4. Corruption – It is everywhere.  I mean we’re not Chicago, but it’s still pretty bad.

3. Stinging Caterpillars - Each May and June these demonic little creatures come forth.  If you have accidentally stepped on one or even barley touched one, you know how horrible this pestilence really is.

2. Roads – Seriously, its like driving in the hills of Tijuana.  I’m not entirely sure why there are so many beautification projects going on when you can’t even drive down your own block without bottoming out or seeing water come up from the ground. My suspension and alignment are very excited to be in a place where roads are smooth.

1.Summer! – …all seven months of it.  This past year for Halloween it was 84 degrees and humid.  That’s not ok. I know that Nashville will have heat and humidity but come Mid-Septemeber I can breathe easy as opposed to seeking counseling for my anger issues caused by the ridiculously long summers. New Orleans I love you, but May to November is kind of horrible.

Until next time…

4. Being Landlocked – For 28 of my 33 years of life I have lived within one hour of a beach.  Although I hate sand as much as I hate fire ants and spiders, living near a large body of water gives you a sense of freedom.  Sure Nashville has lakes and rivers but the nearest beach is like 10 hours away. On the plus side, that beach is in North Carolina…and I love me some North Carolina.

3. Making New Friends – Sometimes its just exhausting.  That being said it will be great to meet new people.

2. Tornados…again – I have gone from earthquakes (California), to tornados (Missouri), to hurricanes (Louisiana), back to earthquakes (California), back to hurricanes (Louisiana),, and now back to tornados (Tennessee).  Don’t get me wrong, Twister is a great movie, but I am not super excited to know that each Spring I may have to run to a basement at a moments notice.

and the number 1 reason is….

Well, I don’t have another reason.  Apparently there’s not too much to be hesitant about.  Sweet.

Until next time…

10. Festivals – It’s not a secret that New Orleans and all of South Louisiana know how to party.  Each month brings a different festival that celebrates anything from strawberries to jazz music and everything in between.

9. History – A part from Boston and Philadelphia there is no other city that has such a rich and varied history.  It is quite literally everywhere you look.

8. The Beach – There’s a beach in New Orleans? No, but there are some great beaches not too far away.  It was a regular activity for us to go spend the day in Bay St. Louis, grab a hot dog, and hang out at the beach for the day.  It’s not Seal Beach, Malibu, or even Pensacola but for us it was perfect.

7. Mardi Gras – If you are, or have ever been, a drunk tourist during Mardi Gras, you missed out on how great Mardi Gras really is.  I will miss gathering with friends on the neutral ground laughing, screaming, catching throws, and eating copious amounts of food.  But..I got my shoe from Muses, so I guess I can move on.

6. Sno-Balls – They are not shaved ice…they are so much better than that.  Soft sno completely drowned in your particular favorite flavor mixing to make the perfect warm weather treat.  My favorite will forever be Satsuma with marshmallow cream from Hansen’s.  I will miss these glorious things so much that I’m trying to figure out a way to open up a Sno-Ball stand in Nashville.

5. Christmastime – Christmastime is one of the best times in New Orleans.  From free concerts at the cathedral, to Celebration in the Oaks, to the bonfires at the levee – Christmas New Orleans style embodies what is great and unique about this city.  As an added sentiment, Leanne and I began dating at Christmas time.

4. Food – I will not be the first nor the last to proclaim the culinary awesomeness that exists in this city.  Keep a look out for my upcoming favorite New Orleans restaurant post that will be coming soon.

3. People – Not just the friends we have made but the fourth and fifth generation cajun, creoles, and New Orleanians as well.  Always ready with a good story, a funny anecdote, or a family recipe these resourceful inviting people have made this place home for me.

2. City Park – It might seem strange to be emotionally invested in a park, but I really am.  Not one week went by without me spending at least a few hours at this place.  It was here that I shed off close to 90 pounds as I ran the old golf cart trails or the path around the Big Lake.  It was here that we could go have a picnic.  It was here that I would go and think and/or pray.  I am sad that I will not see the master plan come to fruition but City Park will always be my park.

and last but not least…

1. My church family – Journey Christian Church, Hope Christian Church, and my friends in house church are filled with people that I simply can not say enough about.  I will forever be grateful for the friendships, encouragement, patience, grace, and partnerships that were experienced with so many beautiful people.  I will miss you most of all.

Coming Soon….

-5 Things I am not looking forward to about Nashville

-5 Things I will not miss about New Orleans

-My favorite places to eat in New Orleans

-A farewell letter to a city I love

Until next time….

