Monthly Archives: November 2017

Last Home Game

Observations

As Peggy and I were tailgating for today’s game against Texas A&M it occurred to me that this is our last “home” game. It is LSU’s last home game of the season, but that’s not what I mean. This will be our last LSU game that we get to attend from this home. It made me a little sad.

I have been attending LSU games in Tiger Stadium since 1966. Not counting games attended as a student, I lived in Baton Rouge only for the first five years and the past four years.

We will still come to LSU games in the future, but it won’t be from here. I have loved being so close to campus and enjoying everything that entails. “Tailgating” on our back porch until an hour before kickoff and still being in our seats in time to see the band march onto the field for the traditional pre-game. Riding the “contraflow” lane back to the house in ten minutes once the game is over. Going to campus to visit Mike the Tiger.

It was a beautiful night for a game. LSU punished Texas A&M, 45-21, in a game that was never really even that close. It was a perfect way to finish the regular season.

We stayed in the stands a while after the game. Waited until the band had played the alma mater and their traditional “Let Us Break Bread Together” before they march out of the stadium. Peggy felt the emotion of the night as much as I did and she never went to school here.

Then we did our usual postgame routine and went home and sat by the fire on our back patio. We talked about the game but mostly we talked about the weekend and how thankful we are on this Thanksgiving weekend.

And about how thankful we are that LSU beat A&M before we moved back to Texas. That is going to help a lot…

After the game. It was a great night!

Giving Thanks

Family

Peggy and I have so much that we are thankful for. Though our lives are in a bit of a state of flux as we wait to sell our house in Baton Rouge, both of us are healthy, happy and grandparents!

I got home on Wednesday afternoon in time to help with preparation for Thanksgiving Day with the kids. They came to our house to have Thanksgiving lunch with us before going to spend the weekend with Caitie’s family. We are fine with sharing the holidays with her family, and it usually works to our advantage.

For instance, today after we ate we went out in the backyard to take pictures for their family Christmas card. It was a challenge getting a picture where the adults were smiling and the baby was looking in the general direction of the camera. This is the eternal challenge of trying to get any picture with a three-month-old. We had plenty of successful shots. I’ll share this one since they aren’t going to use it for their card:

She’s almost smiling, too — you have no idea what I was doing behind the camera to catch her attention…

We had a wonderful day with the family. Then, on Friday, Peggy and I went out to eat at one of our favorite restaurants. We have always had to drive across town to eat at this restaurant, but this fall they opened a second location in our neighborhood. You know, just as we are about to move. Classic timing. We have known it was coming for a year, but it took them forever to build and open. We’ll just enjoy it while we can.

If our house takes a long time to sell we will enjoy it for a while. We went out today because there are several showings scheduled at our house this weekend. Since it is a holiday a lot of people are taking advantage of the time off to hunt for a home. We try to make it a point to get away and do something we enjoy while the house is showing. We don’t want to think too much about it — we know the move is coming, but this is just a time to be together and enjoy our blessings.

Dinner at Superior. And it was.

That’s our motto: Enjoy where we are and be thankful for everything we have.

It’s a good way to live life.

Back To Vegas

Life Its Own Self

As I have mentioned before, Peggy and I have typically come to Las Vegas each year around her birthday. I changed jobs earlier this year only to discover that I had to make a business trip to Las Vegas. It is a couple of weeks earlier than we usually come, but it is a great alternative to paying for the trip ourselves!

I have chronicled elsewhere my wife’s gambling habit and what it achieves for us, specifically free accommodations at some very nice hotels that have casinos attached to them. Since the hotel is free, my company paid for her airfare. That makes the entire trip free. You know, except for gambling and shows…

We flew in last night and spent today doing some of our favorite things. But first we had to get up at 9:00 am to watch LSU beat Arkansas. It is a blast watching a game you really want to see on the giant TV screens in the big sports books in Vegas. 

Then we walked down to Paris and eat lunch at one of their two outdoor restaurants that overlook the waters at Bellagio. We always walk to Caesar’s Palace and go to the Forum. But mostly we just walk around the Strip and take it all in.

Like I said, we are here a little earlier than usual this year, so we will not likely get to see the Christmas decorations. However, because it is earlier we are going to get to see Celine Dion. The big stars’ shows are typically “dark” when we come, but being two weeks earlier means we will get to see at least one of the big shows.

The conference starts on Monday, so we will have two days for ourselves before the “work” starts. I think we can handle it…

Celebrating the early-morning victory at Paris

Go Stros!

WTH?!

OK folks, this might take a while…

I was born the same year as the Houston Astros and have been a fan for my entire life. Since the Astros were the closest team to Baton Rouge when I was growing up they were the team of my childhood.

I remember listening to Gene Elston and Loel Passe on my brother’s transistor radio in the bedroom we shared in Baton Rouge (now you’re chunkin’, Larry Dierker!). I remember when Loel retired and Dewayne Staats joined the booth, and I remember when Dewayne was “traded” to the Cubs for Milo Hamilton.

I loved Jimmy Wynn, Joe Morgan and Rusty Staub and cried when each of them was traded. I loved Denis Menke and Doug Rader and Cesar Cedeno and I cried when Don Wilson died. I loved Jose’ Cruz and JR Richard and I couldn’t believe it when we got Nolan Ryan!

I watched Roger Metzger and Joe Morgan turn double plays, I watched Dickie Thon and Phil Garner turn double plays, and I watched Craig Biggio and a thousand shortstops turn double plays. I watched Larry Dierker pitch, I listened to Larry Dierker on the radio and I watched Larry Dierker manage the team — and be great at all of them.

I loved the orange and blue, I put up with the blue and gold, I hated the brick red and I rejoiced when the orange and blue returned. I loved the Astros from afar, and then I moved to Houston for sixteen years and loved them from nearby.

I watched the Killer B’s and I died a little when Randy couldn’t get us over the hump — it hurt even worse because one of our boys starred for the other team in that series. I cheered for Roger and Andy and just couldn’t believe the steroid talk. I loved Jeff Bagwell, and yes, I cried again when Ken Caminiti died.

That background information might help explain some of what I am feeling tonight. I was a season ticket holder when this core of awesome young men was losing 324 games in three years, but I could see the future coming!

Besides events and dates involving my blood family, November 1 will now join January 4, 2004 and February 7, 2010 as one of my happiest memories.

Thank you, boys, for making 55 years of waiting worth the wait.

Geaux Astros!

Go ‘Stros!