Like I promised....the rest of the story...

California Dreamin' 

    So we went to Cali-Cali to see the Fam for the Reunion.  The trip out there was exhausting but not terrible, our hotel at the Hilton was a suite and pretty well outfitted (two TVs but no Microwave?) and the weather in LA was chilly in the morning, perfect in the afternoon.  We had a little fish fry at a park right around the corner from my aunts house on Friday, then went sight seeing and had a banquet Saturday, then the barbeque on Sunday and Monday we went to Santa Monica peer with our good friend Amber and her mom.  Yeah, Amber's busy writing her dissertation for her PhD.  How old is she?  24.  And cute, and fun, and silly and friendly.  Yeah, I hate her too.  Heheh, not really...she's a great friend when we get to see her though. 

    Some highlights of the trip include standing outside the Mann's Chinese theatre getting hit up for spare change from Elmo, Driving the Murano in LA 405 traffic, trying to talk to distant cousins and coming away with the distinct impression that they thought I was trying to hit on them, seeing my Auntie's house which I hadn't set foot in since I was 8 and had not changed one bit, realizing that a house in STL  which might go for $150'000 will sell in LA for $750'000, watching my older aunts and uncles dance like they were at the juke joint when the DJ put on Ying-Yang Twins, and seeing Camille getting chased by a boy who tried to kiss her and watch as she artfully evaded him and then swiped at him when he got too close.  That's my girl!  Of course, when we were at Amber's house Camille went on her first date while I stood nearby, gnashing my teeth and trying not to strangle the (admittedly adorable) little monster that was with her.  Oh, I can't even lie, it was cuter than anything I've ever seen when Amber's Nephew (whatshisname? I cant remember now...not that this will be a precedent...me forgetting my daughter's boyfriends name to hilarious and embarrassing consequence) gave her a hug, helped her into his wagon and then took her for a ride up and down the sidewalk.  When it was time for him to go, he gave Camille a big hug which she happily reciprocated (causing a blood vessel in my head to burst...I'm not going to survive puberty, am I?) and they were all smiles and giggles.

 

 The Last Scion 

    My father tells me (actually he told me this before but I posting about it now) that I'm the last hope for the Henderson line to continue it's inexorable march into history.  When he saw my look of bewilderment, he leaned forward conspiratorially and 'broke the damn thang down' as you young pups are wont to say these days. My father, Jerry Henderson Jr, has 19 brothers and sisters.  Of the 19, 5 are boys.  Of those boys, two died at birth, one died 10 years ago with no kids and Uncle Karl is married with a girl.  My father just had me and isn't;t planning on having anymore.  So, if I don't have a man child It'll be the end.  My father thought it was kinda funny but that's a lot of pressure!  I mean, the fact that both my and Raquita's family is much more prone to have girls doesn't make my prospects great.  And it really is up to me since the male determines whether the child is male or female.  Sigh...I go to the family reunion and get sent on a holy...uh... quest....to save the family from the fate of...erm....fate of...falling into the sands of time to be forgotten forever?  That'll do, pig...that'll do.

 

 Car Envy 

    While we were tooling around in sunny LA, we were driving a rented Nissan Murano.  Both me a Raquita have taking a strong liking to this long, strange vehicle.  It's half SUV, half station wagon but it rides well, there's plenty of space and its the first car that Raquita genuinely has liked for awhile.  We need to get rid of the tracker (too light and slides to much on ANY kind of weather) and I had hoped to have it paid off for awhile but I guess we'll be trading it in soon.  But my baby tells me that I look good driving the Murano so maybe it IS time to trade up.  Might not happen for a few months but I'd like to get it before it starts snowing and icing this winter.

