AHS Homecoming 2008 - Friday Night

I'm a little upset with myself as I missed getting photos that I would like to have taken, specifically some special poses of Emily, since this was her first homecoming dance. Unfortunately, time was at a premium and we were rushed most of the day. I am glad that I got to share this time with girls, even though it was hectic.

Erin and Nick left Dee's early to go to his parents for photos there and Dee and I got pictures of Dustin and Emily at her home before we left to meet up with Erin and Nick again at a friends house. Several couples met for photos before they all headed out to whatever restaurants they chose to go to before the dance.



Here's Emily and Dustin at Dee's before their first homecoming dance. After seeing them mostly in t-shirts and baggy pants or shorts most of the time, it's a real pleasure to see how well they clean up! Curls and pedicures were the order of the day. Poor Dustin worried so much about the hot pink tie not matching right that he decided to go with the white shirt and black tie to make sure he looked okay. I think when he saw the other guys later on he wanted to change back but it was too late. If he had brought them with him he might have had time to change but we just didn't have time to take him home. He is such a good looking young man, I don't think it matters. Of course when you're 14 or 15, everything matters.


I like this picture of the two girls together. I loved the dresses they chose. Their dad took them shopping to get them and I think they did a great job choosing colors and styles that suited them well.


A group photo of the couples who met at Amy's house before the dance.


The guys checking out the girls...


checking out the guys!


Erin and Nick


Emily and Dustin


and one last photo before they left to go eat before the dance.


Dee had chauffeur duty this year with Emily and Dustin. Sarah and I followed her to Ralph and Kakoo's, a local seafood restaurant, where they chose to eat and met up with another couple. I liked this picture of the two of them walking in together.

Dee, Sarah and I went to eat Mexican food where we waited for them to call and tell us they were ready to go on to the dance. My ex son-in-law Will, picked them up after the dance as the girls were spending the weekend with him. I did get to see them briefly on Saturday as their dad was kind enough to come over to Dee's and change my tire, which had gone flat. Thankfully it happened before I got on the road to drive back home.

I think it is safe to say, they all had a good time and they made me happy by letting me be a part of it all.

AHS Homecoming 2008 - Thursday Night

These photos were taken at the football game Thursday night. School was out for fall break so everything moved up a day this year. I didn't get any pictures of Emily this night. I'm not sure why but I didn't. She chose not to join the band as she wanted to be in the pep squad (or whatever it's currently called), then dropped out of that and plans to rejoin the band next year. I understand that she is quite talented on the clarinet so I hope she does.



This is a picture of Erin sitting in the flute section before the game. She's the one looking back up at me with the please don't embarass me look on her face. She is a sophomore this year and plans to go to LSU and wants to be in the band there. Her new boyfriend is a senior and captain of the drum line. This is the first time I met him. He seems like a really nice young man and they seem well suited.



This is Nick, aka the new boyfriend. We sat near the band, right next to the drum section and were able to watch him perform while we were there. He seems to be quite talented and respected.



This is Dustin. He is Emily's boyfriend. He is so sweet and just like one of the family. He plays the french horn and I got a kick out of watching him perform in the stands as he sat just a row or two above Nick.

The Airline Band is really good and has an outstanding reputation. They performed a show this year called Urban Pulse which was written specifically for them and I loved the music. They move so much on the field that it is almost impossible to follow individuals.

I have a lot more pictures of the band, both in the stands and from their performance on the field during the pre-game show. I may try to post more of those later but just wanted to get some pics of the kids out here for now. I'll put the pictures taken before they left for the homecoming dance on Friday in a separate post.

A Lazy, Rainy Day

This has been a lazy, rainy day here in Monroe, Louisiana. I've used the time in part to get some of the homecoming photos of Erin and Emily and their boyfriends ready to upload and hopefully I will have a post of them up later this evening.


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I don't know about anyone else, but I'm tired of politics. I'm tired of debates. I'm tired of rhetoric and I am tired of the news media.

I am also getting more and more cynical by the moment.


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For dinner I plan to finish off the rest of the shrimp bisque that I made yesterday along with the homemade croutons and maybe a small side salad... those croutons are so easy to make and so good. Maybe I'll do a recipe post in the future.


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Wishing everyone a lazy, rainy day somewhere in your future.

Quotes and Stuff

"It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." -- Mark Twain

Mark Twain was a pretty smart fellow. It seems to me that I've gotten into the worse spots of my life when I was the most certain that I knew what I was doing or when I didn't bother to listen to that nagging little voice in the back of my mind telling me to stop and take more time before acting. The only thing I seem to know for sure today is that the older I get the less I seem to know for sure.

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Today, I am headed to my daughter's home and will be going to Erin and Emily's high school homecoming game tonight to watch the band perform their pre-game show. I'll be with them tomorrow as they both get ready for the homecoming dance. It's Emily's first year in high school and her first homecoming dance and I'm excited for her. Erin has a new boyfriend that I am anxious to meet and of course Sarah Grace is always a real joy in my life. I am taking Ginger but Woody will be on his own until I return home either late tomorrow night or early Saturday morning. He will have everything he needs in place before we head out the door in just a few hours.

I hope to get back to blogging soon and with this little mini-trip and the pictures I will take while I am there I should have material to post at least an entry or two.

I wanted to thank those of you who have corresponded in some way to ask about my well-being... your concern is appreciated.

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"No one knows the story of tomorrow's dawn." -- African Proverb

I'm trying hard as an old dog to learn to take one day at time and to enjoy what life places in front of me each day instead of lamenting what didn't happen that I expected or anticipated. Why is that so hard?


Enjoy this day everyone!