In my blog the other day I did not mention what we did Friday before last. Woody and the boys and I (later to be joined by MK) went to Longville. We went to fish at my sister's pond and Woody brought is new kayak. The fishing sucked, but we had a good time with the kayak.

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Today the boys, my Paw-in-law and I went to Longville again. I did catch one small bass, but other than that they were not biting. After that we went to my parents house for coffee. My brother Terry had caught a bunch of bass at the pond earlier in the day. He fried them at and they were great.

Tonight I made a several posts on Christian forums' Semper Reformanda defending my post titled Luther and Erasmus. Lisa and I also went on an evening walk around the neighbourhood.

Later,
Kenith

Ps. Yes, thats me all wet in the kayak. I was the first person to flip the kayak/ I was trying to catch a small turtle.

Saturday, we boiled and dyed eggs for Easter. Sunday we worshipped at Bethel and then returned home. We returned home and at dinner, Lisa had prepared Spaghetti and it was very good. After dinner I hid eggs for the boys and they hunted eggs. They were competing to see who was the best egg hunter. It was very unusual, because they tied three times.

After the egg hunts we went to the porch were we were joined by Elizabeth and Woody. We paqued eggs. (Pâques is the French word for Easter) Paquing eggs is old Cajun tradition. Two people battle to see who has the toughest egg. We do this by tapping the pointy end of two eggs together until one of the eggs cracks. The strongest egg wins.

The above pictures are the boys paquing with Elizabeth and Woody. (BTW: Their baby -- we call her/him Pudin Tater -- is due in May). If you look closely at Woody's egg you will see that he lost that battle.

On Monday the boys and I went to Florida to visit Christian. While in Pensicola we visited and old fort, the Naval Aviation. One extra treat is that the Blue Angels train every morning at 8:30 and you can watch them for free. It was a great treat.

We came back home Wednesday. We stopped in Mobile and toured the USS Alabama, etc...

It was good to see Christian and the boys had a great time.

Later,

Kenith

I finished my graveyard shift this morning. We had a busy set of nights at work. Usually nights are rather slow. You get to work, make relief with the person who work the same job that day, get a cup off coffee, log onto a computer, read the notes from the previous shift, read your orders for the night, check your email, and then make a round through your units (i.e. if you are an "outside operator" you go to your units and check out your equipment or if your on the "board person" and running things from the control room , you look over the units on several computer screens. You observe the flows, temperatures pressures, etc... on on your equipment).

We had lots of pumps, compressors, units and other items to prepare or put back in service this series of nights, so that kept us busy, The units that were running were struggling so the folks running the board (the control computers) were also busy. I'm the "top operator" on our shift. The top operator is not a foreman, the "top" is more like a lead man. The "top" works with both the inside and outside operators. He also is the one who communicates with the shift foreman.

Well, I finished this morning and I've started vacation and won't go back to work for a couple of weeks. Hallelujah!!!!

I hope to take the boys fishing Friday. They start their Easter holiday on Good Friday.

One more thing. Today is the 25th anniversary of Lisa and my first date. I had flowers sent to her at work today. I can remember the day of our first date because it was three days before my 23 birthday.

Our first date was a near blind date. I had seen her once before, from a distance, in the dark. My brother Terry decided to set us up. He bugged me for days to go out with Lisa, I was not sure what she looked like, and finally gave in and agreed to a double date, just to get him off my back.

Lisa and I met on March 19, 1983 and five and a half months later we got married. We've had our bumps, but it has been a good match. We have had a good relationship. I've got as good or better marriage than anyone else I know. God has blessed me with a beautiful wife, who is my best friend and the mother of our four children.

Later,
Kenith

Today was a typical day in my life. I got up with Lisa and the kids. Lisa took the boys to school and then she left for work. I took it easy this morning. I Wrote on my blog, posted on some blogs I visit and on Christian Forums. I read some and did a little cleaning.

After that I ran some errands returned home, did a few exorcises and some more cleaning, mostly in the garage and kitchen. When the time came I picked up the boys at school. They climbed into the truck bed and we came home.

My youngest son and I played sword fighting in the backyard for a while. He won the sword fight. For supper the boys and I made omelets. The broke the eggs, mixed them, poured them in the pan and added the condiments and I did the folding and serving. Lisa called when she left work for home and I made her an omelet so that it was ready when she got home.

