Andrew’s visit to New Orleans

My brother has been visiting this week for his Spring Break. On his list of things to do:

1. Go to Hornets/Lakers game. Check.

2. Visit with/share the gospel with internationals at the Port of New Orleans. Check.

3. Put up sheet rock in the gutted homes of Katrina victims. Check.

4. Eat his sister out of house and home. Check. Check.

I have thoroughly enjoyed him being here, but let’s just say I have a new appreciation for parents of teenage boys. Although, as of last week he’s no longer a teenager. So maybe I have a new appreciation for parents who let their kids live with them after they graduate high school. I think I’ve decided I’m kicking mine out at 18. Maybe 16. Maybe sooner if they eat too much. It’s not that I’m opposed to eating (Ha!), but I am opposed to eating without any regard for how much groceries cost. In my brother’s defense, he’s never had to buy groceries for himself. He lived with my parents until this year, and now he’s in college with a cafeteria meal plan. He has no concept of how much food costs. Jake and I certainly don’t starve, but we do ration our food a little better, especially the things that cost a little more. For example…Jake has a coke addiction. He has admitted it, and he’s on the road to recovery. I don’t really care if he drinks lots of coke, except that feeding his addiction was getting expensive. So now we buy the 12 pack of cans when they’re on sale (and they’re always on sale somewhere), and he limits himself to one a day. Sometimes, on bad days, he might get a second one, but not very often. Andrew, on the other hand, has been drinking at least two per meal! Milk is another issue. A gallon of milk can last Jake and I up to 2 weeks, assuming it doesn’t “expire.” We had a full gallon when Andrew arrived on Friday. As of Saturday night, it was empty. We bought another $5.00 gallon Sunday afternoon (after giving Andrew a stern warning that this needed to last the rest of the week). When I went to pour milk in my cereal this morning, I discovered that again we were out. So I had toast instead.

I love my brother. I’m glad he’s here. He’s not a pig or anything, he just eats more than Jake and I…and drinks more (coke and milk, that is), and I just plain can’t afford him. If we can feed him for just one more day, we’ll be alright. Then he can go home to his mama and let her pay the grocery bills. (I love you, Mama…and I appreciate you more than ever…and I love you too, Andrew.) :-)