All posts by Peggy1963

Winter Wonderland

I had to make a trip north this week. I realize Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri are not north to some folks but they are all north of here. It was cold; really cold. We ran into icy roads and high temperatures in the low 20s, so it was the kind of stuff we really aren’t used to down here.

We came back to San Antonio on Wednesday night and it was actually chilly in San Antonio, too. I went into the office on Thursday and came home at about 5:30. I took this picture at 6:25…

Wait! This is San Antonio?!

Damn north followed us home. I sent the picture to Peggy in Baton Rouge and she told me it was supposed to snow in Baton Rouge the following morning, too.

Now, the “following morning” is Friday, and I am supposed to be flying from San Antonio back to Baton Rouge. I wasn’t counting on bad weather where I am headed; I was just concerned about getting out of San Antonio!

The roads were fine in San Antonio this morning — the ground had been too warm for the snow to stick on major streets. So, I went in to the office and Peggy sends me this picture:

Peggy and the cat enjoying a surprising snowfall

I never really considered Peggy a “one-upsman” but I am pretty sure she trumped me with that one. This is the second-earliest snowfall ever in Baton Rouge, a place that gets snow about once every ten years. The snow started about 3:30 this morning and she and Sandy were outside enjoying the fire and a cup of coffee by 8:00. Well, I’m fairly certain Sandy did not have a cup of coffee.

There is still snow on the ground in both places, but it does not appear that there is any problems on the roads. I am leaving San Antonio now; Peggy has to pick me up in New Orleans for the ride back to Baton Rouge, so hopefully whatever weather there is will allow her to make that one-hour drive safely and us to make it back home with no issues.

Wish me luck!

Tiger Visit

I had a follow-up visit with my ankle surgeon today in Baton Rouge, so I came home from San Antonio last night. As frequently happens here it was cold last week and beautiful and warm today. Caitie had some work to do in Baton Rouge today, so she brought the baby to spend the day with Peggy.

My visit with the doctor will be my last. The surgery was not successful. Despite rigorous physical therapy I do not have any more lateral stability in the ankle than I had before the surgery. I can walk and I do not have a lot of pain, but I cannot run and I cannot play any kind of sports. Very disappointing.

So, what do you do when life is disappointing? You take your granddaughter and go visit Mike the Tiger.

People were again viewing our home for sale, so we needed to get out of the house. Caitie had not seen the new tiger, so we decided to go over to campus and pay him a visit.

He has grown a lot since the last time I visited him, but he is still just a baby. And he was very interested in my baby. Perhaps as an hors d’oeuvre, perhaps because she is so beautiful. I spent some time talking to him about my ankle and he growled at the appropriate point in the story to let me know he understands. Then, as always, we took some pictures.

Sleeping is important, too.

I am going to show a second picture to make sure you see what is lurking in the back of that cute baby photo. Here’s a little zoom for you:

Look at that good boy — he is so pretty! And he was definitely interested in what was going on. I told him that I appreciated the chat, and he wished me good luck with both the ankle and the sale of the house.

I can get on with the rest of the weekend now.

Last Home Game

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

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

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!

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!

And so it begins…

Peggy came to San Antonio this past weekend for us to begin looking at potential places to live. So naturally the kids came, too…

It’s not like they’re a problem. Mike lived here as a child and wanted to show his wife all the things he remembers. I’m not sure how much she cares, but, hey, they were hanging out in San Antonio in beautiful weather. And they got to experience their first flight with a not-quite-two-month-old child.

A few observations from the weekend:

There are definitely some areas of San Antonio in which we would be happy to live. We are narrowing the search to areas within a thirty-minute commute of my office, but that doesn’t narrow the search too much. It is really going to come down to how much we want to spend — doesn’t it always — and what is available when our house in Baton Rouge sells.

Mike’s wife seemed to enjoy San Antonio. She is from a small town in Louisiana, so her first instinct is to dislike/distrust anything that is too large. Or in Texas. So enjoyment is a positive step since we would very much like to see our grandchildren.

LSU whipped up on Ole Miss. That is always fun. Even more fun is getting a picture during the game of my college roommate and my brother-in-law running into each other in Oxford at the football game. They were sitting a few rows from each other without either knowing the other was at the game.

Mid-to-late October is not too late to be in the pool in San Antonio. Getting out of the pool can be a little nippy, but it definitely stays warms enough to enjoy a pool through October. Something to consider for observation number one above. The opportunity to see my wife in a bathing suit for more than half the year is a strong selling point.

Looking at houses this weekend really drove home the point that we are going to be leaving Baton Rouge and moving to San Antonio. This will be the third time in our lives together that I have moved ahead and left Peggy behind to do the job of selling the house. It is not fair, but she says she would rather do that than live in Baton Rouge without me five days a week. Just one of the many reasons I love her.

