Snow, Food, and Life in General

Snow
I am 9 days into my first winter cold, so my outlook is a bit jaded. But so far my initial take on the snow thing is that it’s a lot of trouble.

* Driving is already a challenge for me under normal conditions, so add ice/snow to that, and I’m literally risking the lives of everyone in the 314 area code every time I get behind the wheel. Add to that 30 minutes of digging my car out (plus a busted windshield from trying too hard to break up the ice) and I’m not sold on the ice part for sure.

* But I will say that snow can be a lot of fun. It provides numerous occasions for hilarious falling stories. And it can be pretty. I still sometimes look out and am surprised all over again. It’s just so white. Lesson learned: South Louisiana folks have no right to sing any carols referencing “White Christmas.” We have no idea what we are talking about.

Food
* When I went home at Thanksgiving, we took a trip to Ninfa’s, the best Mexican restaurant in the history of the world (and they didn’t even pay me to say that). I found myself asking if the green dip was spicier than usual. Nope, I’m just getting accustomed to non-spicy food.

* It is possible to live without rice at every meal.

* Aldi is proof that God still works the miraculous. A $12 trip to this precious grocery, and I can eat for three weeks. A pack of hot dogs for 49 cents? Life is good.

Work
It is true that when you’re doing something you really love, you never work a day in your life.

Ultimately
Change can be a very good thing.

Farewell
It’s been fun, but this fly-by week has come to a close. It has been good to share with you once again. I hope you and your family have a beautiful and blessed Christmas.

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Home for the Holidays

I have arrived. Vicksburg is a quaint little town, and I have found that the public library is my friend. (Guess who's dependent on the Internet for survival?) But the library is on the top of the hill and has windows all the way across overlooking the Mississippi River, so at least I have a great view of outdoors.

Highlights of holiday traveling:
* Listening to Murrell Ewing’s “For the Good Times” cassette three times through before getting to Arkansas. (I didn't get Theresa's advice in time.)
* $1.95 gas just north of Sikeston, MO
* Billboard: “104.1 FM Southern Gospeltality” (I can’t make this up.)

The Deer Camp
* Mud - everywhere.
* Guns - everywhere.
* Men with guns wanting to kill deer - everywhere.
* Deer - nowhere. (So far, the deer are winning.)

Christmas Trivia
You won’t believe this but did you know the rest of the world doesn’t shoot firecrackers on Christmas Eve? I thought it was a worldwide trend, but apparently it’s just a Southern thing. Every Christmas for as long as I can remember, firework tents pop up on every corner long about the last week of November. Then on Christmas Eve, everybody lights up the sky like the fourth of July.

In fact, rumor has it (I can't seem to find any research online) that Christmas fireworks are historically a Southern alternative to celebrating Independence Day. Since Vicksburg and Gettysburg both fell on July 4, for years southerners wouldn’t participate and shot fireworks at Christmas instead. That trend grew into a tradition with most folks unaware of its historical roots. Who knew?

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

More Duct Tape Art

I was recently introduced to a visitor on campus as the resident duct tape expert. I've never been prouder. Ah, the legacy I impart.

I've collected quite a lot of contributions from students. Here are two from the semester involving duct tape:

Louisiana Sugar Cane and Non-Traditional Christmas

Our good friend Stu just made my day! He found a link to a New York Times article on Louisiana sugar cane. It’s so ironic because a mere two days ago I was just trying to explain the LA cane industry to a coworker. Ain’t that just like the Lord....

Image Source: LSU Sociology Dept’s River Road Page

Flashbacks
Folks along the river cut cane from October to New Years. Some friends who have a cane plantation spend every Christmas in the field because they are so busy working trying to get the cane in that they don’t have time to stop and do a traditional Christmas celebration. So their tradition is to bring out several folding tables, cook a big pot of something-or-other, invite the families of all their workers, and have one big “dinner on the grounds” (for lack of a better term) out in the cane fields.

Speaking of Christmas
Our Christmas is a little out-of-the-ordinary this year ourselves. At this moment, I’m trying to tie up last minute details to leave town and head “back home” (as opposed to “home” (St. Louis)). I will get to see my brother and sister-in-law for the first time since August, so that is a big treat. It has been too long, but just when I think that’s a long time, along comes a missionary who hasn’t seen his grandkids in four years, and that puts it all in perspective.

Get a Little Mud on the Tires
This year my Dad and brother insisted on Christmas at “the deer camp.” This is not something we usually do, but my Dad just joined a new hunting club and built a camp there. I tried desperately to use my “favorite child” antics and persuade otherwise, but alas, my "favorite" status must be slipping. Not to worry, I found out that the camp sits in a front of a lake with lots of cypress knees, which is perfect for sac-a-lait fishing. (That’s crappie for you non-natives.) I’ve even threatened to sit on a stand with my Dad if I get really bored.

There will, of course, be four-wheelers. And yet, I’ve also checked and found a delightful wireless coffee house in Vicksburg. So stay tuned for much adventure on every front. Tomorrow: the drive, subtitled “How many ways can I entertain myself in a car for 8 hours?” a.k.a.: “How many times can I get 18 wheelers to honk between StL and Jackson?”

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Duct Tape Testimonials

What I've Been up to
So in case you've been wondering what I've been doing the last four months....

