Category: business

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Well here’s number 3

I told you that trouble comes in 3’s.  First my printer goes out, then my water heater needs a new heating element (thank goodness I didn’t have to replace the whole water heater) and now  I dropped my cell phone and didn’t realize it.  It came open and who do you think should step on it and break it?  You guessed it, it was me.

Thank goodness I had that insurance along with my  new phone from Verizon.  I started not to get it because I have gotten it for the last three phones I got from them and every time I’m up for a new phone, I would have it put on that one too.  I haven’t ever had to use it and I almost told them I didn’t want that this time.  Boy am I glad I forgot about it by the time I got there.  I had every intention of it too.

See sometimes it’s good to have those CRS moments.  You know what they are don’t you?  The ‘Can’t remember shit’ moments.  I have them all the time and that’s why man or probably a woman did it but that’s why sticky notes were invented!!!!!!!!!!

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More about our Angel Tree

I am still getting requests for more Angels to be placed on my Angel Tree.  Most of the Angels are gone already and the presents are starting to pour in.  I wasn’t expecting them to be brought in until around the 15th of December but I have put them in one of my rooms for safe keeping.  They are due to be given on Christmas Eve.

Most of the presents for the children will be their Santa Clause this year as there are so many in need of assistance with that more than just a present.  How about that?  I’m Santa Clause this year but no I’m not a ‘Ho’.  😉  I never really thought about it that way.  I just thought of it as doing my part for my community.

Now here’s the sad part.  I got a request from a 7 year old little boy that wants a new Daddy.  His died during Hurricane Katrina and his mother has been sad ever since so he just wants a new Daddy.  How do I find him one of those.  Hey, maybe I could find a nice man that would be a Big Brother type Daddy for him.  In fact, I know just the right man for the job.  He’s worked for me for years and is single.  He’s great with kids too.

Then there’s the request I got from a 9 year old little girl.  Her mother has cancer and her father left them when she got it.  She wants a cure for her mother for Christmas.  I’m calling several hospitals and doctors trying to see if I can get her free medical care.  I sure hope so.

There is so much suffering that we are unaware of within our own community but my little Angel Tree is opening not only my eyes, but the eyes of everyone that looks at the Angels and reads the requests.  It looks so far like most of the children on my tree will have a good Christmas after all.

I just wish I could grant each and every child’s wish but some of them have to be granted by a higher power than just me alone.  I pray every night for the wishes I know I can’t fill.  Maybe God will take over and grant those wishes.  Christmas is a very special time and I believe it can happen.

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The city is dressing for Christmas

New Orleans is a beautiful town anyway but when she dresses for Christmas, there’s a magic in the air that no one can deny.  Not if you have been here to see it anyway.  You can feel the Christmas spirit all over the city.  My place is no exception.

Christmas is my favorite time of year by far.  The love that this city shows it citizens is just heart warming and my ‘Angle tree’ has only shown me even more that this is where I was born and this is where I’ll die.  I can’t imagine another city with more heart and soul than New Orleans.

Just look at some of the famous people that have come from here if you don’t  believe it.  Look at Emeril and what he did for his employees through the Katrina mess.  He took care of everyone that worked for him by paying them every week just like they were still working until they returned to his restaurant when it was back in business.  Now that’s a man with a heart and he’s not the only one.

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Are you planning a feast?

Well there are 10 Turkeys to be cooked, 5 hams, 25 pounds of potatoes, more green beans than I can count and more food than you can imagine.  Of course we have to have some traditional New Orleans food like Gumbo, dirty rice and such.

I think I just gained 10 pounds just thinking about all of the food.  Cakes, pies, banana pudding and more deserts than you can imagine too.  The cooking will begin tomorrow so I have a busy day ahead of me.  Hey, do you like carrot cake?  Well here’s a great recipe for it that I guarantee you will love!

Carrot Cake

2 cups grated carrots
1 small can of crushed pineapple not drained
1 1/2 cups Wesson oil (doesn’t have to be Wesson oil)
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon (may use 2 if desired but I use 1)
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 eggs
1/2 cup chopped pecans.

Cream oil and sugar together. Add Carrots, pineapple and nuts. Add eggs one
at a time and beat well. Add dry ingredients sifted together.

Bake in 3 layers at 350 degrees approximately 45 minutes or until done by
sticking a toothpick in the middle and it comes out clean.

Frosting for Carrot Cake

1 8 ounce package of creamed cheese
1 stick of margarine
1 box of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup of chopped pecans

Have cheese and margarine soft. Set out of refrigerator a few hours.
Use electric mixer to mix in powdered sugar, vanilla and nuts.

Put in refrigerator after you frost it to make it set better after frosting.

Enjoy!!!!

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Angel tree update

I told you about putting up an ‘Angel Tree’ in my establishment a few days ago.  Well I thought I would update you on it’s progress.  A local business has donated 10 Game Boys and 10 games for it for children on the tree.  Another local store has donated turkeys for every ‘Angel’ on the tree.  Then another business has donated $15 gift cards for every one on the tree so the children can get what ever they want.

