The Mississippi State Fair is apparently a big thing. It came to Jackson last Wednesday I believe. Everyone here in Clinton was asking “are you going to the fair?” over and over. And when I told them I’d never been before you’d think I was telling them I’m just now thinking of getting indoor plumbing.

So last night I went. Got started late because of a fight at church. Long story. Sad story, actually. Pray for J and J. Nuff said for now, but maybe more later.

But me and fairs have a love/hate relationship. I think I like them a lot, but they hate me. Or more directly they hate the food in my stomach. Pulling up to the fair I remembered that I’d not eaten supper. That was most def a good thing. But in the front gates they were giving away free Lily White Biscuits. FREE man! How can you turn that down. And with almost the whole thing eaten Bev said,”Are we going to see that later tonight?” Holy Cow! I forgot. So I throw the crumbs away and realize it’s going to be an interesting night.

After a few rides I’m actually feeling weaker of stomach than usual. Drat! So I realize it’s going to happen, so I figgure go ahead and have fun on a few rides while I can. After the one that plays rap music and tribal music really loud with the lightning like stobe lights, I knew it was coming soon. So we wait in line for a Sling-You-Upside-Around-And-Around-Ride and after it was over, Bev looked at me and said, “That wasn’t so bad was it?” I just give a nod and say “yep”.

So I brush past folks and mad dash it to a garbage can. Held it in before i got to it. But let’s just say that Lily White going down is a lot whiter than Lily White coming up…and out of my nose even. So after Cory tries to take a picture of the spew, I clean up and buy a coke. The Large Coke that could satisfy a herd of sheep. I figure I’ll let the acid from the Coke clean the you know what off my teeth.

I wait while Bev, Alex, and Cory ride a ride, then I think I’m ready for another. It wasn’t TOO sick. But the night is almost over. So lets ride the Ferris Wheel before we head out. My body is still feeling a little “swimmy” but I figured the breeze and view of the Ferris Wheel would be good for me. But at mid point, something happened. Something flipflopped in my stomach. Mouth started wattering. And I barely made it past folks to spew my Coke out behind an 18 Wheeler.

So all in all it was a good night. Made it home, watched LOST, and refilled my stomach w/ Cap’n Crunch.

I’m at home. The only one awake. Wife is at some certification class learning muscles and arteries and stuff. My oldest daughter is taking a nap w/ my grandmonther in the guest bedroom. My mom is on the couch asleep. And my baby is in her bed napping too. No clue what the two dogs are doing outside.

I’m tired, but not sleepy. Or the other way around. But not both. I think I’m going to go read some more in Black. Tonight is game night at the Goolsby’s. It’s been dubbed “Fondu A GoGo” what ever the heck that means. John thought giving it a cool name would make it more fun. But I guess we’ll play some classic board/card games. And of course I’ll try to introduce Dance Dance Revolution to everyone. I must be honest. Last Friday night was the first time I’d ever played. But it was quite fun.

Things have been busy at work. Adding a new full time Associate Youth Minister has made me keep on my toes a little more. That’s a good thing though. Small groups on Wednesday nights are booming too.

The girls are doing awesome. Addie likes soccer (doesn’t love it, but you know) and Ella loves life.

But I forgot my camera! How stupid was that?

But I hope to take a MiniDV camera next time and maybe even get some footage! But even though she has 5 girls on her team, they all divided up differently and ended up play Three To A Side. So she and 2 other girls from her team played 3 girls (one of which is on her “team”). It was funny. Like I said earlier, she’s a bit undersized and younger compared to the other girls. But she’s got a go get ’em spirit. She hustles a lot. Always running after who ever actually has the soccer ball.

One of the girls she was playing against was actually 5, too. She was mistakenly in this league. So she was dominating. Addie’s two teammates were night and day. One stood there and cried (coach’s daughter). The other girl gave 100% when she was on the field. Was pretty good too. She got up at 6 a.m. to get ready for the game. But when she got tired, she went to get water whenever. So there was a time or two when Addie was playing 1 on 3. But it was all funny.

She enjoyed it. Wants to keep playing. Let’s see if she keeps it up.