Just kidding!

My Finest Work Yet
What I have chalked up as a major accomplishment this semester is a vintage purple and gold LSU duct tape vest.

I made this rascal almost entirely out of duct tape. First I stapled together some scratch copy paper to make the pattern. Then I covered it with tape, or "ducted" it, as I like to say, and voila.

I made it for Tacky Day at school because, frankly, nothing says tacky like a homeade purple and gold duct tape vest. The infamous vest also played a major part in the LSU-Arkansas victory celebration.

I'm thinking about putting it on eBay. What do you think? Just in time for the Sugar Bowl? Geaux Tigers!

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Important Dates and Lecture Notes on Christian Literature

It’s the most busy-ful time of the year. Just to help you keep up with some important dates, I’m listing highlighted items on my calendar:

Don’t Pretend You Don’t Remember
2006 – Happy 10th Anniversary to the Macarena. Has it really been that long?

Soup’s On
Tomorrow is National Bouillabaisse Day. I can’t say that I’ve ever knowingly had Bouillabaisse, but it sounds entirely similar to Court Bouillon, a Cajun fish stew, which I definitely have enjoyed before.

Good to Know
Apart from other festivities celebrated this month, December is “National Read A New Book Month.” Next up for me: Dubliners by James Joyce.

On that Note….
I just enjoyed a great discussion with a reading group Sunday night. We talked about a G.K. Chesterton short story, and in so doing, moved on to discussions about Christian literature and literature in general.

My highlight of the night was the realization that most contemporary readers like stories with a lot of untied strings so that we can impose our own meanings; we chafe under too tight of a story from an author. That is, when authors come out and directly state morals, explains symbols, etc., we don’t seem to appreciate their works as much as works filled with open-ended symbolism and imagery that allow us to invent our own meanings for them.

Diagnosis
I say it’s because we live in an icon culture where we are allowed to prescribe meaning to the endless string of images around us, regardless of the artist’s original intent. In literature this translates to less authority for the author and more leeway to the reader. Perhaps in one hundred years authors will need to write nothing at all—just describe a series of images and let the readers do the rest?

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Winning the Battle over Winter Colds

Nothing says "Welcome to St. Louis!" like an ice storm and an ensuing winter cold. Within the last week, I have been officially initiated to winter. Chantell, I am with you--why do we always get sick just in time for holiday break?

Because I Care...
I will share a revelation with you: don't take NyQuil during the daytime. Let's say that a hypothetical person who happens to like duct tape took a full dose of NyQuil at, say, 10 a.m. Let's play like this same completely hypothetical person went on to operate motor vehicles and attempt coherent coversations--hypothetically speaking, of course.

The issue is that said hypothetical person thought that whole DayQuil thing was just a racket to make you buy twice the medicine you needed and spend twice what you ought. Hypothetical person is starting to believe it might not be such a gimmick after all and that the NyQuil "may cause drowsiness" warning should be changed to "will result in 38 hour coma." Friends have seriously laughed at the hypothetical person for a very long time. Words like "idiot" and "moron" came up, but I choose to believe it was done only in a loving way.

TOP 7 BEST THINGS ABOUT BEING SICK:
7. Soup - Go all out and get the alphabet kind. See how many times you can spell your name. (Why don't they ever include enough vowels?)

6. Menthol cough drops

5. You can say "My throat hurts" and be completely entitled to any type of frozen dessert. The number of calories and fat grams decrease at an inverse proportion to the increase of your fever.

4. No matter how old you are, a trip to the doctor always means a toy at the pharmacy afterwards.

3. You can enhance your spelling skills by staring incoherently at the long words on your prescription bottles.

2. You can blame any typical, daily act of stupidity on "the fever."

1. One word: jello.

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Back.... with Duct Tape

At It Again
Did I hear someone say duct tape? Well, ready or not, I'm back with tape tales. Thanks to the fine folks at Ninetyandnine, I'm here for a one-week-only guest performance! For fear of being disappointed, I won't ask who missed me. But I have missed you.

Are There Yearbooks, Too?
The December blog is a lot of fun because it's like a reunion or church homecoming (for those of you old enough or from an area rural enough to remember those). I won't spoil the fun by telling you who else waits in the wings, but it was certainly good to hear from my friend Chantell last week. After months of crossing e-paths on ninetyandnine, we finally met this year at the IQ Forum. In between solving the world's problems and discovering mutual friends, we had a great time.

Digging Deep
These days I'm living the good life in good ol' St. Louis. More about that and my duct tape exploits as the week progresses. But first I want to talk about more important things. Right now it is that special time of year that we all share with vigor and passion. Something deep within the heart of each individual beats heavily in anticipation. With joy and jubiliation we celebrate in a way others can't understand... That's right: McRib is back!

My Latest Cause
All you need to know about my life right now can be summed up in the fact that I am currently campaigning for a place of permanence on the McDonald's menu for the McRib. I'll have you know I was the 61,408th person to sign the petition to save the McRib. It's my little contributions to our greater society like this that really validate my existence.












Triumph is Possible
In the past we've withstood the wiles of PETA, shared the greatness of Waffle House with the world, and done just about everything else in between. This special week remember the McRib, and together let's do our part to make the world a better place: a McRib-friendly place.

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!