred them to the garbage cart where they will be collected and sent to the landfill.  Like we try to avoid by participating in re-cycling.

What's wrong with this picture?

Yeah. I agree.  Waaaay too much.

*sigh*

Christmas Miracle, the 2012 Edition -- UPDATE with Pic

Remember last Year's Christmas miracle? When Moogie left her purse sitting in the middle of an aisle at the grocery store and no one stole, or even ransacked, it? That was pretty unbelievable.

This year's miracle makes 2011's pale by comparison.

We still have Bouie, and he's healthy, thanks be to God and a couple of skilled, kind veterinarians.

We arrived at Elder Daughter's home last Saturday and got to play with Baby Jack while ED's family, both canine and human, got to know Mysti. Bouie had fun playing with ED's pups, Tyson and Pippi. Sunday was pretty uneventful, until Pepper and Bouie came back from their evening walk at about 8:30. Bouie was not himself.

Halfway through their walk, Bouie began to get shaky. By the time they got back to the house, he could barely hold his head up and could hardly stand.

SIL#1 had treated an ant hill in the front yard that morning and Bouie had seemed very interested in it. We wondered whether he had gotten into the poison, so I called the emergency number noted on the container. I got some information from their hotline, but that didn't seem to be the source of Bou's problem. After he could barely get up, we decided to head to the emergency vet clinic across the river ASAP. And thank God we did as quickly as we did!

Vet#1 examined him and ran some blood work.

The tests revealed that he had ingested antifreeze!

50 to 70% of dogs who ingest antifreeze do not survive, especially when the levels are as high as Bouie's were. Their kidneys and liver are destroyed.

Treatment for antifreeze poisoning includes oral administration of activated charcoal to coat the intestines and IV administration of, in essence, pure grain alcohol. The PGA chemically binds with the antifreeze and causes it to be eliminated through the urine.

We had to leave our Bouie in a strange place that night, in the care of strangers.

I slept maybe 1 1/2 hours.

He did well overnight, and his kidney and liver values were strong at 6:00 Monday morning when Pepper picked him up, but he wasn't out of the woods yet.

When our former Vet's office opened at 8:00, I called to explain what had happened, and they said to bring him in, along with any records we had from Vet#1. We took our drunken sweetheart in before 9:00 and, once again, left him among strangers.

We had a very quiet breakfast, and both of us spent most of the day trying to stay occupied.  I called the vet at midday, and he told me that Bouie was doing well, and could probably be discharged Tuesday afternoon, barring complications.

Complications, thy name is Bouie.

Monday night, he pulled out his IV.  Vet#2 didn't know how much of the drip he had gotten, so, to be safe rather than sorry, they kept him another night to keep the drip going.

Then, Wednesday -- which just happened to be Pepper's birthday -- dawned, and Pepper got a call while he was in the duck blind from the vet. Bouie's blood work was great, and he could be released at 2:00 in the afternoon!

I arrived at Vet#2's at approximately 2:01.

My boy looked pretty rough, and he had a blood alcohol content of about 80 proof, but he was happy and alive!

 

Vet#2 took pictures to share with colleagues who were very interested in the lab who beat antifreeze, and let us leave after advising me to bring him back in a week to double check his kidney function, just to be on the safe side. And, also advising that Bouie would likely have the mother of all hangovers for a day or so.

I have never been so happy to have a dog in my backseat in my whole life.

There are other heartwarming details, but the upshot of this post is that I got everything I could ever want for Christmas when Bouie staggered through the door that afternoon, and to see the expression on Pepper's face when he got home from a Bouie-less hunt to find his bestest buddy waiting for him.

There are good, and miraculous, times in Moogie's World. And I wish the same for all of you.

A Little Holiday Cheer, and Welcome!

I've been incredibly pre-occupied lately, with the house and Christmas and something else kinda exciting that I'll share in a few weeks, so I've been kinda neglecting Moogie's World and the blogosphere.  I'll try to do better, but I can't make any promises, seeing as how I have done very little shopping, and we're getting ready to travel for the holidays, and we have a 10 week old black lab girl puppy!!! 

This is the visual definition of cute (and hell on four large paws!):

 

 

Say hello to Mystic Roux (her mama's name was Roux), more commonly known as Mysti (or other "colorful" pejoratives, e.g., "you little fill-in-the-blank"):



She's getting the house training idea insofar as piddling goes, but we're still working on the poop angle.  Bouie is very good with her -- he plays so gently with her.  Perhaps he understands that she is his email-order bride and he needs to treat her right if he expects to wed her in a year or so.

She has gained over 3 pounds in two weeks, so she has an insatiable appetite.  It's been pretty much a sleep-deprived, multi-ring circus around here since Thanksgiving (we picked her up on the way home from Arkansas).  So, this video that appeared in my Inbox today was a calming, welcome pleasure.  Just look at the children watching in awe. 



I think the puppy needs to watch this. Often.

From Today's Inbox -- Cutting the Deficit

Pepper forwarded this to me today.  It really puts things in perspective:

object: I'm cutting back and you may want to also!

I'm cutting back and you may want to also....

    I'm going to bite the bullet, too!!!!

President Obama ordered the cabinet to cut $100,000,000.00 ($100
million) from the $3,500,000,000,000.00 ($3.5 trillion) federal
budget.

I'm so impressed by this sacrifice that I have decided to do the same

thing with my personal budget. I spend about $2,000 a month on
groceries, household expenses, medicine, utilities, etc., but it's
time to get out the budget cutting axe, go through my expenses, and
cut back.

I'm going to cut my spending at exactly the same ratio (1/35,000) of
my total budget. After doing the math, it looks like instead of
spending $2,000 a month, I'm going to have to cut that number by six
cents. Yes, I'm going to have to get by with $1999.94, but that's what
sacrifice is all about.

