Friday morning I worked off graveyards and went to meet Woody and a couple of his friends, all of whom had also finished a stint on the hoot shift, at Waffle House. I got there after they had finished eating, so I got a coupe of coffee. We left WH and went to Bird's house to visit some more.

Bird opened a bottle of wine and we all had a glass and discussed the usual things, of course the Christian faith was a part of that discussion, since not all of us there were convinced of its veracity. We had a good discussion and Bird was a cordial host.

After that I came home and slept a few hours. I picked the boys up from school, spent the afternoon with the family and went to bed early. Saturday I about nine (after catching up on some needed sleep) and went to work in the yard, where i stayed most of the day. Saturday evening, I took Lisa out to the best restaurant in town (Mazen's) to celebrate her birthday, which is Monday (i.e. tomorrow).

This morning, I was up by 6:40. I promised the boys that I would cook my world famous Pain Perdu for breakfast. I informed Morgan the night before, so she and Danny came over to have breakfast with us.

After breakfast it was time to head to Bethel. MK is teaching a Sunday School Class. Todays class was on the Popes of the High Renaissance, a story I know pretty well. It was lots of fun.

After Worship services we returned home. This afternoon some of us took the kayaks to the lake for a fun.

It has been a good weekend.

Coram Deo,

Kenith

Last Week

Last week, I continued training on my new job as a lab tech for the refinery. It is going well so far, the best part is I am not involved in the latest unscheduled shutdown and unplanned maintenance on one of my old units.

 

Last Friday, Lisa and I met a couple from church, Jason and Heather, at Luna's for Dinner. We had a very enjoyable evening. Saturday morning was spent working around the house, but that afternoon our youngest son and I drove to Lafayette to catch the Krewe of Bonaparte parade. We stopped at the Best Stop in Scott for boudin, boudin balls and homemade jerky before meeting up with David (Dah-veed) and Jon-Ella Hays. We attended the parade with them.

 

David's brother is part of the Krewe and we were with other members of the family. My son was very excited, because the folks on the floats knew the people we were with and when ever one of them recognised our group they showered us with beads and stuff. We had a great time in Lafayette and we were still able to make it home before 10 PM.

 

Sunday, we attended Sunday school and worshipped at Bethel Presbyterian Church.

 

Coram Deo,

Kenith

 

HBO Movie: Temple Grandin

This is a WONDERFUL biographical movie that I watched a few days ago on HBO. It is about Temple Grandin, a successful women who has autism. I can not write a review that will do the movie justice, but I hope you will look for it on HBO and watch it.

I highly recommend it.

Kenith

The New Orleans Saints have defeated Peyton Manning and the Colts to win the Super Bowl and become the National Champions. Hell froze over at that point in time.

Tens of thousands of Louisiana (and Mississippi) Saints fans have believed for decades that they would go to their graves without ever seeing the Saints reach the Super Bowl, much less win. Down here in Louisiana, the happiest state in the Union, are overjoyed by the Saints' victory.

Mardi Gras will be an even bigger celebration this year, than ever before.

Later,

Kenith

I am now training to be a lab tech. I have been at the refineries lab for two weeks. I know that this will be a stress free job, unlike the top operator position I just left.

I have invited the guys from my old units to come over after work to chill on the porch and have a few beers. It was nice.

Today, Lisa, the boys and I worshiped at Bethel. After worship we ate at Casa Manana and then came home. I took a VERY long nap and now I'm well rested to watch the Saints and Colts in the Super Bowl, which is starting right now!

Kenith

Pledge of Allegiance to the Saints

I pledge allegiance 2 da Saints
and 2 da great city of New Orleans
and 2 da Super Bowl,
4 which we will win,
1 city, B low C level,
under God,
with Mardi Gras and alcohol 4 all.

WoW!!!!

