Yesterday was a typical day. The alarm went off at 4:40 AM I got up and reset the alarm to wake Lisa at 5:30. I then got dress, poured myself a bowl of cereal and turned on the news so I could catch the headlines before heading to work.

At 5:25 I headed for my truck. While driving to work I listened to a Cajun music CD of the Magnolia Sisters. I meet Izzy, the night time top operator, in the Central Control Room. He told me how things went and what I could expect on days. When he left I got a cup of coffee and visited with the Darrin and Gerald. These two were working the “board” job, which is the where the units we work are controlled from.

After about fifteen minutes talking with them about what they had to deal with in their units, headed to the unit. Upon entering the satellite I put my lunch in the icebox (refrigerator) went to my locker and got my coffee cup, poured myself another cup of coffee sat at our kitchen table and spoke with the rest of the crew.

When I finished my coffee, I poured myself a third cup coffee, went to the top operator’s desk and logged onto the computer. I read email, looked at my orders and the write ups from the previous shift. After completing this task I got an air monitor and went for a quick, walk through the units. I like to do this because I make a quick look at the units, listen for odd noises and do the early morning air monitoring. The air monitoring is normally and outside operator’s job, but since I am making my quick unit survey anyway I go ahead and do it. That way they can make their more detailed rounds without having to do the air monitoring too.

I worked untill about 5:45. After work I stopped at Gary J. for a beer and a visit. I visited with Gary and Liz for about and hour. Afte work I came home and had a regular evening.

Today was similar to yesterday, but it Halloween and not an regular evening. We had family and friends here when I got home. Lisa was made up like the Melifacent the witch in Disney’s Sleeping beauty. The boy’s had ghoul costumes.

Mark had made a great chicken and sausage gumbo. We ate good, had a good time and the boys got lots of candy.

Its bed time,
Kenith

Today was a work day for me. Usually Sundays are pretty laid back, but we had lots of problems with the UFH (Unit from Hell). That kept several of us busy for much of the day. We weren't bothered by supervisors or engineers, and that is always a good thing.

When I got home, the boys wanted me to play fetch with the dog. I would throw the toy and the boys and their young couson would try to get the item from Oakly (our Lab). We had fun doing that then we played a little football. By the tiem we finished it was starting to get dark and we all came inside.

This evening I placed a call to an old Navy buddy. I he popped into my mind and so I Goggled he and his wife and found them in California. The are Ric and Tsugumi. Ric was aNavy photographer and he went on cruise with us out of Yokusuka, Japan on the USS Lockwood. We spent a month (October I think) sailing off the eastern coast of the Soviet Union.

One day we launched our helicopter, Ric was with us, and we found a Russian Victor III submarine sitting on the surface. Ric got the first ever official photographs of this new Soviet submarine. I say official, because we all had nice cameras and we were stationed in Japan.

When we returned to Atsugi, Japan Ric and I remained good friends and I then got to know his fiancee, Tsugumi. We were good friends and kept in tuch for a little while after I left the Navy. He and Tsugumi sent me a picture of their first child (who is now in his twenties) when he was a baby. Then we lost touch until I contacted Ric via email after my google search.

It was graet to speak to both Ric and Tsugumi. I hope to keep in touch with them from here on out.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

I just got off the phone with my eldest son, Christian. He is in the Navy and still at his A school. He should graduate in a few weeks and then he is off to Air Crew School (which I attended in 1979) and then S.E.R.E. school (I wrote a little about my experiance at S.E.R.E. here) and on to the fleet.

Its a big day for Christian because today is his 21st birthday. So he is now of age and sais he is going to go the the bowling ally on base and have a few beers with some friends. I wish I could be there with him, and if I were off work tomorrow I would have willing made the drive and had a beer with my son.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

Yesterday was an uneventful day. I went to St. Michael and all the Angels Episcopal Church for their Wednesday morning Eucharistic Service. Rev. Cook, in his homily, did a good job discussing St. James.

After the worship service I returned home and got to work. The back of my pickup was already half full with sheet rock from my bedroom ceiling. I then loaded a good deal of rotting wood, the remainder of my trees that were knocked over by hurricane Rita two years ago, into the back of the truck. After piling the truck bed high with oak logs, I headed for a nearby land fill and disposed of it all.

On returning home I cut the grass. I did not "mow the lawn" because we Cajuns cut grass. I think lawn mowing is for professionals and the people who hire them. We have hired our neighbour's teenage sons to cut our grass, a time or two, but they're not professional "lawn mowers" so even in when we have hired some one, it has always been to cut the grass. :-)

After cutting the grass the next item on my agenda was to pick up the boys after school, which I did. Our afternoon was pretty mundane as well. The boy's did their homework and and then we played fetch with the dog in the front yard (notice I did not say "front lawn"). Then we went down the road to Woody and Elisabeth's new home for grilled burgers. Lisa stayed home because she got home late, had had a long day and was tired.

By 9 pm Lisa and the boys were all in bed. MK came over bearing wine. I lit a fire in the fire pit on the porch. It was beautiful, cool fall evening and we sat by the fire drank a couple of glasses of wine and discussed matters of great weight and importance. We discussed issues like LSU football, Nick Saban, and whether or not Les Miles had a big set of manliness or was he simple a loose canon.

