Friday, February 04, 2005
THE FIRST WEEK OF SEPTEMBER.....1986
In reading over my journal I see we had a two-month visit with John and Barbara. Not really. We just hit the last week of August going into September. In looking over my notes I see we sure laid some tracks around New Orleans and somehow got in a good visit even though the kids were working. Little John was in daycare at the Seminary and he was sure a cutie.
On Monday, September 1st Barb picked John up from work and after we had breakfast we got ready and went to see “Top Gun.” Can you believe it’s been 19-years since that movie came out? Of course we were riveted to the screen….it was the beginning of fast action in a realistic setting. With Tom Cruise as the new “hunk” he was brash, cocky and competitive. Just what us girls like. It began a love affair between the public and Tom Cruise.
John is a movie buff. After the Chiefs and Royals, movies command his attention in his leisure time. (OK…other times too…when he should be taking out the garbage.) Having whetted our appetites for more movies, after we roamed another shopping center a while we went back to their apartment for supper. John put in a couple of movies in the VCR and we watched those…. “Youngblood” and “Secret Admirer” (I think that’s right. Can’t even read my own writing, but you get the idea.)Thanks John.
Barbara had to work the next day so we amused ourselves by more movies John wanted us to see. Can you believe non-stop movies from breakfast to bedtime? “Annie, Red Dawn, The Natural, White Knight and Fletch” followed in rapid succession. One of John’s former room-mates (Richard Houston) stopped by to visit a while in the afternoon. John had to leave at 3:00pm for a class and when Barbara came home we met him at the Seminary Cafeteria and had supper there. We enjoyed walking around the campus afterwards….it cooled down nicely after dark. John showed us where he proposed to Barbara and we heard the whole story with all of the funny stuff going on in their heads……Barbara knew very well she was marrying a joker and would be a “straight man” the rest of her life. She willingly took the role. (Though she may have had second thoughts about it later on….)
The next day they were both off work so we drove to the Gulf. We had to take a detour so we stopped in Slidell for breakfast. I had never been to Biloxi before and had never seen the Gulf…I’m always amazed at the different scenery our country provides….from sea to shining sea and mountain top to the plains of the mid-section of our land it is truly worth seeing. We enjoyed the amusement park and of course, a souvenir shop. We had a very nice dinner and drove back to New Orleans where Barbara fixed us all a good supper. Then………..more movies. “Oxford Blues” and “Black Moon Rising.”….both very good.
Barbara had to go back to work the next day and LJ had to go back to school. Richard Houston’s wife, Lisa, stopped by to visit and it was nice to see her. We had met Richard and Lisa previously when we were in New Orleans. We went over to LJ’s school to eat with him and then on to some shopping. Later in the afternoon John had a meeting with a professor so Warren and I checked the Campus Book Store out and bought some books. It was a nice place to relax until John was finished with his meeting. We were back at the apartment shortly before Barbara came home and we had some carry out to give Barbara a break from cooking and .. yes…..more movies. The thrillers this time were “Back to the Future” and “Witness”…..very interesting.
Barb worked the next day so we shopped at a new Esplanade Mall and had lunch, then off to see Rodney Dangerfield in “Back To School.” Of course we laughed our silly heads off. When Barbara came home we threw things together to get on the road to Barb’s parents at Vicksburg. When we arrived, Barbara’s sister, Lisa and husband were also there and we had a good visit before “lights out.”
Some of you may remember me talking about Bob Bryant, Barb’s dad, who worked for the R.G.LeTourneau plant making the huge oil rigs that would be put into the Gulf…… and this particular one he was working on was going to the North Atlantic. Warren and I walked around the complex while Bob explained it all to us. It still amazes me that men can make such monsters, sturdy and safe enough to withstand high rolling seas of the North Atlantic. It is truly an island of steel.
Sunday morning was the day we had to leave for home. We enjoyed every minute of our visit but Monday meant another work day for all of us. After a good breakfast and a round of goodbyes, we left for home and crossed the Missouri line at 4:20pm. The trip lay behind us but the memories would last....
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
On Monday, September 1st Barb picked John up from work and after we had breakfast we got ready and went to see “Top Gun.” Can you believe it’s been 19-years since that movie came out? Of course we were riveted to the screen….it was the beginning of fast action in a realistic setting. With Tom Cruise as the new “hunk” he was brash, cocky and competitive. Just what us girls like. It began a love affair between the public and Tom Cruise.
John is a movie buff. After the Chiefs and Royals, movies command his attention in his leisure time. (OK…other times too…when he should be taking out the garbage.) Having whetted our appetites for more movies, after we roamed another shopping center a while we went back to their apartment for supper. John put in a couple of movies in the VCR and we watched those…. “Youngblood” and “Secret Admirer” (I think that’s right. Can’t even read my own writing, but you get the idea.)Thanks John.
Barbara had to work the next day so we amused ourselves by more movies John wanted us to see. Can you believe non-stop movies from breakfast to bedtime? “Annie, Red Dawn, The Natural, White Knight and Fletch” followed in rapid succession. One of John’s former room-mates (Richard Houston) stopped by to visit a while in the afternoon. John had to leave at 3:00pm for a class and when Barbara came home we met him at the Seminary Cafeteria and had supper there. We enjoyed walking around the campus afterwards….it cooled down nicely after dark. John showed us where he proposed to Barbara and we heard the whole story with all of the funny stuff going on in their heads……Barbara knew very well she was marrying a joker and would be a “straight man” the rest of her life. She willingly took the role. (Though she may have had second thoughts about it later on….)
The next day they were both off work so we drove to the Gulf. We had to take a detour so we stopped in Slidell for breakfast. I had never been to Biloxi before and had never seen the Gulf…I’m always amazed at the different scenery our country provides….from sea to shining sea and mountain top to the plains of the mid-section of our land it is truly worth seeing. We enjoyed the amusement park and of course, a souvenir shop. We had a very nice dinner and drove back to New Orleans where Barbara fixed us all a good supper. Then………..more movies. “Oxford Blues” and “Black Moon Rising.”….both very good.
Barbara had to go back to work the next day and LJ had to go back to school. Richard Houston’s wife, Lisa, stopped by to visit and it was nice to see her. We had met Richard and Lisa previously when we were in New Orleans. We went over to LJ’s school to eat with him and then on to some shopping. Later in the afternoon John had a meeting with a professor so Warren and I checked the Campus Book Store out and bought some books. It was a nice place to relax until John was finished with his meeting. We were back at the apartment shortly before Barbara came home and we had some carry out to give Barbara a break from cooking and .. yes…..more movies. The thrillers this time were “Back to the Future” and “Witness”…..very interesting.
Barb worked the next day so we shopped at a new Esplanade Mall and had lunch, then off to see Rodney Dangerfield in “Back To School.” Of course we laughed our silly heads off. When Barbara came home we threw things together to get on the road to Barb’s parents at Vicksburg. When we arrived, Barbara’s sister, Lisa and husband were also there and we had a good visit before “lights out.”
Some of you may remember me talking about Bob Bryant, Barb’s dad, who worked for the R.G.LeTourneau plant making the huge oil rigs that would be put into the Gulf…… and this particular one he was working on was going to the North Atlantic. Warren and I walked around the complex while Bob explained it all to us. It still amazes me that men can make such monsters, sturdy and safe enough to withstand high rolling seas of the North Atlantic. It is truly an island of steel.
Sunday morning was the day we had to leave for home. We enjoyed every minute of our visit but Monday meant another work day for all of us. After a good breakfast and a round of goodbyes, we left for home and crossed the Missouri line at 4:20pm. The trip lay behind us but the memories would last....
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
