New Orleans was hit by Hurrican Katrina. Most of the brunt passed to the east and hit Biloxi (where I once went to Tech School) and Gulfport more directly. But, the storm surges of the Category 4 storm were taller and stronger than the levees surrounding the city, which are 100 years old and rated for a Category 3 storm, at most.
This makes me unbeliveably sad. I love me some NOLA and am disappointed that I didn't get to go earlier this year, as had been planned. I sincerely hope that it has not been devestated beyond repair because I have not been there nearly enough.
Happy Birthday, Beau. It's about time you caught up with me again.
Nate just started football for the first time - and its even tackle even tho he is only 8. Seems there was a team up in Edmond that decided they wanted their boys to play tackle, so they signed them up and will be playing 9 and 10 year olds. Well, that is the team that called Nate back when I was trying to get him signed up. Nate said he was all for it and off we went.
Well, he is enjoying it, but getting knocked on his ass is still a bit of an adjustment, even with all the pads. But, its that way with most of the kids on the team. They have lost both of their first couple of games by the virtue of the magic 40 point run rule, so they are a bit bummed, but they still get out there and have fun and will be much better by the end of the season.
Its the coaches that are a bit intense. This is def one of "those" teams. Which is fine, I have just never actually been on one of those. I am pretty sure that the coaches took the first coupla losses much harder than the kids. But, at least they don't take it out on the kids, they just let them have fun, while still running them thru drills and stuff.
I'll be putting some pics up on flickr soon, too, because he is a tough Pirates Football player and you just have to see it.
It's that time of year again - back to school time. And this year, Nate starts the 3rd grade. I can't believe he is already big enough for that. He's the same age as the kids on South Park, when it started - and has just about as much attitude, too.
This is going to be such a big year for him, as he gets to walk home from school this year with his best friend from next door, Ryan. I always take lots of pictures of him on the first day of school, starting from just about the time he wakes up. This year isn't any different. He was so tired of me taking pictures, that I am pretty sure that this was the last year I will get to do that, since he is getting too cool for all of that nonsense.
Oh, well, there will be plenty of other ways I will think of to embarass him.
So, it happened again - I lost another office mate. However, this time its not near as much of a loss as it was before. This is mostly because I am so much more comfortable and competent in my job than I was before and because, well, he was pretty useless and didn't really do much anyway.
This wasn't entirely unexpected to me, however I didn't know *when* it would happen. This was pretty obvious when the following exchange took place yesterday afternoon, when my Manager comes into my shared office as we are just chilling out on a fairly laid back afternoon:
Paula: (coming up with something random to say) "So.....anything exciting going on?"
Mgr: (looks me square in the eye) "Nope".
Mgr: (looks at my office mate) "Can you come with me to (Op Mgr)'s office?"
He gets up to go and my mind starts racing, esp after hearing the click of the closing of the door that never closes unless its really important. I look at the clock, realize it is only 2:pmish on a Friday and I think, "Are they going to fire him? It's only 2:pm. Aren't they going to wait till 5:pm like before? I should get out of my office, because I don't want to be here if they *are* letting him go." I then take about 5 steps out of my office and another manager is en route to me and says, "You should go to my office right now." And I said, "Yeah, I was already heading...yeah."
So, a few minutes later I was told what I pretty much knew and the day carried on after the meetings of "Are you okay? We'll be helping you out, etc." - all of which was nice to hear, but at this point, somewhat unnecessary. But, basically, that was just a long way of me saying that clearly they didn't think letting him go was exciting. heh
And then later that day - having an im chat with the child duscussing something I am bringing home from work, I get this:
Paula: "Are you looking forward to the tortillas?"
Nate: "no"
Paula: "Why not? Tortillas are good."
Nate: "i ment to type yes".
Yep, that's what I thought he meant. ;)
Maybe Rudy should have went out for the swim team instead of the football team.
After promising the boy all summer I would take him to his favorite swimming pool, I finally came thru and took him to Twilight Swim after work today.