As the sun was going down we built a fire in the fire pot on the porch and talked for a while. As the fire was burning down and it was time for the boys to take their baths, we came inside. Now I will go say their prayers with them and get ready for bed. Then Lisa and I will visit some more.

That's a fairly typical day in my fairly mundane life. I enjoy my life (most of the time).

Coram Deo,
Kenith

Yesterday, I got up with the family. I brought the boys to school, came home and spoke with Morgan about a paper she’s writing for school. Then I went to St. Michael’s Episcopal Church for their Wednesday morning Eucharist service.

After that I picked up lunch for Morgan and then for Lisa. Mona Kay was there to visit Lisa and so I hung out for a while and visited with them. I then went to Lake Street Liquor Store to discuss what I needed for Morgan and Danny’s wedding reception. While there I picked up a fifth of Scotch and a bottle of Ouzo.

I came back to home in time to pick the boy’s up from school. The boys jumped in the back of the truck and we headed to the house. When I got home I played fetch with Oakly for a good while.

Gary J. came over. I offered him a Guinness or we could try the new Scotch I had picked up. He opted for the Scotch. I got the bottle, jiggers, ice, and we sat of the porch and poured a couple of jiggers of Aberlour 12 year old single malt Scotch. It is a good Scotch.

Woody saw us on the porch as he was driving by, and so he pulled in and joined us on the porch. We had a very good visit while enjoying our Scotch. MK also showed up later that evening as did Elisabeth.

It was a good day full of family and friends.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

Marc, one of my best friends while in the Navy, has emailed some old pictures to me. These pictures were taken while he and I were on "Detachment" to Atzugi, Japan and on board the USS Lockwhood (1981). Here they are:

Hanger surfing after a hard rain at NAS Atzugi

Chief Bynoe and me (in my flight suit)

Me on the flight line at Atzugi.

That's me and Chief Bynoe behind me on the flight line.

Getting ready to take off. (Cool eye glasses)

Me on board the USS Lockwood.

Marc going for a flight.

The H-2 Sea Sprite a fearful war machine of the Cold War.

Our view out of the "console" widow when coming in for a landing on the Lockwood.

A little R&R on board the Lockwood

Don Ferguson, (unknown), Ric Rew, and that me in the yellow
Ric having a little fun.

Marc and me on a train somewhere in Japan

Chief Gino Fuller, Jeff Faucher and me eating in Japan

That is me at a train station.

Jeff, me and Marc at Ground Zero (Hiroshima, Japan)

The Atomic Dome - one of the few buildings to survive the atomic blast in Hiroshima. Today it's a memorial of that day when the power of the atom was released on man.
Marc, thanks for the pictures. Sorry I took so long getting them on the blog. I've been working too much.

Later,

Kenith

Our latest shutdown is over. When I walked out the gate this morning, my part in the unit start up was over. We are ready to finish starting up but we were prevented from doing so because of problems in other areas of the refinery. Once again our area leader pulled everyone of the shutdown before it was completed, but I am glad that I will be able to stay home and sleep in my own bed tonight. I will also get a full day off work tomorrow before I start days on my regular shift on Thursday.

This morning after leaving work I went to Izzy's and fed his dog. He has been out of town and I take care of his dog when ever he is gone. After feeding his dog I came home and played fetch with Oakly for a little while. It is 37 degrees outside, that is cold for this time of the year. The sun was coming up as I tossed Oakly's toy and there were bird's singing. It was so nice.

After that I went inside and woke the boys for school. I am now getting ready t go to bed and Lisa will finish getting the boys feed and off to school.

Kenith

I was yanked from my regular shift earlier this week and placed on another shutdown. We had trouble in one area which dominoed through the refinery. The original troubles did not affect us, but when one of the units was starting back up, they sent bad product to our charge tank and that bad product took us out.

This shut down was not bad. We have done what was needed and tonight we should start coming back up and should be up and running by tomorrow sometime, if all goes as it should. I am hoping this is true, so I can have a couple of days off before I have to start back on days Thursday.

On Friday Lisa drove to Pensacola to visit Christian and she came home again today. Morgan and Kim (a niece) watched the boys while Lisa was out of town.

I have been doing a lot of searches and downloading from Google Books. It is a treasure trove. Books in the public domain can be downloaded for free. I am now going to do a new searh there as soon as I post this blog entry.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

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

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