Monday, November 16, 2009

Pleasant Sunday

This was the first weekend in over a month when I didn't have to leave the house for anything. Lana and I did go hiking on Saturday, only to find the place we intended to visit had been clear cut and fenced off for construction. I get the feeling they are going to build a lot of cookie cutter houses there, although I just can't see the profit in it in this economy.

After that disappointment, however, the rest of the weekend turned out pretty darn well. First, we found another place to hike and the weather was perfect for it.
Then, we went through the drive through at Popeyes to pick up supper and when the young lady was handing the car in front of us their food she dropped a bag. She gave them a replacement and they drove off without anyone picking up the dropped food. I got out to move it because we would have had to run over it to get to the window and found that the box hadn't opened. Score.

Sunday we had breakfast out on our deck in extremely pleasant weather. I made scrambled eggs and bacon and Lana set up the table and chairs. We had leftover Popeyes' biscuits. The birds were hopping around the feeders and it was just a gorgeous morning to be out. Lana and I agreed that we were very lucky folks.

Sunday afternoon I watched the New Orleans Saints win their 9th straight game, this one over the St. Louis Rams. Then I had a nap. When I woke up I printed out and signed contracts for three nonfiction articles that will soon be published in a book, which I will reveal more about later. All in all, a weekend to enjoy. Sometimes it's very good to be alive.
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37 comments:

Lana Gramlich said...

Don't forget the free DirecTV for the month, too. A strange yet beneficial weekend, yes...

ivan said...

get to the window and found that the box hadn't opened. Score.

You too, huh?

I write and publish essays about his kind of manna from heaven, but solider and gooder. The manna, that is.

RRN said...

I was rather shocked there are Popeyes in your neck of the woods.
I was not aware.

Sounds like an amazing day Charles and I was quite delighted to read this. It was warm and nice to relate to.

Charles Gramlich said...

Lana, oh yes, more SCORE.

Ivan, yeah, I felt like an Israelite in the desert. Well, except for the other chicken we got too.

RRN, I actually think Popeyes originated in New Orleans. The founder was Al Copeland, who is from this area.

writtenwyrdd said...

Sounds like a nice weekend indeed.

Rick said...

I'm sensing a new story called, "The Stepford Gramlich's."

And did I tell you that even in Detroit there is actually such as thing as idyllic nature? I walked back in after a late night drive and there was a racoon as big as a bulldog sitting on my front porch looking up at me. Just hanging out in the lad of brick and concrete and broken glass like he'd taken a wrong turn on his way to Cancun.

LoveRundle said...

Small favors, big rewards. It's good that the two of you found another place to hike. I'd have been shocked to have seen a fence where I was use to walking.

Tyhitia Green said...

Glad you two had another place to hike.
We have a couple Popeye's here as well. :-D

Sounds like your weekend was quit interesting. :-D

Natasha Fondren said...

Glenn and I were just sitting out on the little deck sort of thing having dinner, also agreeing we were lucky folks. :-)

Love that feeling.

Michelle's Spell said...

Hey Charles,

Sounds like a great weekend! I had a pretty good one as well, except no free Popeyes! Pretty much worked on writing and enjoyed my stories (as my grandma would say) on Sunday night. And spent Sunday night reading a memoir about a woman who claims to have been addicted to having abortions (she had fifteen in fifteen years). It's one of those and I thought I had problems reads. I find it VERY creepy and if I think it's creepy, it's kind of amazing it ever got published at all.

Steve Malley said...

I too once received good fortune like yours at Popeyes...

I have taken my cue from the cargo cults and built my *own* Popeyes chicken out of bamboo and fronds and the like. I go to the 'drive-thru' several times a day, hoping to once more find the Blessed Chicken of Unopenedness.

So far no luck, but my faith is pure... :)

Randy Johnson said...

Sounds like a pleasant afternoon. Except for the denuded land. The same thing is happening all over my small town. I don't think there is any building planned. They seem to be just stripping the trees for the wood. A number of tracks that have been around since I was a small child.

Sad.

Hey, we're getting a Popeyes here. I been wanting to try the crawdad meal since I've seen the advertisement on TV.

Charles Gramlich said...

writtenwyrdd, indeed!

Rick, hum, I think Lana might take acception to that connection. Nothing much Stepford about her. I, on the other hand, can be pretty robotic, I mean romantic.