9. Career and personal advancement for all three of us – It is one of the primary reasons we are moving after all.

8. Nature – Its everywhere.  You can be out in the country in about 15 minutes from almost anywhere in Nashville.  There are lakes and rivers that you can actually go swimming in, we are only three hours away from The Smokey Mountains, and there are greenways and hiking trails, literally, everywhere.

7. Music – I’m not a big country fan, but did you know that although Nashville is the country music mecca it also has a ton of other musical offerings?  It’s true.  Rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, christian, and a whole lot of stuff in between.  This is also means we can finally get Tara and Raz to come visit us which brings me to….

6. New Place to Visit for our friends and family – There is always an open spot at The Lytle House and you all know how I love to play tour guide.

5. Closer to some family – We will be within driving distance of everyone on Leanne’s side of the family.  This is the first time this has happened in our marriage.  Also, Nashville has more straight flights then New Orleans does to Los Angeles which makes getting home to my family easier as well.

4. Friendly People – Seriously, every time we have gone to Nashville we have encountered the friendliest people. It’s not just our opinion either…they were ranked. It’s actually a little terrifying in a way, but its kind of nice as well.

3. Cultural Activities – Having so many Universities has enabled Nashville to offer a ton of cultural activities.  Theatre, ballet, art museums, history, science centers, symphonies, and a ton more ensure that our family can continue to be unsheltered.

2. Dollywood – Technically not in Nashville but you know what I will be 2.5 hours away. Why is this important?  You must not know me.  My first crush was Dolly Parton and for many years I have wanted to go to Dollywood.  Mock me if you will…I can handle it, but mark my words, by year’s end I will be posting about my visit.

And my number one reason is….

1. SEASONS! – We will finally be living in a place that actually has four seasons.  We can watch the leaves change colors and go to a pumpkin farm or apple picking.  We can bundle up and actually wear scarves and hats and even occasionally play in the snow. We can watch the brightness of Spring actually come forth and, for the first time in a long time, I might not despise Summer…because in Nashville, Summer doesn’t last 7 months.

So those are my Top 10 reasons I am excited for our move to Nashville.  Up next, my  Top 10 things I will miss about New Orleans.

Until next time….

Over the course of the past three years God has challenged Leanne and I in ways we could not have predicted.  We have grown as individuals and as a family, not because we tried to make change happen, but because we got out of the way to let God do what He wanted.  We moved back to New Orleans because we knew that is where God wanted us.  In my own ignorance I tried to figure out and fill in all the reasons why, and so I made a whole lot of plans. Plans that, as most of you know, did not come to fruition.  After our first year here it was clear I needed to take a step back. I needed to rest in who God was and what he wanted to do in and through us, rather than inform him of what we were going to do for Him.

Now here we are, 3 1/2 years later, on the brink of a new chapter in our lives.

World Market has asked me to relocate to Nashville.  After much prayer, discussion, and listening we have decided to accept this offer.  Making this move will be difficult for us because of our love for New Orleans, but Leanne and I know this is the right next step.

Over the course of the next few weeks I will share some of the things we are looking forward to as well as some of the things we will miss, but for now we just wanted to let our family and friends know that we have landed on a decision.  Many of you have been apart of the discussion and prayer and we thank you.  We continue to ask for prayer from everyone as any transition has its stress….chief among them finding a place to live. 

Our love for New Orleans will always exist and we will always do whatever we can to serve this city, even if from far away.

Until next time….

Before you have me thrown in a padded room, let me explain.

Like anyone, I have several facets to who I am.  There is the obvious facets – husband, father, son, brother, manager, and pastor.  There is, of course, the not as obvious – dreamer, arm chair adventurer, and learner.  There are the facets of me that are merely filler – lover of all things entertainment, opinionated bafoon. Hidden away are the “what I want to be when I grow up” facets – Church planter, restauranteur, imagineer, CEO of something, chef, travel writer, actor, and professor.  And lastly we have the “what once was” facets – personal history and experiences.

That is a lot of competing noise in my head.

Many things about being an adult rock (we all have our favorites), but one of the things that suck about being a grown up are the voices in our heads.  All those experiences, hopes, dreams, plans, and (of course) responsibilities vying for our attention, screaming at us, or worse, lazily sitting in the corner eating a Dorritos Locos Taco and drinking a mountain dew.

If I didn’t have Jesus, or more correctly, if Jesus didn’t have me I am pretty sure I would go nuts.

