Smiley Anders for Aug. 28, 2012

Prior to the upcoming visit of the storm called Isaac, folks in south Louisiana are being urged to make preparations before the tropical storm/hurricane reaches here, knocks out power and causes other problems.

So I did my hurricane preparation Monday.

I called my two children in Zachary and asked:

1. Do you have a generator?

2. Do you have a spare bed?

3. Do you have hurricane supplies? (You know, Spam luncheon meat, tequila, stuff like that. ...)

Both kids answered in the affirmative to these questions, so I feel my hurricane preparations have been taken care of and I can relax.

Nick & Mick revisited

After I mentioned hearing a Dan Patrick interview with Alabama Coach Nick Saban in which Nick told of being a Rolling Stones fan, I got this comment from Larry Farris:

“Smiley, with Ole Nick’s penchant for control and being on top of all things, I’m guessing one of those Rolling Stones songs on his iPhone is ‘Under My Thumb.’ ”

Coin that word

Vita Clement says, “I nominate Advocate sports columnist Perryn Keys for a special award: he called Wednesday’s traffic debacle ‘Carmageddon.’ ”

What’s privacy?

Nancy, who describes herself as “a small-town girl,” offers this comment on modern technology:

“When I was little and we got our first phone, we had a ‘party line’ and hated the lack of privacy.

“Now it’s called a conference call or three-way calling. Heck, now you hear everyone’s conversation walking through a store or mall, as some people just talk loudly, and some have the speaker phone feature turned on.”

Barefoot blues

Linda Belleu, of Gonzales, adds to our seminar on dealing with unwelcome pests (other than the human kind):

“When I have used the soap method on wasp nests that are covered with wasps, I find it works well — in that they may not be killed immediately, but they fall to the ground and then you can step on them and kill them.

“However, for those of you who are old Cajuns like me, you might consider wearing shoes for that one task.”

Check it out

This column is getting more like Heloise’s every day.

Our latest helpful household hint comes from Frank Kean:

“With Isaac coming our way, my bride asked me to check the operation of our natural gas electricity generator.

“I knew that it is supposed to start and test-run automatically every Wednesday; so grumping outside to do a manual test, I found that she is as smart as I’ve always known.

“It would not even try to start.

“The hot weather has killed a lot of batteries in the greater Baton Rouge area.

“It seems that the water in the battery boils and the charge you need to start and run the motor of your generator does not exist.

“A word to the wise.”

Old news

Goldie Patrick brings up a situation that often bugs Baton Rouge residents:

“How old does a bridge have to be before newspeople quit calling it the ‘new bridge?’

“It should be called the I-10 Bridge, and the really old bridge should be called the Highway 190 Bridge.”

Thanks for the music

Karen Poirrier, of Lutcher, says she, husband Buddy and other family members thank the folks at Nottoway Plantation for hosting LSU’s “Opera Under the Oaks” on Sunday afternoon:

“All proceeds were given to LSU to fund its opera program (the program receives no funding from the university or state).

“The music was fantastic, the food delicious, the camaraderie enjoyable and the setting outstanding!”

Special People Dept.

• Eunice Hebert, of Maison Teche nursing home in Jeanerette, celebrated a most special birthday Monday: her 105th.
• On Tuesday, Louise Haynes celebrates her 98th birthday.

Special deliveries

Charles Shea says he and son Mark were driving past the new Woman’s Hospital the other day when Mark remarked, “You know, I’ve heard that the delivery room there is so high-tech that they’re delivering babies cordless.”

Weather report

Amy LeBlanc says she’s a teacher at a local Catholic school where son Sean attends first grade:

“Recently Sean was asked to help a friend to the nurse’s station.

“His little friend had just burned his finger on the outside play equipment.

“When the school nurse asked what happened, my sweet, caring, spunky 6-year-old was only too happy to offer an answer: ‘That play equipment is DAMN HOT!’

“Our school nurse thought it was hysterical! I, however, was mortified!

“Although, to be honest, I couldn’t get too upset with him. We live in south Louisiana — it IS DAMN HOT!”

Write Smiley at [e-mail]. He can also be reached by fax at [phone] or mail at P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821.