Katrina Anniversary and Labor Day Plans!

This Sunday marked the 5-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. TO be quite honest, I didn't post anything because I didn't have anything monumental enough to say to fit the occasion. So I am leaving it at this - I sorrow for those who lost, I rejoice for those who returned, I give thanks for those who helped others. One of those helpers was Claiborne, a gentleman from Monroe, La, who selflessly offered to let my husband and his brother stay at his house - complete strangers - during evacuation. As I recall the stay was marked by a lot of beer and wine and Chris Rock routines (at some point Claiborne banned the news). Coincidentally, Claiborne was in town on business this weekend and we were able to meet him for a drink and reminisce over our experiences 5 years ago.
It turns out that the stars have aligned to allow me a 4-day weekend this Labor Day! I'm using my mini vacation to visit my sister, whom I haven't seen in over a year and a half. Hurray! My husband predicts that within half an hour he won't be able to tell our laughs apart (we tend to start sounding a lot alike when we're together). I'd like to put together a hostess gift for them - I was thinking a basket of food goodies. So far I have one thing...a jar of Nutella! What yummy little fancy food do you suggest I add?

The photo is me at our home - back then it was David's bachelor pad - in late September, 2005. It was the first day our zipcode opened. I was miserably hot and drenched with sweat but so happy to find our neighborhood relatively untouched!

I'm thankful...

That yesterday and today were inexplicably quiet at work, allowing me a few moments to catch my breath. I prayed for that one!

That it's a rest day. It's 98 outside and the poor hubby is slogging away in it, getting his four miles in. I'm so proud of him for getting his runs in every day!

For magenta nail polish, which is cleverly camouflaging my bruised toenail. You can't even tell!

That tomorrow is Banquets and Books, my food book club, for which I read Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food, and for which I am making vanilla ice cream with flaming cherry brandy sauce. The sauce is made with fresh cherries, meaning I have really ugly purple nails right now.

For a hurricane-free season. August brings memories, nostalgia, and unrest; the air smells like Katrina; the silent, hot days are all too similar to the afternoons following the hurricane. I find I spend moments of August in reflection and sorrow. So many lost so much!

That my tech brought me an apple today. I forgot to bring a piece of fruit. She rocks.

For the reasonable doctor who allowed me to substitute a low-cost generic in the same class as a pricey name brand for one of my patients. Her copay went from $70.00 to $5.00 and she thinks I'm a magician.

For Abita's seasonal beer. I can't wait to try Satsuma this evening. Will it hold a candle to their amazing strawberry?

That my landlords are replacing our kitchen A/C. This has been the summer of dead kitchen appliances: I broke the food processor, microwave, stove, and A/C in short order! We were checking the serial number for the unit we currently have so the electrician could order a unit of the same size and learned that the unit we have was installed in 1981...before I was born!

For FOOTBALL SEASON! I believe that February through August is at least a year...or it feels like it when there's no football on. At least this year the winter Olympics cushioned the blow; I almost expire when there's nothing to watch but baseball.

For the post office on Loyola's campus. Finally, finally, finally, a PO with no line! At our local post office the wait is often over half an hour. Lately I've been going to the student post office and it's so much more convenient.

For Pine-sol. It takes the stinky out of technical T's and ipod straps after an overnight soak.

That Audubon park is so close to us. I literally spend hours a week there. What a fabulous and beautiful resource for runners and walkers!

Doesn't my mood sound improved from yesterday? It's like I popped a fistful o' Xanax! But all I really did was do a fun "alpine run" program on the treadmill and felt a billion times better.
What are you thankful for today?

My husband's frenemy

My husband has a frenemy. I'll call him Rick (because what I want to call him is in poor taste). This fellow is funny and a good conversationalist, so people put up with him, but the fact of the matter is that Rick takes advantage of all his "friends". Let me give you a few examples:

1. During hurricane Katrina, he and his girlfriend evacuated together in the girlfriend's car - Rick doesn't own a car. His girlfriend had just accepted a job in New Orleans over one in another state; upon realization that her new job was history she called the other employer and accepted the job. Rick agreed to drive her to the airport and keep her car temporarily while they sorted out who was going to live where, etc (those were crazy times). However, this entire time Rick was planning on breaking up with her. He waited until they got to the airport though, just so he could keep her car since at that point what else could she do with it!
2. Then when he damaged the car through misuse, he called her to get her to pay for it.
3. He invites you to dinner, then tells you at the end he has no money.
4. He persuades hubby and another one of his friends - who did not know each other - to come with him on vacation. They made big plans to share a condo together; another of Rick's friends was acting as a sort of trip coordinator. Well, day before the trip Rick backs out because he's "broke" leaving three people who do not know each other to go on vacation together! Of course they all broke down and pooled money to pay for him to go - which is disgusting.
5. He pretends he thinks you are doing him a favor and thanks you profusely in front of people so you feel cowed into paying his tab/giving him a ride/doing legal work for him/buying him dinner/hosting him a party.
6. He promised to attend my bro in law's wedding and invited himself to the rehearsal dinner. After bro in law paid for Rick and his date, they never showed - to the rehearsal or wedding - and never called.
7. He is a GOSSIP. He gossips about everyone behind their backs! In fact, he constantly belittles my own husband to me, but he does it in a really clever way that makes it impossible to debate. For example, today I unfortunately ran into him while getting coffee. He asked how hubby was, then sighed, "when is David going to start making any money?" implying that my husband is a failure. Which he's NOT. He's a successful attorney and was recently promoted. But how do I respond? "He's doing great and we're rich" sounds totally pompous. Agreeing is totally disloyal. Instead I gave him a weird look (I hope it was a "why are you asking this" look) and said, "We're doing just fine thank you." Of course I know he just wanted to provoke me into telling him some juicy private details about our finances. What a jerk.

I have made it clear what I think of this despicable advantage taking friend. It's not like David doesn't know he's being taken advantage of - he's just too nice to say no. The most recent affront was Rick asking us to meet him for drinks last week then revealing that it was actually his "engagement party" (at a bar???) and that we were expected to host! As usual he acted confused and said he thought we knew. WHAT-EV.

What do I do with this slime bag? What do you do with your frenemies... or your spouses frenemies...or friends of your sig. oth. that you just don't like?