How can it be . . .

Northern Mockingbird

Not sure how this came about but I've gotten to the point that I enjoy going to James' Grill in Denham Springs proper. It is the tackiest place I've ever been: the tables are all mismatched from painted wood slabs, to Formica, to card tables with torn plastic covers and the chairs are in the same shape, probably picked up after hours from the old folding chairs people left for the garbage men the night before pick up day. The room is surrounded by LSU and Mike the Tiger paraphernalia going back in time to at least the 1950's. There is always a Santa to greet you at the door and now that it is close to Thanksgiving the blow up Crèche and the blow up Snowmen and other Christmas characters are filling the far corner of the wide open floor that used to be a drugstore back in the olden times - maybe in the 50's! The table decor is pretty typical: a big napkin holder, salt and pepper shakers, hot sauces, generic jellies, generic margarine, all beat to hell sugar jars and powdered creamer in cardboard containers. But . . . the coffee is Community Coffee so they can get away with anything. Breakfast only costs us about $15, tip included. The cooks and servers are all a minimum of 45 years old dressed in whatever they found to wear when they fell out of bed that morning. Most of the customers are rough and tumble policemen, firefighters, retired old men and a few old women along with the best scruffy looking but not derelict looking men starting their workday off with a round of political talk and fun. Honestly - I can't help liking James' because of the incongruous yet truly lively and warm atmosphere where it's all about living and letting live - freedom reigns.

Okay now that I've got that out of my mind I'll just mention that yesterday morning at 7am I had a left heart catheterization at the Cardiovascular Institute of the South in Zachary, LA. I was pretty close to petrified because of past experiences and I had worked myself into a frenzy but all went well. Dr. Deepak Thekkoott told P&D's Pop that I should just keep on what I'm doing and even more exercise! Holy merdeski - I already get in about five miles of steps a day but I will try to walk them faster and see if that keeps the old heart muscle squeezing good. So all's well that ends well and I did sleep like a baby last night. Will need Grampa to help me make my apple pie for Thanksgiving and to get the roasting chicken in the oven because I'm not supposed to lift more than five pounds or do any heavy work because they did the heart check through my left wrist and I still haven't removed the bandage. I will do that later today and just use a band aid. Getting tired of these bouts with the medical profession!

Quote:  No man can lift up his head with manly calmness and peace who is the slave of other men's judgments.    ____J. W. Alexander