Step Aerobics

Well, it's official. The first 2-story house EVER built on 626 soil. Like the view? Jealous that you don't have that view where you live? Well, folks, watch what you wish for... You just might get it.

Sort of slammed here at work today. Short on words. But if a picture's worth a thousand words, then this blog is 2000 words.

See you later, roller skater.

Who Dat!

Who Dat Say Dey Gonna Beat Dem Saints? The old song I grew up singing. Ah. The Saints, the Aints, whatever you call them, they seem to be here to stay. I hope everyone was able to watch Monday Night Football last night because it was beautiful. I've never seen an NFL team as celebrated as the New Orleans Saints. And not just last night. Through thick and thin people have stuck with that team. It's something to behold. I've only been to one Saints game. They lost to the Steelers. Last night, though, the whole world got to have a taste of the experience. MOSES was even there. Didja see him? Parting the waters. The best part, I think, besides U2 of course, was the fact that the Saints beat their arch-rivals, the Dirty Birds. The Atlanta Falcons. Boo hiss.

If these walls could talk, they wouldn't have much to say. But they WILL have plenty to say. Here's to the new walls of 626. May they stand there forever. And may many more Saints games be watched within them. Amen.

Total Studs

Hey there sports fans, it's me, 626. Welcome back, I've missed you. You might not recognize me now since I'm a Total Stud. Make that Total Studs. Plural. We are officially walls now, not just empty lot. Remind me to update my profile.

Pictures. Okay, from the top:

Paps gave our friend, neighbor, local celeb Billy Barrett a tour of the new crib. They are standing in the dining room. Pay close attention to the saw-horse table. We're thinking of making it permanent. We're kind of into the whole "construction chic" trend.


We love you Gulfport! Mom and Paps on the front porch. It's kinda like they're on a stage. I tried to talk Paps into using the house as-is as a venue for a U2 concert, since Bono and the boys will be in Nola playing the Superdome in a few weeks, but he didn't think that was such a good idea...

Aw. Sal & Paps. 2 cool 2 B 4-gotten.


Paps give Sal a tour of the new-and-improved 626. "This is where the new range will be," Paps says. Or dishwasher. Or robot. Or Super Computer. Can't remember exactly. Something kitcheny.

Have a swell Thurs. I'll be driving back to Ox in the AM B-and-E. Later skaters.

Pac-Man and Mom

Pac-Man. That is exactly what I thought when I first opened these photographs on my desktop. The Slab has been turned into a life-size Pac-Man game. Level 1? Not sure. Does this make Paps the Pac-Man or a Ghost Monster? What about Annie Rooney? Power Pellet? Waka waka waka. For those unfamiliar with Pac-Man--or Atari games in general--"waka" was the sound Pac made as he ate his way from world to world. I've never been much of a Pac-Man player, to be honest. My game was always Super Mario Bros. on the long-lost orignial Nintendo console. Back in junior high school I beat that game--saved the Mushroom Princess--on a borrowed box. I'll never forget the day because as excited as I was there was no one to share my thrills with. I was in the laundry room on our old side porch. We were the only family I ever knew who had a TV in the laundry room.

Well, anyway, the current State of the Slab is unique, to say the very least. The 2x4's sort of provide a blueprint of the first story of the new 626 Second St. Paps is reclining where the bed in the master bedroom will ultimately be located. On the left, is a sort of view from the front door, I think. Straight ahead will be a staircase; to the right a dining room and behind that a kitchen. Living room on the other side. Stay tuned as those flat boards become walls, the Slab a floor, etc.

PS: Today as I downloaded the pictures from my Gmail, I thought about my dear old photographer who tirelessly and selflessly goes out and snaps the pictures of 626 for me day in and day out. My photographer--AKA "Mom"--has only made an appearance on the blog ONCE, if you can believe it. So, I dug into my shoebox archives and discovered what just might be my favorite picture of Mom yet. It is currently gracing the top of today's blog. My mom's got the look. If they read this blog, I'm sure those glasses will be the envy of every Hollywood starlet. And that tan! Let's hear it for Sue.

So long, Sammy.

Slab Happy

Hello fine readers. Well, this is the day for which we have all been anxiously awaiting. Drum roll please! I'd like to introduce you to the 626 Second Street Slab. Welcome to the world, Slab. You have no idea how much we love having you hear to protect us from centuries of stormage. And you, PVC pipes! Welcome.