Baby in an airport
Happy baby!
Surprise photo op selfie at the Ole Miss game

Happy Birthday

I have written before that we have a family tradition of not celebrating birthdays and anniversaries on the actual date. It is a tradition born out of necessity. We’re better at getting the dates right now, but sometimes…

Thursday was my 55th birthday, but I was in San Antonio on Thursday. So we celebrated this weekend. By telling the kids we are moving to San Antonio.

They left the baby with us and embarked on a Bonnie and Clyde spree across South Louisiana. OK, none of that is true. Well, they did leave the baby with us.

LSU played Auburn on Saturday. One of those days that makes you proud to be a college football fan. One of the largest comebacks in LSU history against an opponent ranked number 10 in the country. On an absolutely gorgeous day. Perfect way to celebrate a birthday, even if it was actually on my sister’s birthday.

On Sunday the kids stopped by to tell me “happy birthday”. We told them we are moving. They had come to town to attend a party, so they really did leave the baby with us. We took her out to dinner with us to show her off.

I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow so I will be home for a couple of extra days. We have some things we want to do to the house before we list it. But tonight we just went to dinner at our favorite place and took our granddaughter with us.

I don’t know how many opportunities we are going to have to do this sort of thing. I just know that it was a perfect way to celebrate three days after my birthday.

Showing her off at Superior Grill

Surprise

It has been a few weeks since I have been home. A combination of things has kept me in San Antonio, so it was nice that Peggy came to San Antonio to visit this weekend.

Peggy came during the week for a nice visit. She has a project and has to go to Dallas on Monday, but we were able to enjoy a long weekend together.

On Saturday, Peggy and I took off to visit one of our favorite places. We had not had much time alone with the opportunity to talk over the weekend, so the drive to Marble Falls was as much for the conversation as for the sightseeing. We made the drive to visit the world famous Blue Bonnet Café.

As usual, the Blue Bonnet was outstanding. The conversation was something else.

I promise I am a good husband. Loving, supportive, attentive, communicative.

But every once in a while I whiff big time. Peggy is pretty good about calling strikes when they happen.

When I took the job in San Antonio I made the conscious decision to continue living in Baton Rouge and commute to San Antonio. Peggy and I had a hard time finding a church home when we moved to Baton Rouge, and we now have a wonderful one where we are active and happy. Peggy founded an exercise and training ministry at our church that began this summer. I knew we were about to have our first grandchild and I could not ask Peggy to move to San Antonio and leave her so soon. We love being close to the activities at LSU. And…and…

Peggy let me know today that she is not happy with the arrangement. We got married to be together and she does not like my absence — we have been loving empty-nesting together for more than ten years now. In my defense I told her the same things that I wrote in the paragraph above. She kindly looked at me with pity for my stupidity.

So, when we go back to Baton Rouge next weekend we will begin the process of putting our house on the market. When it sells she will join me in San Antonio. I will be happy to have her with me all the time, but I have to admit I’m still worried about the other stuff.

Here we go!

Beautiful girl on the San Antonio Riverwalk
At the Blue Bonnet, where she set me straight…

Allie

Peggy was in Dallas with her father who was in hospice care. Mike had finished the tenth grade and was in Katy with me.

We had a wonderful old dog named Tater who had just been put to sleep a couple of weeks before. Tater, like all of our pets, was a rescue. I got her as a puppy after someone abandoned her at the firehouse. A fireman friend of mine called me and asked if I would take her.

Mike was only five weeks old at the time, so I didn’t ask Peggy. I went and got the puppy from the firehouse. And then I slept with her in the kitchen for a week so her crying wouldn’t wake up the baby.

Tater lived to be sixteen, and Mike knew her for literally his entire life. The boy needed a new dog.

Mike and I went and started looking at rescue dogs. When we found one we thought was cute we would text a picture of the dog to Peggy. While she was sitting with her dying father. Who thought it was hilarious that we were sending dog pictures to Peggy while she sat with him.

Twelve years ago we got a two-year old rescue dog named Alice. I changed the name to Allie — seriously, who names a dog Alice?! — and Peggy was spared a lifetime of “to the moon” references. Three years later we discovered that Allie was severely diabetic. The vet told us that dogs with diabetes do not live more than about two years after they are diagnosed.

Peggy gave her insulin shots — more insulin than human diabetics take — twice a day. And they developed a special bond. So special that Peggy forgave Mike and me for sending her pictures of Allie while she was sitting with her dying father. Who thought it was hilarious.

Allie beat that two-year prognosis by more than nine years. We had to put her down this morning after she had a stroke and lost the use of her hind legs. I am so glad that I was home to be with her and to make the decision with Peggy. But it hurts.

She loved her Mama and she loved her cats and we will miss her every day. Sleep well, my good girl.

Allie in Austin. She loved walking down to the river — and hated coming home!
Allie with Sandy. Sandy thought Allie was his girlfriend.