Last night was supposed to be the 2017 season opener for LSU baseball. We went to the stadium to host a group in my company’s suite for the evening. Had a hamburger and a hot dog. Lived dangerously.
This being Louisiana in February, what happened next should not be thought of as a huge surprise. The game ended up being postponed, due to rain, until today. But not until after I had eaten the hamburger and the hot dog.
So, you know what that means, right?
Another hamburger and hot dog today! Victory!
Actually, LSU and Army played twice today. We hosted the guests at the evening game. It was still a little wet and a little cool, but the season got off to a good start. Because it started.
Every year I get the same dual feelings of excitement and disbelief that this is part of my job. A dirty job, but somebody has to do it.
Maybe someday I will grow tired of it.
I’m not holding my breath.
The most beautiful stadium in college baseball. Even in the rain.
It’s a dream that virtually everyone has. You show up for some important event — wedding, final exam, big speech, whatever — and you realize you’re not wearing pants.
I’m living it. And it’s not too bad.
I called the CEO before I came back to work and asked her if it was OK if I wear shorts to work for a couple of weeks since I really don’t want to cut the legs of my slacks. She said it was fine with her, so I’m back at work today. And I’m not wearing pants.
I bet I have said that at least twenty times today. The phone rings, someone asks if I have a minute to talk to them. I tell them, “Come on up, but I’m not wearing pants.” Not “Hey, I’m in shorts today” but “I’m not wearing pants.” I’m cracking myself up.
As liberating and fun as it sounds to not wear pants, the challenge is that outside it is January. Louisiana is a wonderfully temperate place to live, but it was 36 degrees when we left the house this morning. The rest of the week is supposed to be warmer, but lows will still be in the 40s. For this reason I asked Peggy to go find me a pair of gray or black sweatpants that don’t look too tacky. I may have to trade my liberation for warmth for a couple of days.
The whole family came for Christmas since we couldn’t travel. It was a blast, but I’d rather not have to repeat the reason!
That kind of speaks for the entirety of 2016. It was a blast, but there are a bunch of things in there I really don’t want to repeat.
What I do want to repeat is the travel! We took separate trips to Point Clear, AL; Destin, FL; Texas City, TX; Lake Travis and Waco, TX; Colorado Springs; Lake Louise and Banff, Canada; Keystone, CO; Denver; and Las Vegas. And that doesn’t even count our travels within Louisiana and Mississippi.
We lost Peggy’s Mama and we found a new church. Those two things are related.
Peggy worked with some amazingly talented people on several movie and television projects. Some of them have even aired already. It’s just a little weird seeing your wife on a television show you’re watching, but it’s pretty cool.
Our city endured racial unrest and violence followed by a devastating flood. Watching people come together to combat both events was amazing, but the pain of the year will last well into the foreseeable future.
On the other hand, did I mention the travel? Some of it is work-related and I do not spend a lot of time blogging about work, but the travel is one of the real perks of my job. Especially because Peggy usually gets to go with me.
Who knows what 2017 will bring? Well, we know it will bring ankle rehab, but what else?
I’m looking forward to finding out. Happy New Year everybody!
One of my friends sent an awesome care package with all the essentials: LSU shirt, chips, salsa, tequila, magazines, and even a Baylor cup for Peggy!
Olivia Newton-John. When I was a kid all you had to say was “Olivia” and everyone knew who you were talking about. She was a one-namer in the 70s.
I’m glad I got to see her perform tonight before she became a one-namer in her 70s.
I said previously that one of the interesting things about Vegas around the holidays is that the headliners are not always performing between Thanksgiving and New Years. Peggy had expressed an interest in seeing Donny & Marie while we were in Vegas (don’t judge). When we looked for tickets we discovered that they were not appearing but that Olivia would be appearing instead.
That’s a no-brainer. Peggy is a huge “Grease” fan, so I did not have to coerce her. I was a teenage boy in Olivia’s heyday, and there really was no one any bigger than she was. Let’s just say I did not have to be convinced, either.
I have a memory from when I was about eleven or twelve years old — so I don’t know if it is accurate or apocryphal — of Olivia winning a Grammy award for “Best Country Vocal” and thinking she was nominated because she was from another country. I have followed her since at least 1973 and, like most young boys, was smitten.
