Just in Case It's Beyond Superstition . . .

I need friends and family members to be especially careful for awhile.

The mockingbird and blue jay are back.  Remember them from around Halloween a few years back?

The mockingbird isn't tapping at the window -- yet -- but he's scouting something.  His blue jay sidekick is building a nest in the ligustrum beside the front porch.  It's bound to attract the neighborhood feral cats who just love to gnosh on baby birds and leave a bloody mess beneath.

Anyway, since I was raised by a somewhat superstitious southern mother, I'm not letting a bird come into this house, so there's not going to be a death.  But, if you would all just use extra caution until I get this behind me, I'd be ever so appreciative.

Your Gift-Giving Guide

Blog buddy, Andy, occasionally shares "unusual" gift suggestions that he and Mrs. Andy have run across.  When I saw this one in a Bed, Bath and Beyond mailer in the "Great Gifts Under $20" section, I thought that I would do the same.  It's just what everyone needs!

For entertainment purposes only.  Heh.  The gift that keeps on giving (by saving the recipient all those attorneys' fees, court costs, and fines?).

This was a very entertaining mailer -- the Breathalyzer was positioned on the page right beside this gift suggestion--

Bed, Bath and Beyond is into irony!  Who knew?

Now, go warm up those credit cards!

A Magic Show in the Sky

Is this a cool picture, or what -- lightning passing through a rainbow!  From Wednesday's Times-Picayune:

Stranger Than Fiction

You can't make this stuff up.

I'm not one to find humor in the misfortune of others, but sometimes it just slaps you upside the head and begs to be shared with the world at large.

I got a phone call this morning from a long-lost friend, whom we shall refer to as "Law School Buddy" ("LSB"). We haven't seen him in years, but I recently re-connected with him via Facebook. I was really happy to have found him because he was in our wedding nearly 32 years ago and it's just good to know that he's alive and doing well. It turns out to have been a happy-making experience for him, too, as you shall see.

It seems that his son, LSB Jr., is down here with some classmates in New Orleans during college spring break doing good works with Habitat for Humanity. And, it seems that Junior and his buddies went to the Quarter last night for a little R &R as a reward for all their hard work.

After "boys will be boys" and all that jazz, it seems that one of Junior's comrades -- let's call him Dumb Ass -- became seriously over-served. He was so over-served (and engaging in some of the less than genteel behavior that often accompanies over-servement) that one of New Orleans' Finest, a mounted patrolman, sternly suggested that DA return to his hotel to sleep it off. DA took offense to that suggestion and, in an effort to make the officer aware of his dissatisfaction with said officer's suggestion, he also took a drunken, college-boy roundhouse swing at said cop.

See where we're heading?

So, LSB called me to get a little help locating a New Orleans jailhouse lawyer, giving me just the barest outline of the facts and Junior's cell phone number. After I talked to Junior the first time (and ascertained that he was in the clear and in one piece) it was hard to keep a straight face. Herewith is a little paraphrasing of that conversation:

Moogie: "So, what are the charges filed against DA?"

Junior: "Public intoxication, resisting arrest, and cruelty to animals."

Moogie:"Cruelty to animals? You mean he punched the horse, too?!?!"

Junior:"No, ma'am. He missed the cop and hit the horse instead."

Moogie:"Mmphhh . . . !"

It's hard to imagine, but we've lived in New Orleans for over a decade now and have yet to need the assistance of a criminal lawyer. Neither of us is licensed in Louisiana, so Pepper made some calls and I sent an email to a local attorney friend to get his recommendation. Here's the email:

"A friend's son is down here on spring break and one of his buddies got really messed up last night. (There's a surprise!) He swung at a cop and hit the horse instead. I know -- stop laughing. Anyway, he's charged with public intox, resisting arrest, and cruelty to animals. I know -- stop laughing. When our friend called, he said the kid had hit a cop -- I'm not sure which is worse.

Can you recommend a good criminal lawyer?"

When he called me with some names, our attorney friend agreed -- he's not sure whether hitting the cop or his horse would be worse. It was kind of hard to understand him when he said it because he was laughing so hard.

LSB stifled a chuckle, too, when I filled him in on the details later in the day.

The kid's in trouble, for sure, and I do hate to find humor in the misfortune of others, but . . . .

Like I said -- you can't make this stuff up!