Truth be told, I kind of like the voices in my head. They are  apart of who I am.

I just wish that sometimes they would shut up.

Until next time…

My list, as always, is mine and mine alone. I hope you agree, disagree, laugh, and altogether enjoy. Oh yeah, feel free to add your own things that bug you in the comments section.

25. Madonna – No no, not the holy virgin mother…the 5o year old cougar. Although I think she did a fine job at the Super Bowl Halftime show, it was the rest of the year that helped her make my list. At 50+ years old you would think she would know how to entertain without acting like a mouthy preteen.

24. New Orleans’ Summers – There is no polite way to say this. It is like the seventh circle of hell.

23. Mayonaise – It’s disgusting.

22. People who think sending me links to stories about spiders is funny – It’s not.

21. Roger Goodell – If he makes out of New Orleans unscathed during the Super Bowl it will, in fact, be a small miracle.

20. People who do not like Phenias and Ferb – We can’t be friends. Sorry.

19. Rush Limbaugh, Karl Rove, & Ann Coulter – Why on God’s green earth would anyone listen to these people?! It is the unholy republican trinity.  Seriously…there’s a horror movie concept in there somewhere. Maybe Josh Whedon could direct.   It would make millions and the sequel could star…

18. Keith Olbermann, Bill Maher, and Roseanne Bar – For pretty much the same reason as above.

17. Damp Towels – I still hate em. They’re icky.

16. Facebook – There, I said it. Facebook is the hairy mole on the butt of society. It’s something we all think we just need to live with. I will stick with Twitter thank you very much.

15. Call Me Maybe – So help me if I hear this song one more time I might start something on fire.

14. Ryan Lochte – Remember that one time a swimmer was really overhyped and kind of seemed like an arrogant jerk. U.S.A. U.S.A. U.S.A.  Do you think Michael Phelps calls Ryan and is like, “dude, remember that one time you went on global television saying you were going to win more medals than me…yeah, good times.  By the way, how was your stint on 90210?”

13. American Apparel – Ummmm, if this is what represents America, then I’m moving to Canada.  You know, I think they endorsed Ryan Lochte…I kid, I kid…or do I?

12. People who care more about their personal freedoms than the moral obligation they have to their families and communities – Take that however you want…it’s loaded.

11. Fat people who dress like they are skinny – Really!? Do you really think that at 300 pounds you should be wearing cut off shorts and a baby gap t shirt?  Miss, I assure you…you should not be.

10. Skinny people who dress like everyone wants to see their emaciated bodies – I am sure some people find protruding ribs and collar bones extremely attractive…I just don’t know any of them.

9. GQ Pastor Pictures – You know who you are. You talk about your kids and your ministry but your profile picture is a glamor shot of you wearing a tight shirt with the faux-hawk and some God awful hipster accessory.  Glad to see you are leading culture.  Sarcasm.

8. Texas (excluding San Antonio) – Just because.

7. The words moist, crevice, and yams – I just threw up in my mouth a little bit just typing those words.

6. The Times Picayune – What do you do when you have one of the strongest readerships of any news paper in the Nation. You sell out and cut the print edition down to three issues a week. Weaksauce.

5. People who use the word weaksauce – It ranks right up there with chillax, bra’, deuces, and every other drunken frat guy vernacular.

4. The New York Freaking Yankees – So many reasons that I think I will make a special blog post just for them.

3. The Entire Honey Boo Boo clan – What kind of backwoods entertainment crack is this?  We are all dumber for even knowing about Honey Boo Boo.  Our collective national IQ has dropped.  Thanks a lot TLC!!!  Which reminds me…

2. TLC – Remember how their used to be a cable station called The Learning Channel?  You could turn it on and actually, you know, learn something.  I guess Trading Spaces really was the tipping point because now…well, you have shows about backwoods dwarves who are secretly transvestite republicans and hope to have their own decorating show called “Down and Out in De Moines.”

1. Me – I am a pain in my own backside.

There you have it, my little rant of annoying things from 2012.

Until next time…

So sit back and relax as you read about my 2012 favorite things. (family and faith not included…because they go without saying)

Wickle’s Pickles – Best. Pickles. Ever.

Netflix Streaming – If it were not for netflix streaming I would have been much more productive. Thank You Netflix.