She put on a show! She sang every song that we remembered and were hoping to hear. It was inspiring to hear her speak of the challenges she has faced in her life, and it was wonderful to see her looking like she was having fun on stage.
When you see a star from your childhood it is a celebration of memories. Accepting that Olivia is 68 means embracing that I am now 54. Tonight, 2016 became 1978 for just a little while. And it was a lot of fun.
It’s Black Friday today, but it’s hard to tell in Las Vegas.
Everything looks like it always looks. There were people up until all hours of the night, but they weren’t waiting in line. We even went to the retail areas today and it all just looked like Las Vegas.
Today we went in search of the best Christmas decorations. I have a Fitbit, and it says we walked a little over ten miles on this quest. I’m going to be honest — it feels like more. At least the ankle seems to be holding up OK in the brace. Well, not according to Peggy. She was walking behind me as I was walking up a staircase and I thought she was going to be ill. Peggy’s grandmother used to say (typically when criticizing the way someone was dressed), “Oh, to see ourselves as others see us.” Judging from Peggy’s reaction to my ankle I would say that sometimes it is better not to see what others see.
What we did see was Las Vegas in all its Christmas glory. Perfect weather outside — I wore shorts all day — and beautiful decorations inside.
We sat at an outdoor café at Paris and watched the Bellagio waters while we ate. We went to the Venetian and the Palazzo and walked along their “canals”. We found the best Christmas decorations at the Wynn, but all of it was beautiful. We even found an incredible free live music show on the way back to MGM and sat and enjoyed the music for more than an hour.
I think we are going to change the name to Golden Friday for this year…
Walking in a winter wonderland…
…in shorts! But the brace looks nice, especially next to Peggy’s jacket on the floor.
I’m not much of a gambler, so that’s not the attraction. We come back every year and I never get tired of it.
I think part of it is that Las Vegas is continually updating. Don’t like that old hotel casino? Blow it up and put up another one. I guess technically they blow it down and not up, but you get the idea. Each time in Vegas you see something that wasn’t there the last time.
We try to come each year around Peggy’s birthday. Sometimes we hit it right on the nose and sometimes we are a few days (or weeks) off. I wrote a post earlier about how we really don’t get too uptight about celebrating big events on the exact day as long as we get the chance to celebrate together. Peggy’s birthday is at the end of November, so sometimes we are competing with Thanksgiving if we try to hit the real date. This year we are in Las Vegas for Thanksgiving but staying for several days after. That’s good — I prefer coming after Thanksgiving so we can be sure that the Christmas decorations are up. Vegas goes all out for Christmas, and the decorations are spectacular!
Another reason this is a great time to be in Las Vegas is the weather. We have been snowed on, we have had 85 degree days, but usually the weather this time of year is just about perfect.
Really, the only problem with coming this time of year is that many of the resident acts want to be with their families over the holidays, so several of the iconic performers are “dark” during this period. This has led to us seeing some very interesting shows that were not what we were expecting to see. And loving it.
Three years ago Peggy turned 50 while we were here, and Justin Timberlake just happened to be in Las Vegas on tour on her birthday. That was an unexpected surprise and an amazing show. The next night we saw Shania Twain at the Celine Dion theater in Caesar’s Palace. Let’s just say it probably would have been more fair to Shania if we had seen her before Justin.
Another Saturday night in Tiger Stadium, another beautiful evening. It’s September so the game begins in the daylight. This is what sunset looked like during the game tonight.
You can tell it’s almost halftime because the band is not in the stands
It was hot today, but the air cooled when the sun started going down. Once the stands on the west side start to block the sun everything changes in the stadium. After a hot day of tailgating it was so nice to feel it cool down just a little, especially without raining.
Tonight was the annual “Gold Game.” The team even wore gold jerseys for the first time in about twenty years. But God nailed the real gold as the sun was going down.
I love this place, and I am so happy my Texas bride has adopted it as her own. I think she enjoys coming to the games every bit as much as I do. We have been in the same seats so long that we know all of the people around us. It is a very friendly atmosphere — as long as you are wearing the right colors.