We also talked theology and what we have recently read in the Church Fathers, John Calvin, etc... We are agreed that reading the stuff we read puts us in the "weird" column. We discussed the schismatic problems of Protestantism and reasons why we can not "Return to Rome." We "feel" like we are in an ecclesiastical "no man's land" and really don't fit in anywhere. (I discuss this more on my As I see It blog.)

After sitting around the fire enjoying the conversation and the wine, we walked around the neighbourhood and prayed for a while. It was a good time of fellowship and prayer.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

I worked off graveyards this morning. While I was sleeping my Rescue beeper went off. My wife heard the beeper and she called the refinery to see if I needed to get up and go to the plant. See was told that there was a man down but I was not needed.

I woke a little after noon to go to the restroom Lisa told me about the beeper and her call. I immediately called the unit board man to find out what had happened. I young man working in my area of the plant went down becaus of H2S vapours. Two of my friends saw him collapse. the but both put on a SCBA and pulled the man away from the contaminated area. It was too late. All attempts to revive the man were to no avail. He was dead.

Everyone at work was stunned. How and why this happened we don't yet know.

I just took an Ambian so I can sleep tonight and try to get back on a normal schedule tomorrow.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

Saturday was Election Day, so when I left work in the morning I went directly to my polling place. I was the first one there and had to wait three minutes before I could vote at 6 am. I voted for our governor elect, Bobby Jindal and others.

After voting I went home, poured myself a pint of Guinness, relaxed and checked for a few minutes before heading to bed. When I woke I checked on Lisa, who is not feeling well, and then my youngest son and I went and threw the football for a while. Then it was time to go to work.

Saturday evening at work was not bad. We did have sporadic periods of business, but I was still able to catch a little of the LSU game over the radio during lulls in activity. I caught the last ten minutes of the game where LSU went ahead 20 to 17, then Auburn scored and it was 24 to 20 and finally with one second left the Tigers pulled out a win with a touchdown pass. I don’t know who caught Flynn’s pass, because the roar of the crowd was so loud that you could not make out a word the sportscasters had to say until the kickoff that followed.

I wish I could have seen it. I called MK how is the biggest LSU fan that I know and after that I spoke with Woody as he and Elisabeth were trying to exit from the stadium. Everyone was ecstatic.

I was able to find out about the governors race shortly after the game ended, but I had to wait for the Sunday paper to get the rest of the election results, because we no longer have access to the web at work.. Just last week the company cut out the Internet, so I could not look up the results on line.

When I got home Sunday morning. I poured myself another Guinness, and I am going to sit on the front porch, relax and enjoy my Guinness Then I will clean up and go to bed. If I sleep until 2 pm I will have a good day’s sleep..

Coram Deo,
Kenith

I just came home from work and I am getting ready for bed. Work last night was quiet, which is the way I like it. It can make for a long 12 hour shift, but I find that I can occupy my time when things are slow. If all things are going OK then work at night and on weekends is mostly a babysitting job. There are a a few things you have to do, but there is a lot of time to use up also.

Our first night on shift, I volunteered to fix food. I made pain perdu (French Bread) with bacon and sausage. Last night Mac made spaghetti and tonight Matt is making SOS. We do eat good when we work graveyard shift.

Yesterday I awoke around 1:30 pm. I picked up the boys at school at three and we worked on home work until after 4:30, then the boys and I threw the football for a little while before I had to leave for work.

That's about it.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

Last Friday night, MK and I sat on the front porch. It was a nice, cool evening so I lit a fire in my fire pot. We sat on the porch, drank wine, and talked about everyday stuff. For us, everyday stuff includes LSU football (we were both concerned about Kentucky), Reformed theology, the Early Church Fathers, and going to Festival Acadien at Lafayette on the next day. Some of my children joined us on the porch for small portions of our visit, including my lovely daughter.

Next morning, MK, his son, my two young sons and I all headed for Lafayette and the Festival. We met David H. at a McDonalds and he led us to the place to park. We then caught a shuttle to the festival. When we got there, the Lost Bayou Ramblers were on stage. They're a great young Cajun band.

We walked around, listened to music, at some food and drank a little beer. Our time there was cut short because the LSU-Kentucky game started a 2:30 pm. We got back to the car in time for the kick off and listened to the first half on the radio. We watched the rest of the game at MK's house. After the game the boys and I returned home. Kentucky earned their victory over the Tigers.

On Sunday we worshipped at Bethel (PCA), the previous week our family visited Trinity Baptist Church. The sermon was good, but I missed the liturgical style of worship that we have at Bethel.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

I don't belive that I had a day off from work for the whole month of September. That was bad enough but near the end of the month I had a email fight with my boss' boss. I think I came out way ahead in the exchange, because he was just plan wrong. But it is never a thing to have your boss' boss made at you.

I think I did the only thing I could honourably do in the situation I was placed in, but now I have to watch my step at work. I've spent most of my 16 years at the refinery trying to stay below the radar but that ended with a couple of emails.

I went and bought a laptop computer today (yesterday since it is 2 AM) and a router. I then spent 4 or 5 hours on the phone talking with folks in the Phillippines and India so I could get the router to work with my DSL connection.

My family is all well. Morgan is still in school and plans to graduate and marry next spring. Christian is in Pensicola and will be shipping off to other places in November. The little boys are well and my wife is more beautiful than ever (and that is saying something!!).

I will now get me a little sip of ouzo and go to bed.

Coram Deo,
Kenith