Oops, Daddy you better call Mr. John!

That was a comment from my daughter Sarah one time as I stood on a ladder trying to fix/hook up the fan in my home in Ponchatoula. What she was referring to was my innate inability to fix mechanical type objects that often led to me calling on friend and neighbor John Malone (ex-Marine and HVAC repairman extraordinaire) who seemed to be able to fix anything at anytime.

Saturday, the dryer door switch broke and yours truly went to Dependable Appliance Parts store in Slidell, secured the $21 door switch and replaced it. THERE YOU GO JOHN MALONE!!!! Actually, I had to borrow Mike Broussard's wire crimper to complete the job properly.

Man, Malone was great at saving me at times like these, I miss his handy work and of course his lovely wife.

BTW, I did get some help from Cindy Jean throughout the process! Bless her!

Viva Mook
Viva John Malone
Viva Andrea
Viva CJ
Peace Upon You

The Road NOT Less Traveled

I can't believe this, but, for 17 of the last 18 years I have traveled either from Ponchatoula (60 miles) or Mandeville (30 miles) to this exit 266 (albeit from the opposite direction of this pic) to go to work at either LOakMiddle School or BJHigh School.

During this time:

Taught Physical Education @ LOM for 10 years

Worked for Marilyn Faust (may she R.I.P.)

Coached at 4 schools
Salmen, EA, Fontainebleau, Covington

Almost transferred to Ascension Parish (sorry Beas)

Won 4 State Championships

Got Divorced, Sold our house in Ponchatoula

Moved to Slidell (11 months)

Moved to Mandeville (across the street from Dougie)

Completed course work and dissertation for my Specialist Degree from SLU

Saw the Tap Room burn (sob)

Promoted to Assistant Principal at BJH (8 years)

Worked for Dana Magee, Johnny Vitrano, and Mitch Stubbs

Became play by play announcer for EST Channel 13

Southeastern Louisiana University Alumni Association President,

Vice-President, Treasurer, and Board member

Director of Publications LFCA

So. Division V-P for Delta Tau Delta

Met and married my love Cynthia Jean Larmeu (the single most important thing to happen during this time and in my life)

Moved to new home in Mandeville

Survived Katrina

Built a pool

I Packed up my stuff this afternoon and took some of it to my new place of work (Tech Center) located a scant 3 1/2 minutes drive time from the house or 15 blocks. The memories of these last 18 years swirled in my mind all day. I left my (team) staff this afternoon, I left the comfort of knowing just how we all worked together, and I take that with me to Channel 13.

Tomorrow another chapter of my already full life will open and I will step through it and attack it in the same way I have attacked every job that I have ever had.


Viva Marilyn Faust (R.I.P.)
Viva Dana Magee
Viva Johnny Vitrano
Viva Mitch Stubbs
Viva Admin Team/Office Staff @ BJH
Viva Teachers and Staff at LOM & BJH
Viva Cindy Jean
Peace Upon You

Calling a Spade a Spade

Mr. Smiley here in the picture with his "spade" showed up at my house yesterday and took my lush tropical garden (see bottom left picture) and reduced it to an almost nothing garden (see top right picture). Yes, these are actual before and after pictures and no they should not be flip flopped.

While the unsuspecting victim (me) stood by Mr. Smiley raveged my garden all the while on a rant about an incident that has eating away at him for years that he just had to share with someone:

He kept talking about how he was deeply disappointed that he has never won the Kenny Leithman Award, that he is jealous that Bobby Thomas is the only recipient. He told me a complicated and elaborate story on how a conspirator and certifier named Mike Corn had "fixed" the voting on the Leithman to favor Mr. Thomas. He claimed a family of Thiels were also involved in the voter fraud. What a tangled web we weave..............

He also went on another diatribe about his spade: how great it is, there are no other spades like his in mandeville, only professionals use this type of spade, and he did fixate on talking about the size of his spade???????

