This week we have received some good news and some bad news regarding Morgan's and Christian's injuries. On the good side, Morgan will not have to have surgery and is starting to get around better. The bad new is Christian will have to have surgery on his knee. When is the surgery? That is something we do not yet know.

After the surgery he will have several months before he will be able to get a new set of orders to a permanent duty station. This mean that he will still be in Pensacola in April and there should be no problem getting home for his sisters wedding.

We are moving into full blown Mardi Gras season here in South Louisiana. I am hoping that I can bring the boys to the Mardi Gras parade in either Lafayette or Lake Charles, but we are having serious problems at work (again) and I may be forced to work my days off. I should be off Saturday for sure, and perhaps we can make some events then. Mardi Gras can be good family fun and it can be very raunchy. I would like to do some of the family stuff with the kids.

I have to get up at 4:40 tomorrow morning so that I can get to work by 5:30, so I think I will finish sipping on my Ouzo and go to sleep.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

We got up and went to worship services at Bethel PCA. I am always impressed by the Pastor Steve's sermons. He is working his way through Ephesians and every sermon that I've heard has been very good.

After worship service we came home. Lisa made 'Sloppy Joe' for lunch and then she and Morgan went to Elisabeth's for a baby shower for Lisha, who's baby is due in late February. MK came over and picked up the boys and took them to Sam Houston Jone's State Park. Mark also came over to visit for a little while.

When everyone was gone I cleaned the floor in Christian's old room and started laying ceramic tile. I tiled more than half the room when folks started arriving. I finished the mud (thin set) that I had and called it quits and cleaned my tools. MK and the boys returned while I was still working and he left at about the time when I began cleaning up.

After cleaning up and feeding the boys, Gary came over. I started a fire in the fire pot and Gary and I sat on the porch by the fire, drank a Guinness and talked. After that Gary headed home. My youngest son joined me on the porch by the fire for a few minutes, then we came in said prayers with the boys and put them to bed.

Now I am going to bed also.

Kenith

Mark came over and he and I installed some French doors going from the kitchen to what was Christian's room. I was here by myself at the time so it should have been able to get a lot done. Lisa and Morgan were out doing stuff for her upcoming wedding and MK had come earlier and picked up the boys.

But before I could get started my cousin Chris and Mindy, his wife stopped by for a visit. We visited for a little while when MK came back with the boys. We opened a bottle of wine (a Syrah from California)and visited more. Mindy doesn't drink wine so Chris, Mike and I all had a good sized glass of wine (which killed the bottle). It was very good and if I were not feeling lazy at the moment, I would get up and find the bottle so I could say what winery it came from. I will try to but that information on the blog tomorrow.

Morgan is getting along fairly well on here crutches. I did carry her up the stairs this evening because it was getting late and I felt sorry for her.

I am pretty sure that we will worship at Bethel PCA tomorrow. Rev. Steve has preached a very good sermon every time I've heard him preach.

Well, I took an Ambian a few minutes ago and I am beginning to feel the affects. I need to get to sleep at a descent hour, so I am closing this post.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

Christian and Jessica returned to Pensacola Monday evening. I called him on his cell from work just as they were getting to Pensacola that night. He went to the doctor the next day and we found out that his ACL is also torn but we don't yet know whether he will have to have surgery or not.

I only worked two of my five graveyards, because I had taken the others off to visit with Christian. Today and yesterday I spent much of the day installing fiberglass insulation. I hate messing with that stuff. The folks that built our current house did a crappy job of insulating it. It was because of the damage from Hurricane Rita that I learned how poorly the this place is insulated and I've been working to fix the problem as I have been able.
Tomorrow Mark and I will but in a new door from the kitchen to the new computer/TV room (Christian's old bed room) and also sheet rock. After that is done I will do install ceramic tile.

Later,
Kenith

The temperature is supposed to drop into the upper twenties (Fahrenheit), which is very cold for South Louisiana. Today was a cold day with a moderate north wind. I love this type of weather, it is rare for us and I enjoy it when we get it. We get month after month of HOT, muggy weather (which I don’t like) in the summer and even in the winter we can wear shorts and tee shirts a good part of the time.

More important than the weather, Christian is home for the weekend. He is getting around pretty good on his bum knee. He has a brace on it and it doesn’t seem to bother him to much as long as he is careful. He did bring a friend home with him, a pretty, red headed young lady form NW Pennsylvania. She is also in the Navy.

We had concerns about where to put them, but it has been worked out. The young lady is using Morgan’s room and Christian had the choice between the sleeping on the 3rd (half storey) floor or the couch. He chose the couch.

Today was a quiet day. Christian, Jessica, and Morgan went to meet Recie and Paul at Buffalo Wild Wings. The boys and I hung out at the house and Lisa worked.