I'll just have to do without some things, that are, frankly, luxuries
- six cents worth.

Did this President actually think no one would do the math? Please
send this to everyone on your list so people understand how idiotic a
$100 million cut is in a $3.5 trillion budget - ludicrous!!!!!!!

"There are two ways to conquer and enslave a nation...

    One is by sword...

    The other is by debt."

    John Adams 1826



*sigh*

Our Friends Abroad

From today's Inbox (. . . as slightly edited to correct some grammar and punctuation issues.  Sorry.  I couldn't help myself.):


As you know America is the first country to send aid when others are in trouble.  Neighbors helping neighbors, right?  So, just look at the list below of all those who have offered to help us in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

I think it is highly appropriate that we send THANKS to all of the countries that have reciprocated for our help with their disasters, misgivings, social turmoil, & poverty, by returning the favor and sending monetary and physical help to the United States of America after Sandy ravaged our East Coast leaving deaths, homelessness, and utter chaos in its wake. Listed below is a roster of the Countries and World Wide Organizations that are giving us gracious assistance. Please assist me in Thanking these entities by passing on this email so people from all over America can join in and THANK our neighbors ... in whom we have invested BILLIONS!!!! 1. Yeah. I hope this is exaggerated. A lot of countries helped New Orleans after Katrina -- even the Vatican.  I guess the global economic crisis affects benevolence. Perhaps our smug president hasn't gotten the idea across that we're slipping into third-world-nation-status.  He'd better work on that during his current romp through Asia if we're to be the beneficiary of foreign aid anytime soon. Meanwhile, indulge me in a little bird-walking here.  There's been another mishap in the Gulf -- an oil rig was consumed by fire; at least one man is dead and another remains missing.  My deepest and most sincere sympathy goes out to the families.  And I expect oil production to be curtailed any minute now. Solyn-dra!  Solyn-dra!

Scandal and Secession

A few hours ago, a Petition Permitting Louisiana to Secede from the United States of America amassed more than the number of signatures required for the White House to issue a response.  BayouBuzz reports:

Louisiana secession petition signatures reached the threshold for a response from the White House on Tuesday morning. The White House We The People programs offers all citizens the power to initiate a petition drive. Once a petition reaches more than 25,000 signatures in a 30-day period, the issue is routed to the appropriate office for review and a response issued.  

As of Tuesday morning, Louisiana’s petition to secede had 27,028 signatures, according to the Atlanta Black Star . Louisiana celebrated its statehood bicentennial earlier this year. A man identified as “Michael E” of Slidell created the secession petition on November 7, according to The Advertiser .  

University of Louisiana at Lafayette political science professor Ryan Teten had this to say about the We the People petition drive:

“It doesn’t represent the state and its population. It’s another form of protest. Given Louisiana’s position and its struggles."
 

 As of this afternoon, the HuffPo is reporting that some 30 similar petitions have been filed on the White House website's "We the People" feature. 

[Of course, there's also a petition seeking to name Duncan Trussell as Emperor of Planet Earth. (Don't ask me -- I have not made the acquaintance of Mr. Trussell.)  Mr. Trussell has already accumulated 221 signatures.  Personally, I don't see the Young President granting the status of Emperor to anyone but himself, so Mr. Trussell probably should put off ordering the leopard skin cape with ermine trim for awhile.  (You don't want to know what he wants his throne made of.  Seriously.) But, it's nice to have aspirations, I suppose.]

Interestingly enough, one must create an "account" and "log in" before one may add a signature. Yeah.  I want to create an "account" on the White House website.  When pigs fly.  I'm sure someone already monitors every time I brush my teeth or eat an extra potato chip or two, so I'm pretty sure I don't want to give the squiggly-wire-earpiece guys tacit approval to monitor me .

I'm seriously unsure of what to make of the secession movement.  There are already more than 78,000 signatures on a Texas petition.  More than 27,000 on Louisiana's. Kick in Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, and Missouri, and another 74,000+ add to the total.  Heck, even someone in Wisconsin and Kalifornia has filed petitions -- and people are signing them!  Of course, these are statistically insignificant numbers, but they are relevant numbers. 

There is a cauldron of smelly stuff, and fear, coming to a boil out there while the media go on and on about the indiscretions of senior military leadership rather than voting discrepancies or murdered ambassadors. Something is getting ready to hit the fan, and I doubt whether those who plan to pitch it are willing to wait four more years.

Get ready to duck.

It's Veterans' Day

The day that we formerly celebrated the termination of WWI on the western front -- Armistice Day.  Many still recognize the Armistice with two minutes of silence at the Eleventh hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh month.  I did, turning my thoughts to those who served, those who lost their lives, and the families left to keep the home fires burning.

And I am grateful to each and every soul who dons the uniform, voluntarily, with pride, to serve and protect American interests both at home and abroad.  I am grateful to those who serve today as well as those who have hung up the camo of whatever hue.

Thank you!  Wholeheartedly, thank you.

My father (USNR, 20+ years), my father-in-law (Army Air Corps), my son (ARNG), my great-uncle (WWII).

And that fella I live with:

Army and Army Guard (34+ years).

My children have a pretty good gene pool!

Is this guy saluting with his left hand?  I just noticed that.  Hmmm.  But, you get the idea, right?

REALLY Important

                Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen G. Breyer, Samuel A. Alito, and Elena Kagan.  Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia, Chief Justice John G. Roberts,  Anthony Kennedy, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg



In light of the White House tragedy that befell our country yesterday, the most important mission will be to urge the Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court to eat their Wheaties and take their vitamins so that His Eminence won't have the opportunity to appoint another one.