Tonight the Tigers held on and won the game. It wasn’t pretty but it counts.
What was pretty was that sunset. And the girl enjoying it with me.
It never rains on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium.
I’ve been going to LSU games since 1966, and needless to say I have seen several times when the mantra proved to be, perhaps, a smidgen less than 100% accurate. In fact, last year’s season opening game was cancelled due to weather. Last night it certainly appeared the 2016 season was getting off to the same start. Funny, when Dan Borne’ says the words “chance of rain” the crowd still yells “Never!” Even in a deluge.
Such is the power of myth.
After a disappointing loss in Lambeau Field last weekend, we really needed for this game to be played. Safety is of utmost importance, but playing football is of most utmost importance.
After this summer’s gigantic flood I have decided rain does not get to win. The weather delayed the start but did not prevail. Apparently God wanted to see his favorite team play some football!
Geaux Tigers!
The rain just endedA little later, a little dryer.
Exactly one month ago today Baton Rouge experienced a horrific tragedy. In this space I specifically asked God to “please have mercy on Baton Rouge and send Your peace to our city.”
I did not specify how I wanted Him to do it, I just asked. Needless to say, thirty-plus inches of rain is not really what I had in mind.
But it has worked.
When the rain began five days ago, it didn’t seem like that big a deal. When it didn’t stop on that Friday it started causing a few problems. When it kept going on Saturday we knew we were in for something. But I don’t think anyone could have predicted this…
Today we were finally able to get out and see the damage. What I saw was devastating, amazing and healing.
I drove to the neighborhood where I grew up. In the forty-five years since I moved away from Baton Rouge for the first time, the demographics of the area have changed. Jones Creek divides the neighborhood but showed no prejudice inflicting damage to houses on either side.
As I drove through I spotted a group of young men “mudding out” one of the houses. It was apparent they had been busy because a huge pile of wet and ruined property was out in the front yard. I stopped and asked them if I could go get them some food or something while they worked. One of the men told me they had just eaten but thanked me for the offer. He asked me what I was doing in the area.
“I grew up in the house on the corner of Cuyhanga and Sierra Vista. The one that sits right on the creek. I just wanted to see how bad it was damaged. How many houses have you guys already mudded out?”
“We’ve pretty much done this whole end of the street. Gotta get it out quick so it doesn’t ruin everything in the house,” he said.
At this point the owner of the house joined the conversation. He was an older gentleman and had heard me say where I grew up. “You a (the name of the family on the opposite corner)?” he asked.
“No, sir. I grew up across the street from them. We left in ’72.”
“These men are lifesavers, and they have helped us all. No way I could have done this by myself.”
The young man I had initially addressed said, “That’s what neighbors do, Mr. Joe.”
I told them all good luck and got back in my car. Mr. Joe was white and probably 80 years old. The young man and his entire working crew were all African-American and in their thirties. Keith told me he owns a construction company and his guys came over to help him help his neighbors.
Stories like this are happening all over the city. People helping people, because that’s what neighbors do.
I shouldn’t be too surprised God used a flood to clean things up for us. It’s not the first time He’s done it that way…
While folks were in church this morning, a gunman lured police officers to a convenience store right around the corner and then ambushed them. At least three officers have been killed responding to the call of duty, a phony call orchestrated to trap them. One of them apparently died trying to rescue a fellow officer who had been shot by this villain.
A villain who isn’t even from Baton Rouge; he just came here to kill cops.
He thought he had the right because of an incident that happened here a couple of weeks ago and has rightfully inflamed those who want racial equality and justice in our city. But none of those people set up a trap to take these men away from their families. In an alleged response to racial injustice, one of the officers this maniac killed is an African-American man. The hero who lost his life trying to save his brother officer. A brother officer who was not African-American.
I lived in this city as a boy, as a college student and now as a middle-aged man. I know this city has problems. I also know that this city has people in it who can solve those problems and are willing to work to do so.
Except a murderer came from outside this city and tried to make things worse.
God willing, I don’t think it’s going to work. Lord, please have mercy on Baton Rouge and send Your peace to our city. I pray that the incidents of July 5 and July 17, 2016 will never be the events that define Baton Rouge.
