Baby Spiehler news

A shout out to the imissneworleans gang:

Go check out the group page if ya haven't. There's some important news regarding the new Spiehler member. (Though don't panic, it's nothing bad.)

Thanks

That's My Final Answer...for now

I had to go to the mall today, something that I have come to despise over the years. Chuck it all up it impatience; I just hate having to search high and low for that adequate item of clothing to wear.

I needed a dress for a wedding. No, not mine, but for a friend’s (in June) and eventually one for my cousin's (in July). I made sure to9 leave as early as I could do to the only mall that is open--in our post-Katrina world--is located in the bowels of hell itself.

Okay, I may be exaggerating.

For those of you not familiar with the New Orleans area, there are two main locations here: the Westbank (where I reside) and the Eastbank. The Westbank is made fun of by the Eastbankers. It's mainly a residential area with not much to do other than your everyday norm stuff. One of those use to be shopping at Oakwood mall, but during Katrina, some people didn't evacuate and decided the best way to past the time after Katrina left the area was to loot and set fire to the mall. Oakwood wasn't completely lost, but it hasn't been back in action since that faithful day. This now brings me to the Eastbank.

Now the Eastbank is made fun of by Westbankers (me excluded.) The Eastbank is more "city." This is where the French Quarter, Garden District, New Orleans East and Lakeview are located. This is also where the other mall, Lakeside, is located.

Since Katrina ruined a number of people's homes and businesses, there has been a population boom in the case of workers: construction, electricians, etc... Now, because over 1/3 of the Eastbank area is inhabitable, people kinda moved onto the neighboring cities/neighborhoods. If you see where I'm going, there is a LOT more people in areas where there wasn't so many people. Traffic is a major BITCH! Horrible. Horrendous. Lakeside Mall is practically dead center in all this mess. (Which I so aptly called it the "bowels of hell."

I was able to get in and out alive, though it's kinda hard to get use to the fact that what use to be a 20 minute drive has become a 1 1/2 hour drive just to get from Locale A to Locale B.

I found my dress (thank you Ann Taylor) and I got to make my WAY overdo stop at Whole Foods (fresh fruit to kill for!) I also became 100% sure that I will move out of New Orleans come next June.

Don't get me wrong, I love New Orleans, LOVE IT. I want to raise a family here. I want to purchase and renovate my very own Nineteenth Century Creole Cottage. I want to watch my city be like the mythological phoenix and rise out of the ashes. I know that if I don't get out of here, that very love will metamorph into pure hatred. I can feel it.

So come next year, I gonna move myself to good ole' Jackson Mississippi. Why Jackoson, you ask? Well I know the area...somewhat. It's practically small town (the surrounding towns/cities, that is), which would provide the much needed tranquility that I yearn for. Yet it is still close by to civilization when things like, let us say, a movie theatre and a manicure are needed. Oh, and it is SOOOO much more affordable over there than it is over here for rent. (E.g., cheapest one bedroom here= $750, cheapest one bedroom there=$475. ANd yes, I have done my homework, it's not cheap for a reason, say, crackhouses next door..)

And for those of you worried, I even have a job lined up: relief babysitter for S&D ;)

The Da Vinci Code

So, once agian, the Catholic Church is getting all a tizzy over the effects of the "Da Vinic Code", and all the lies it spreads, and etc... In my response to this, I decieded to give my two cents about it.

FACT "The Da Vini Code" is a FICTION book.


Thanks for letting me vent and have a great day!



PS, HAPPY MOTHER"S DAY to all you mothers. Hope y'all enjoyed y'allholiday.

Meme Time!

This was taken from Satcey's blog, who was taken from her friend's private blog.


The Name Meme

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet and current street name) Cricket King Henry

2. YOUR MOVIE STAR NAME: (grandfather/grandmother on your dad's side, your favorite candy) Elma Chocolate (not to be confused with "Elmer's Chocolate")

3. YOUR "FLY GIRL/GUY" NAME: (first initial of first name, first two or three letters of your last name) A-Rob

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite animal, favorite color) Cat Red

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) Marie Marrero

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (first 3 letters of your last name, last 3 letters of mother's maiden name, first 3 letters of your pet's name) Robiarnov (heh? sound kingon-ish to me...Not that I'm a Star Trek fan, no really, I ain'ts)

7. JEDI NAME: (middle name spelled backwards, your mom's maiden name spelled backwards)
Eiram Railavac

8. *word that's not family friendly* STAR NAME: (middle name, street you grew up on) Marie Runnymede

9. SUPERHERO NAME: ("The", your favorite color, the automobile you drive) The Red Cavaliar (Okay, that wuld actually sound cool if that wasn't EXACTLY what I dirve.)

It's that time of year

I was spoiled.

Last year, in June, I went to New York City for a second in less than a 12 month period. I went with some friends of mine in July 2004, than went again in June 2005. (Take my advice folks; if you ever want to go to NYC, go in June. Damn, was the weather great!)

