Kindergarten Class

Tuesday, as part of a national day designed to teach kids about the importance of saving money for future wants and needs, I went with my friend Gaye to a kindergarten class in Jackson. Gaye gave a short talk about putting your money in a safe place, and it was wonderful to see their eager faces. I got some pretty good photos, but this one was the best. Gaye had their full attention for just a few short minutes but this photo captures them listening attentively. Anyway, the class was at Spann Elementary School in Jackson, and I was glad to be a part of the day. Gaye also passed out some goodies at the end and the children's faces just lit up. One of them said, "What a great surprise!"

Volver Movie

I had really been looking forward to renting this movie, Volver. It's Spanish language and has Penelope Cruz in it. It was not hard, with those factors, to get Todd to be enthusiastic about it. However, 30 minutes into it, he decided it was a chick flick and played on his Nintendo portable the rest of the movie. But I really liked it and would recommend it - Cruz's performance is awesome and the Spanish culture was really fascinating.

My Favorite Podcasts

Podcasts I really look forward to each week:

1. Slate's Political Gabfest, with John Dickerson, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz, three Gen Xers who make politics really interesting. They have vastly different viewpoints from my own, which really makes them worth listening to for perspective on politics. The podcast lasts about 30 minutes, so they can get into meaty subjects in-depth -- a stark contrast to Chris Wallace's Fox Sunday Morning, or This Week with George Stephanopolous, where everyone is jockeying for a sound bite in the 7 minute roundtable segment.

2. ESPN's PTI: Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon talk about sports, period. But they make any sport interesting - even sports I don't like (hockey). I am always laughing at their arguments.

Drilling

Today we drilled a hole in the countertop in the kitchen, near our computer, to put all the cords through, so they won't be such a tangled mess running over the bar. I'll post the end result when we get all the equipment put back.

Rufus, Meet World

Here's the new and improved dog, whom we now call Rufus. He weighs in at 45 pounds now, up from 39 when we got him 3 weeks ago. He's much happier and healthier. This week when we were out of town we had him treated for heartworms, so now we are keeping him semi confined. We're not taking our nightly walks or throwing the frisbee for him because we're not supposed to get his heart rate up.

Landscape Rocks

Last weekend we laid down 1.5 tons of landscape rocks in our back yard, in an area that was kind of a low lying area for runoff. I didn't take any photos last weekend and just took this one. You can also see our recently-installed picket fence at the far end of the photo. That new fence, which Todd put up himself, separates the dog's area from the rest of the yard.

Mississippi Gulf Coast Today

We spent Tuesday and Wednesday in Biloxi for one of my work-related events and I have to say the Beau Rivage Resort is almost back to full speed and did not disappoint. The restaurant food was terrific (Coast Restaurant in particular) and so was the hotel banquet department food. As for the sleeping rooms, the beds are the most comfortable in Mississippi. The only resort facility not up and running was the pool and cabana area, which is still under construction and will hopefully open for the summer season.

Dog We Have Taken In

For a month Todd saw this dog being mistreated next door to a location Todd frequented and he finally convinced the owner to give it to him. So on March 23 Todd brought it home. This is a photo I took that day - the 'before' photo. The dog was thankful to have food and water and not be chained to a fence. It loves attention and is afraid of discipline. Todd took it to the vet the next day...diagnosed with heartworms, intestinal worms, never had any shots, and never neutered or given any treatment for fleas. So Todd and the vet decided to take baby steps and just kill the intestinal worms so he could gain some weight. In a couple of weeks we'll take it back and get it neutered. I'm not sold on the huge price (more than a car payment) and crating necessary for the treatment of heartworms. I also don't have the patience for training the dog. It is docile and friendly but constantly jumps. We have not named the dog, although 'Apocalypto' comes to mind. So we've been taking the dog on evening walks and he really looks forward to them. It's a sure way not to avoid exercise. He's been trainable on these walks, too, getting used to the leash pretty quickly. When we first brought him home, he was docile and would not even lunge for squirrels or items of interest, but that has changed. He has more energy and tries to pull my shoulder out of its socket on these walks.
This entry would not be complete without me giving a run-down of the animals Todd has saved (that I know of).
-Late 80's - Boots - cat Todd found in woods - given to his grandmother, became her companion for more than 12 years.
- August 1999 - Cocodrie - injured, sick cat Todd found on side of road in Cocodrie, Louisiana, where he was going fishing. Today, Cocodrie is our darling housecat who is always in Todd's lap.
- 2000 - Gray Tabby - injured cat Todd found in middle of intersection of Northside and Ridgewood Roads. We took it to the vet (where our other cats were patients), where it died that night. Later we received a bill for $200 and paid it, although we were incredulous about the boldness of the vet charging us.
- 2004 - Black Kitten - Todd found this tiny kitten licking itself in the middle of Mayes Street and gave it to a vet's office, who found a home for it.
- 2005 - Pit Bull Puppy - At a house Todd was remodeling, Todd found this puppy still in its birth sac yet wriggling, with no mother dog in sight. He took it to a vet who found a home for it.
So, either Todd is in the right places at the right times, or he's just someone who happens to notice animal situations. Although sometimes exasperating, it's one of the reasons why I love him.

Jambalaya Recipe

Credit my friend Staci C for this recipe, which sounds easy and delicious. I have not tried it yet:
Oven Jambalaya
1 stick butter - melted- (probably can be reduced but I have not tried
it)
1 package of cajun flavored link sausage sliced into 1/4 inch round
slices
1 can rotel tomatoes -do not drain- can use milder rotel tomatoes
1 can french onion soup
1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breast-cooked and cut into small
pieces
1 can of beef consumme
2 cups of uncle ben's converted rice (Must be
converted)
2 bay leaves
Mix all ingredients together and place in a 13x9 inch greased pyrex
baking dish. Cover with foil.
Bake covered for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Take dish out of oven. Stir
well. Cover again and bake an additional 30 minutes. (If you do not
keep it covered while baking the rice will be hard and dry.
Serve and enjoy! This makes a lot but reheats nicely the next day.