Christina, we had not been to this place in a few months but were quite irritated. We took lots of great wildlife pics last time we were there. Needless to say, all the wildlife is gone now.

Demon Hunter, myhmmm, Popeyes.

Natasha Fondren, yes, it's very nice. You feel blessed.

Michelle, geeze, that would put me off my Popeyes. I couldn't imagine a worse addiction. Very weird for sure.

Steve Malley, be patient my son. Blessings such as that occur rarely, and then one may be left chasing the dragon/chicken for the rest of your life.

Randy Johnson, Popeyes is next to godliness, my friend. Try the popcorn chicken as well. I envy you your first taste. I think they are planning on building there because it's on a lake and there is another man made lake nearby where similar buildings were placed.

jodi said...

Charles, my idea of a perfect weekend, too. Also, I love how you say 'supper'- we say it that way up north.

laughingwolf said...

go saints!

glad most things went well for you both... wanna know more about the nf stuff :)

Scott said...

Charles,

Glad you and Lana had a good Sunday. I like Popeye's, too. I'm getting over a cold, so I had a crappy weekend, but that's typical of my luck as of late.

Tell Lana I said 'hi', and I hope you both have a great week!

Travis Cody said...

That's a sure 5 second rule win right there!

Cloudia said...

A lovely weekend indeed. Good for both of you! May I vicariously enjoy your (new) publications? :)
Go Saints!

Aloha, Friends


Comfort Spiral

Charles Gramlich said...

jodi, I thought that was mostly a southern word. We grew up calling it that in the country in Arkansas.

laughingwolf, yes, go Saints. The NF stuff is actually some reprints that I'll be talking about more in time.

Scott, hope you're back to your normal self soon. Will Do.

Travis, absolutely.

Cloudia, please do. And yep, Hurray for the Saints.

the walking man said...

Dude..You guys and Ivan should have gotten together he received a bottle of Bacardi's in much the same way. I will just have to start driving with my eyes open!

Charles Gramlich said...

Mark, to those who need, much will be given. Or something like that.

BernardL said...

A very good weekend indeed!

Vesper said...

It was very pleasant to read about your very pleasant weekend... :-)

Charles Gramlich said...

Bernardl, yes, we had a lot of relaxed fun.

Vesper, as it was to experience!

pattinase (abbott) said...

Those willing to move their butts, score.

Erik Donald France said...

Very good to be alive, indeed. True autumnal weather is perfect.

Congrats! (and also on the Saints)

Greg said...

sounds like a great weekend. congrats on the upcoming book... you just keep churning them out!

Mary Witzl said...

You got a free lunch just because someone was too lazy to pick up a bag? What utterly great luck. No way I'd have left that bag on the ground.

Charles Gramlich said...

pattinase, my thoughts exactly.

Erik, yes, the weather is brisk and wonderful. I love it, and feel some energy coming back

Greg Schwartz, I've been pretty lucky in the last couple of years in having things fall into my hands.

Mary Witzl, Yep, they were driving a very nice SUV so maybe they were rich.

j said...

You were very restrained in describing the clear-cutting in your favorite hiking spot. It has upset me the way they cut trees and build more houses where we are now - just a bunch of houses sitting side by side like loaves of bread. Very little beauty.

I once saw Wendy's turn down a van full of hippy-ish young people who said they would even take food from the garbage for their dog. As much food as that place throws away and they turned them down!! How do you say no to hungry people! I haven't been back since.

That was the long winded version of "I'm glad you didn't waste the food."

Merisi said...

So glad to read about your great weekend, well deserved, I say! :-)

That Popeye's windfall is truly extraordinary - I am astonished that the patrons before you did not even try to salvage the food!

Chris Benjamin said...

sounds like everything came up Gramlich!

Except the clearcut, that just sucks.

Charles Gramlich said...

jennifer, I know, there are are already houses like that around the other, man made lake. I would think the people there would have wanted the other area kept pristine but they probably had no power to influence the decisions. I hate to see food wasted like that.

Merisi, rich folks I guess. Even if I had more money I wouldn't want to waste food though.

benjibopper, the clearcutting was very upsetting. Last time we were there there was all kinds of wildlife around the water. Now nothing.

Danette Haworth said...

Score! haha!

ArtSparker said...

Manna from Heaven , er Popeye's, AND a nap - man. lush life.

Charles Gramlich said...

Danette, yes sirreebob

ArtSparker, you got it! ;)

Barrie said...

OH, oh--do tell us about the contracts!