I want to go back. This craaving has hit me eaxh year around this time for 2 years now. That is why I say I was spoiled; my first craving was satisfied.

I loved it there. It was the first place i ever visited that felt like home. The plae is so vibrant. The people are amzing, being from all walks of life from all over the world. If you ride the subway, you would never see any type of segregation going down, well, at least not that I saw! The food is amazing and there is so many varities. (I had the best BBQ ever in Times Square. Don't beleive me? Ask Kahunah over at DOA. He'll back me up.) Tehre is so much to do, from restaurants to theatre to museums to festivals. I WANT TO GO BACK!!!

Of course, y'all are probably saying to yourselves than go, why don't ya, but I can't. LAck of funds and all that. All the previous trips I was able to stay at a friend's dad's place for free, but that wouldn't be the case any more.

In celebration of the place I would love to call home one day (well, just for a few months at least), I posted someof my best pics from each trip on Idiosyncratic Speckles, so go check it out.

I thought of ya', Stacey

This is definitely a step in the right direction...

Bill bans smoking with kids in car
Measure handily passes state House

Friday, May 05, 2006
By Ed Anderson
Capital bureau

BATON ROUGE -- By more than a 2-1 margin, the House on Thursday passed a bill to prohibit smokers from lighting up in a vehicle if there are young passengers present.

Lawmakers voted 67-31 for House Bill 1010 by Rep. Gary Smith, D-Norco, sending it to the Senate for debate. Smith's bill prohibits smoking in a vehicle if a child is buckled up in child restraints. State law requires a child weighing 60 pounds or less to be strapped into a child restraint.

Smith said his bill would apply to motorists driving children younger than "6 to 8 years of age," the typical age of a 60-pound youth.

He said the bill is designed to protect young children from being locked in a vehicle with a smoker and having their health jeopardized.

The bill would apply to any motorist or passenger in a vehicle with young children, even when windows of the vehicle are open. Smith said a police officer could stop a vehicle and issue a ticket if he sees the vehicle's occupants smoking with small children present.

If the driver is convicted, Smith said, the offense would not go on the driver's record to be used as a factor in raising auto insurance rates. However, a violator could be fined $150 or sentenced to no less than 24 hours of community service, Smith said.

Rep. Alex Heaton, D-New Orleans, said a car is an extension of a home and people are not banned from smoking at home.

"This is impeding on the prerogative and rights of a parent," argued Rep. Carla Blanchard Dartez, D-Morgan City. "You put your child's life in danger by speeding, too. This is going a little too far for us in the Legislature."

Earlier Thursday, the Senate Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works said that teenagers who drop out of school could lose their driver's licenses or not be eligible to get one. The panel voted 4-1 for Senate Bill 284 by Sen. Heulette "Clo" Fontenot, R-Livingston, sending it to the Senate floor for debate.

Fontenot said the bill is designed to use driving privileges as a way to encourage students ages 15 to 18 to stay in school.

The bill says as long as a student is in school, enrolled in a general educational development program or is being schooled at home, he or she can get a license or keep one. If the youth drops out or has more than 10 consecutive days of unexcused absences or 15 days of unexcused absences in a semester, the students can lose their license or be denied one.

The bill would not apply to a teenager who is "unable to attend any school program due to circumstances beyond" the student's control, such as an emergency or being a mainstay of the family's income.

Fontenot said the student must present documentation of enrollment in educational programs or proof of graduation to driver's license personnel . He said the bill is designed to reduce the state's dropout rate, currently the second-highest in the nation.

The committee also sent to the Senate floor House Bill 985 by Rep. Damon Baldone, D-Houma, prohibiting motorcycle operators from carrying passengers younger than 5 on their vehicles. Any child who rides on a cycle must be outfitted with a safety helmet, Baldone said. The bill started out banning children younger than 8 from being motorcycle passengers, but a House committee amended it to the lower age.

Editor'sNote: Article found on NOLA.com

Woo hoo!!

Chis is still on! Chris is still on! Yay, my vote made a differance!

I have a mission. With helping Chris win, he would bring another genre to the winners circle: rock.

VIVE LA CHRIS!!!

Here I am!

My school days are officially finished! Or should I say, my days in school are officially finished? Or, when I think about it, it's not finished, finished, but finished for the spring semester...

So, let me retract my first statement and say, My spring semester days in school are officially finished!I say the whole "days in school becasue I am currently procrascinating on a research paper that is due on Sunday. It's an online classs, so a little extra time was thrown in. Gosh, how hard it can be to do the necessaries.

This all means that I have only two more semesters to go til sweet freedom. though I look at it to getting back to a work schedule that will allow me to make the money I need to sustain myself independant adult in this world we live in?(To you NOLA area folks: Have y'all seen the current rent rate? Gawd, it's crazy!!)

Entertainment tidbit: For you Superman fans, it has come to my atention that the new full length trailer is now up for the new movie, Superman Returns. I didn't find it that impressive, though I did like the last clipping of the trailer.

Also, Idiosyncratic Speckles has been updated.