Kidd Kraddick in the Morning – Kidd, Kelly, Big Al, JC, and Jenna are some of the Best Friends I have never met. Out of all the morning radio shows theirs is the only one I will listen to. Shallow enough to make you laugh and deep enough to make you cry (I’m talking about you Kidd’s Kids) Kidd Kraddick in the Morning is the best part of waking up.  I take that back, seeing my family is the best part of waking up…but Kidd Kraddick in the Morning is second. Now if I can only get them to move to NOLA so we can hang out.

Happy Hour at Dominica – Best Happy hour in New Orleans and it’s not because of the drinks. Half off gourmet pizzas are the real draw. I don’t want to oversell it or make it super crowded but these are some of the best pizzas in the city. My favorites are the Bolzano and Spicy Lamb Meatball Pizzas.

0.5 mm Uni Ball Vision Elite Pen – I like pens. Not expensive ones, because I tend to lose those, but just good functioning pens. This pen is my favorite because it just is. use it and see why.

Barnes and Noble – I don’t care about the digital age. For me, there is nothing more relaxing then going to Barnes and Noble for a few hours just to peruse actual books. Granted when you walk in the door they attack you with NOOKS, but if you pretend to not speak english they let you pass without so much as a word.

ESPN.com & EW.com – Sadly, I have to know what is going on in the world of sports and entertainment. ESPN.com and EW.com are, far and above, my two favorite websites. Like Netflix however, these two add to my lack of productivity. Again, I say thank you.

The Art of Shaving – Sandalwood Shaving Cream – It’s just good quality stuff. Sure it’s a bit overpriced, but this is one of those things I believe is worth the extra money if you have it.

Disney World – Don’t judge me!

Sunset Beach North Carolina – A nice little island off the cost of North Carolina. Even in the middle of summer it never seemed to crowded. A great place to go with the family.

Gospel Brunch at the House of Blues – Everyone needs a little Gospel.  I have had brunch at a lot of places but by far this is the most fun I have had. If you ever get the chance you should do it and you will see why it is on this list.

NPR – It’s not just for old people…I swear. When you can listen to “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me”, “Fresh Air”, “This American Life”, “A Prairie Home Companion”, and “Car Talk”…whats not to love? Granted there are some shows that beg to be made fun of and mocked but overall my day would not be complete without some NPR.

Apple – Yes I drank the kool aid and bought the sneakers. Call me a cult member…I don’t care. Apple products are still some of my favorite things.

Milwaukee 2410 – 22 Cordless Drill – If you don’t have a garage filled with tools and are relegated to a cabinet in the bathroom like I am…then this is the perfect drill for you.

Football – I just love it. Rodger Goodell however…well, that is another issue entirely.

The Olympic’s Opening Ceremonies – Weird creepy giant baby aside, that was a great opening ceremonies.

Cinnamon Crunch Bagel with Hazelnut Cream Cheese at Panera Bread – The best single bite I can think of right at this moment.

There you have it…

My 2012 List of Favorite Things.

Up next 25 Things The Bug Me – 2012 Edition.

Until next time…

What I do have is common sense and a 5 year old little girl. Why does that matter? Well, much like my faith these things are a part of my perspective and my perspective of Chris Brown and Rihanna is one of sadness, anger, and frustration. 

As a father I hope that my daughter grows up to understand that being a strong independent woman does not mean that you tolerate ignorance or abuse of any kind. As a father I hope that my daughter will have enough respect for who she is, her gender, and her faith that she will always stand up for herself and for those too afraid to stand up on their own. 

When I see Rhianna, I see this scared little girl pretending to be an empowered woman. When I see Chris Brown, I see a petulant little boy trying to be a man. When I see them together my heart breaks at what seems to be a juvinile relationship that has no basis in mutual respect, commitment, or love.  I firmly believe people can change. I have seen it in my own life, in those around me, and yes even other pop culture magnets and yet it does not take a rocket scientist to see that very little has changed individually or as a couple (at least in their public personas).

So why am I putting my opinion out into the randomness that is the internet? Because I am tired of people missing the point.  Look, I have nothing against the music…to be honest I quite like many of their songs…what I am talking about is people standing up for all of the little girls and boys of this world. I am talking about individuals taking the time to realize that these two people who are broken and hurt and need of actual restorative love and change are the influencers of our culture. These are the people the next generation is looking at for inspiration and because of that we have a generation who thinks abuse is just a normal part of a relationship. We have young people everywhere that think it’s no big deal to completely degrade anyone they want. We have youth of every gender, race, and economic standing who are perfectly content with having zero respect for themselves or others. 

That is not ok.

Until next time…

So I am back interwebs.