Closing Out The Year

Been an interesting week for me, celebrating Christmas and now prepping for a 2025 with a renewed outlook. Had a hectic weekend prior to Christ’s birthday with work preparing for an early publication date at The News and wittnessing all the last minute shoppers at the Maxx.

Spending a quiet calm Christmas Eve and Christmas Day was in the plans before a fun family outing to the Big Easy for some N’awlins food and sights—not for the game. Going nowhere and doing nothing did not exactly go as planned because life never really goes as planned.

Christmas Eve was spent on a quick road trip to Augusta to visit with Robyn and Jacob’s father currently housed in the VA Medical Center. He went for his annual checkup a few weeks ago and that has morphed into a few weeks stay due to a pesky infection. We’ve been to the VA lots of times but the last time the kids visited it was through the eyes of young children, not the teens they are currently. It was interesting to see their reactions, especially from Robyn who now desires a career in science & public health.

Through the health issues with my deceased father (Emory) and their own father, my offspring have seen almost every health facility there is—VAs, rehabilitation centers, dialysis centers, spinal cord units, ERs (across the state), nursing homes, cancer centers, wound care units. You name it and they’ve likely been there because their mother dragged them along.

I always said that as young kids they would grow up with an appreiciation for the plight of the elderly & ill. I think I was right, at least where Robyn is concerned. She would always be found in the lobby or corner chair of the room observing. Whereas Jacob always found the entertaining factor of things, whether it was taking wheelchair rides with the patients or eating candy with the desk clerks or residents.

Walking into the VA with more knowledgable eyes I got, “this is the VA?” It was hard for them to imagine the VA, which serves our nation’s protectors of peace, not being outfitted with the technology of an Emory Hospital or the staff of a Grady Healthcare.

Christmas was peaceful as planned. We slept in a bit after a late arrival from Augusta the night before and I was up wrapping some gifts tucked in the back of the closet. We had bacon, muffins, and juice for breakfast as their niece stopped in to drop off gifts on her way to the VA. I found time for naps throughout the day as I began packing for the trek to Louisiana the next day. Around 5-ish Jacob asked what were we eating for dinner, I shrugged went to the fridge spotted some crescent rolls, pulled a bag of shrimp from the freezer, pulled rice from the pantry and voila dinner was born. I wasn’t too occupied with Christmas dinner and neither were they because we all planned on eating our way through the streets of the French Quarter and beyond for the next few days. And we did!

We were up early the next day packed and ready to hit the road with my sister Karen and brother-in-law Ronnie. He was doing the driving and is not big on night time driving so early was best.

You don’t realize how small the big world is until you run into someone from your rural small Georgia town in the restroom at Bu-cee’s in Alabama Exiting the stall I saw a familiar face and I said to myself is that really Pam Edge. You know the older I get the less dependable my eyesight becomes so I could have been wrong but alas I wasn’t. We greeted each other and questioned as to why how it was that we were meeting at the Bu-cee’s? Life is funny.

Anyway New Orleans was whimsical and fab, as usual. I love the city for its culture and unpredictability. The weather was warm and rainy all at the same time. The food was on point, I am a lover of seafood and spice and few places pair the two like the cuisine there does. And I didn’t have to worry about the pounds all the gumbo, french bread, jambalaya, gator, and beignets may have added because the constant walking for three days kept it at bay.

I was hoping to see a second line band but that didn’t pan out. However in addition to eating some gator I got to see a few in the Bayou where the Gulf of Mexico meets the Mississipi River. It was pleasant and refreshing taking the Swamp Tour with our Cajun tour guide. While we didn’t see many alligators in the Bayou that day, go figure, I immensely enjoyed seeing the vast weeping willows, moss, and other wildlife that inhabits the Bayou.

I found it especially thrilling when we were guided to the middle of the vast waters to the tune of Tina Turner’s “Rolling On The River” with the speed of the boat in sync with the pace of the song. “Laissez les bon temps rouler” is a theme experienced throughout the Crescent City and that’s what I felt in that moment “rolling on the river.” I probably embarrassed the kids with my singing but who cares.

Robyn found the air out there refreshing. It was free from smoke and pollution, she said. Jacob said he could hear himself think in the middle of the Mississippi. I told him great but likely when one is so engrained into themself is likely when the gators appear out there.

Having been there many times, we try to eat at different places but somehow end up at our favorite joints for the local flavor. Old habits die hard but in this upcoming new year I am going to try to find some new habits.

We sauntered out of town before the preponderance of Georgia Bulldogs fans rolled in for Wednesday’s Sugar Bowl matchup with Notre Dame. There were lots of Las Vegas Raider fans around though as the Saints took them on Sunday afternoon. It didn’t go well for the Saints, or the Falcons later that day for that matter.

On the way out of the spicy cuisine haven, we rolled by Tulane University for another look at the institution since our Spring visit. It was without students, but we did see two at the coffee shop and was able to ask about their experiences. Aunt Karen gave TU an 8 out of 10 and a thumbs up for her niece to apply there.

Here’s hoping everyone a peaceful & prosperous 2025!