"AND, Babbah bah booooo, BRING IT RIGHT HERE!"

Contrary Mary...

 Well, Good "Tidings to You!"Thursday Morning, all bodies.

The news on NPR was talking the Ukraine, and Tee was staring off in the distance contemplating the day's activity as we make our way to Giddy Up. I was in my own world giggling with my own sense of humor.

I had a Bing Crosby Christmas tune in my head and was laughing at the prospect of doing something with it...

Mary, the don't call me a barista, barista, is gonna be my prime suspect. But, is she off today? She wasn't. Now, I just have to find a way to single her out from the other, always attentive, ladies behind the counter. Maddie was creating some kind of creamy latte filled with some kind of Christmas goodies and Danielle caught my eye as if to say that I was next to be served, but I winked at her and pointed towards Mary.

Luckily, there's was no one behind me awaiting to be served.

"Hey Mary," I called out in a rather demanding way, which so unlike me, "I need some coffee!"

"Hey Ben... Your regular?" Mary asks in her matter of fact, ho-hum way.

Yes, I said, the French dark roast, AND...

"We won't go until we get some,

"We WONT go until we get some,

"We won't GO until we get some,"

Pointing to the counter, I completed the end of the song with a bit of Bing...

"AND, Babbah bah booooo, BRING IT RIGHT HERE!"

"Okay, Mr. Ben, (she seldom calls me mister!) In the Christmas spirit already, I see."

"Yeh, Mary, Bing Crosby style... Babbah bah booooo,!

She mumbles, as she turns to pour me my coffee, something like, "You beddah change your tune if you want anything!" She then, hands me my cup.

Trying to be as unimpressed as she can muster up, she asks, " You need anything else?"

"What? No Bing styled Christmas today," I asked.

Danielle, sensing maybe some tension in the air, and still working up some kind of frothy concoction, smiles to me and says, "I love Bing Crosby especially at Christmas time. My mom used to play his records all the time!"

"Yeh, I found on YouTube, he had quite a bit of Christmas songs over the years. I guess "I Wish You A Merry Christmas" is gonna be my earworm for today."

"I thought I'd share it with someone I love," I said, as I nodded towards Mary, who, by now, is working the drive up window.

Maddie rolled her eyes, shrugged her shoulders and giggled. Danielle nodded.

I sat down with some friends feeling satisfied that I got a bit of a smile from "Contrary Mary!"

Time to crank up the Christmas music as long as it isn't another Mariah Carey interpretation!

Second cup!

Copyright 2023/Ben Bensen III

"Up 'til Now, I''ve Never Been In A CarThat Did 120mph.!"

"we don't need no stinkin' badges!"

 Good "we don't need no stinkin' badges!"Sunday Morning, all bodies.

In between a Southshore birthday party, grocery shopping and other silly running around, I was able to resketch this Chevy badge from the Sixties. I started a sketch, months ago, of the badge as our mechanic was working on the van's brakes knowing full well that I probably wasn't gonna finish it. So, I took a photo of it and until just the other day, found both. I decided to clean up the original sketch. James, the mechanic, told me it was from a 1967 Chevy Chevelle SS.

I never could afford even the insurance on a car like that, but I sure did lust after it.

As it turns out, in my first semester in college, I hitched a ride after the weekends with a friend of a friend. This was in 1968/69 way before the Interstate was put in elevated over the swamp land from LaPlace through Pontchatoula and into Hammond.

Naturally, kids attending school with no parental guidance, know no rules. On one early Monday morning jaunt to school, driving the deadly swamp on one side of the road and even more swamp on the other, on LA#51, took about an hour or so.

I'd never been in a car, up until that point, that did 120mph.

At the time, I was in the passenger front seat when my high school football buddy decided he wanted to drive the owner's car and see just how much muscle it really had. I should have traded seats with someone in the back.

Raul Chavez got himself, along with other football players from that graduating class, a scholarship to play for SLC as a linebacker. Raul was really good with his intensity and mobility at that position. It gave me, the right side linebacker, full reign to go after the football basically disregarding all defensive strategies.

But, Raul was crazy... REALLY, especially if he had one too many at a bar... ANY bar.

We survived the speedy adventure. I don't think Raul was ever allowed back in that black two door beauty, but, in time, it really didn't matter. In our second semester of college, as I recall, Raul tried to walk, in the night, across the "expressway" at the Carrollton overpass. He never made it.

His funeral was the first I ever attended from my own generation... In time, there would be more, but the black Super Sport beauty was now always something special to me... even the badge!

Copyright 2023/Ben Bensen III

"Sokrat Bozo... Just Glad To An American!"

 Good "60 Minute Man!"Monday Morning, all bodies!

Well, the Saints are an embarrassment and that's all I choose to say. I wonder what Bobby Hebert had to say on his radio program after the game...

We went for a walk after the game to check out the Arch and the Drury Hotel. It's not fun for me to walk too far, but this worked out OK.

In the evening, we went to St. Clement Rest Home to take Fr. Gerard LaPorte to dinner. We were concerned about his getting in and out of the Camry, but he did quite well. The food was Cajun style and quite good... Gerard seemed to like it.

The sketch I created was done at the breakfast buffet of a greeter who escorts folks to their table. I enjoyed his enjoyment of the job and decided to try to capture it. It is from a photo I took of him.

I made the mistake of showing him the sketch, but more on that later. We've got a 10am flight to catch in "The Arch."

No cups, yet!

Copyright 2023/ Ben Bensen III

"Just Doodling Away!"

A couple of phone doodles!

 Good "DoddlingAway" Wednesday Morning, all bodies.

Well, yesterday one of two doc appts. for Therese had me off and running to blow an hour or more. My options for a mid afternoon snack were "Cilantros" or the "Tap Room" but I tired of waiting for the traffic light to change and took off in another direction...

I ended up at PJ's coffee where the most delightful young barista persuaded me into buying a mocha granita... or something like that. She had the greatest smile I seen in a long time and I told her so which widened her smile even more.

I had a bunch of phone calls to make, to make the best use of the time before I had to pick up 'da Babe. I talked and talked...

And, doodled.

No cups yet!

Copyright 2023/ Ben Bensen III

"Four Time World Series Winner... Congrats"

Congrats on Number Four!

 Good "Bye Baseball 2023" Thursday Morning, y'all.

Congrats to the Texas Rangers for securing their place in World Series history with their first Title ever. Stats will abound for the next month or so as MLB attempts to compete with football... ANY football.

As is often the case, the playoffs are, most times, the most competitive, and this year wasn't any different, which explains MLB selling out to the major cable networks for almost all of the playoff games. The Rangers pretty much swept through everyone and made the Series a lopsided affair.

But, proper respects go to manager Bruce Bochy for winning his fourth World Series ring, which makes him tied with Joe Torre and Walter Alston, having won three with the San Francisco Giants (2010, 2012, 2014) and this most recent one with Texas.

Love it... First warm and inviting Giddy Up cup!

Copyright 2023/ Ben Bensen III