Or, at least urge about five of them.

A Day for Mourning

When last I checked this morning, the stock market is down over 300 points.

I haven't smiled all morning. 

But, I answered the phone a few minutes ago -- and it seems that some organization in DC is already preparing to crank up the impeachment machine (albeit, in a little too conspiracy-theoryish fashion).  Perhaps there will be justice for 4 dead Americans after all.  The one word that today can make me hopeful again is:

Benghazi.

I know that could lead to a President Biden, but at least he's relatively harmless.

Relatively.

Is it 2016 yet?

Seen During Today's Sojourn to the Westbank

I was going to re-post an old piece about Moogie's idea for a new election system, but then I thought we might all get a kick out of a sign I saw in Marrero, Louisiana, this afternoon while picking up my new contacts.

I first saw my Optometrist on the Saturday before Katrina in 2005 -- I was the last patient she saw before evacuating to Houston with her young son.  She ordered new contacts for me, telling me that they should be available in a few weeks.  Well, we know how that turned out.

Two of her offices flooded, and the one Uptown that I used jacked the rent up so high that she couldn't really afford it.  She ran her practice from the second floor of her home (also flooded) for several months. 

The month following Katrina, she started calling to check on her patients.  She reached me by cell phone and we had a nice chat.  (You might recall that Pepper and I remained evacuated for nine months after The Storm, awaiting Entergy's decision whether to return to its New Orleans headquarters.)  During that conversation she offered to mail my new contacts to me at her own expense!  Wow.  So, after we returned, and she established her new office in Marrero to be close to her son's school, I decided that she had more than earned my loyalty; I kept her as my Optometrist even though she was on the other side of the river in a part of the Westbank that is -- um-- less than "desirable."

So, that's why I was in Marrero this afternoon.

On one side of her office is a Buffalo Wild Wings.  On the other side is "The Epic Lounge." This is the sign hanging above the door to the Epic Lounge:

Did I mention that my Optometrist has a very good sense of humor?

And a concealed carry permit.

As do I.  ;-)

But, I doubt I'll be patronizing The Epic Lounge anytime soon.  Especially after dark, discretion being the better part of valor and all.  Even if one is carrying.

Ah -- life in interesting times!

A Message From the Obama Campaign in Today's Inbox

A little too true-ish to be too funny:

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE OBAMA RE-ELECTION COMMITTEE



نمي دان نور اگر رفت سايه. ر رفت سايه پيدا نيست نقش ديوار و
نقش سايه دگر نمي دان نور اگر رفت سايه پيدا نيست ننور اگر رفت سايه پيدا نيستنقش ديوار و چشم خيره ما نقش سايه دگر نمي دان نور اگر رفت سايه. ر رفت سايهپيدا نيست نقش ديوار و چشم خيره ما نقش سايه دگر نمي دان نور اگر رفت سايه پيدانيست ننور اگر رفت سايه پيدا نيست نقش ديوار و چشم خيره ما نقش سايه دگر نميدان نور اگر رفت سايه. ر رفت سايه پيدا نيست نقش ديوار و چشم خيره ما نقش سايهدگر نمي دان نور اگر رفت سايه پيدا نيست ننور اگر رفت سايه پيدا نيست نقش

ديوار و چشم خيره ما نقش سايه دگر نمي دان نور اگر رفت سايه. ر رفت سايه پيدانيست نقش ديوار و چشم خيره ما نقش سايه دگر نمي دان نور اگر رفت سايه پيدانيست ننور اگر رفت سايه پيدا نيستنور اگر رفت سايه پيدا نيست نقش ديوار و چشمخير ه م نقش سايه دگر نمي دان نور اگر رفت سايه. ر رفت سايه پيدا نيست نقش ديوارو چشم خيره ما نقش سايه دگر نمي دان نور اگر رفت سايه پيدا نيست ننور اگر رفتسايه پيدا نيست نقش ديوار و چشم خيره ما نقش سايه دگر نمي دان نور اگر رفتسايه. ر رفت سايه پيدا نيست نقش ديوار و چشم خيره ما نقش سايه دگر نمي دان نوراگر رفت سايه پيدا

نيست ننور اگر رفت سايه پيدا نيست نقش ديوار و چشم خيره ما نقش سايه دگر نميدان نور اگر رفت سايه. ر رفت سايه پيدا نيست نقش ديوار و چشم خيره ما نقش سايهدگر نمي دان نور اگر رفت سايه پيدا نيست ننور اگر رفت سايه پيدا نيست نقش ديوار وچشم خيره ما نقش سايه دگر نمي دان نور اگر رفت سايه. ر رفت سايه پيدا نيست نقشديوار و چشم خيره ما نقش سايه دگر نمي دان نور اگر رفت سايه پيدا نيست ننور اگررفت سايه پيدا نيست نقش ديوار و چشم خيره ما نقش سايه دگر نمي دان نور اگر رفتسايه. ر رفت سايه پيدا نيست نقش ديوار و چشم خيره ما نقش سايه دگر نمي دان نوراگر رفت

سايه پيدا نيست ننور اگر رفت سايه پيدا نيست نقش ديوار و چشم خيره ما نقش سايهدگر نمي دان نور اگر رفت سايه. ر رفت سايه پيدا نيس نقش ديوار و چشم خيره مانقش سايه دگر نمي دان نور اگر رفت سايه پيدا نيست ننور اگر رفت سايه پيدا نيستنقش ديوار و چشم خ يره ما نقش سايه دگر نمي دان نور اگر رفت سايه. ر رفت سايهپيدا نيست نقش ديوار و چشم خيره ما نقش سايه دگر نمي دان نور اگر رفت سايه پيدانيست ننور اگر رفت سايه پيدا نيست نقش ديوار و چشم خيره ما نقش سايه دگر نميدان نور اگر رفت سايه. ر رفت سايه پيدا نيست نقش ديوار و چشم خيره ما نقش سايهدگر نمي دان نور