The Saints are going to the Super Bowl I never thought I would live to see this day. I worked yesterday until 5:30 pm. I left work and went to Josh and Melissa's to watch the game on their big screen. They had have Lake Charles there with tuns of good food, wine and beer. It was a great game and it was a blast to watch the game with Josh and company.

Yesterday, was my last day as a top operator in a refinery process unit. The guys cooked a wonderful "last meal"for me. Randy, our Ville Platte native, cooked a two stuffed ponce with lots of sausage, a Boston butt ham and lots more. Jody baked three cakes; It was great. I'm glad I will be working less than a hundred yards from my old control room, so I'm not going too far.

I have to get ready for my first day at the lab.

Kenith

21 Jan 2010

I worked off graveyard shift yesterday morning. Instead of going to sleep, I dosed while watching Fox News. I was in and out of consciousness catching bits and pieces of news on the Massachusetts senate race and the rescue efforts going on in Haiti. I did this for three or four hours, then I fixed myself peanut butter and honey for lunch. I was a grog all of early afternoon.

 

My afternoon was spent doing chores around the house, helping the boys with homework. At 9:30 we prayed and then the boys went to bed and I started a new book o my iPod and took Oakley Dog (a black lab) with me on a 40 minute walk. After the walk, I poured two fingers of Irish Whisky into a jigger and settled in hot bath with a book (Darwin’s Origin of Species). I then went to bed, because I had to get up at 4:30 AM to start working days.

 

Yesterday was a normal day.

 

Coram deo,

Kenith

 

 

 

Woke at 3 AM, got to work at 4:00 AM. I had Rescue Team training today. but I had to put in 12 hours. Training is over at 4:00 PM so I went in to work early so that I could leave early.

After work I went to Morgan and Danny's to get the boys. Morgan picked them up from school for us. Gary J. came over after he finished his work day.We visited on the porch, in the cold, sipping on a Tullamore Dew (an Irish whiskey). It is one of my favourite whiskeys, and Gary had not tried it. He was impressed.

Coram Deo,

Kenith

This morning, after breakfast, I did my two mile walk, got cleaned up, worshiped at St Michael's Anglican Church, then I errands for my in-laws, and other family members. I then came home and did a little repair work at my home, and picked the boys up from school. I also helped math homework. I also spoke on the phone with my son Christian, who is in the Navy, serving in Japan.

That's a pretty normal day, nothing special.

Coram Deo,

Kenith

I listened to a lecture from the Von Mises Institute this evening while doing a chores. I found it to be VERY interesting. It is titled, Lincoln's Tariff War.

Listen and enjoy.

Kenith

I don't know anything about Brit Hume's faith, he has it right in this clip.

Later,

Kenith

I'm up late again. I so much enjoyed the lovely "Global Warming"/"Climate Change" cold weather he are having by wearing a heavy coat while I played fetch with our dog today. I have been enjoying the cold (Louisiana Cold). I always enjoy it when it cools off down here, because we have such long periods of hot, humid weather.

Tonight, I am in the living room reading, Retribution: The Battle for Japan 1944-45 by Max Hastings. Since I'm reading about Japan, I decided to heat up a little Japanese Sake to sip on while I read. I've liked Sake ever since I was stationed there (Atzugi) in the early 1980's.

Now, I have to get back to my book.

Later,

Kenith

It is 26 degrees outside and the high temperature today will not reach 40 degrees. Tonight we are supposed to drop into the teens. That is EXTREME cold for this part of the world, in fact all the schools in Calcasieu Parish are closed today because of the cold.

This is a good week to be off from work, and I just happened to be on vacation. The refinery does not function very well in this type of cold, which we have not seen for a couple of decades.

My daughter, Morgan is coming to get me, we are going to my in-laws. Morgan takes her grandmother to the grocery store every week and I have a "honey-do" job at their house this morning.

I watched the BCS Championship game last night. Christian called from Japan to discuss the game. I had to pull for Bama because they are an SEC team, but I felt bad for McCoy when he got injured.

