Now that is Hot!

Now I don't mean to harp on how hot it is here. But I heard about this on the radio and knew I just had to post about it.

Heat blamed on I-55 lane closure
BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - Officials with the LouisianaDepartment of Transportation and Development (DOTD) has closed the left lane of I-55 southbound between Hammond and Independence to allow crews to repair part of the road that have buckled because of the heat.
They say the lane closure will allow crews to repair the buckled portions of concrete and replace expansion joints in the area.
They say the left lane will be closed all day until the repairs are complete, but the right lane will stay open.
The detour for traffic is U.S. 51.
The closure is expected to last about a week.

That is how hot it is here. The heat buckled concrete and steel. Am I the only one that thinks that that is insane!

Louisiana Livin'

Well after months of unemployment, training, moving, and opening, things seem to be settling down here in Louisiana. That means hopefully I can get back to updating this blog a little more than I have lately.

So few odd points about my life here:

1. IT'S HOT! I grew up just a hundred or so miles north of here, but hell, weather wise its a totally different world. The heat here is oppressive, I should buy stock in Goldbond. Today, some one from Oklahoma almost had heat stroke in the kitchen. Of course the whole time he was there he was complaining about how slow we were, but none of us passed out did we.

2. I can't get over the fact that I can go to Wal-Mart and buy a bottle of whiskey and a shotgun. That is just a scary fact to me.

3. The rental agent that owns my house has almost finish repairs. So hopefully I can turn on the AC with out all it going under my front door.

4. Tomorrow, I am either going to New Orleans to buy a vintage guitar or to Sears to buy a washer-dryer. I think I will flip a coin in the morning to decide which.

5. Today, I discovered that my kitchen crush is auditioning for American Idol! For those that don't know what a kitchen crush is. Because kitchen worker spend 8 to 12 hours day, 5 or 6 days a week working in a hot, sweaty environment, we don't get to meet alot of people outside of work. So we get little, harmless crushes on people we work with. 9 time out of 10 these lead no where, but I do know a few that ended with kids and/or marriage. So the fact that this girl is pretty and can sing just makes my day.

6. Thanks to Erica Gertes (Sorry E if I miss spelled your last name) for the inspiration. She found an autobiography her grandfather wrote and typed it up and placed it online. While I was a teen, MY grandfather wrote me a series of letters. I loved my grandfather deeply and I'm always trying to find a way to remember him. So I will be typing those letters up and add section of my blog called, "Letters from Pa"

7. I just have to remind myself that all the spiders eat all the other insects

8. Listen to alot of new music from Kings of Leon, Scott H. Biram, a kick ass live cd from Bob Log III that I got at a kick ass Bob Log III show, and the new Steve Earle tribute to Townes Van Zandt. Plus some Dax Riggs. But my official summer theme is going to be "Blue Canoe" by Blue Mountain (hint, check the title of this post!).

9. I'm finally going to get back to the things that I hoped to start back at the beginning of the year.

Best Lightsaber Fight......EVER!!!

I'm going to be hopelessly shallow here for a moment. But this does combine two things I love. Beautiful women and Star Wars.

Home Sweet Hammond

So I have been living in Hammond, Louisiana for over a week now. And the one thing I can tell you is, IT'S HOT!!! Not that this is really a surprise, but it is boiling hot down here. Hotter then back in Mississippi. In reality it is only 92 degrees but the humidity here is 100% all the time.
I guess I could bore you with stories about the last few months. I could tell you that I was freaked out by the fact that there where no black folks in Fort Payne, Alabama. Or that the town is the home of the country singing group Alabama. Which is weird because as I got off the interstate there is a sign that only says "Alabama Fan Club and Museum". My first thought was that alot of states have museums, but fan clubs?
I could tell you that I meet alot of nice, if not some what cliche, people. I meet way to many white trash, 17 year old, three time baby mommies, etc. etc. I could tell you about white knuckle driving threw tornado infested thunder storm on Easter night. Or how the walls at my friends new place in the Garden District of New Orleans sweats in the morning. I could tell you how loading and unloading a moving truck sucks in the summer sun. I could tell you how I discovered, to my horror, that my little house doesn't have a working shower. Or how lonely it is in a new town, when you literally don't know anybody in it.
But, seriously why would want to hear all that piss and moan, whine shit! This is a new start, in a new place. With almost no ties to the past few years. I got some ideas about the future and till then I am going to be working hard to make the best of this place. And what will be, will be, if I make it that way....

