Storms over Texas and sadness over Georgia

Image by {Wes} via Flickr

Storms arrived into Southern Texas on Saturday and continued throughout Sunday. Starting out as mostly thunder, followed by huge rain drops but a foot apart ! Then later there was some really heavy rain which was badly needed. I then did what all good Texans do when it rains heavily… I reversed the car out of the Garage. This I’m told is a Texas Car Wash !

Now I know Fr Jimmy has prayed for rain for months and his prayers have been answered despite some cynics /doubters on Twitter, but I did say a little prayer myself that the sun reappears if only until I vacate the State at the end of the month. If we in Ireland could export our rain to Texas we’d all be wealthy and tell the Troika to F Off. I can now say that my prayer was answered and we’re enjoying a great spell of weather again. There is a God after all.

Well, Mass on Sunday with Fr Jimmy was as exciting as ever. That man can really keep your attention, is very witty but gets his point across. His Masses last nearly two hours and later people queue up just to thank him and shake his hand. My daughter was one of these and gave him a Big Hug. She says of him that he is ‘A Priest like my Grandad would have liked. A real connection with God’. So prayers said, we all headed to Jim’s for Breakfast. ‘There’s always something good cookin’ at Jim’s !’ is written across the top of the Menu. It seems the founder opened a Bicycle Rental Business in 1947 and placed a Watermelon Stand outside. You guessed, it developed into the Chain of Restaurants today known as Jims and is now a great favourite here in San Antonio for breakfast. The gentleman serving us was a kind and gentle man. Slightly older than me. An ex-teacher he told us. He’d taken a break from the School system and now couldn’t get back in. Now he was working at Jims. He said his name was Ealy but that his ancestors who came to America from Ireland, had been called Healy. He went on to say that the family were divided into two groups. One being Artists while the other were Thieves. He believed it was the latter group who ventured to America. The alternative history of the Healys he said, was that Mr Healy married a Mexican woman and moved to Mexico. It seems they have no ‘H’ in Mexico so Healy became Ealy ! Having been up for hours and sat through two hours of Fr Jimmy I was now starving so ordered The Rustlers Roundup..3 Eggs,Sausage,Grilled ham and bacon, served with Hash browns or Grits and toast or flaky biscuits $7.69. I did say I was hungry. My daughters put in their separate orders while Toes had Texas French Toast:…Three Texas-sized slices hand-dipped, grilled and served with syrup and powdered sugar $4.79 and of course, Milk. Where Toes put the food I have no idea. I didn’t hang around to find out anyway as with his mother on hand, I felt his nappies were her business ! Well after that feast it was back home and a quiet day in front of the TV. Starting with The Disney Channel then later my daughters choice. I now hate MTV !

                                        ooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo

While I write this piece, I’m saddened to hear of the execution of Troy Davis in Georgia. Despite the apparent production of evidence which suggested a miscarriage of justice, the State nonetheless executed him. I abhor violence of any kind and violence inflicted by The State is, to my way of thinking, the worst possible kind. The premeditated murder in such clinical circumstances is wrong. Scripture says ‘vengeance is mine says The Lord’. Well I believe that. The execution of a human being by The State is not justice, it’s vengeance. I take no pride in the fact that here in Texas the State seems the worst offender in this regard. On too regular a basis I see on the News stories about the latest person to have been executed. Governor Perry obviously is a strong believer in Capital Punishment. While I respect him as Governor I do take issue with some of his policies and on this one we’ll never agree. Just think of the poor families who arrive at the Prison of Execution to collect the Body Bag containing the remains of their Father, Son, Brother or other relative. Absolutely horrific. I’m not a soft Liberal like some Republicans may suggest but I do not believe in the Old Testament where it demands ‘a tooth for a tooth’. I am a lawyer practising for over 30 years now and I am a firm believer in the concept of  justice. I condemn those who murder, rape and terrorise our Citizens and believe the State has a role to play in removing from society, those criminals responsible for such heinous acts. You won’t find me soft on these issues. But C’mon Governor Perry. Here in Texas, where we have a predominant Christian Society, please, where is your compassion? Justice is not directing vengeance on the victim and his/her family. If it is then you and me need to talk as The Christ I believe in obviously differs somewhat from yours.