اگر رفت سايه پيدا نيست ننور اگر رفت سايه پيدا نيست نقش ديوار و چشم خيره مانقش سايه دگر نمي دان نور اگر رفت سايه. ر رفت سايه پيدا نيست نقش ديوار و چشمخيره ما نقش سايه دگر نمي دان نور اگر رفت سايه پيدا نيست ننور اگر رفت سايه پيدانيست نقش ديوار و چشم خيره ما نقش سايه دگر نمي دان نور اگر رفت سايه. ر رفتسايه پيدا نيست نقش ديوار و چشم خيره ما نقش سايه دگر نمي دان نور اگر رفتسايه پيدا نيست ننور اگر رفت سايه پيدا نيست نقش ديوار و چشم خيره ما نقش سايهدگر نمي دان نور اگر رفت سايه. ر رفت سايه پيدا نيست نقش ديوار و چشم خيره مانقش سايه دگر نمي

دان نور اگر رفت ساي پيدا نيست ن نور اگر رفت سايه پيدا نيست نقش ديوار و چشمخيره ما نقش سايه دگر نمي دان نور اگر رفت سايه. ر رفت سايه پيدا نيست نقش ديوارو چشم خيره ما نقش سايه دگر

If I hear more, I'll let you know.

Sunny Time Travels

Ya just gotta hope that a lot of 2008 Obama supporters are realizing the same:



I love the graffitti on the 2012 version.

And, Do You Guys Ever Listen to Each Other?

Okay -- this is priceless!!!



Wouldn't you like to have enough money to be able to buy a bunch of air time and run this before and after the debates?

And then there's this:



Do you suppose CNN is becoming the old FOXNews?

The Imperial President

Stolen from Facebook --

I loved seeing Jack Nicklaus introducing Mitt yesterday in Ohio!  Jack knows how to putt -- unlike a certain President who shall remain unnamed.  And waaaaaay over par.

I Could Get Accustomed to This . . .

Having a wonderful time on our first real vacation since 1998!

The weather is beautiful here in Boston (or, at least it got that way after the storm moved through Tuesday night) -- wish you were here!

Back in a few . . .

Murphy Hits it on the Nose -- Obama-centric Foreign Policy

I am so angry and so frightened and so furious about the attacks yesterday on our diplomatic corps -- not to mention the murders of an Ambassador and his staff -- that I am tongue-tied.  I am so angry and so frightened and so furious that those attacks took place on the anniversary of 9/11 that I am red-faced.  So, since I can't clear my head enough to write about the whole thing, go over to Lagniappe's Lair and read Murph's take on those abominable (or perhaps I should say Obamanable) travesties.  Here's a little taste of Murph's post that is so spot on, and so very scary:

The reality is that they know exactly who they are messing with. They know that Barry Obama, for all of his willingness to use the power of the US Government against us citizens here to make us live as he deems proper, would sooner sell his wife and daughters in the Sudanese slave markets than risk making the world muslim community angrier at him personally.  And that last bit is important. Obama doesn't care if the world hates America as a nation; he has gone on record plenty of times hating it, too. Obama doesn't want the world hating him personally. It's always been all about him in his mind and that's how American foreign policy has been conducted since he took office. That's how we got to this point today and why it's only going to get worse for America until he's gone.

That's the heart of the matter, isn't it?  We're living with an Obama-centric foreign policy. 

I fear Israel will get tired of waiting around for the International Atomic Energy Agency to deal with Iran -- especially after being snubbed yet again by the White House -- and take drastic, irremediable action. 

In that case we may as well roll out Dr. Strangelove.

See you in the mineshafts.

There Actually Were More Innocent Times . . .

(L to R) Elder Daughter, Younger Daughter, and JB's Little in more innocent times:

Sometimes this photo haunts me.

As does this day.

God bless America.

Party Politics, and Happenings at Moogie's Mansion

I'm really, really glad the political party conventions are over.  We were able to see Ann Romney before the power went out, but missed Paul Ryan and Mitt.  And Eastwood!  We missed Clint Eastwood!  The battery operated radio was all-Isaac, all the time.

Ann Romney was some kind of impressive -- sincere, intelligent, and she didn't insult the intelligence of those listening to her, unlike a certain First Lady who shall remain nameless, and who flexed her muscles behind the podium a lot.

I did watch most of the network coverage of the Democrats.  I know -- why?  That was Pepper's take on the whole thing, but I wanted to see what was being said for myself instead of relying on the media to convey content.

Wanting to hear for myself turned out to be a big mistake when Clinton did his marathon pat-himself-on-the-back speech.  Did the Democrats learn nothing from his performance when nominating Dukakis?  Now maybe you understand why we Arkies used the phrase, "Clinton Time," when he was governor.  He was always late, and always ran over.

It was probably a mistake to watch the Young President, too.  That is the tallest drink of aloof, narcissistic sparkling water I've ever encountered.  Pepper had to leave the room on several occasions to do a little guitar therapy in order to ward off a stroke.  And what a finale!  Splat.  Serves them right for unnecessarily moving the location because of the non-existent "bad weather."

Anyway, now we're in the home stretch and I expect the robo-calls to begin at any minute.  With dread.  Serious dread.

