It's not good y'all. Eight murders in as many days so far this year. Thats pretty disturbing. It's not just the druggies and gang bangers either that are being killed. It's innocent folks. In the wrong place at the wrong time. It scares me. NOLA has a long history of violence but I've never really had any fears about visiting there. But we are on the verge of taking our kids to town for Mardi Gras, something we have looked forward to for a long long time and I'm a bit hesitant. The murders are not confined to the areas that no tourist would venture. It's happening all over. I think I really started to get scared back a few months when there was that shooting right on Frenchman, a street my friends and I frequent.

It really saddens me to see the city continue to slide into hell. I was so hopeful for awhile there. It seemed people were returning, tourism was coming back, slow, but still progressing. But it really saddens me when I see the folks I thought were in it for the long haul questioning their commitment to riding out the rebuilding.

I don't blame them or judge them. It's easy for me to sit here safe in my town so far away from all this and think encouraging thoughts for them. "Stay! Don't give up! Dont let them win!" I'm not living there with my family, afraid to walk down the street. Paranoid to go out after dark. I give them all the credit in the world for sticking it out and doing what they can to make a change.

There are marches planned and rallies against crime and I wish I could be there to show support. I wonder if these will help the situation. What will help the situation? What needs to be done to STOP THIS VIOLENCE? I sure as hell don't know. More police? More jails? How about nice quick death sentences like that Saddam guy got? A new mayor and Police Superintendent perhaps? The mayor is proposing a curfew....well that will be really helpful in keeping the law abiding citizens inside their homes after 2:00 am. I have a feeling those that are responsible for the murders wont think anything of a stinkin' curfew, and since some of these murders are happening in broad daylight, a curfew fails to address the issue.

Why is our government not helping more? Oh yeah, I forgot.What makes me even angrier is that other countries are helping New Orleans more than our own. I also recently learned that Saudi Aramco, the largest oil company in the world, has donated materialsto NRN (thats the organization we are working with over Spring Break) to build 50 new homes in St. Bernard Parish.

Interesting, no?

I went shopping yesterday for some new bras as Vicky's is having the semi-annual sale. I bought some nice stuff and then wandered around the mall a bit, checking out the clearance sales. All the stores have their spring merchandise out already! Shorts! Swimsuits! Tank tops! Normally this would bother me since it's only January but if the weather keeps up like this, I'll be needing shorts and tanks by March! Spring clothes in January doesn't bug me as much as winter clothes in July though. I can deal with looking forward to spring.

Shoot me now.

I just got an e-mail from some guy. He just got his masters degree in Creative Writing and wants to know what he can do with it now. WTF? Seriously? Why do you get a graduate degree without some kind of goal in mind? That is just STUPID! I hate people like this. I have no patience for people who have no direction in their life (except freshmen, they are ok, I can cut them some slack). But if you go all the way through college, then go on to get a grad degree, you better have some idea of why the hell you are getting it!

Otherwise the new year hasn't been very exciting. So far.

An old friend stopped by the office on Tuesday...home on break from medical school. LSU won the Sugarbowl and Mike wore a tiger costume to the game, which was hysterical. Connor's basketball team had their first loss last night. And thats about it.

Mardi Gras can't get here soon enough! I'm falling into that annual winter funk. I need some fun and excitement.

I've read, watched tv, movies, played wii and just this morning started putting Christmas decorations away. We'll leave the tree up for another week or so, but I was dusting and decided to just put some of this Santa stuff away instead of having to dust it again next week.

We have no big plans for tonight. We used to go out, but now we like to stay home. Mike has to work until about 8:00 and there are too many drunks on the road anyway. I bought a bottle of champagne for midnight and if we manage to stay awake we'll have a toast to 2007.

My sleep wake cycle is all screwed up from staying up late reading and sleeping in. I haven't been sleeping well, lots of tossing and turning and very weird vivid dreams. At least once I go back to work I can back on my regular schedule.

I was hoping to make it to 100 books by the end of the year but came up short. I finished up with #90- Santa Cruise by Mary and Carol Higgins Clark, #91- Cross by James Patterson, and #92- Capital Crimes by Jonathan and Faye Kellerman. I have a whole bunch of other books I had planned on reading but I started Lisey's Story by Stephen King and I'm not liking it too much so it kind of killed my mood to read. I feel like I have an obligation to finish it and its just not exciting me too much. Not one of his best.

I watched Poseidon last night (the remake) and was literally biting my nails. I loved the original, cheesy as it was and this one was just as horrifying, maybe more so because of the better special effects. The scenes with the single mom and her young son really got to me, hit way too close to home. I could literally feel her pain when she thought he had drowned.

I am not making any resolutions for the new year, who ever sticks to them anyway? I wont be doing the 50 Book Challenge next year either. I'll still be reading but I know that I can easily read 50 books, no need to prove it to myself. I'll still probably mention what books I've been reading in some way however.

Once tomorrow comes, I can officially start preparing for Mardi Gras! I'm so excited!

Wishing each of you, a very happy, healthy, New Year.

