**

... and I finally had to go back to work. **UGH** Everything I typed today, every page I laid out, felt like I was working my way through quicksand. It was miserable.

On the other hand, I am pretty much over my sickness but need to get back on a regular sleep schedule. What's that you say? Why is my sleep schedule off? Two words: ROCK BAND! Oh ... and I guess Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Mass Effect MAY have something to do with it, but I wouldn't swear to that.

For those of you that don't understand that, I'm talking about the X-Box 360 and the three games we (I say we, but the GM bought Rock Band for the boys and I bought "them" the other two) got for Christmas. Rock Band is like Guitar Hero on steroids. It has a guitar, drum set and microphone. You form a band and play song to gain stupid shit like a van, bus, jet, manager, bodyguards and P.R. firm while trying to gain as many fans as you can. Sounds stupid, but it's fucking addicting. Anyway, Ryan and I have formed a band called Tinmen (an homage to the Sci-Fi channel's mini-series of the same name) and are kicking ASS! Unfortunately, sometimes we kick ass until about 3 a.m., hence the sleep schedule problems.

Oh yeah! Ryan also got his for-real drivers license. No I'm not crying cuz I'm proud of him, I'm crying because my insurance went from just over $200 per half year to just over $800 per half year. Could someone please call the Waaaaaaaaa-mbulance?

Next, my dad, just like Biscuit (albeit his is not nearly as serious the malady that could have killed her) started feeling pain between Thanksgiving and Christmas. He bloated up after eating and his stomach got hard as a rock. The pain grew and shifted to new locations as time went by. So he went on the internet and looked up his symptoms. They all pointed to gall bladder problems and my mom started harassing him (in a loving kind of way) to get his ass in to the doctor and have it checked out. She finally nagged lovingly coerced him to get off his ass and go, and, whadya know? He has to have gall bladder surgery. Like I said, nothing major but if you would send some good vibes his way, I would appreciate it.

Finally there is a small contest tonight ... maybe some of you have heard about it. My LSU Tigers, the number two ranked team in the nation, are taking on the number one ranked Ohio State Buckeyes for the BCS National Championship. At the end of the first quarter, the Tigers are losing by a score of 10-3. But tigers are patient creatures and I am confident we are gonna win the National Championship. GO GEAUX TIGERS! And as for YOU? I'll catch ya on the flip side.

Update: LSU just tied the score at 10-10 in the second quarter. GO GEAUX TIGERS!

Update: LSU 24 Ohio State 10 (edit:) in the second at the start of the third. GO GEAUX TIGERS!

Update: LSU 31 Ohio State 17 in the third quarter. GO GEAUX TIGERS!

To all my fellow Cajuns, sorry about the lack of coonass in my exhortations as the Tigers forged on to victory. The problem has been fixed. That is all.