                                         ooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo

Finally, I’d like to remember the mother of a close friend of my son who died suddenly from a Brain Hemorrhage. Jean Carley. May she rest in peace.

 LegalEagleStar , San Antonio , Texas , Thursday , 22nd. September , 2011 .

Sleep, or the lack thereof, Toes and a Scorpion

Image by Pierce Place via Flickr

Ever since raising my children, for the most part single-handed, I have got into the habit of working late. When I say late, sometimes this could mean, well, through the night.  Then having to ferry the children to school, get to work myself, arrange collecting them at lunchtime, driving to swimming pools, football training etc. Then repeat the above… My one joy which was denied me was a lie-in in the morning. The thought of not having to get up to do something. This thought of heaven has mostly eluded me but I’m working on it. Having arrived back to Texas last Monday evening I was determined to treat myself to a long lie-in. The though even excited me. So much so that I stayed up late, watched TV,  had numerous conversations with friends on Twitter, then Facebook. I even phoned some friends for a chat. Life was good. At 4 a.m. I hit the bed. Really tired and the thought of a sleep-in was all too much. Ah, Heaven on earth.

Shortly after 8 a.m. I awoke to what sounded like a Police Raid. Bedroom door being bashed, kicked, then finally opened. In came the culprit. It was my Grandson Toes. ‘Morning ‘ I called out. Then stretching an arm from beneath the bedclothes I ushered Toes back in the direction of the door. It worked. Silence re-enveloped the entire room. Seconds later, in truth it was probably more like 10 minutes or so, my daughter arrives into my bedroom on the phone. I think she was on the phone. Well she was at some stage. I remember her asking me whether she should cancel Terminix or reschedule, as they say out here. I think I said ‘yeah, cancel’  but I also remember saying ‘sure I’ll stay home and let them in’. It was the latter comment, which I was later informed, was uttered by me some minutes after the phone call had ended…which was the cause of said daughter goose-stepping it out of the room, Gestapo style, clearly in bad form. Oh God, what had I done now. To confront the situation or.. yes, back to sleep I decided was the best course of action. Moments later I hear a shriek. It was Toes. No, I didn’t jump up, just froze. There were enough adults in the house, no doubt up for hours at this stage, who could deal with whatever crises had arisen. Then more voices.. and Toes going EEEhhhheee. Then ‘Oh My God’ from my younger daughter. At this I sprang into action, grabbed a pair of shorts, to make myself decent and jumped straight into my boots. Normally I would not do the latter without first turning out said boots, as in Texas bugs and critters have been known to climb into a pair of boots while the wearer sleeps. As I walked forward I was not bitten, nothing was squelching under foot and so I felt safe…relieved really. Anyway, Toes emitted the EEEhhhheee sound again. I was now outside my bedroom door faced by three grown adults, all terrified and pointing in Toes direction. ‘What’s happened’, I enquired somewhat puzzled. LOOK, AAgghhh. Toes had discovered a Scorpion. Not in the healthiest condition of his life, clearly suffering from some treatment or other, rendered to the property by the aforementioned Terminix. Looking around at the frightened faces I asked ‘Is this it?’ Yes, Yes , do something. Dressed in T-shirt, my son’s Football Shorts and Cowboy Boots I proceeded to stand on said Scorpion who, at this stage I felt sorry for… and do the dreaded deed. He must have been terrified being confronted by Toes and Family. Then a voice perks up from behind..’Coffee anybody’. It was son-in-law who had fallen in behind the group, staying safely away in case the scorpion, by some miracle, jumped up and bit his bloody head off.