So, what's been happening at Moogie's Mansion since the storm?  We're still waiting on the roofer -- blue tarp is in place, though, as is the downed chimney cap.  Man, that thing made quite a racket when it hit the deck!  Pepper went into manic Captain Ahab mode with painting and door-repairing and more painting.  And yard cleaning.

The city has been pretty overwhelmed in getting the debris picked up.  Isaac was such a slow mover that there was almost as much tree debris as after Katrina -- 54 consecutive hours of sustained winds in excess of at least 40 mph, with gusts at over 90.  But, yesterday (I know!  On a Sunday!) I heard the sound of heavy equipment and this is what I saw:



Yes. I realize that Moogie is very easily entertained on occasion.  (And a guy that doesn't look very much like Andy gave me a hint on Facebook about turning the phone sideways when taking future videos. Thanks, Andy -- and friend!)

Of course, they only picked up the debris that was piled up (by the homeowners, thank you very much), not the stuff that has been bagged.  So, we still have quite an impressive pile of bags littering the curbs.  *sigh*

And, today Moogie did a little money laundering:

Shhh!  Don't tell the authorities!

From Today's Inbox -- Explosive!

A fellow concealed carry permit holder sent this to me today -- I dare you to watch it without smiling and cheering.



See what I mean? 

One small thing, however -- I think Grandpa needs a little time at the range.  Aim for the core!

And someone needs to tell the woman holding her hands over her ears that she should not wander into the line of fire.

I hope the thugs broke their front teeth when they hit the deck while trying to escape. 

A Post-Isaac Labor Day Tribute

You see what I mean about there being no hope for Moogie's hair? This was pre-restoration of the AC.

So.  As we await the refrigerator repair guy (yep, the ice chute cover keeps opening and closing all by itself, and the control panel keeps flashing -- the fridge either blew a circuit somewhere during all the plugging and unplugging for generator respites, or it needs an exorcism.  Or both.), and the roofers (who arrived yesterday to replace the fallen chimney cap and discovered enough shingle damage to require a big blue tarp), and the insurance adjusters who will tell us that the repair costs don't quite meet the deductible, we come to that annual contemplation of Labor Day.  And the Second Annual re-telling of What Labor Day means to Moogie (and, I imagine, to Elder Daughter, the new Mommy):

Monday, September 6, 2010

What Labor Day Means to Moogie

As I prepare to bake an apple-blueberry pie to take to a potluck this afternoon, my thoughts drift to the true meaning of today's revered holiday observation.

Labor Day -- the day we recognize and acknowledge all those hours spent in a hospital gown that exposes our backside to the world, hee-hee-heeing and blowing, then straining to push a human being out of our bodies and into this world. (Often described by male physicians as "experiencing some discomfort.")

What's that you say? Union labor?!?!

Oh.

In that case, contact your senator and congressperson today -- and tomorrow -- and explain just exactly why the Employee Free Choice Act is no more than a communist mechanism to screw the rank-and-file employee and the employer simultaneously, and a device to take contractual bargaining out of the hands of the real parties in interest and hand it over to not-totally-disinterested third parties, among other unpleasant things.

In the meantime, go have a picnic -- and call your mother.

 

 

Lit Up at Moogie's Mansion!

When one has air conditioning, she can believe she's invincible!

And, also having television/cable/internet restored makes Moogie pretty darn awesome.  Except for her hair.  The hair is a lost cause. 

Trust me on this one.

After Isaac at Moogie's Mansion

Did I really say that it was fortunate there was a storm brewing so that Pepper could be distracted by tinkering with the generator? Do you think I had taken leave of my senses?

I do.

We're into day 4, maybe 5, with no power.

I will definitely assert that having a functioning generator is fortunate!  So is having gas for said generator.  Pepper left the house yesterday at 7:30 a.m. to get in line at a Walmart in Harahan (a 1 1/2 hour wait in line!) so he could give me 12 gallons of gas for my birthday! He's such a romantic!

Anyway, we've spent the last two nights on neighborhood porches, including one at Moogie's Mansion, in the company of good neighbors, guitar music, and lovely cocktails. (we've spent most of the days after getting clean-up done sitting around in our underwear in front of a fan when the generator is running.)

Pepper just saw several Entergy trucks and guys looking at the downed tree, distribution line, and transformer  that appear to be the source of our power outage. I hope they do more than look.

With all this humidity, I think I'm beginning to grow moss. It's not a very good color on me.

Birthdays and Hurricanes -- and Cocktails!

Moogie's Mansion is all shuttered up.  It's dark in here!

I spent my 2005 birthday in Little Rock, having evacuated for Katrina.  That's one birthday I'll never forget.

Pepper and I were just strolling down memory lane, trying to recall what we were doing when Hurricane Gustav blew in about this time in 2008. 

He was still running Disaster Management for Entergy back then (as a secondary responsibility to his regular position -- his last billet with Fifth Army was pretty much the same thing, except that the Fifth Army's responsibility for the Northcom region encompassed most of the central portion of the United States instead of just southeast Louisiana;  Entergy had flown him back to Baton Rouge from our evacuation in 2005 to manage the post-Katrina recovery as military liaison.  He apparently did a good job because they kept going back to him for subsequent storms -- and Russel Honore still gets on his last nerve.  Long story.), so he headed to the state EOC (Emergency Operations Center) in Baton Rouge while I loaded the car with a whole lot of stuff, plus three dogs, and set out for Little Rock.  In contraflow, the pace of which made snails look like Speedy Gonzales and his amigos.  The trip that usually takes 7 hours took more like 12, and there were no bathroom stops for the first 7 or 8 hours.  And I saw the remains of an enormous snake on the road, which meant that I had the heebie jeebies for the remainder of the trip.  And I had to walk three cranky dogs when I gassed up in Tallulah.  On my birthday. 