As you can tell, we have Slab shots from the north and the south. Once again, check out the luxurious views afforded us by Katrina. I hope you all are all enjoying this moment. I have goosebumps. In the days and weeks and months following, we will see some real house being built. But the foundation is complete.

A wise family built its house upon a slab. That wise family is Cassady.

Been a Long, Long Time

But I'm back. I am sorry for the few post-less days. No excuse, I guess, unless you count extreme exhaustion. My job's been tough and there have been some good TV shows premiering. Not to mention music to buy for my iPod, extracurricular activities to participate in, laundry to do, etc.

The slab is just about finished. Here's what it looked like yesterday. I think they may have poured the actual cement today, so hopefully we can get some snapshot of that for tomorrow's post.

Thanks for your patience and thanks for reading. I know I haven't been the best blogger the last few days. Guess my candle's lit at both ends right now. But, after the slab we'll get some real housey stuff going. Like walls and doors. Bear with me. You won't be disappointed. Like the Cajun Chef Justin Wilson used to say, "I garontee."

Who's Got Gas? We Do!

Hello dear readers. Gas and plumbing were put in yesterday. Sorry I didn't post the picture yesterday, but things were somewhat chaotic here in O-town. Well, maybe not exactly chaotic. That's a strong word. But I never got around to posting, at least. I'm having to fill in here and there for one of our staff who's out of town, so I'm spread a bit thin. At any rate, enjoy the latest from 626.

While I was in Gulfport last week, I went through the Shoebox Archives on a quest to find some pictures of our good old front door. The door you see here in the second picture was the original door. The one with the little twirly doorbell. Some of you may remember it's dingle. Sounded sort of like a bicycle bell. That's me, front and center. Dad took lots of pics of me there. A few years later, we'd get a new door with a fancy glass design going on in it. I actually prefer this one, to be honest. Cause you can hide behind it and people can't see in. The glass door was tricky. You couldn't ignore the doorbell. People SAW you standing there in the hall like a goon. Also of note is my first Cabbage Patch Kid. His name (Yes, the doll was a he. Pink is very in for guys these days, and was also, apparently, for cabbage-born dolls made in the mid 80s) was Nat. I shoved a peanut in the little mouth hole that was intended for the pacifier and it rattled around in his rubber head. Probably still does, come to think of it. The doll survived Katrina--The Christmas dress made by my Aunt Rosemary, on the other hand, did not.

Onward and upward.

View from the Top

Thanks to Katrina, the Cassadys of 626 Second Street have a glorious Gulf of Mexico view. Haven't seen that water in many moons. The first picture is taken at about where the front porch will eventually be. So, until the folks across the way build back we have ourselves a spectacular view.

Hope everyone had a nice Labor Day weekend. Here in Oxford, we quadrupled our population. The Rebels also managed to beat the Memphis Tigers. Fun was had by all. A lot of the time we sat around and remembered where we were at this moment last year.

Last week I mentioned how I attended the St. Peter's By-the-Sea Katrina-Day service a week ago and my trusty photographer e-mailed a couple pics from that event. I chose this one because you can see how wrecked the church is. It's amazing, given the look of the rest of E. Beach, that there's anything left. The organ and pews were spotted on the railroad tracks, a couple blocks north.

The last picture shows the current state of the slab. All full of dirt. Next comes plumbing, I believe, and finally they pour concrete over the top of everything. It's sort of like a huge sand-and-concrete layer cake in a way.

All right. That's it for now. I have to go to Kroger for some dinner-making materials. Adieu, adieu to you and you and you.

Construction Junction

Good afternoon boys and girls. Another 626 Archive photo for you this lovely breezy Friday. Here I am, 6 years old. We added on to our house that year. Construction areas are more fun than any real-life playground. I was kind of sad when the room we were building was all finished because I didn't have all those rusty nails, unsanded wood, ladders, and scaffolding to play on anymore. Poor little lamb. I remember the day this picture was taken because I had to go to the bathroom REALLY bad and I was in agony. Would have been nice to have the porta-john back then, huh?

Because no one is at home, this picture is from Wednesday. The builders are filling in the concrete-block wall with dirt. They put in one layer at a time and then this machine comes in and makes the dirt vibrate so it settles evenly. Kind of like when you shake flour in a measuring cup.

Sorry this is so short. Been busy round these parts. The weather is nice, though. Overcast and cool. Imagine that on the first of September?

See ya, Sammy.