Later,

Kenith

After LSU's terrible showing against Penn State the weekend did improve. Saturday Lisa and Sheree went to Lafayette on a shopping trip and after lunch the boys and I packed up the kayaks and went to Longville.

When we arrived at my parents they made a pot of coffee and we visited over a couple of cups, then my youngest son and I took the Kayaks to my sister's pond. Gary, my nephew met us with his daughter to try out the kayaks. After they left, my son and I raced and played with the boats in the pond for a couple of hours.

After leaving the pond, we returned to Bud and Dot's for supper (Spaghetti). After a nice meal we went out into the cold so that the boys could pop their fire works. They were not able to pop them New Year's Eve, because I was working. We had fun.

Sunday morning I woke up with a headache, so I slept in and we missed Sunday school. Mark Duncan was the guest preacher and the sermon was very good from I John chapter 3.

I am now watching Iron Chef. I really enjoy this show.

Coram Deo,

Kenith

I worked the last four nights so I spent most of New Years Eve in the control room at the refinery. We had to finish the start up on our clean fuels unit, but the end of the start up was mostly covered on the unit console, so it was an easy evening for me as top.

When I got home this morning I noticed my mailbox was gone. My neighbour informed me that my mailbox was blown up by someone last night. I assume it was teenage mischief and fireworks.

This morning I made sure to wake up in time to catch the beginning of the LSU, New Years Day, football. It is now half time of the Capitol One Bowl between LSU and Penn State. The field is a mud fest. Les Miles' Tigers are playing sloppily football, which has been there normal way to play all season. The LSU offense has done nothing in the first half. Jefferson has thrown only one descent pass, and it was intercepted, all his other throws were terrible.

I started vacation when I left work this morning, so the New Year, despite LSU's poor showing thus far, is starting on on a good note.

Coram Deo,

Kenith

This past week was spent at family gatherings - feasting and celebrating our Lord's birth. Wine flowed and the food was great. The food was not traditional stuff, we ate gumbo, and other South Louisiana.

On Christmas Eve we enjoyed family time at home. Sean, our nephew in the Air Force, spent much of the day visiting with us. Lisa and I cooked tenderloins with red wine reduction sauce and asparagus with a lemon/butter sauce.

Also on Christmas Eve we let the boys open their gifts. Christmas Morning, LP and I were up early. We loaded our kayaks on her jeep and for water. There was a strong north wind and it was thirty three degrees when we put the boats in the water. She and I paddled out to Rabbit Island and a bit around the lake, before we headed back home.

The boys were just getting up when we got home. I cooked pain perdu for breakfast. Pain Perdu has always been a special treat that I cook for breakfast.

Christmas was a good, but we miss our son Christian and lovely wife Jessica they are both serving in the U.S. Navy and are over seas.

Later,

Kenith

We've had two Christmas parties so for this week. The first was at our house. This one was with our family and the family of Lisa's sister. Lisa did a great job planning and getting everything ready. I provided wine and helped Lisa, who did most of the work.

Last night we were at my sister's house in Longville for my families Christmas party. We had a great time. The big event was my daughter getting her car stuck. She passed up the drive way and pulled in at the drive to to my bro-in-law's shop and tried to cut across the field. Not a good idea. Brian had to pull out the tractor and chains to pull her car our of the mud.

Lisa and I also took a little time to go kayaking in Prien Lake (pronounced (pre - an). It was windy and the water was a bit choppy but we had fun.

Later,

Kenith

Ps. Pictures to follow.

I am, as of 5:30 this evening, on Christmas vacation. Hallelujah!!!!!! It will be a VERY busy week, but I will be busy away from the refinery and with my wife and family.

I recently bought a case of good California red wine, so I'm set for wine wise.

Merry CHRISTmas,

Kenith

Spent much of the night before last at work, outside in the cold and rain starting one of our units. We got wet and got a good bit accomplished. Last night was much better, it was mostly quiet. This should be my last unit start up as an operator.

Now I'm off to bed.

Kenith