It turned out that Gustav hit Baton Rouge instead of New Orleans, and Pepper was stuck there.  Then, it tracked up into Arkansas and dumped a walloping amount of rain on me.

And Ike hit a week or so later, so I just stayed in Little Rock. In a house with three people, one bathroom, and four dogs.

Last year, TS Lee hit the weekend after my birthday, while our downstairs air conditioning was out of service.

We've decided that we're tired of celebrating my birthday in the company of hurricanes and tropical storms.

I think we deserved the fancy cheese tray during Cocktails with Isaac yesterday evening.

And , I think I really hope that Entergy doesn't call Pepper back from retirement to do one more round of consequence management, disaster or otherwise!

I think cocktail hour might arrive a little early today.

Isaac, the Unwelcome Guest

The timing is pretty lousy.

Pepper spent the morning nailing shutters closed while I picked up outdoor knick-knacks.  The generator is primed and non-perishable foodstuffs are at the ready.  We're going to Lowe's this afternoon to pick up a few solar lights -- they work great when the power goes out at night. 

Then we wait.

And try to keep a sense of humor:

But, the lousy timing -- the anniversary of Katrina -- is pretty bad.  I had to re-schedule my hair appointment!!

Cheers, y'all.  Keep us in your positive thoughts, please.

Change in the Wind at Moogie's Mansion

Did you fear I'd vanished from the face of the Earth?

No such luck, guys. 

The process of Pepper easing into retirement has been anything but easy so far.  Even so, we are both beginning to adjust.

Except for that part about him being in the house. All. Day. Long. 

Every. Day.

Now that he has gotten most all of the home repair projects done, he now spends most of his time sitting in front of the desktop (he had to give his laptop back to the company) while he works on his new gig -- performing and developing labor relations as a contractor.  This last part gives me very little computer time, so I've been following blogs and stuff on the iPad, but I don't have the correct app to allow me to do my own blog posts with pictures and stuff.  Moogie is not very Apple savvy, as Elder Daughter regularly points out.

Fortunately, there is a storm brewing in the Gulf, so that has focused his attention on getting the generator in shape in case (hopefully not!) it is needed in the next several days, and that means I get some quality computer time!  Quality, but apparently not much quantity -- I just heard him pull into the garage, so I'd better get this finished so I can "help" him with this latest project ( read: observe, praise, and troubleshoot). 

I ran across this clever little post at International Liberty this morning and thought I'd share:

"The Difference Between Liberals, Conservatives, and Texans

September 30, 2009 by Dan Mitchell

You’re walking down a deserted street with your wife and two small children. Suddenly, a dangerous looking man with a huge knife comes around the corner, locks eyes with you, screams obscenities, raises the knife, and charges. You are carrying a Glock 40 and you are an expert shot. You have mere seconds before he reaches you and your family. What do you do?
______________________________________________________________________________
Liberal’s Answer:
Well, that’s not enough information to answer the question!
+ Does the man look poor or oppressed?
+ Have I ever done anything to him that would inspire him to attack?
+ Could we run away?
+ What does my wife think? What about the kids?
+ Could I possibly swing the gun like a club and knock the knife out of his hand?
+ What does the law say about this situation?
+ Does the Glock have an appropriate safety built into it?
+ Why am I carrying a loaded gun and what kind of message does this send to society and my children? Is it possible he’d be happy with just killing me?
+ Does he definitely want to kill me or would he just be content to wound me?
+ If I were to grab his knees and hold on, could my family get away while he was stabbing me?
This is all so confusing! I need to debate this with some friends for a few days to try to come to a conclusion.
______________________________________________________________________________
Conservative’s Answer:
BANG!
______________________________________________________________________________
Texan’s Answer:
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! click (sounds of reloading).
Wife: “Sweetheart, he looks like he’s still moving. What do you kids think?”
Son: “Mom’s right Dad, I saw it too…”
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! click.
Daughter: “Nice grouping, Daddy! Were those the Winchester Silver Tips?”"

I like it! 

I also see a new laptop in our future.

Checking In

Still around -- doing the Moogie thing with baby Jack and his parents. Also dog sitting Zeus while Younger Daughter and SIL#2 are taking a long overdue vacay. As I posted on Facebook yesterday, I feel so very needed and important!

Pepper has nearly killed himself patching and painting and packing and getting Moogie's Mansion in spiffy condition to put on the market.  The sign went up in the yard a few days ago.  Mixed emotions.

We're all overdosing on Olympics.  Waiting for Mitt to take off the gloves.  And walking on crunchy grass. Holy cow! It's just ridiculous! I even heard on the radio news today that the Mississippi River is so low that commerce is being affected in the whole basin.

Oh. And the Honey Badger has been kicked out of the Tiger Den.  Sorry, Andy!  It looks like Bobby Petrino is working an apology strategy. Could be interesting. Sorry I'm not linking -- I'm still on the Apple (iPad) learning escalator.

And tired.

But, the little stinker is cuter every day; now starting to make, and hone in on, eye contact. Holding and looking at him is the very definition of awe.  My Daddy got to meet him today.  There were 4 generations in the same room!  A miracle unparalleled.

And, three of those generations graduated from the University of Arkansas! WPS!!!!!

Family -- Wow!

Moogie and Pepper are thrilled to announce the arrival of grandson John Michael  ("Jack") on Thursday, July 26, 2012, at 11:55 a.m.. He weighed in at 8 lbs 3oz, and stretched 21".  (Big, healthy boy!).

ALERT -- childbirth stuff! (recorded mainly as a memory aid for Moogie)

We finally got them out of the hospital and home yesterday.

