SODEXO CREW

We are winding down our school year, so I am going to post these pictures of some of the people I work with. With it being just a week left, maybe they want even realize I posted them until we are officially out for the summer. Then by the time we start back next in the fall they will have forgotten and want hurt me for putting these lovely pictures on my blog.

I didn't get pictures of everyone but I tried to get as many as I could. We have a great team at UNA and everyone works well together and as a rule enjoys coming to work each day. We are more like an extended family than co-workers. Some of us have been there for almost 20 years and most of us have been working there for at least 10 years. Seems when we start to work here we just keep coming back. The work is very physical and tiring but I guess that is why they call it work. We do have a number of international students that work part time and most of them consider us their moms away from home. Some have not returned home for two or three years.

I will try to download more pictures of the rest of the crew as soon as I find my cd-r with the rest of the pictures.

I just decided to take more pictures.

We had a big event at work today, where we fed the faculty and staff. They were honoring Dr. Gary Warren for his years of service. We fed a little over 500. The food was delicious. Our chef Paul and head cook Curtis did an excellent job on preparing the food. Denise our unit manager coordinated the set up, keeping the food flowing , manning the drink stations and the dessert bar, then the final clean up. All was completed in about two and a half hours. Great job Sodexo employees.

WALK A MILE IN HER SHOES

Friday the interfraternity council sponsored a "WALK A MILE IN HER SHOES" walk. They had about one hundred and fifty people turn out to walk. There were local radio personalities, faculty, staff and other students. The walk started at Norton Auditorium then proceeded down Court Street and back up Pine Street.

Before the walk began a survivor of domestic violence gave a short talk. The person she was with at the time husband/live in friend shot her four times. She said she was shot in the head, chest and stomach. The doctors were able to remove the bullet in her head but she still carries the other bullets in her body. It was a very touching testimonial. The person who shot her is in prison for attempted murder.

I just had to get a few pictures of these guys wearing the high heeled shoes. Some of them were struggling to get around, but oddly enough some of the fellows strutted their stuff with ease. The weather was very warm on this particular day. Some of the guys wore socks, but some didn't. I can imagine that the heat and the friction from the shoes and walking a mile was very uncomfortable. I have to wonder how their feet felt the next day. I bet there were more than a few blisters.

It was nice to see the students getting involved in such a worth while project.The they money they raised will go to Safeplace and bring awareness of domestic violence.

Way to go guys.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN PEARSON #13

JOHN PEARSON WILL BE 13 YEARS OLD TOMORROW APRIL THE 22 ND. It is hard to believe that we have a teenage grand child.

It seems like just yesterday that he was born and Johnny and Tracy brought him home. I stayed with them for a week or so when he came home from the hospital. I think that was a great bonding experience for Mawmaw. He has always been fun to hang out with. He, John and I have always enjoyed going prowling around at yard sales, flea markets and auctions. He even at one time had a shelf at the antique store with things that he would find and put out for sale. That was when he was about 6 years old. He has kind of outgrown that now, but I think he still enjoys Mawmaw's and Grandaddy's company.

I took these pictures of him after school today. The great thing about him getting older, is that we can let him do those really fun things, like mowing the yard. If I can convince him that washing dishes and running the vaccum is a blast, I will have struck pay dirt.

BLUSTERY WEEKEND

This has been a very typical weekend for Alabama. The weather has ranged from very nice to very nasty. Friday afternoon when I got off work the weather was absolutely wonderful. It was very breezy and the temps were around 70 degrees the sun was shining and you would never have dreamed that it could change so fast. By Sat. morning it was cloudy and threatening rain most of the day and today we have had severe thunder storm and tornado warnings all day. Luckily most of the storms have by past us and gone to the south.

When we left church this morning we decided to go and eat Chinese food. Johnny, Tracy, John Pearson and Emily went with us. Everything was great. When we left the restaurant it was literally coming a flood. We all just decided to make a run for the car. I looked like a drowned rat when we got home. The only good thing about a nasty day like today is that you can come in put your PJ's back on and take a nap without feeling guilty. And that is exactly what I did.

I have been down in my back for the last few days, but have finally started to feel better. I hate it when your back goes out and you can't make you body work like it is supposed to. I would get out of the recliner and have to stand there for what seemed like five minutes before I could take that first step. Then I would walk down the hall with what I can only describe as a John Wayne swagger. Stiff legged with a full body shift from side to side. I got to noticing that I even had the arms slightly bent at the elbows as if about to draw a gun. If I hadn't been hurting so bad if would have been funny.