Lisa and I went shopping when she got home. Then I assisted her in preparing supper. She cooked a beef and potato stew that was wonderful. All our family was here along with Danny, Jessica, Recie and Paul. There was more than enough and everyone ate well. After supper we had King Cake for dessert.

You can tell by the pictures that the young people sat at the table. Lisa, the boys and I ate a the bar.

Morgan did get to see an orthopedic yesterday. He says that her she has a chipped bone in her foot. She may have to have surgery. She starts her last semester of college next week and will be unable to drive. This makes getting her to school, logistcally speeking, very complicated. Oh well, we will make it work somehow.

I need to go to sleep so I can wake in time for worship services tomorrow.

Coram Deo,
Kenith
Ps. Lisa plans to make a Chicken and Sausage Gumbo tomorrow!!!!!

Well we had a very interesting weekend around here. We found out that Morgan did, in fact, break her right ankle in her wreck on the 2-10 bridge. When I got home Saturday evening, she was in my bed (on my side of the bed) and two of my nieces (her cousins) were there too, as was Lisa and they were all watching a DVD of some television series that the cousins brought over.

Morgan's room is upstairs, so she could not get to her bed, and she therefore confiscated my bed and bedroom. With four women in our king size bed watching multiple episodes of some chick series, that I had never heard, I decided to move the alarm clock, and some bedding to the couch in the living room. I could have moved to Morgan's room, but I preferred to crash out on the couch.

I went to bed (couch) about 9:30 and the alarm went off a 4:40 AM Sunday morning and headed off to work. We had a very quiet Sunday at work and Mac (the top operator of or sister progression unit with which we share a single control room) volunteered to cook. We had another feast. Mac cooked deer sausage and red gravy, mustered greens with pork sausage and dinner rolls. We also had chocolate cake, King cake, and Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream for dessert. We do eat a lot of wild game on the job.

Earl Sunday afternoon, Lisa called to tell me that Christian had called. He was on the way to the Navy hospital after hurting his knee playing football with his buddies on base. I spoke with him today; his MCL is messed up and he will not be able to continue in Air Crew School and has, for now, lost his orders and is in limbo until his knee is healed. Then he will likely get knew orders to God alone knows where.

I worked today. It was a typical busy Monday. My shift worked off this afternoon and we are off until Friday evening.

Morgan is still in my bed. Lisa's sister is having day surgery, so she has to get up early to be with he r sister and I will have to get the boys up and off to school in the morning.

Coram deo,

Kenith

Ps. This is what is left of Morgan's car:

Today started in a frightening way. A phone call from Morgan woke me. She had been in an accident on the 2-10 bridge. A car ahead of her had some how flipped she saw debris and then the overturned car which was taking up part of both lanes. She had slowed down after seeing the debris but she was not quick enough and hit the other vehicle.

When she called me she was calm and the police were on the scene. She was taken to Cal-Cam Hospital for x-rays. She has a broken foot, a serious bruise where her seatbelt comes across her shoulder and some other lesser bruises. We are very thankful that it was not worse than it was and she should be all healed up long before her wedding day.

I was late for work because I was at the emergency at shift change. Patrick worked over until I got to work, but I was not more than 30 minutes late. I had volunteered to cook for the crew today, and I had all the food, so it was important that I make it in today. I cooked Navy beans and black-eyed peas with sausage and tasso and for a special treat I also cooked a ponce (a pig stomach stuffed with pork and Cajun spices then smoked) that was purchased a Le Jeune's Sausage Kitchen in Eunice.

Most of the guys at work had never eaten ponce, and they did not sound very enthused when I told them about it earlier in the week. Randy (who is from Ville Platte) and Steve (who's family used to have a popular butcher shop) had both cooked it before so with their guidance we got it done. We added some tasso and sausage to the ponce pot and made a good gravy.
Both the beans and the ponce went over big. Everyone tried the ponce and loved it. I expected to have leftover ponce for lunch tomorrow but it did not survive the day and I promised to make ponce again in the future.

We had a very quiet Saturday here at the refinery and now I am getting ready to go home, where I will post this on the blog.

Later,
Kenith

I have just put the boys to bed and I'm sitting here drinking a Samuel Adams Boston Lager. I started day shift today and it was an OK day at work. Nothing crazy or disastrous took place. We had no fires and no major piece of equipment decided to crash today.

This last week Mark and I gutted the LAST room in our house that we have to work on post Hurricane Rita. I know it has been more than two years since the hurricane, but after the first year Lisa and I were exhausted and we let several things slide for about six months before beginning again.

Except for new Cabinets, Lisa and I did almost all the work the first year. For this last bit we have hired Mark (the guy who built the cabinets) to do a lot of the work and we are mostly helping him.

Here is a picture of our gutted room. We did not have to gut the room, but we (actually Lisa) decided to make some to some big design changes and so we gutted it. The floor was ruined by the storm and had already been removed, as was a some of the ceiling and wall, so instead of simple repair we opted to take advantage and make it into something more to our liking.