It seems that Moogie passed along a bizarre genetic defect to Elder Daughter that allows the placenta to grow into the uterus, and usually that means that a part of the placenta gets torn off and remains there after birth, to be sloughed days later.  For Moogie, having a positive Rh factor, this was mostly an inconvenience plus a little extra cramping and excessive blood loss. For Elder Daughter, however, it was a bit more problematic.

It also seems that Pepper passed along a negative Rh factor to Elder Daughter, but she didn't pass it along to Jack.  That meant that the retained placenta fragment was leaking Rh Positive fetal cells into her bloodstream. All that, added together, caused a perfect storm threatening to reject future pregnancies that involve an Rh+ fetus.

So, after consults with specialists and professors and colleagues, the docs kept Elder Daughter hospitalized, and did a DNC on Sunday to remove what they then assumed was the last of not-sloughed retained placenta to stop the flow of Rh positive fetal cells. That turned out to be good all the way around, even if it did send Moogie into weepy spasms because her seriously fatigued and weak 31year old baby girl was going under general anesthesia; the DNC stopped a week-long, in essence, labor trying to get rid of that last bit of placenta. And it gave them more time to wage the Rh war.

To win that war, Elder Daughter would have to endure additional RhoGRAM injections of a bazillion CCs, every 6 hours, for 42 hours.  Fortunately, the injections could be administered by IV push instead of shots (fortunate because tthe shots apparently really hurt!).

It turned out that the Rh numbers after the last planned injection were nearly perfect, but not 100%, so the docs decided to give her one last dose of the R stuff on Tuesday.  But they didn't make her stay in the hospital or go to their office to do another analysis of her blood levels because they were confident that all will be well.

So, Elder Daughter's new family got to go home Tuesday afternoon to introduce the canine children to the human child.  As Moogie remarked, the pups have a new pet!

No one on the maternity floor, or within the doctors' experience, had ever experienced a rising measure of positive numbers postpartum following a few extra doses of RhoGRAM. Daughter's nurses had never experienced administering more than one RhoGRAM shot to an Rh- mom, and Daughter experienced  a total of seventeen. So, it looks like the arrival of Baby Jack will be documented in medical literature.  The docs are already gathering data to help defuse future perfect storms for many Rh- people.  And that's a good thing.

But, in the here-and-now,  Moogie is grateful to a loving God that we have an Elder Daughter, a Jack, and the promise of future Elder Daughter-lets. 


Meanwhile, welcome Baby Jack, and thank you, God, for the countless blessings!


I'm On the iPad, pics to follow.  He's a cute little stinker!

You're Secondary in Your Children's Hearts, American Parents

The Young President arrived in New Orleans on Wednesday to snarl traffic, raise campaign funds, and to define his position on government's role in our lives during a speech he delivered to the Urban League convention. He actually uttered the words in quotations. The AP reports:

Obama's message was comprehensive, but he ultimately did not promise anything specific. He spoke of community policing strategies and mental health centers, or programs that steer people away into safe activities instead of gang violence, of ensuring that parents and teachers step in to fill a hole in a child's heart "that government alone cannot fill."

Parents should step up to fill a hole in their children's hearts that government alone cannot fill?!?!" Seriously?!?! Did those words come from the mouth of Barack Obama or Hugo Chavez? Oh. That's what I thought. To repeat the obvious, we simply cannot give this guy a second, lame duck term in the White House.

A Much Needed Smile

Crazy times!  Fortieth high school reunion over the weekend, looooong car trip yesterday due to several mishaps involving a satellite radio glitch, truck keys unremembered in Little Rock until we were an hour out of Little Rock (said truck having been left in Jackson, Mississippi, and needing to be picked up), an extra gas and potty stop (see "truck keys unremembered," above), and another brief stop so that Pepper could make his periodic contribution to the traffic treasury fund of Lake Providence. 

The first POD arrived today (Man!  Those things, and delivery system, are some kind of cool!) and needs to be loaded.

If the grandbaby hasn't arrived by then, I turn around and head back to Little Rock on Wednesday for an extended stay after they induce Elder Daughter on Thursday.

It was one-hundred-freakin'-nine degrees in Little Rock last Friday!!!

Bouie's a little freaked out and needy with all the commotion (and especially with all the extra stops on the trip home where he didn't even get to get out of the car, much less go swimming somewhere).

I won't even go to Aurora.

So, when I opened an email today that promised to give me a much-needed smile, and it really did, I thought I'd share it with you.



I hope you experienced a grin.  You're welcome.

Brain Dysfunction = Stolen Video

Just a fun, bouncy little ditty that showed up in the inbox.  Kinda makes a body want to get up and dance:



I kinda like the "aloha."

Emily Post Would be Appalled

From today's Inbox, a little note from Michelle --

Moogie --

Barack turns 51 next month, and there will be a little celebration at our house in Chicago.

We'd like to give grassroots supporters an opportunity to join in the fun. You guys deserve it, and I know Barack would personally love to see you there.

Donate $3 or whatever you can today, and you'll be automatically entered to get your name added to the guest list.

Barack's birthday is one of the last opportunities he'll get for a little downtime before the final weeks of the election.

That won't stop me from teasing him about all those new gray hairs he has -- though I think it's fair to say he's earned every one.

So if you're standing with Barack for the final months of his final campaign, there's no better way to show it than by making a donation to build this grassroots organization today.

If you do, you'll be automatically entered for the chance to join him for his birthday celebration in Chicago. We'll also fly you out and take care of all the travel arrangements.

Enter today:

https://donate.barackobama.com/Birthday

Thank you,

Michelle

Geez!  These are the gift-grubbingest people I've heard of in a long time!  "Come to my party, but not until you've sent me money.  It might not be a bad idea to bring a little extra cash with you if you win."