Hopefully I will be back to normal by tomorrow.

THE YIELD SIGN IS NOT JUST A SUGGESTION

Finally. I am able to get on line. I have been messing with the computer for about three hours and have just now got signed in and have an actual page come up. All I have been getting is "This page cannot be displayed". I guess I don't have enough sense to just go watch TV and forget it for awhile. But anyway I am on now and have to think of something to write about.

This has been one of those days that just drags by. I have been having trouble with my shoulder, I have either pulled something or have a bone spur or wore out my rotator thingy. This has been going on for several weeks now and I wanted to wait until school is out before I go the doctor ( in other words I hope it goes away by itself). I can't lay on my left side with my arm under my head the way I have done for the last 60 years. So I have not been sleeping well. This make me grumpy. Well yesterday I started with a twinge in my lower back and today it has gone completely out. I have walked around all day looking like I have a rod up my back and feeling like it is somewhere else ( if you know what I mean). So as you can tell I have been in a poor mood.

As I was leaving work after waddling up to the parking lot, I sat there for a few minutes to relax my back. I left the parking lot and started down Court St. As I came onto the main street a girl went through the yield sign and pulled out right in front of me. I guess she though it was just a suggestion She didn't hit me, thank goodness, but what I noticed was the sign on her tire cover that read "Life is Good". She was also talking on the phone. I thought to myself that under the "Life is Good" sign there must be a disclaimer in tiny writing saying "but People are Stupid". I followed her on down the street and she went through a red light, but she continues to talk on the phone. We turned down Tenn. Street and I be darned if she didn't go through another light just as it turned red. All the time she kept talking.

Well the couple of times I have tried to dial a number while driving, I always dial the wrong number. Much to distracting for me. But it did get me to thinking about what the attraction of talking on the phone while driving is. To me if it is something that can't wait, why not just pull over make you call and go on.

I don't understand the love with texting. I have not figured out how people get their big ol' fingers on those itsy bitsy keys. And how did they learn all those abbreveations for words. If someone texted me I wouldn't be able to figure out what they were trying to say. Why not just get on your cell phone and say "Hey what you doing".

While I am thinking about it. What is a twitter or should I say how do you twitter? The only time I ever heard of twitter is when Thumper got twitterpated when he would get around Bambi. I guess there is no connection there, right?

Well I have been sitting here for awhile and at this point I am not sure I can get back up out of this chair. I think if I can make it into the bathroom, I will take a hot bath and hopefully be able to make it back to work tomorrow. If you don't hear from me in a couple of days call John and have him check the bath tub.

EASTER SUNDAY

This has been a beautiful Easter Day. A perfect ending to a great three day weekend for me and just about everyone I know. We have gone to most of the Holy week services and it makes you fill a little more in touch with your faith. We have tried to make it to the Wednesday night services through Lent. We did miss the week we were in Colorado. Tracy and I went Friday night. The veneration of the cross is always an emotional service. Last night we went to the Easter Vigil. There were nine people received into the church. The most moving part of the service was when the lecter read Genisis:1 with all the lights in the church out except the Holy Candle. You could have heard a pin drop. Even the young children were silent. The service last from 8:00- 10:00 and there was a reception afterward, so it was after 11:00 before we got home.

My morning began at 6:00 am when I got up and shoved the ham into the oven and began preparing the rest of the meal. I made a potato salad, deviled eggs, baked beans, garlic roasted green beans, beer rolls ( didn't turn out very well but most of them were eaten) and angel food caked stacked with strawberries and whipped cream. I don't think anyone left the table hungry.

We hid eggs for Emily and John Pearson then they hid them and we hunted. It is really hard to have a egg hunt with just two kids. They seemed to have fun and Johnny got into the act when he and John Pearson had a compitition hunt. John Pearson won.

Johnny was born 42 years ago on the Wednesday before Easter. The next morning when they brought him from the nursery he had on a little pair of bunny ears. I still have those things tucked away in a box somewhere.