Here are a few more of my HSL 33 Det 3D photos:

This is me. I had to check the tie downs chains on the helo because of the weather.

Jeff Faucher playing frisbee on the helo deck. Notice the string? It was tied to the deck.

The guys looking out from the helo hanger. We were on the USS Lockwood.

The guys taking a break while the helicopter is off on a flight. I was flying when this was taken.

Mandy Budomo, Marc Harting, Jeff Lovelass, Bret Hodges, Bill Ogan, Jeff Faucher, Ric Rew.

This is me. I think were pulling into port near Hiroshima, Japan in 1981.

Don Ferguson, Jeff Loveless, and Jeff Faucher as we pull into port.

GEAUX TIGERS

It is official. The LSU Tigers have beaten Ohio State for the National Championship. Way to go LSU.

Before the game, I was not feeling very good, but I did have the energy to start scanning pictures from way back when, when I was in the Navy. Many of our photos, including a good deal of my Navy pictures were destroyed by Hurricane Rita. It has taken me a while but I have finally decided to digitise what we still have, and I started today.


Here are some of my pictures from 1981. I was a member of HSL 33 and we were deployed to Atsugi, Japan. We were part of Detachment (Det) 3D. From there we went to sea several times with the frigate USS Lockwood, which was based out of Yokosaka, Japan.

Here are pictures from that cruise:

Above is Jeff Faucher removing the chains so the helicopter can take off.

This is a picture of our photographer's mate Ric Rew.

This is Brett Hodges handing me the pins to the landing gear before takeoff.

Marc Harting in the "console seat"

Marc and I were to two air crewman on this detachment. We had to full flight crews - Four officers pilots and copilots and two air crewmen.

The guy in yellow is Don Ferguson. He was the plane captain on this take off.

I will post more pictures from HSL 33 Det 3D in future posts.

Coram Deo,

Kenith

It's getting late and everyone is in bed but me. I am sitting on the couch, sipping on a little Ouzo and taking a few minutes to write on my blog. Fox News is on the TV.

This morning we worshipped at Bethel Presbyterian (PCA). There was a baptism this morning and the sermon was about infant baptism in light of God's covenant promises. I am a firm believer in paedo-baptism (i.e. infant baptism) and I blogged on that subject a number of times. Some of them can be found here. Pastor Wright's sermon on the subject (the first of two) was very good. He is a fine preacher and I think he will be good for Bethel.

After worship we came home. Lisa had cooked red beans with ham for dinner and they were soooooo good. Mark came offer and helped Lisa and me move some of Morgan's and Christian's. furniture. In don't like to do work like this on Sunday's but it was an "ox in the ditch" situation.

I also washed, Oakly, Christian's lab (which we have inherited). Her bath was over due.

It was an ok day. Christian made it to Florida yesterday and this afternoon Morgan made it home from Corpus.

It was an OK day.

Kenith

Our son, Christian, just drove off in his Dodge truck. He is headed back to Florida, and the Navy. I had to work for most of the time that he was home, but last night I was able to spend some time with him. We went out to eat at the Outback Steakhouse where Christian used to work before he went into the Navy. Lisa, Christian, and Troy (Lisa's brother) and I had a nice visit.

Today, Morgan and Danny are driving to Corpus Christi, TX for a wedding, Troy is on the road going to Eastern Kentucky for work and Christian is headed east to Florida, where he will be going to Air Crew School. I attended the same school way back in 1979.

Lisa has been out and about this morning, but she is now home and we have lots of work that needs to be done and its time to start. I have to get started, so this is the end of this post.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

Our Kids

Regrettably, I spent almost all the Christmas holiday season at work. I was forced to work a shutdown because we had to shutdown our UFH and open its catalyst regenerator for repairs. I was the shutdown top operator on nights and Mitch T was my helper.

On Monday I had to work top on both the shutdown and the live units. By Wednesday night the UFH, after much travail, was running prety good and we had a very cold but fairly quiet night at work.

Morgan told me I needed to read more modern fiction, and for Christmas she gave me Term Limits, by Vince Flynn. I laid down the other books I was reading to read this one. It was a fun read and I finished it today, despite all the overtime I've been working.

Today, I woke up about 1:00 PM and just hung around the house. Christian was here when I woke and so I was able to visit with him for a little while, before he and his sister, Morgan, left to go the Dequincy.

After they left, I made a run to Misse's Grocery Store to by a King Cake. After Misse's I went by B&O's and picked up some cracklins, hoghead cheese, and tasso.

For supper Lisa cooked shrimp and we had Shrimp pistlolettes for supper. It was wonderful.

At this moment, Lisa is asleep, I have just said the boys prayers and they have gone to bed and I am watching weaponology on the Military Channel and sipping on some hot sake. Tomorrow I have rescue team training, so I will finish this blog, my Saki and weaponology and go to sleep.


Coram Deo,

Kenith