I made a quick run to Pensacola on Friday. It started raining about the time I crossed over into Mississippi and rained the rest of the way to Pensacola. I got there about 4 PM and spent the evening with Christian and a few of his friends. First we went to an Irish Pub for Supper. They had their own micro brewed beer and so we tried some of that. They were OK. Later we stopped and had another beer at a bar near the base and then we called it a night (around 9:30).

On Saturday Christian and I went to the Naval Aviation Museum at NAS Pensacola and visited an old fort that once guarded the harbor. That afternoon we grilled some steaks on base. A number of his friends joined us and brought their own items to throw on the grill. We, cooked, ate and threw a football around for a while, then as it was getting dark I got into the Jeep Liberty and headed back for home. It was a short, but good visit with my eldest son.

Sunday, I had to go in and work some overtime.

Kenith

Today was my first day off in over two weeks and I spent it taking care of things that should have been done a week ago. I helped a Lisa ...

To be continued Sunday.

I finished my long stretch of working with no days of. I worked off yesterday evening. Yesterday I woke up at 4:40 AM and left the house by 5:15. I got the the refinery fifteen minutes later. When I arrived I went to our central control room to make relief with the Patrick, who worked the night shift.

After Patrick had informed me of the night's events he headed out and I with two "board people." They are the folks who actually run the units in our area. They both sit in front of 7 or 8 computer screens, monitoring, and running things. Ours is one of only one of a number of such boards in the central control room.

After visiting with the guys (one is a gal) on the board, I headed down to the satellite. Two separate progressions work out of our satellite. and both progressions have top operator, two board operators (in the central control room) and three outside operators.

On getting to the satellite, I poured myself a cup of coffee, logged on to the computer, and started getting read for the arrival of maintenance and construction workers who have to come to the top operator to get written permission to go to work. After three cups of coffee I was satisfied that all was ready at my desk. Then I picked up an air monitor, which monitors Carbon Dioxide, Hydrogen Sulfide, the "lower explosive limit" of hydrocarbons (e.g. gasoline, propane, etc...) and oxygen and clipped it on to my shirt. I strapped on my tool-belt, which contains a two way radio, pipe wrench, and pliers, and left the satellite and made a walk through all the areas that we are responsible for. While I made my walk about the area, the outside operators began their much more detailed rounds through their own sections (units) of our area.

My walk about took between 15 to 20 minutes. I came back inside, got some more coffee and returned to my desk and started a very busy day. At the end of the work day I came home to my wife and children.

Later,
Kenith

I still have not had a day off since Mardi Gras evening. I have one more 12 hour day to go. When I work off tomorrow evening, I will not have to go back to work until next Monday night. I've been having sinus trouble for about three weeks and it has developed into an infection. My good friend, MK, is a doctor and he gave me an antibiotic perscription. Picked it up at Walgreens last night and I'm hoping to be over this trouble soon.

Well, It's time for me to help the boys with their homework.

Later,
Kenith

I'm again working too much. I've not had a day off since the evening of Feb. 5 and I dont get time off until the 21st of theis month. I did flip flop from nights to days, working off on the 15th and starting days on the 16th.

Not mch to write about other than that.

Kenith

I started working the graveyard shift last Wednesday at 5:30 PM. For those of us on our regular shift the night was uneventful, but we do have another shutdown in our area. A part of one of our units is down for maintenance. Craig C. and Mike O. are off their regular shift working the shutdown.

The second night I brought stuff to cook for everyone. I made pain perdu (i.e. French toast) and bacon for everyone. Cajun pain perdu does not need syrup. It is plenty sweet on its on. I made sure it was ready for everyone before midnight, because of lent. I wanted everyone to eat the bacon too. The pain perdu was well received by everyone and enjoyed cooking it.

On the third night (Friday evening) Craig C. and Steve L. brought fish (speckled trout, sac-a-lait [also known as white perch or crappie] and bass) for a fish fry. Steve fried the fish and it was sooo good. They brought and cooked so much fish that we ate it two nights in a row.

At this moment I'm watching tv with my beautiful wife and I will soon have to get ready for work.

Later,
Kenith

Watching the SuperBowel. I am pulling for NY Giants because I'm a Manning fan. I used to go and watch the N.O. Saints practice when Archie Manning was the QB. As a teenager, I was a big fan of the father and so I pull for the younger Mannings when they play.

The second half is about to begin so this is all I'm gonna post for now.

Later,
Kenith

Here is South Louisiana we are quickly coming up on Mardi Gras. I happen to enjoy Mardi Gras season. As a kid, I lived in Destrehan, then a small town up river from New Orleans and as I kid I loved the parades, the beads and doubloons. On Mardi Gras day my parents would take us kids down town New Orleans every Mardi Gras Day. We all loved it and my sister still travels to New Orleans for Mardi Gras just abut every year.

My Dad grew up in French speaking family in and round New Orleans. They were partly Cajun and partly French Creole. and so he grew up with New Orleans Mardi Gras. My mom was raised a Praire Cajun on a farm outside small town of Basile in Evangeline Parish and so I always had that link to rural of Cajun Mardi Gras a well.

Last night MK and I took his son and my younger children to see the Lost Bayou Ramblers at NuNu's in Arnaudville. On our way we stopped in Grand Coteau and picked up Daved (Dah veed). Louie Michot and the rest of the Lost Bayou Ramblers were great and we (as the old Cajuns used to say) "passed a good time."

This morning MK and his son met the boys and me at the Lake Charles Civic Center for a Gumbo Cook off. There was lots of gumbo and Kevin Naquin and the Ossun Playboys were playing some very good traditional Cajun Music. We passed good time once more and eat lots of good gumbo and cracklins.

I need to get ready for bed so I can get up for church tomorrow.

Coram Deo,
Kenith