How's about a Friday post?

Today is the end of school for the year. I've given all the exams and graded them, so all I have to do is post the grades on the schools computer and turn in the grade books and I'm done. It all starts up again on the 5th of January, when I'll start driving back down to Florence and then out to San Saba. Ft. Hood doesn't start again till around the 12th, so it'll be an easy transition back to work.

The principal of the Windham School district out at San Saba had a big Cajun feed for all the school folks yesterday after school. It was GOOD. Lots of shrimp, gumbo, dirty rice and such. At one point, a guy who must work for the city walked in and told the cook (the principal) that he was from Louisiana (you could tell from the accent), and that the food was really good and authentic.

He looks at me at one point and says somethin' like "I think I read somethin' on the web you posted about San Saba. Don't you have a web site?" I was like "Huh? Uh, yea. You mean Fathairybastard?" Everyone in the place laughed. I was shocked. I thought at the time, "Cool, recognition!", but then I thought "Oh Shit, now everyone here's gonna be readin' the friggin' thing." It was like walkin' into that blogger meet last spring and everyone there knowin' who I was while I had no clue who they were. I've gotta take my pictures down from this thing, or do a new avatar like Mushy's done where you can't really tell who it is. For some reason I'm not really jazzed to have everyone there know I have this thing set up, but maybe they'll forget. What are the odds?

I'll start playin' 9 Ball in January, switchin' from Wednesday pool nights to Thursdays. The 8 Ball team I've been playin' on is breaking up (people gettin' out of the Army and goin' to school full time), and several of them have invited me to play on this other team. It should be fun.

Talked to Mom yesterday and she was distressed. Some bureaucratic agency, maybe Social Security, sent her a letter tellin' her she was no longer qualified to get Medicare, or something like that. She's in a panic, but I'll go over there today and see if I can figure out what's goin' on.

There have been a few of these panics since dad died. It's a huge mess, tryin' to deal with several government agencies when apparently, one doesn't know what the other is doing. And yet, people seem to want MORE government. Bizarre!

There's a Gun Show in Austin this weekend, so Denise and I will be heading down Saturday. We'll turn it into a Christmas Shopping trip. First, sleep in. Critical detail there. Then drive down and go to the Gun Show. Then hit Pappasito's for the great shrimp and dip. It's been a while since we hit that place, so we're both lookin' foreword to it.

After that, once we've gotten sufficiently full and liqueured up, we'll hit Highland Mall and do some shopping. Denise has several family members she's still got to buy for, so it should be intense. There'll be a lot of me saying "Why don't you get this? Why don't you get this? Why don't you get this?", and then her saying "OH, I don't know"... to the friggin' point of distraction. You know, it's the whole men shopping vs. women shopping stereotype. I'm thinking three or four beers for me and two margaritas for her with dinner and things might get smoothed out a bit. You think?

We're plannin' to have the Wilson family Christmas on Christmas Eve this year. That way Denise and I can hit the road for Kentucky that afternoon and get to her kids place by the afternoon of the 25th. Yep, another road trip. I want to be here for Mom, it being the first Christmas without Dad (Christmas was their wedding anniversary too), but she insists she doesn't care. We'll make sure the holiday is a good one, and then we'll jet out of Temple in the afternoon. Try to get to Little Rock by the night off the 24th, so the drive is broken up. Nether of us mind the drive. I actually enjoy it.

We were gonna fly and rent a car in Nashville, but driving is SO much cheaper and handier, we decided to do that instead. We'll drive home some time like the 30th and have New Years here with Mom. Denise has to be back to work on the 2nd, and me, as I said, on the 5th. So that'll give us time to rest.

Anyway, I've got to start posting grades. You guys have a great weekend and we'll talk again on the other side of this one. Cheers!

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UPDATE: Well, I got a call from Mom. She finally got hold of a lady at Dyess AFB named Katie. This is the sweet lady That guided Mom through all the drama with the feds when Daddy died. She's a wonderful lady and I'm plannin' to contact her and tell her so. Anyway, Mom found out that not only is everything cool with the medical coverage, she's also gonna end up gettin' $50 more each month. Good news!

Also, she's cookin' fried chicken, taters, peas, french bread and a salad for dinner tonight, and we're just about to head over there. Yea, I can feel your envy.

The gun show is on for tomorrow, but Denise and I are gonna have company. A friend of hers from work and her husband are goin' with us. He and I will leave The girls off at an outlet mall in Round Rock and then he and I will go to the show. We'll take out time and then pick them up again after, and then the four of us will got to Pappasito's.

So everything is cool. I turned my grades in and I'm off till the 5th. You guys chill and we'll get together again later. Maybe I'll have food pictures to tease you with. Cheers!