 

  I hate flying

    The flight home was terrible.  When I saw terrible, I mean to say karate kick to the nut sack, Ashanti Poetry, George Lucas Ep. 3 Dialogue, Mama stealing your lunch money for crack, terrible.  If I haven't mentioned this before I apologize; Our flight plan took us from St. Louis to CHARLOTTE, NC and from Charlotte to LA.  You read that right.  Fly to the east, fly way back to the west.  Well, we had the same flight plan coming back home.  But we left at 11:30pm Monday night and hopped on a 90 Degree, sweating, breathing, nasty human-packed, 4.5 hour flight to Charlotte.  I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think.  I asked for a bottle of water which turned to dust even as it hit my parched throat.  Cammy was just as uncomfortable and neither one of us got much sleep.  Which meant that Raquita didn't get much sleep. I wound up holding Cammy for most of the flight and we got on each other's nerves with all the tossing and turning but more on that later.  Whets that, dearest reader?  Why did I not ask for some air conditioning to be applied to our flying sauna?  Well, my pedigree chum, I did Just that!  But, shockingly enough,  I was rebuffed.  Apparently, when flying at 1am, it is a signal not of sleepy weariness but of impending hypothermia.  He informed me that he would 'See what I can do' which, apparently was absolutely zilch.  We got into Charlotte at 7am local time (4am LA time) and instead of waiting 1 hour we waited 2 because they apparently had no flight attendant and had to wake one up out of her bed and bring her in.  Then we got on the tiniest plane that still had turbine engines and flew (damn near glided) to ST. Louis.  I walked into my house at around noon on Tuesday, completely exhausted and dirty and funky and sweaty but I could not sleep.  Raquita and the baby?  Out like a damn light.  But when Raquita wakes up, she tells me something about the plane ride from LA (while telling her mother) that leads into the last part of the post...

 

Where's My Gun....Ignorance is bliss, sometimes...

    Before we left for LA, Sylvia (Raquita's super Auntie) had a premonition kind of  dream where she saw Camille after she got back from LA and Cammy seemed really different and quiet, and she Instinctively knew that Cammy had been molested.  She woke with a start and told both her sister (Raquita's mom Rhonda) and Raquita.  Raquita resolved to not let Cammy out of her sight or wander away during the trip.  I didn't have a problem with that and that's how the trip played out.  Nothing strange happened and there was no hint of weirdness so Raquita relaxed.  But when we got on the plane from LA to Charlotte and sat down (we were seated first cause we had the baby) apparently Raquita's mommy sense started tingling.  When a certain slimy seeming individual came on, Raquita said her bells went off and she thought to herself that the guy.  I have to watch that guy.'  I saw him when he got on too and he sat down right next to raquita (I had the window seat, he was at the isle) and I thought the guy seemed strange but didn't think much of it.  But during the flight, while cammy and I tried our best to get some sleep, Raquita noticed that this guy kept staring at Camille.  Raquita even looked at him twice and the guy looked up and smiled at her.  That's when Raquita placed Cammy in my lap and leaned forward to rest her head on the headrest of the seat in front of her, completely blocking this guys view.  Well, apparently that pissed him off because he stormed out of his seat to go to the bathroom and was gone for a good 45 minutes.  I remember him getting up abruptly but I didn't understand why.  If Raquita had told me about this on the plane, there would've been an incident.  Now, the guy didn't DO anything, but he seemed suspicious and Raquita was not about to let him get the chance.  I prolly woulda wound up getting thrown in jail for assault or something like that and booted from the plane in Charlotte. That's why I say Ignorance is bliss....what I should've said is my wife is Far FAAAAR wiser and smarter than I am and I'm so grateful to her for that.  Never forget that Evil, true evil, walks this earth, wears a human face and will smile the sweetest smile to your face while it sharpens that dagger for your back.  Always be vigilant and prayerful.

 

The Weekend cometh!  Prepare ye for the end is Nigh!

    This weekend we got some more hot, juicy poker action on Saturday night. This time we'll start earlier, I promise and I think we'll have the same players.  Grandma Dell might come but she keeps telling me that she doesn't really know how to play (Can you say Shark??  They don't call her Dell Big-Mama Breeland for nothin!) but I might convince her to at least come for the viddles.  And, we'll have our own cash this time so if(When) I win, I'll be able to keep my cash(well, minus what the house takes...house meaning Raquita...don't think I can win a pot and keep all of it...don't get it twisted...)

 

Anyways, might say more tomorrow, but I doubt it...

Have a great weekend and watch your back.

 

Benticore

Out

(Oh, forgive them for they know not whom the fuck wit...)