They seriously need a crash course in etiquette.  Or, as I pointed out more than a year ago, Southern Mothers.

The Re-Running of the Bulls

Happy Bastille Day!  Pepper and I have been busy packing and cleaning and cleaning and packing, trying to get Moogie's Mansion on the market.  It's been very rainy here today, but they held the Running of the Bulls, New Orleans style, anyway.  SIL#1's cousin and his wife once again were participants.  She commented on a Facebook picture of them, "It's way too early to be this intoxicated."  Heh.  So, in case you don't remember, here's a re-run of last year's post about the Festival of San Fermin in Nueva Orleans (among other Stuff) --

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Stuff, and Summer Celebrations -- a Little Late, a Little Early -- Eh, Who Cares, We're in the South

It's a miserable, beastly hot Saturday afternoon in New Orleans. I just came in from taking Rosie out -- I swear I worked up a sweat just sitting on the steps in the shade, watching her go around and around in circles. It even smells hot.

Nonetheless, this morning some 9,000 crazy folk, dressed in white with red sashes and neckerchiefs, participated in the 2011 Fiesta del San Fermin de Nueva Orleans -- The Running of the Bulls in New Orleans -- just a couple of days after its famous progenitor took place in Pamplona.

Moogie was not among the 9,000 but at least 2 of SIL#1's cousins were. One wore a red tutu instead of a red sash. She looked adorable, at least she did in the picture she posted on Facebook.

(Photos were stolen from the NOLA.com and a Facebook friend.)

As we tend to do down here, we added our very own twist to the festivities. First off, alcohol is de rigueur. Obviously. If one is to get out in the heat very early on a Saturday in July, one should be adequately lubricated. Note that I did not say, "hydrated."

Next, there are no bulls. Or even cows. Instead, the festival-goers are chased and bludgeoned with foam bats by be-horned New Orleans Roller Girls -- members of the local women's roller derby team.

The after-party will take place tonight and is entitled, "La Fiesta de Pantalones" (The Pants Party). Don't ask me, I don't know why there's a pants party with Spanish food and Latin music, but it does kinda sound like fun.

Also, many of the celebrations of Bastille Day kicked off yesterday. I think my favorite is the Waiters Race, where a whole bunch of waiters compete against one another by running with full trays of cocktails. At Moogie's Mansion, we will be celebrating France's Independence on July 14th by accepting delivery of a new mattress. Excitement abounds around here during the summer.

Finally, here's a re-post of the lizard getting a drink, downloaded from YouTube. The quality is definitely better than the original.


And UPDATE!! The Causeway is still the world's longest bridge over open water, after the Guiness folks added a new category, "Longest Bridge Over Open Water (continuous)!" The Cheating Cheater Chinese now have the "longest bridge over open water (aggregate)." So, I guess sometimes, cheaters do prosper. But record-holding bridges are record-holding bridges, as the article expresses!

About Cheating Cheaters -- it seems that THE Ohio State University "vacated" its wins for the 2010 season, including the Sugar Bowl, which was stolen from the Hogs by various and sundry guys wearing stripes. But, apparently, the Suckeyes don't have to forfeit and they don't have to return the money they got from the good folks at the Sugar Bowl. So, I guess, sometimes, cheaters really prosper.

But, even though it may be hot, life is generally good down here in southeast Louisiana.

It would be even better if some terrorist would blow up the Golf Channel's transmitter. Just sayin'.

Stolen Baby Alligators -- UPDATE

Today's Inbox reports the capture of the alligator rustlers posted about here on Tuesday:

8^th District officers spotted, chased and arrested a would-be car burglar last night.  Once they pulled his record, they found he was wanted for stealing baby alligators from the Audubon Zoo’s gift shop on July 4^th.

Sgt. Mark Mumme was patrolling the 900-block of Poey Farre Street at about 9:45 last night when he noticed 29-year-old Rodney L. Thornton pulling on several door handles of parked cars. When Mumme approached Thornton, Thornton took off, so Mumme requested back-up.  One responding officer saw Thornton pull a gun from his waistband, and drop it on the ground as he continued to run.  The gun was recovered, and officers apprehended Thornton when he chose to run through an open lot.

Once they looked up Thornton’s record, officers learned that Thornton had been identified as one of two men who abandoned a container of live baby alligators near the intersection of Soraparu and Rousseau Streets on July 5^th.  The men then took off in what turned out to be a stolen car.  

20-year-old Kawayne Powell, who was also wanted in the stolen alligators case, turned himself in at the Second District Police Station yesterday at about 10:00 A.M. He was booked with Possession of Stolen Property, and had previously been arrested for Simple Criminal Damage to Property, Unauthorized Use of a Moveable, Trespassing and Warrants. 

Rodney Thornton was booked with Illegal Possession of Things (Alligators), Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, 2 Counts of Armed Robbery, Attempted Armed Robbery, Tampering and Resisting a Police Officer.    He was previously arrested for Burglaries, Attempted Burglary, Possession of Burglary Tools, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Theft, and Possession of Stolen Property under and over 500.00 and Cruelty to Animals.


The Police Superintendent went on to commend his officers and to point out that “This is a clear cut example of the fact that most criminals are not specialists…they’re generalists." 

Creative, albeit not the brightest, generalists.

My favorite things in the email blast are the crime of "Illegal Possession of Things (Alligators)," and tacking on a charge of "Cruelty to Animals," although "Unauthorized Use of a Moveable" is kinda interesting, too. 

You will note that the mystery of the missing alligator based on the alligator head-count recounted in the Tuesday email is still floating around out there.  I'm kinda glad I don't live near the alligator dumping ground!