Jena?
While others are out enjoying a relaxing vacation for the long weekend (for instance my coworker and her now recent fiancé are heading to St. Thomas for the weekend to “celebrate” their engagement, and after seeing her ring she’s got a lot of celebrating to do to him!), or a nice cookout, some beer, and perhaps lounging at the pool, let me explain to you the fun I’ll be having this weekend (please note the slight undertone of sarcasm):
This Memorial Day I will be traveling with my family to go see even more family in Louisiana. An eight hour trip with my mom, dad, sister, and possibly grandmother to Jena, Louisiana. Can you find it on the map of the state that I’ve posted? Didn’t think so. In Jena, somehow we scored reservations at one of their lavish “resorts” (as you can imagine that a town this small would have a plethora of lavish resorts, right?). I don’t mean to brag or anything, but this place is top notch. I stayed here a few years ago. When you check in, along with your metal key with big plastic orange key chain, the old man at the reservation desk hands you 4 styrofoam cups, a coffee straw, and some sugar and creamer packets. This place is so fancy that they have coffee pots right in the rooms. Yep, right in the room. Can you imagine? But the amenities just don’t stop there my friends. It’s got a pool with a deep-end up to 4’. 4 whole feet! Why, you can just about dive into that kind of water! AND it’s not one of those above ground pools, either. Jealous yet? Thought you might be, but just save it until you hear my itinerary for the weekend.
My mother informed me last night that along with a fish fry with my dad’s side of the family that lives in Jena, that we will be touring old cemeteries while we’re there to try to track down ancestors on my dad’s side. It seems that he’s working on the family tree and has a lot of missing information. Now doesn’t trapsing through old cemeteries searching for your last name on a grave marker sound like a hoot? I told you you’d get jealous.
So let me break it down for you: 16 hours roundtrip in the car with your family to a tiny town in the middle of the state that doesn’t even show up on the map to stay in one of the 2 motels that they have in order to go to a fish fry and scour old cemeteries for long lost relatives. Who wouldn’t want to be me this weekend? I’d take this trip over St. Thomas ANY day, I mean, wouldn’t you?
Seriously, I’ll probably have a decent time because I am a family person and am actually one of the few people left in America that loves to be with my family. However, I won’t have access to the internet so you won’t be hearing from this kickin’ chicken this weekend. Now, now, wipe those tears – I’ll be sure to post a great story for you upon my return! I hope y’all have a nice and safe Memorial Day weekend and I look forward to reading all about what everyone else did when I get back.
11 comments:
You just made the family wedding I have in Philly sound about 1000 times better. Granted, I'm still staring 8 hours in the car w/ my parents each way in the face....
Yea, I'll look forward to exchanging stories when we get back. Assuming I come back. I may just live it up so much at the "lavish resort" that I won't want to come home...except the exact opposite.
Just so you know, Jena does show up on the map :) I decided to see if it was near my friend's hometown of Iona, which I just found out does not show on the map.
I got 8 hours to New Orleans with the parents in November. Plenty of time to buy entertainment, like a strong sedative.
Take lots of pictures!
I MUST see this "Pool" you speak of, I MUST!!!
Jena didn't show up on that map but my hometown does. My town is the parish seat though...
Jena is not too bad. About 90% of the guys there work offshore or for Justice Oil Company. Hope you remember to get an Old Fashion Milk Shake from the "Burger Barn". That will make the trip even better, they are really good.
Mind if I come meet you in Jena now that I know where it is? I would love to meet a beautiful lady face to face anyday. No matter how many hours in a car with mom and dad it would take.
I sure picked a good time to come for a visit, hope you had a wonderful time with your family. I think older people like cemeteries because most of the floks thay have known in their lifetimes are now resting in them. For years I was grandmothers flower boy , packing her decorations all over the cemeteries. At each grave she would stop and tell a story, I wish now that I had recorded all that she had said; She gave each humble grave a life, and personality that the finest monument could scarcely compete with. Now only the wind is remains to speak for the dead. Ok then, when you get back, we will look into your pudding requirments. LOL.....W.D.S.
Just to make sure, the anonymous post was not from me damn'it.
why would people think it was you poshmansky???
why whould someone think it was you poshmansky?
I actually just got back from St Thomas and the weather sucked, plus I'm pretty sure my taxi driver ripped us off. But the beaches were awesome and the liquor cheap, so i guess there's tradeoffs wherever you go. No coffeemaker in our room on the cruiseship, though. I'm so jealous!
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