So, coffee it was and any thoughts of indulging in long periods of relaxation or even sleep, faded into distant memory. Ah sure there’s plenty of time for lie-ins…. There is ??

 

LegalEagleStar , San Antonio , Texas , Monday , 12th. September , 2011 .

Waiting for a Phone Call, Listening to Enda, my Grandson Toes and a Red HairDryer

Image by Tom Szustek via Flickr

Today has been a frustrating day. Started off fairly well, as well as could be expected. Yet another sleepless night worrying about the kids, the dog, my mother and a couple of clients who I feel really sorry for. Then the phone call I’m awaiting, well hoping for really.

The day started with me listening to Newstalk Morning News. Maybe it was just the sound of Enda Kenny’s voice declaring that he hadn’t lied to the electorate when he said he was going to protect and maintain the services of a Hospital prior to the General Election. He hasn’t, and has now ‘seen the light’ and realised he can’t fulfil his election promises. Nothing new there you might say. Well, what was the purpose of the original statement? If it was to ensure that he and his Party got elected then things would make sense. Because now, we’re told that Hospitals are unsafe and we need to go to the Major Hospitals for care. The problem is compounded as we’re now told by the Doctors that the major hospitals are unsafe. I’m sure, like me, you are fed up with Spin and the absolute nonsense we’re expected to believe. On the facts today it seems that all the Medical Negligence cases we have Must Succeed as quite clearly today… all hospitals are unsafe, according to Enda Kenny, our Fine Gael Taoiseach. If only life was as straight forward as that. Listen, Enda lied to get elected. That’s the story. No more, no less.

So, angry and frustrated I head into the shower. Lovely moments alone, with the sound of the water caressing you for those few minutes. Maybe after Enda’s Government start rationing water, charging us enormous amounts to actually use the water.. I’ll have to take a quick shower. To think that we’re a small island surrounded by water ! The loss of my only morning pleasure will be a sad day. Maybe I could give the dogs half a bowl of water instead of two. That would conserve some water… or maybe that would be cruel. Will the Minister make a Doggies allowance for us? Will he hell.

It’s now mid morning. All my calls, bar one, have rung out. I’ve left message after message but so far, nobody has phoned me back. No, after checking, it is indeed A.M. not P.M. and it is a weekday, not the weekend or indeed a Public Holiday. What to do. Sure maybe I’ll write this weeks Blog. Yes I’ll do that.. Wait, a phone call for me. Great, ‘Hello Tom Baldwin, who am I speaking to?’ Oh no, ‘I don’t want to talk to you ! No, my computer is fine. No, no …’ While I try to be civil to this foreign gentleman, I end up telling him to ‘Feck Off’ and slam the phone down. Maybe that will have the effect of me being deleted from their database. Wait, was that the guy or was that in fact my Bank? Now, I’m not sure. After some moments I decide that it could have been the Bank. Well, if so, I gave them the right answer.

Nearing lunchtime, I’m home and sitting down working on research for my Blog. Then, at the door I hear a shriek.., ‘Aarsse’. I know that sound. It’s Toes, my grandson, coming to visit me. So, off to play then. After lunch it’s clear said Grandson is getting narky. I ask him if he wants to go to bed? Shake of the head indicates No. I’m not convinced. Are you sure I ask him. Same response. After some time playing with the Dogs and the Parrots I ask again, as I’m unconvinced that he is sufficiently alert to last the afternoon. So, upstairs to bed, turn on Daughter No.2’s Red Hairdryer and put Toes to bed. As I lay on the single bed beside him I start to feel guilty as I wave to him. Hold on, he’s dropping off. Yes, result ! Problem is that I’m doing the same. OK, back to the computer. I wonder will any of those gentlemen and ladies of my esteemed profession actually return any of my calls ??  Well, I suppose, I can only live in hope…..

LegalEagleStar  Tuesday , 12th. July , 2011.