Gotta Know When to Hold'em, Know When to Fold'em

Homer, LA/ Minden, LA, Shreveport, LA

The big talk yesterday was about Hurricane Isaac and whether or not it would impact Northern Louisiana enough to make us stay another day or more. I was sad to learn that all of my girl cousins my age would be coming into town this weekend and we'd miss them so if the storm delayed us, there would definitely be an upside.

At breakfast I shifted KP duties a bit from just cleanup and made a few personal omelettes on order. Again I marveled at the sheer number of people who had breakfast at the house and the preparation for it. Nearly three dozen eggs sat in the fridge, the foil and saran wrap were huge industrial rolls sold wholesale, and the flour and sugar were kept in huge (20lb.?) containers.

Gwen has been teasing me about having twins. She says it is totally possible to think you are having one and end up with two if they are caught in profile in the ultrasound. I keep telling her we are just having one this time but whenever she sees me she asks how all three of us are doing or counts me as three if I am in a room with other people. This confuses whoever else is around who isn't in on her joke.

Gwen: How are all five of you doing?

Aunt LaFaye: Gwen there are are only three of us sitting here. (Aunt LaFaye, Carolyn and myself)

Carolyn: Well there are four of us with Gwen but not five.

Gwen: (smirk)

Me: It's an inside joke. She counts me as three with the twins.

Aunt LaFaye/ Carolyn: Oh

Gwen: (another smirk) So how are all five doing.

Me: Well I can speak for TWO of us. We're fine.

Junior started preparing the barbecue by seasoning it with 'Slap Ya Mama' hot seasoning which was good but very spicy. I asked him to go easy on it so I didn't have to break out the Tums again (first time I've ever needed them in my life) and then watched skeptically as he sprinkled the meat liberally. When we left the room he went back in and did something to the meat. Secret recipe? Once he started the grill and the meat had been on it for a while, the smell was mouthwatering. Before long we were dining on some of the best barbecue I've ever had with corn on the cob, baked beans, and a salad. After we ate I sat back and said I was happy. Junior smiled like he had just won a prize. Junior, Carolyn and Gwen's brother Stewart came by with a delicious sweet potato cake for me and Clay. I cut a chunk of it and put it away for our trip and left the rest of it out for everyone to have. 

Before heading to the casinos we stopped in Minden to see Roderick's new house and his kids who I hadn't seen since they were 5 and 4. They are now 15 and 14. They weren't home but Carolyn walked in the unlocked door and offered us a tour. We were just done when Roderick walked in with the kids. Awkward much! They were happy to see us though. Brennan is now a few inches taller than me and quit the drumline when his . I was a little sad Destiny didn't remember me (turns out we have the same bday) as I remembered funny stories of spirited little 4 year old Destiny. I shared them with her and told her I hope our little girl is as spunky as she is.

(Posing before a few of us headed out to Shreveport: 

Jonathan, Rodgers III, me, Aunt LaFaye, Clay and Junior (Rodgers II))

After we left we headed twenty minutes away to Shreveport, the capital of confederate Louisiana and the place where Jefferson Davis fled after the fall of the confederacy. We caught the most beautiful sunset with the clouds lit from below with gold (see picture). As night fell, we crossed over Shreveport's Red River sleek and dark as the oil in the land beneath the bright lights of the city.

Sunset reflected on clouds on way to Shreveport

Everyone said Aunt LaFaye was lucky and sure enough after ten minutes at the slot machines at Sam's - a three-story houseboat casino - she had won 250 dollars. On the unlucky pulls - to our amusement - she liked to point to the screen and spend time discussing how the pull could have been better. Clay headed off to the tables and I tried my hand a bit but my heart wasn't in it. Plus it was more entertaining watching Aunt LaFaye.

After a bit we took a break in the lounge and noticed the news indicated that Isaac might be headed our way. So we cut our night out short to ensure we were safely in the house before any flash flooding occurred in the low-lying roads that dotted the way home.