When I was little we always went to my grandmother and grandaddy's house for Easter. One particular time when the eggs were hidden, they were all hidden real easy except about six. We looked and looked until all the kids were mad and crying because we couldn't find them. Finally our the parents did the hot and cold game. As we would get close to grandaddy they would say "hot" "hotter" "burning up". We felt his pockets, pant legs and shirt but no eggs. Finally one of us lifted the hat off his head and the six eggs came rolling out. After that for as many years as we hunted eggs at their house. Grandaddy's hat was the first place we would look.

ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME

I don't usually like to brag about things or people I know, but today I am going to have to brag just a bit. This past Saturday night my cousin Lyndon "Spooner" Oldham was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It was exciting to see him get up and make his thank you speech. It was also very emotional for me when he mentioned my dad and my brother Bruce. I couldn't help but think how happy they would be for him. And I can almost see them both grinning from ear to ear when Lyndon walked on stage.

All the Oldham brothers were very talented and would regularly get together at one or the others homes and play music into the wee hours. Daddy, Dot and Gail had a way of harmonizing when they sang. I guess that was because they were brothers and their voices just seemed to blend together. They could between them play about any instrument that they picked up. Daddy had a steel guitar and a box guitar and one of them had a mandolin and a banjo. Arnold Lanier would come with his fiddle, Daddy always said that Arnold was one of the best fiddle players around. There was always a little french harp and even spoon playing. It was fun for us kids to sit around and usually fall asleep listing to the sounds of music being played by our Dads.

Later on when Bruce and Lyndon got to be teenagers, they decided to get a band together. So with the two of them and Ronald English and Roger Hawkins, they started a group. They would play at school talent shows and the national guard armory in Sheffild on Saturday nights. And one time I scored a big coup by getting them to play at a Rainbow Girl dance at the Royal Ave. Recreational Center. Judy, Lyndon's sister would get up and sing a couple of songs. She sounded just like Brenda Lee. I was always impressed with all of them, because they all had a talent, but I must have come from a different gene pool.

The band would always draw a big crowd at the Amory. My friend Judy ( not the cousin that could sing)and I would always go with the Bruce and spend the evening dancing like fools. I have to laugh when I think about those dances. Judy and I were both to shy to dance with anyone, so we danced with each other including the slow dances. I think this has been the reason I can't follow, I have to lead. But Judy and I could really cut a rug together. Those were much simpler times.

Some where along the line Lyndon started to seriously pursue a music career and moved on to bigger and better things. The memories of growing up listening to the music of our family is still crystal clear in my mind. I am so happy that all the talent and hard work finally paid off with the induction of Lyndon into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.


http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/spooner-oldham

THE SEMESTER IS WINDING DOWN

Well this is already the first of April. Where has the time gone? It seems only days ago that it was the begining of a new year and here we are already going into the forth month.

This time of the year always causes me to get excited but also feel a little sad. The school year is winding down and we are just four weeks until graduation. You can feel the excitement, tension and stress build with the students. Some are graduating and are worried that some of their grades may go a muck here at the end of the school year. Some are working extra hard to make up for the time they have partied away the rest of the year. And their are a few that will be leaving the semester with a little more baggage than they started with. These are worried about going home and having to tell mom and dad that they are expecting that little bundle of joy that just happened to come at a not so good time in their life. Some times the independence you thought you were looking for turns out to be not as great as you antisapated.

We do tend to get wrapped up in the lives of all these young people and it is hard to see some of them have to struggle with the problems they created for themselves. I'm sure they will grow and become stronger from these situations, but you just wish you could make them think a little before they go running head long into more than they are ready for.

I started to work with Sodexo at the college in 1990 so I have seen a lot of students come and go. Some of the kids went from being students to employees and even professors at the school. Each one of the ladies including myself, still have students that come back when they are in town to check and see which of us is still there and to say hello. I guess we do make an impression on some of them. I hope so and I hope it is a good one.

Well I kind of started to wander off the path there, but back to the ending of the year. This last month will be our busiest. Everyone is wanting a party for something. Graduation will be the 10th of May and we will work the last week preparing for that. Then I will be out for the summer and since I am having to watch my hours for the rest of the year I want have to go back until late August. YEEPEE!!

We will be heading to Memphis this weekend to help Mark move into a different apartment. Bless his heart, he is usually the one that has to help everyone else move. So we will try to help him out a bit this time. And of course he is on the third floor. Hope this is his last move for a while.