We started off the holiday by going to Mass on Christmas Eve. It's the childrens mass so its always packed and they tend to keep it as short as possible. The sheep (see Christmas '04 entry!) made an appearance and this year we managed to get a photo of them so you can see just how creepy they are! Turbo cooked up a nice surf 'n' turf for dinner. Christmas eve was relaxing this year since it was the first time in years I didnt stay up half the night wrapping. Connor even let us sleep until 7:00 am!

I think all the gifts were unwrapped by 7:30am. Connor was thrilled and completley surprised with his Nintendo wii! We all have had some fun playing with it! Its hooked up to the LR tv as you really need room to play some of these games. I'm thinking we may get a tv just for the wii and put it in that room that we dont know what to do with, until we do the big re-model.

Mike made out with a ton of LSU loot and I got enough books and dvd's to keep me occupied until I have to go back to work next week. Jimmy was happy but not surprised with his new cellphone. He picked it out. Kind of takes the fun out of it all. I did get him a lensbaby after seeing the Armstrongs mention of them. I have no clue what it was but Jimmy seemed happy with it. He also got a new camera bag to hold hid various cameras and lenses, and some art books about graphitti and the history of Punk.

Christmas Day dinner was ham and homemade ravioli! YUM! After dinner we stopped by my aunt and uncles where Mike initiated the Sugarbowl Showdown. The Notre Dame fans of the family are pretty upset by Mike's defection to the South and the insults and challenges were flying. If anyone knows where I can get a tiger costume for next week...let me know ASAP! I'm hoping Mike gets out of this alive. If (when) LSU does win, we may be run out of town. I think I know some folks who will take us in.

Today I am in OCD mode, putting all the presents away, packing up boxes and gift bags, trying to reclaim my living room. I also made it to the gym to work off some of the food I ate all weekend.

I think that the entire week from Christmas and New years should be a holiday. No work for anyone!

I'll get some pics from yesterday up on flickr in a bit. I didnt get one family shot. Stupid. I even made everyone dress nice yesterday.

The one good thing about Christmas being over? It's almost time for Mardi Gras!

Finish shopping
write out cards
mail cards
buy stocking stuffers
buy gifts for pets
decorate house
decorate tree
bake cookies
wrap gifts

I may bake cookies tomorrow. We'll see. Connor had a half of day of school today and fell asleep as soon as we got home saying he had a headache. He woke up a short time ago and looks pale, even for him. He says he feels dizzy. He hasn't eaten anything since around 10:00 so we'll see how he feels after he eats. If he's feeling better tomorrow he has altar boy training at church. I'm going to try to get to the gym, then maybe bake.

I have three nights to wrap!! THREE!!! Tonight we are going to watch "Christmas Vacation" since we haven't had a chance yet. It feels good to not have to be rushing around buying gifts at the last minute. This is the first time in a long long time I've accomplished that!

Although it still doesn't feel like Christmas. Its rather warm, but I'll take it.

We also received the FUNNIEST Christmas card in the mail today. I nearly wet my pants laughing so hard. You know who you are and you made our day!

Of interest is that the back cover states,

" Hurricane Katrina was a natural disaster of staggering proportions. The vicious storm that lashed the Gulf Coast on August 31, 2005, left a scene of utter devastation in its wake"

Hmmm.....no editor picked up on that?

One of the ideas was to appeal to celebrities associated with New Orleans, let them know of our mission to come to NOLA to help with rebuilding and ask them for an item donation for our silent auction. We came up with a list and everyone picked a celebrity to contact. I started sending out e-mails and letters yesterday and I heard back from one already! I am so excited and thrilled beyond belief. I wont say who it was that responded, some of you know, I may tell you privately but I don't fell comfortable publicizing that information. I'm just giddy about it because I love this person and respect him so much for his advocacy for NOLA.

If anyone out there has any connections to any celebrities and would feel comfortable approaching them or helping me contact them...I would be greatly appreciative! We have made a lot of progress but still have a ways to go to meet our goal.

Also if anyone has a business and would like to make a $25 donation we will include your name on our ASB shirt, and for a $50 donation we will include your logo on our shirt.

Thanks to everyone who has supplied me with ideas and has helped out so far!

EDIT: Mike, Marisa and Wendy can add 10 points to their score. I put the wrong answer for the sports question. they all got it right....

Create your own friendquiz here

The weather here this past week has been incredibly mild. I'm not complaining, however I've noticed that my hydrageas and my hyacinths are starting to bloom. Mike and I actually spent some time outside yesterday gardening!In December! Everything is growing, its just crazy. Also, the dogs are blowing their coats again which is just extra special. Mike finally got the outside lights up, and now it will snow every day until April and we won't be able to get them down after Christmas.

We watched the finale of Survivor last night and I was happy with the final 2 (but completely annoyed by the addition of Becky to a final 3), but disappointed that Yul won it all. I don't think he worked as hard a Ozzy since he had the hidden immunity idol. He was safe the whole time! Who knows how things would have played out if he didn't have the idol. Ozzy totally deserved to win it.

Christmas shopping is almost done. Still have to wrap. And bake. House is decorated. Cards are almost done. Hopefully I'll finish those up tonight and get to the post office before Christmas.

Oh! The Saints were horrible yesterday but at least they made the playoffs! Geaux Saints!