Now, he did promise as he left, to return with plants to replace those he stole. Judging from this man's fixation on the Leithman and his spade..............I can only hope that he will in fact return. My sincerest hope is that I was able to provide some sort of comfort to this man in his hour of need.

Viva Mike Cambre

Viva Agapanthus

Peace Upon You

Tiger Pause reaches 1....

year of age. Actually it was one on May 9th. Happy Belated Birthday to my Blog.

I hope that I have made you think, enjoy, wonder, smile, and most importantly laugh!

Viva my readers

Viva Cynthia Jean

Peace Upon You

Antithesis of Broussard's Garage

Antithesis: the direct opposite.

This concludes today's English/Language Arts Lesson.

Viva Mook

Viva ELA teachers

Peace Upon You

Broussard's Garage: Everything in its place

and don't think about moving it!!!!!

Thus is one of the garage rules at Michael "Mook" Broussard's house.

Notice the six pairs of golf shoes, Mike often plays three holes and then changes a pair of shoes. The plan is that they will all wear out at the same time and his feet will be refreshed throughout the round of golf.

May I bring your attention to the folded towels and assorted cloths. Take special note that during an automobile wax job, one cloth is assigned for wiping the wax off and another is assigned for buffing the auto. Neither one is allowed to do the job of the other and don't you forget it.

Michael becomes extremely perturbed when anyone (such as moi) puts fingerprints on his vehicle before, during, or after he waxes. I regularly make sure that I have left at least one fingerprint on his prized automobile possession "Bubba" each time I visit "Mook".

Have I ever mentioned that he has "cold" draft on hand? Yes I have and I am grateful.

Viva Mook

Viva Debbie

Peace Upon You

Family Reunion

Back Left: Meatballs Center: Italian Rolls Right: Pizza
Front Left: Breaded Veal Front Right: Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Extreme Front Right: Parmesan Cheese

His Lloydness shares this photo of "Family Style Dining" at Gina's Cafe in Independence, Louisiana giving significant credit as "Food Whoring". Amen, my Brother!

I was blessed to have coached @ Independence High from 1980-1989. Man, the eating was some DAMN GOOD in that town!

Viva Gina's

Viva Lloyd

Viva Bags

Viva my Food Whoring Brother.....Keith Carona

Viva Helen

Viva the Independence Tigers

Peace Upon You

A Religious Experience

A momentary detour from the "diet" found us at Lee's Hamburgers on Veterans Blvd. in Metairie on Saturday.

I cannot do the literary justice that this burger deserves, so I give you words of description from our experience from a review of the place:

About the burger: "It's always fried, always well-done and always dripping with grease.

Chopped onions are embedded into the surface of all Lee's hamburgers they caramelize on contact with the griddle and continue to sweeten as the burger cooks. You may -- you shouldn't but you may -- order a Lee's hamburger without onions.

Meanwhile, the onion rings -- a modern Lee's signature, hand-cut and freshly battered at every location."

Cindy and I both had one, hers with cheese, mine dressed with cheese, and of course the onion rings. OMG!

I am a convert to the Church of Lee.

Viva Lee's

Viva Onions

Viva Grease

Peace Upon You.

The Lloyd Speaketh

From the Book of EPhi 129

Heed and abide by the words of the Lloyd:

"Enjoy The Moment"

Viva Lloyd

Viva Miss Susan

Peace Upon You

Happy Birthday Sarah Edwards

25 today - 1/4 of a century. (btw, The one on the RIGHT)

Sarita

Joey's woman

Daddy's baby girl

"Little Tiger"

"Tigeress"

Sarah "Jean" the Soccer Machine

Very loving

Full of life

Beautiful curly hair

Former Hammond High Tor

Southeastern Alum

B. A.

M. B. A.

Bartender

Queen of Cinco de Mayo

High Maintenance (ask the one on the left)

Viva Sarita

Viva Sarah Rea

Peace Upon You