There is a lot of mess going on in our region of the country right now. The hurricane left tons of damage and hurting people in its path. People are going w/o food and water and shelter right now. They need attention and need it quickly. We see the horrors of what happened on the news almost 24/7. And people are responding. Trucks of ice and water and food are going everywhere it seems. And people are being rescued and given shelter.

I’m glad our own community and church families have stepped up and contributed to helping out the Katrina situation. I’m glad we as a country are doing something for the victims of the storm. We need to help as much as possible. But the help shouldn’t stop there.

There are still people dying by the thousands each and every day because of food shortages and unclean drinking water around our world. Children are dying by the hundreds each day because they have a disease or sickness that could have been prevented by a simple vaccination that is not available to them. But these folks go mostly unheard from and unseen. And sadly when we see them we, as an American society, usually don’t even blink an eye. Well… Are you going to blink?

Visit MakePovertyHistory.org and see ways you can join in a world wide movement to make a difference.

If I suddenly don’t ever post anymore, I’m probably either dead or in the hospital.

After the Hurricane I think we had about 37 ant beds spring up in our yard. I was putting out fire ant killer on them today. It is the fine white powdered stuff that reeks of rotten eggs. That stuff smells rank but works. Anyhow, as I said, it is a really fine powder. And I happened to try to sprinkle some in the wind and I inhaled some. Made me feel all tingly inside. Or mainly in my throat.

August 28 – Sunday

At church someone asked about the on coming hurricane. Wondering about it getting to us that night. I knew it was too far away for that. But didn’t think anymore. At the lunch table my mom calls me to ask if we’re heading north. I was figuring she was asking about us coming to see them for Labor Day Weekend. I said that maybe we’d come up for the State game on Saturday, but that’s about it. But she meant about the hurricane. I thought she was crazy. There’d be no need for us to leave our home.

That afternoon I began watching the news. It was going to smack New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Potentially larger than Hurricane Camille from 1969. The “Big One” that all other hurricanes are measured against in these parts.

We prayed about it a little at youth that night. And I watched tons of folks leave the gulf coast area. As I left church just before 9pm I got caught up in a little traffic. Seems it was people from Louisiana getting out of dodge. Gas stations were a little busy. After being at home for a bit, I decide to go in search of gas myself to go ahead and fill up the Explorer since it was only 1/4 full. Tried an older station off the beaten path thinking it might be open. Wasn’t. But went to a regular one w/ no trouble. Gassed up and left. People from New Orleans were walking dogs and talking on cell phones at all of them.

I went back home and watched the news until about 2am. It was enthralling, but figured I needed the rest. By the time morning would get here Katrina would have hit New Orleans.

August 27

A regular Saturday if you think going to a meeting at church from 8am til 4:30 is normal. Wasn’t too bad, but I am starting to get a cold. Afterwards after finally coming home I catch a football preview on the local news station. And then there’s something about that storm again. Tropical Storm or something. Maybe even a hurricane. But it’s got a name. Katrina. Seems like we shouldn’t already be up the the K’s in naming these things. But it should hit somewhere along the gulf coast. That has seemed to happen more and more lately too. One actually hit the day I was interviewing for this job last September. But I really wasn’t that concerned about it. Didn’t think much about storms down there.

Later that day I hear the news that New Orleans is telling people to leave and go north because it could get kinda bad for them. The storm isn’t supposed to hit until Sunday some time late afternoon of even night. But I wonder about all the engagement plans for my friends. Did he go against the flow and try to have the big dinner and then rush out before the storm came?

I ended up texting the girls sister. I asked if they were in New Orleans or not? She said they went to Memphis instead to get away from the oncoming mess. Everything went great. They’re engaged. They are happy. God has lots in store for them.

August 26

A friend comes over for some help in altering a picture. He’s wanting to take the head of him and his girlfriend from one picture and put on the head of another picture w/ old people in it. he was going to propose to her the next night. He had it all planned out. It was a pretty nice setup. He was going to take her out to eat at a seafood restaurant in New Orleans, have the waitress bring gifts at different times, and then have on of the street mimes come bring her an engagement ring. After the “Yes! I’ll marry you!” deal they were to finish supper and then take a horse and carriage ride around the historic streets of downtown New Orleans taking in the night life and atmosphere.

Saw on the news that night that there was some storm way out in the ocean. Seems there always is around this time of year.