Angel requests are still coming in as more families learn that it’s up already so as fast as an ‘Angel’ is taken, there’s almost another to replace it.  Luckily a lot of local churches have come to offer gifts for the children and families too.  There is a lot of need this year in our community unfortunately with so many still trying to rebuild their lives but that’s one of the things that makes New Orleans a great city, people really care about each other and my little ‘Angel tree’ is proof.

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My darn printer went out

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised because it’s not like it’s a new printer or anything like that but my darn printer went out.  In fact, now that I think of it, it’s been a pretty good printer because I’ve had it for about 9 years or so.  You know, it might be a good thing it went out too because now I can get one of those new and improved all in one type printers.

Do you know what I’m talking about?  One that is a copier, printer, scanner, fax machine and will even wash your dishes.  I’m kidding about the dish washing part but it could happen one day.  Anyway I was looking for a new one online and guess what I found?  I found a HP Photosmart C4580 All-in-One Printer, Scanner, Copier.

I use my printer for making copies and printing pictures more than anything else but this is one of the best for the money.  I like saving money, especially this close to Christmas.  Of all the darn times for something to go out.  I wonder what’s next.  Things like this tend to run in 3’s you know.  Yeah it’s an old wives tale but it works too.  At least it tends to work for me anyway.

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Angel Tree

Every year, we put up an ‘Angel Tree’ in my establishment.  Local families in need come to me with the names of their children to place on the tree with a short list of items they want for Christmas.  I have done this for many years and this year, I decided to put the tree up early to allow for more childrens names and also to give people that want to help, more time to buy the gifts for the children.

I accept names of children from newborn to 18.  The only thing that is one the Angel card is if the child is a boy or a girl, how old they are and three items they would like to have.  I have seen items from tennis shoes to PSP’s put on the list but usually there are affordable things and nothing elaborate.

One child asked for nothing for himself.  He only wanted three things for him to give to his parents and younger sister.  This was a 10 year old ‘Man’ and I took his card personally.  I guess I adopted the family that year for Christmas because I also invited them to my home for Christmas dinner.  It was one of the best Christmases I can remember having.  Yes the young man got plenty as did the whole family.

You see, they had lost everything in Hurricane Katrina and were trying to get their lives back together.  I felt honored to be able to help them.  Their mother still works for me and he even has a little part time job in the evenings taking out the trash and picking up around the outside of the place for me.  He does a great job too.  They are a very humble family and grateful for anything anyone does to help them.

So if you see an ‘Angel Tree’ somewhere, you should know that you are someones ‘Angel’ when you take that child, family or elderly persons name and buy them gifts.  We are all someones ‘Guardian Angel’ sometimes in our lives if we choose to be.  Please choose to be.

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Enough gloom and doom, let’s have a party

What is New Orleans known best for?  Their parties.  So enough of the gloom and doom of the economy.  LET’S PARTY!!!!  Halloween is tomorrow night and we’re all geared up to throw a ‘Monster Bash’ if you will.  Costumes are everywhere here so there’s no reason not to get all decked out in a costume and cast your cares to the wind, if only for one night.

Personally, I think we all need to just throw caution to the wind from time to time to keep our souls healthy. It’s good to let the problems of everyday life go if just for one night to sort of recharge your batteries so you can face whatever the next day or week shall bring so get out and enjoy yourself for Halloween but be safe too.  HAPPY HALLOWEEN YA’LL!!

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World recession

I can see every day how things are getting harder and harder for the average families to survive.  With the cost of just about everything going higher, the stock markets around the world going lower and lower, and jobs going away, it’s getting tough to simply survive financially.

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Gordon Brown, announced that the world is going into a recession.  It didn’t take someone like him to tell me that but maybe it did others.  “Having taken action on the banking system, we must now take action on the global financial recession,” he said, speaking to Members of Parliament. “There will be a recession in America, France, Italy, Germany, Japan and – because no country can insulate itself from it – Britain too,” he continued.

I just hope that whoever is elected to be our next President has a good plan to help us here in our country.  We are well known for helping others when they are in need, well WE are in need this time and once we get our country back on solid ground, the rest of the world will follow.  Well, that’s my opinion and you can take for what it is, just my opinion.

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We have problems

Stock markets around the world, particularly here, have fallen dramatically yet again today. This is because of what’s going on in the financial world.  Do I have to remind you about the bailout of  AIG by the Federal Reserve?

The British index, FTSE 100, dropped in value by 2.36%.  That’s 118.40 points, to below the 5000 mark at 4907.20. The Dow, well it  was down 2.62% and currently has a value of 10769.00 points. The Nasdaq index has fallen by 3.16% to 2138.14, while the Dax was 1.75% lower than the start of the day.  But the Japanese index, the Nikkei was one of the few to rise in value over the day. It ended up 1.2%, although this follows a large fall in the value of the index when it hit an all time low yesterday.

All of this spells “We have problems” and unfortunately, it’s not just in our country as you can see.  People all over the world are suffering right now.  I wish I understood more about the stock market than I do but I can understand ‘down’ and that means your money is going down instead of up which is what most people are shooting for in the stock market so it’s not good, not good at all.  That I understand.