And so....

So, it seems that my decision has been made for me. The Corner Bakery doesn't seem to be able to get their shit together. They said they would call with their offer on Thursday. I finally heard from them Friday, telling me I they would have it on Monday. The problem is Monday is my travel day for the Cattle Company. I start training with them on Tuesday. So useless there is a radical shift in the next two days, I will be training in Fort Payne, Alabama for 8 week and then moving to Hammond, Louisiana. Of course these means packing up and moving. Which is a huge pain in the ass! HUGE!!!

I am suppose to be cleaning and packing up my apartment right now. But I just don't have the focus. I has been so beautiful the last few days. Highs right a 70 lows right at 50, blue skies, light breezes. BEAUTIFUL!!!! Its the type of day that you turn the AC off and just cool the place by opening doors and turning on fans . Maybe having a cool drink while sitting in the yard. Spring is definitely on the way (which reminds me day light saving times starts tonight). Traveling and Road Tripping weather!

The weather is so nice I shot down to Hattiesburg to rock out with my friends down there. The The Juke Joint Duo rocked the Thirsty Hippo. The great thing about friends is they know what to say to make you have a good time, even when they are fighting against our better nature! I should have been home packing but I needed to get out of my head and have some fun! In my opinion, there are few things better in life than drinking some beers, listening to a good band and dancing with some beautiful women.

While I can't stand just cleaning and packing, I am excite to get on to the next phase of my life. I got some regrets about leaving Jackson. But I think I have done everything I would do in this place. I just got one last bridge to burn here and then I can get out free and clear.

In a Holding Pattern

GGGGGGgggggggrrrrrrr...........I got so much stuff I could be writing about but I just can't stay focus enough to do it.

On the job front, I quiet the sporting good store so i could focus on getting a "real" job. Or at least one that pays better. Its funny because my last day was Sunday and not two hours after quieting Dick's, I got a call from a guy opening a Corner Bakery in Jackson. I went on an interviewed with the owner Monday and I have a follow up interview tomorrow with one of the company directors. On the other side, I passed my drug test and we are just waiting on my background check with the Cattle Co. I could start training with them next week in Alabama. Now if Bakery gives me a competitive offer in salary and benefits and they also want me to start ASAP. So if both jobs start soon, and have equal(more or less) pay and benefits. Which do I take?

The basic difference seem to come down to where I want to live. The steak house job will require me to move to Hammond, LA. I must admit a bit of excitement about living in Louisiana. Hammond is about half way between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. It would be nice to be closer to some good rock shows, but not having to live in those town themselves. And I do have friends in NOLA. But if I took the bakery job, I won't have to move. I won't have to deal with the problems of finding a new place to live and setting up a life. Plus, my family and Amanda is here. It is only a three hour drive, but still.... Leaving would probably mean the end with me and Amanda. But is a relationship with a person, really a relationship if you only see them once ever few weeks? I know her life is complicated, but is that fair to me? Can I put my whole life on hold, for a woman I am very attached to, but rarely see?

I find it strange in this hard economic times that I left one job to weight the options of take two others. Hell with my luck I probably will not get either! So basically I'm in a holding pattern waiting on the big wheels of industry to move into the proper places.

Fun Time, Movie Time w/ Coffee and Cigarettes

Steven Wright and Roberto Benigni


Tom Waits and Iggy Pop


The White Stripes give a brief history of Tesla!

BTW, this is why I'm in love with Meg!

The RZA(aka Bobby Digital), The GZA(aka the Genuis, aka Liquid Swords) , and (thats not good) Bill Murray in Delirium


Cate Blanchett verse Herself!