Wouldn't It Be Cool...

"If I could be a ___, then I'd really be happy and successful."

I played that line over and over in my head for many years (mostly in college). Truth is I also thought, "what I find fascinating in my brain may be too boring / difficult / uninteresting / stressful in real life."

And then I found other interesting jobs along the way...but there's always that little twitch in the back of my mind, where I wonder if I'm missing out on any life altering fun. Now I've found the answer--play at it for a few days. Now if I could just find gather up a few coins...

http://www.vocationvacations.com/

Don't miss the good stuff--and most of it is "the good stuff"

When my father died, I said that I had no regrets about my relationship with him. And though I have conjured up one or two in the last couple of years, for the most part that sentiment remains true.

One of the things I don’t regret: that I knew and cherished the good moments as they unfolded.

What I remember is not important, for those are my golden nuggets.

What is important is that I am ever thankful that not only did I appreciate those moments, but that I let him know how I felt, for part of the fun was sharing the enjoyment of the experience. Whether we were on some grand vacation or a moment struck us on an ordinary day--we grabbed hold of it, held tight, and took it for a ride.

Now that he's gone these remembrances pull me through--I learned valuable things as I lived through them, and as I remember them, Dad’s actions, presence, and verve continue to teach me.

The Fury

For those of you who have never been through a storm like this: Keep in mind these videos only total a few minutes...and we had sustained 61 mph winds with 91 mph gusts for hours!

On Fighting the Wind

The media has moved on; and why not--after all, the levees held and New Orleanians were allowed back home.

But it was Baton Rouge that weathered the fury so far inland.

Some of our dearest trees, literally unearthed by Gustav, lay roadside broken and battered--and slain by chainsaws in an effort to restore to us our roads and power. Debris stands roadside like encroaching sentinels; there is a stench in the air that one would like to forget; 10:00pm curfew arrives too soon; entangled power lines droop and snake down to the ground and others were torn down by trees who have yet to meet their true ends.

But we are not lost. We are thankful that ours is not the plight of post-Katrina New Orleans. Although there are some who may have to wait a month for power, we know there is a light at the end of the tunnel--we will manage to rid our streets and homes of the debris and destruction caused by that terrifyingly entrancing windstorm and its 80+ mph winds.

Gustav won the battle, but in the end, lost the war--for we still stand. And he is but a fading memory.

Attached are some pictures that show just a small amount of the destruction, and I will try to post some video of the storm.

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/27425959.html